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Yamaha in Polaris Cloths
2015 Ranger 900 Long-Term Review
I have owned my 2015 Polaris Ranger 900 XP for over 3 years. It has about 1,800 miles and 340 hours. I thought it would be helpful and fun to do an honest, long-term update with some of my own experiences.
This Ranger was bought in November 2014 as a new 2015 model year Ranger 900. Polaris bumped the power rating of the Ranger's 875cc twin cylinder ProStar engine up to 68HP for 2015, a noticeable increase from the 60HP of the previous model years. I paid $15,800, which included Texas sales tax and a $300 delivery fee. The dealership actually delivered the Ranger to my house. We signed the papers on my workbench. It was the easiest buying experience I've had. These days, Ranger 900 machines can be bought for less than I paid.
The Good:
- Ride Quality - The Ranger rides incredibly smooth right off the showroom floor. It has 10" of wheel travel. For slow to medium speeds, this thing is a Cadillac. The ride is very plush. I did add Elka Stage 4 shocks to my Ranger for even better high speed handling. But even stock, few utility machines with a bench seat will ride as smooth as a Polaris Ranger XP.
- Quiet Ride - The Ranger is a very quiet machine, both inside the cab and outside the cab. With the engine mounted under the dump bed, the majority of the engine's noises are away from the driver and passengers. Adding cab components such as a windshield, rear panel, roof, and doors does tend to amplify noise inside the cab, but it is still very quiet for a UTV. Polaris does make a head liner and rear panel that does reduce noise and is completely washable. I have these cab pieces, and they work well.
- Good Engine Power - Polaris' ProStar 900 engine is a strong, reliable engine. It has good torque for strong bottom end power ,and it has a respectable top end for impressive top speeds. The engine starts easy and is easy to service. Polaris tuned and clutched the 900 motor for lower RPM torque in the Ranger chassis. I did flash my ECU to mimic the RZR-S 900 state of tune which makes 75HP. The ECU flash took an already strong motor and made it even more fun to drive by increasing the horsepower and drastically improving the drive-by-wire throttle response.
- Gearing - Polaris did a good job giving the Ranger 900 a useful High and Low Range subtransmission. Low Range is very low geared, lower than the RZR 900 counterpart. The Ranger is only capable of about 20MPH in Low gear before it hits the rev limiter. The Low Range is useful for creeping through tight trails and for turning big tires buried in clay based mud. I love the power and torque available in Low Range. Polaris geared the High Range pretty tall, and speed is only limited by the engine power after an ECU tune. Stock, Polaris limits Ranger XPs to 60MPH and Ranger Crews to 50MPH. With my ECU tune and 27" tires, I have hit 70MPH on the blacktop and let out of the throttle.
- Turf Mode - The Ranger 900 has an unlockable rear differential that lets the driver operate in 2WD with an open rear differential. This decreases the turning radius and doesn't disturb lawns in tight turns. It also makes the Ranger easy to drive on hard surface because the tires don't scrub. I use the turf mode all the time. In fact, I rarely use standard 2WD with the rear differential locked. If I need more traction, I just go straight into AWD.
- Accessory Availability - Polaris has some of the best support when it comes to accessories, both factory accessories and aftermarket accessories. The formed roll cage of the Ranger lets windshields and roofs fit with an almost automotive fit. The accessories fit close to the cage, and cab components have bulb gaskets for a tight, waterproof seal. The aftermarket makes almost anything you can imagine for a Polaris Ranger.
- Durable Painted Finish - My Ranger came with a high quality paint applied to the fenders, hood, and dash. Despite being drug through the brush, the paint has held up great. It looks better than other models with color molded plastic. I am very pleased at how good my Ranger looks after all of the hard use.
- Charging System - With right at 600 watts of electrical power available from the stator, I rarely have to worry about running low on juice. It's nice to not have to be so stingy with accessories and constantly having to watch your voltage.
The Bad:
- Suspension Bushings - The Ranger bushings are cheap plastic. I wore out my front bushings in just a couple of hundred miles. I replaced them with OEM bushings, and those also wore out quickly. I replaced all of the bushings on the machine with oil filled UHMW bushings. I have not had any more bushing problems since.
- Wheel Bearings - I also had problems keeping a wheel bearing for more than a couple of hundred miles. I tried several brands, including OEM, and the most I ever got was about 500 miles out of a wheel bearing. I purchased one of the bearing greaser tools that let me pump grease into the wheel bearings. That has dramatically increased the life of my wheel bearings.
- Propshaft - The propshaft (driveshaft) u-joints are terrible quality. Polaris uses a non-greasable u-joint at both ends of the 5.5' long propshaft, and those u-joints get slop in them fairly quick. I replaced the Polaris joints with Spice 5-170X joints which are of much higher quality. The propshaft itself is also made out of phase. My particular propshaft was out of round by a few thoundths of an inch in the center which caused a sickening vibration at high speeds. If you are going to ride fast, consider getting a local driveline shop to make you a quality propshaft.
- Front Gearcase - Polaris uses a front on-demand Hillard gearcase for AWD. It's not really 4WD like on your truck, but the Polaris AWD does drive all four tires. I had to replace my front gearcase when a plastic pinion bearing retainer failed after 800 miles. The bearing failure cased catastrophic damage to the gearcase, and I had to purchase a whole new assembly for $1,100. I later had a sprague carrier break inside the new front gearcase. I replaced the sprage and armature plate with heavy duty parts from the aftermarket at a cost of $400.
- Steering Rack - My OEM steering rack developed significant play with less than 1000 miles. I replaced the entire rack with one from the aftermarket, again, costing me $300+.
- Brake Master Cylinder - The front brake calipers were heating up while riding. I discovered that the brake master cylinder was not properly releasing pressure from the front calipers with around 1,300 miles on the odometer. Polaris had an updated master cylinder, but it cost me $200 for the new part.
- Weak Front Frame Tabs - The suspension mounting tabs on my Polaris Ranger 900 showed signs of fatigue. The paint chipped off around the welds, and the areas displayed tell tale signs of immanent failure if left unattended. Because this is a common problem, several aftermarket companies make heavy duty frame and suspension bracing plates that bolt on to strengthen the front end of the Ranger. I bought mine from CATVOS for $250.
I'll come right out and say it. This Ranger continues to be a lot of fun. I took it to the 2016 JBS Fall Ride in West Virginia. I also took it to Silverton, Colorado in the Summer 2017. I use it around our family's ranch, and I put it in as much water and mud as I have any of my UTVs.
The Ranger gets ridden hard, but I also take care of it and service it regularly, more frequently than the book recommends. With that said, I have had my share of component failures. Grenading a thousand dollar front differential on 27" Bighorns because of a cheap plastic bearing retainer failed leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Then, breaking the sprague carrier on the new differential less than a 1,000 miles later really hurts.
Yes, I have done a lot of maintenance type repairs like wheel bearings and suspension bushings. However, those kinds of repairs have sharply declined since new techniques and parts were installed. But, perhaps there is truth to the fact that Polaris UTVs need more maintenance.
The bottom line is that the Ranger 900 fits me well right now, and there is not another UTV currently on the market I would consider trading my Ranger towards. At least at this time. I hope you have found this long term review to be helpful, and if there is anything I left out or a question you might have, post it in the comments.
Peace,
Chris
Last edited by Chris; 03-05-2018 at 03:25 PM.
Reason: Spelling and Formatting Corrections
2015 Polaris Ranger 900
RVS 86HP Tune | Elka Shocks | QSC Clutching | 27" VIPRs | 5000lb Viper | Baja Designs Lights | Wet Sounds Stealth 10 | 10" SSV Subwoofer | Highlifter Snorkels
2014 Kawasaki Teryx4 800
Warn Provantage 4500-S
28" Terminators | MSA Kore | Highlifter Lift | 50" Radius Lightbar | Dual Batteries |
2011 Yamaha Rhino 734 Sport
Alba 734 | Racer's Edge +2 head | CP 11:1 Piston | 46mm Benchmark TB | JBS Sheave, Muzzys | WER shocks | CATVOS 3" lift | 30" Bighorns
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Very cool review, dont know how u remember all that. We replaced wifes rzr bushings with superdaves no problems since. She loves her rzrS and it has been a great machine for her. We hit Silverton also last year end of sept. Very cool place
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09 700 sport
aftermarket cam, duel muzzy exhaust, alba custom map, MSD fuel controller, alba water temp and oil press gauges, SDR LT6, SDR 4seat custom cage and bed, rigid industries 40in. and 10in. light bars, led head and taillights, fox remote resi shocks, DWT beadlock wheels, twisted stitch seats front and back, crow 4pt harness front and back, super atv power steering, quick release steering wheel. ruggid radios incar communication and car to car com, JBS EXTREME2 sheave on the way
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Yamaha in Polaris Cloths
Nice! Silverton was one of those places I wanted to ride in my lifetime. We stayed in house that was the old bottling company at the edge of town. When we were there in early-mid June 2017, the snow was still deep enough that a number of the passes were not yet open. I snapped this picture on Engineer Pass. In South Texas, I live at an elevation of 20-30 feet above sea level. Silverton is 9,300' and Engineer Pass was close to 13,000'. I was sucking air!!! LoL
2015 Polaris Ranger 900
RVS 86HP Tune | Elka Shocks | QSC Clutching | 27" VIPRs | 5000lb Viper | Baja Designs Lights | Wet Sounds Stealth 10 | 10" SSV Subwoofer | Highlifter Snorkels
2014 Kawasaki Teryx4 800
Warn Provantage 4500-S
28" Terminators | MSA Kore | Highlifter Lift | 50" Radius Lightbar | Dual Batteries |
2011 Yamaha Rhino 734 Sport
Alba 734 | Racer's Edge +2 head | CP 11:1 Piston | 46mm Benchmark TB | JBS Sheave, Muzzys | WER shocks | CATVOS 3" lift | 30" Bighorns
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Great write up as always, Chris. Can am also has poor quality plastic suspension bushings, which I, like Brian, replaced with Super Dave’s. Are you still liking your duraclutch?
2011 Commander XT 1000
2006 660 Special Edition (Sold)
Had lots of neat stuff...
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Ridin' and Guidin'
340 hours and only 1,800 miles? are you using this for golf?
" White Shadow " Wolverine X2
JBS Performance Extreme Sheave
JBS Performance Suspension Springs
Team Alba Racing ECU
Rigid Side Shooter Led
Yamaha Cab Enclosure
Bazooka Party Bar
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Yamaha in Polaris Cloths
Originally Posted by
rodneygt
Great write up as always, Chris. Can am also has poor quality plastic suspension bushings, which I, like Brian, replaced with Super Dave’s. Are you still liking your duraclutch?
I axed the Duraclutch not long after the JBS Fall Ride in 2016. I couldn't stand the engine braking feature. It felt like I was going to go through the windshield each time I let off the throttle. I swapped out helixes on the secondary to remove (or actually reduce) the engine braking, but I was still not happy with the overall performance. I even went so far as to having a company ship me some custom weights to bring my RPM to where the fun really starts happening, to 7600RPM, but the off-idle lag of the Duraclutch was a huge drain!
For pure utility use, the Duraclutch is amazing. You'll never burn a belt again. The dual centrifugal clutches are robust. It is a solid clutch and a good product for the vast majority of Polaris Ranger owners. But I'm that one guy who wants to hotrod. I am the guy who made a Yamaha Rhino go fast, and I made a Polaris Ranger go fast, too. The clutch just didn't really fit my style of riding.
I wan to nail the throttle from a stop and spin tires, getting up to 20MPH as fast as possible before I have to let off the gas. The Duraclutch takes the dumping-the-clutch, grab-and-go belt drive characteristic away from the Polaris CVT and makes tons of smooth, tractable power. I wanted a quick power delivery and fantastic belt life. That doesn't seem to be possible in a Polaris Ranger, to my knowledge.
So I sold the Duraclutch for $1,000 and bought a new Polaris style CVT with QSC clutching and a 1,700RPM engagement RPM and totally eliminated engine braking. I am much happier, and my belt life has not been very bad at all.
Originally Posted by
Timmi
340 hours and only 1,800 miles? are you using this for golf?
I told you I like the turf mode...LOL!!!
Based on those numbers, you get an average speed of ~5MPH. That does seem lame! But in all truth, my Ranger spends a fair amount of time idling around the house and farm - not so much time idling on the trails. Add in a bit of slow speed crawling, and my higher speed riding averages out to a snails pace.
2015 Polaris Ranger 900
RVS 86HP Tune | Elka Shocks | QSC Clutching | 27" VIPRs | 5000lb Viper | Baja Designs Lights | Wet Sounds Stealth 10 | 10" SSV Subwoofer | Highlifter Snorkels
2014 Kawasaki Teryx4 800
Warn Provantage 4500-S
28" Terminators | MSA Kore | Highlifter Lift | 50" Radius Lightbar | Dual Batteries |
2011 Yamaha Rhino 734 Sport
Alba 734 | Racer's Edge +2 head | CP 11:1 Piston | 46mm Benchmark TB | JBS Sheave, Muzzys | WER shocks | CATVOS 3" lift | 30" Bighorns
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Ridin' and Guidin'
That is the one feature I hated on my rzr, no engine braking. I love engine braking!
" White Shadow " Wolverine X2
JBS Performance Extreme Sheave
JBS Performance Suspension Springs
Team Alba Racing ECU
Rigid Side Shooter Led
Yamaha Cab Enclosure
Bazooka Party Bar
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Yamaha in Polaris Cloths
Originally Posted by
Timmi
That is the one feature I hated on my rzr, no engine braking. I love engine braking!
I understand. I like *natural* engine braking. I never minded, and even enjoyed, the engine braking on my Yamaha Rhino and my Grizzlys and on my Honda Rancher 420. The engine braking from the Duraclutch felt nothing like that; it was unnatural and overly aggressive. Do that on a Polaris that only applies engine braking to the rear wheels, and handling becomes sketchy, especially on a downhill or on slick surfaces.
But I agree. Engine braking is usually a good thing.
2015 Polaris Ranger 900
RVS 86HP Tune | Elka Shocks | QSC Clutching | 27" VIPRs | 5000lb Viper | Baja Designs Lights | Wet Sounds Stealth 10 | 10" SSV Subwoofer | Highlifter Snorkels
2014 Kawasaki Teryx4 800
Warn Provantage 4500-S
28" Terminators | MSA Kore | Highlifter Lift | 50" Radius Lightbar | Dual Batteries |
2011 Yamaha Rhino 734 Sport
Alba 734 | Racer's Edge +2 head | CP 11:1 Piston | 46mm Benchmark TB | JBS Sheave, Muzzys | WER shocks | CATVOS 3" lift | 30" Bighorns
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Post Thanks / Like - 1 Thanks, 1 Likes, 0 Dislikes
Timmi thanked for this post
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2015 Ranger 900 Long-Term Review
09 700 sport
aftermarket cam, duel muzzy exhaust, alba custom map, MSD fuel controller, alba water temp and oil press gauges, SDR LT6, SDR 4seat custom cage and bed, rigid industries 40in. and 10in. light bars, led head and taillights, fox remote resi shocks, DWT beadlock wheels, twisted stitch seats front and back, crow 4pt harness front and back, super atv power steering, quick release steering wheel. ruggid radios incar communication and car to car com, JBS EXTREME2 sheave on the way
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Great honest write up --- thanks for sharing. I have had 2 Rangers and they did everything I wanted them to do. Really good machines
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