Nothing exceeds like excess and the new RZR 1000 has exceeded all our expectations.

Polaris doesn’t just dominate the Pure Sport SXS biz, it owns it! The XP1K exemplifies just how Polaris has gained such a huge lead on the competition in this segment and perfectly defines why this vehicle scooped up this fall’s Best Extreme Performance SXS ribbon in DirtTrax Magazine’s Ninth Annual best In Class Awards Issue beating out the Wildcat 1000 X and Can-Am’s Maverick X rs.

Here’s the formula for dominating in this category: Produce the most powerful engine at 107 horsepower and bolt it into an ultra-low-CG chassis with the longest travel suspension, boasting the highest quality shocks, the roomiest, most comfortable driver and passenger ergonomics and give it unequalled handling characteristics plus standard EPS.

That’ll win you a DirtTrax BIC every time.

Watch AJ’s TEST RIDE below:

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We’ve been generous with our praise of this innovative 2-up ATV chassis the past couple seasons. Truth is, the rear seat accoutrements are very good.

However, one must look closely to see the beef. Under the rear seat is a full-on gas filled shock with a coil spring. The seat base is hinged at the front edge and the shock provides a couple inches of actual damped movement.

This set-up means the rear seat literally floats when the ATV is powering through choppy terrain and the seat foam becomes a less important part of the comfort package. Or does it?

There’s another engineering feature on the XP Sportsman 2-up chassis bringing a comfort advantage to the passenger. It’s the fore-aft positioning of its 850cc parallel twin. This longitudinal location makes the XP the skinniest 2-passenger ATV in the biz from the seat base down to the footrests.

We mention this as it has a tangible effect on ride comfort, particularly when the drill is an all-day affair. Having your knees closer together gives the passenger better leverage to stay back from the rider and better ability to control the unpredictable lurching effect rough terrain can induce.

Amenities here are almost incomparable. There are 2-speed rear hand heaters, adjustable handholds, the aforementioned active passenger seat and a huge passenger backrest. Rear footrests are elevated and very grippy.

This Sportsman delivers a plush and stable ride. The passenger’s weight is carried over and mostly in front of the rear axle ensuring the LE never loses front end grip unless you intend to initiate a wheelie. Honestly, it’s almost impossible to get the front wheels off the ground whether loaded or empty.

We did hear some of our passengers complain about two issues with this ATV. The first is the wiggly nature of the rear backrest. This large padded unit does display a less-than-solidly-mounted posture and, combined with the suspended seat, according to backseaters, can be annoying.

The other comment we heard was the rear grab handles. There are multiple locations to mount the handles, however the angle of the handle grip itself can sometimes be a little awkward for shorter passengers to grasp. The issue appears to be the more rearward location of the grips.

When it comes to versatility the Sportsman XP Touring platform offers the ability to remove the passenger seat and backrest in one piece. The hole left can then be filled with a custom snap-in tool chest. That’s the kind of versatility we’ve heard 2-up buyers crowing for.

It’s worth noting the Sportsman XP Touring does not have much rear rack space left when the rear seat is in place. However, the rear seat space on the Sportsman XP Touring is a clean area.

Little if any tire roost bothers the passenger and site lines over and around the driver are good for just about any average sized-rider.

The Can-Am XTP is a full-on high performance biased twofer using the same shocks and bead-lock rims as the very serious race-driven XTP one-passenger Outlander.

The suspension package may look racer serious (because it is) however, we discovered the shocks are valved and sprung perfectly for carrying a passenger.

A noteworthy effect of good quality shocks is the ability to wick up the throttle with a full passenger load and not suffer abuse from a screaming, angry rear passenger.

Truth is, you can go faster 2-up on this Outlander Max than you can on many highly respected one-uppers, solo. It was an almost confounding reality to stay with a pack of one-uppers on the XTP and not feel like our lives were on the line.

The Max passenger backrest is jibungous and firmly planted on the chassis. There’s no wiggling or wobbling in jiggly terrain with this highly supportive, firmly mounted backrest.

TEST RIDE: 2013 Can-Am 1000 Outlander Max XT-P

It was interesting to see how passengers would actually push themselves back into the backrest when approaching what looked like potentially rough terrain. We would have expected passengers would want to move ahead and support themselves with their legs. However the seat, combined with the suspension is highly effective in fighting gnarly bumps.

Completely countering our praise for Max ride quality is the lack of rear passenger hand heaters – a serious oversight we’d recommend any potential buyer deal with by adding aftermarket hot grips.

The XTP’s rear passenger handholds are superbly positioned and ergo-correct. They’re exceptionally comfy while allowing the rider to gain a confidence inspiring grip on the Max when powering tight turns or cresting negative G-outs. Footrests are raised and grippy and most importantly, feel like they’re exactly in the right position.

Despite the sporty personality of the XTP, mud protection is excellent. There’s also a very useable rear rack area with the seat installed.

Seat removal can be quickly accomplished pressing a lever while lifting the entire backrest-seat combo off the Outlander. Once removed, you’ll be presented with a gaping hole in your Max XTP demanding the installation of an accessory snap-in tool/cargo box.

Can-Am has done its homework here and we’re impressed by the “sit-in” rather than “sit-on” feel of the Max passenger seat. Its seat design contributes to passenger comfort in a substantial way and looks more like a saddle than a seat.

The XTP simple mows down bumps, rollers, jigglers and square edge ruts as the rear dampers are fully adjustable with compression and rebound clickers providing lots of adjustability for loading up cheeseburger-fed passengers.

The Touring disposition of the LE is unmistakable because of its truly jinormous rear travel-trunk, which makes taking a passenger on an overnighter a real pleasure.

Seriously, there’s enough room for all your gear and a small pet inside this cave-like fiberglass box.

It’s worth noting the lid works great if properly latched, however, we encountered more than one situation where the lid popped open unannounced and flopped around like a half baked salmon.

Amenities for the passenger are substantial. There are 2-speed hand warmers operated by a nice, large toggle on the right side passenger handgrip. The larger toggle is nice when wearing gloves as it’s easy to feel the larger detents between hi, lo and off settings.

Passenger footrests provide good grip and are high enough small passengers can brace themselves for bumps, braking and downhills.

Passenger handholds are exceptionally large and look like something the Millennium Falcon might have used to control thrust stability. However, inasmuch as these big handgrips seem to garner inordinate attention and comment, they work.

First and foremost, they’re comfortable and very adaptable. There are so many different places to gain grip, passengers can move their hands around to myriad positions combating fatigue while gaining improved leverage side-hilling or riding tricky terrain.

There was some concern about the overall ride quality of the TRV LE chassis. We’ve tested all three of Cat’s luxo-TRVs including the 700 and the 1000 and, in our opinion the best ride comes from the 1000.

It appears to us the rear suspension may be a little over-sprung on this lighter 550 powered version. Clearly, the rear shocks are the shortest of the three units compared here but shock length is not necessarily a definitive determiner of ride quality.

Our passengers felt the TRV was choppy and sometimes transferred an abrupt feel to the rider when running gnarly trail surfaces.

From a protection standpoint, the TRV offers exceptionally clean quarters. The rear wheels are well contained in the fenders and the big cargo box keeps flying mud from getting near the passenger.

Obviously, rear rack space is excellent proven by the existence of the giant cargo box. Site lines for the passenger are good, however we sensed the rear seat area could be a bit more elevated. Furthermore, stability fore-aft is superb with the passenger positioned well ahead of the rear axle.

We give the TRV high marks for overall space in the rear passenger compartment. While the seat cushion appears a little short there’s actually a lot of room between the driver and the passenger, eliminating the annoying sensation of the passenger bumping into the rider under braking or on downhill grades.

What’s obvious is the amount of space the driver has to move around. The seat is exceptionally spacious up front and the TRV LE’s standard windshield/faring provides extra warmth and protection for the passenger as well as the driver and is probably the warmest in the 2-up category.

When Polaris introduced the completely revamped Scrambler 850 just a few seasons ago, it quickly became one of our favorite ATVs on the market.

As soon as the RZR XP1K rolled out this past summer we had a strong feeling a Scrambler XP1K wouldn’t be too far behind and by fall we weren’t left disappointed.

At first glance you’d probably mistake the Scrambler XP 1000 for its smaller bore sibling and in reality, it is every bit a Scrambler.

Swing you leg over the seat and fire up the 952cc twin and by the first press of the fun button you’ll quickly realize it has more power than any other ATV ever made. In fact, as impressive as the Scrambler 850 is the power from the 1000 isn’t even comparable, it’s downright unbelievable.

Turn the key and as the 89-horsepower mill fires to life you’ll be under the spell of the melodic rumble emitting from the Scrambler XP 1000’s ultra-cool looking high-flow dual exhaust system.

As you lay down the hammer through your favorite section of trail, the exhaust’s confident roar commands more respect than a hungry lion at feeding time and if you thought the 850 sounded wild, well…double that.

Smoothing out the ride are Premium Fox Podium X 2.0 shocks with 18-click compression adjustability so you can basically dial in your ride for just about any terrain. Pair this with Polaris’ true All-Wheel Drive system that automatically engages all four tires at the first sense of the back wheels slipping and you’ve got a boat load of traction that can tackle just about any terrain imaginable.

Confidently tackle rooted up, rock-strewn trails with the throttle figuratively taped to the bars and the electronic power steering soaks up trail chatter and limits arm pump.

You can ride all day and the feather-light handling won’t leave you with an aching back and sore shoulders. As we always say, if you haven’t ridden an ATV with EPS, you don’t know what you’re missing!

The Scramber XP 1000 truly is a high performance piece of equipment boasting more power than most riders could even handle at full throttle. The reality is though its power is usable and controllable and in the right hands this beast can be tamed and will take your riding experience to an entirely new level.

Watch for more in an upcoming issue of DirtTrax Magazine and see the full test ride when DirtTrax Television returns in June!

The ATV Sport market has had one sovereign ruler for the past several years and Yamaha has no plans of letting the competition have access to its coveted throne anytime soon.

Tinkering with a formula that is clearly working for Yamaha, by opening a window of opportunity for competing OEMs who once had credible success in the Sport market, would be remiss as market share percentage points in this waning, but extremely passionate, segment are not easy to earn.

So it comes as no surprise that for 2014, Yamaha has chosen to stick to their guns by minimalizing changes to the industry sales-leading Raptor 700R and the industry’s highest performance, most technologically advanced sport ATV, the YFZ450R.

You might recall when the 2014 YFZ450R was first introduced back in June, DirtTrax reported upgrades such as all-new engine settings and more power from its high-tech, quick-revving, titanium five-valve, 449cc fuel-injected motor, all sitting in a lightweight, cast aluminum-steel chassis.

After spending oodles of aggressive saddle time riding this rocket on the track, on trails and recently in the dunes at Glamis, we’re confident in our qualified evaluation that this quad remains, by far, the best sport ATV to ever come out of an OEM factory.

We also stand by our decision to name the Yamaha YFZ450R Best In Class in the Sport ATV category. Actually – it was a no-brainer. Yes, it’s that good.

Today, Yamaha introduces its 2014 Black & Crimson Special edition YFZ450R, giving Yamaha four SE models this year which also includes the Midnight Blue Raptor 700R, Metallic Grey/White Raptor 700R and a Crimson Red and Black YFZ450R.

Each of the 2014 SE models gets aggressive styling with unique color schemes and graphics. The YFZs also receive a GYTR front grab bar while the Raptors get GYTR front grab bars and GYTR heel guards.

In June 2013 the 2014 YFZ450R was introduced and received a significant makeover at that time so nobody should be shocked major changes weren’t introduced just half a year later.

To jog your memory though, you might recall for 2014 the YFZ received an industry-exclusive standard assist and slipper clutch along with new styling and body configuration providing more space and comfort in the seating position.

New KYB shocks with 9.8 inches of travel and Kashima coating up front complement a rear swingarm with 11 inches of travel and a new, fully adjustable 46mm KYB piggyback dampers out back.

The new YFZs also feature Maxxis tires and quick release fasteners allowing for no-tool installation and removal of the front and rear fenders.

Look for the full story, as well as more details on the Raptor 700R in the May issue of DirtTrax Magazine.