ATVs Four Wheelers: 2007 Polaris Outlaw 525

writer: Bryan Nylander
photographer: Bryan Nylander

In an effort to provide trail riders the lighter weight and quicker handling of a sport ATV yet the ground clearance and uneven-trail capability of a utility, Polaris engineers certainly climbed out of the box with their innovative approach to this problem-they mated a sport ATV with Independent Rear Suspension. We lauded the Outlaw 500's crossbred marriage of sport chassis and utility rear setup by considering it for the 2006 Sport ATV of the Year (Nov. '06). Racers may have had issues with the Outlaw, but for rock crawling or cruising on the trails, it was a capable machine.

However, we were not blindly smitten with the model. It was heavy, slow and had an irritating mishmash of fasteners. Those were the big grievances; we got over the funky seat mounting and odd looks (yeah, I know some of you out there like the black and aggressive buglike plastic design) enough to compete on it back East. We also searched out the rocky sections out West aboard the chunky steed. If it could lose some weight and get more power, it could only get better.

Evidently, Polaris came to that same conclusion and used its cooperative agreement with KTM to score the Austrian brand's proven 525 engine for the Outlaw. Simply scrapping the old tractor motor and replacing it with the svelte Katoom motor worked better than a dose of Phen-Fen, shaving off some 30 pounds. During the adaptation from bike to quad, sixth gear was replaced by reverse and its oil capacity doubled. A new header and exhaust and the 510cc motor was ready to go. And since the overall size of the engine was smaller, there was room for more fuel; it carries more at 3.9 gallons now.

First Look
After months of hearing about the evolved model and its new motor, we finally got our first sighting of the Outlaw 525. It doesn't take long to distinguish its new engine-its silver color betrays its presence. Beyond new graphics and seat-cover colors, the makeover also included the new RydeFX shocks. In fact, both the 2007 Outlaw and Predator will be fitted with shocks from the Canadian company. We didn't get to try any adjustments on the RydeFX equipment, even though the SOLOs in the rear are supposed to have adjustable compression. But I digress

On our walk around, we spotted another side benefit of the KTM engine-a Magura hydraulic clutch. And with promises of light action and effortless clutch action, we were now primed to sample the KTM-powered quad.

First Impression
Press intros are often like blind dates. After all the hype about personality and looks, when you finally meet the person, reality is often on a different course. Sometimes events turn out even better than you thought possible. And other meetings result in awkward silences or a never-ending trip to the restroom. Of course, at the end, the matchmakers are always antsy to hear a good report, and if things headed south in a hurry, you're stuck with wondering how to let them down gently. It's a careful dance routine we waltz in the editorial world-too nice and readers believe we're blowing smoke, while overly harsh criticism earns us a rep for not liking anything and sometimes means no second dates with a particular manufacturer. So, as a photography instructor once said during a portraiture class, "Everyone has something beautiful. It's your job to find it and accentuate it."

The Outlaw 525 is somewhere in the middle here. The looks appeal to some, and everyone will fancy its muscular motor. However, our first date could have gone better. Blame some of it on the location. Polaris chose Jawbone Canyon for the debut location-probably for its bounty of rocks and because a good chunk of the ATV media is based within driving distance. But after some time aboard a 500 on hand and the new 525, I'm pretty certain that it is a tight-and-rocky-trail machine. In the big, rolling desert whoops infesting the location, life wasn't as much fun. We hit a long stretch of whoops right out of base camp, and at first things on the older 500 were OK, but within a short time, the back end started to hop around and suddenly I was in a rodeo on a bucking bronco. Not a good place to be in bounding along in fourth gear. The suspension packed and kicked, and I wished my tester, Adam Campbell, on the new 525, and I could swap. After a roundabout trail that took us to the top of one of Jawbone's impressive hills, we finally switched off so we could compare the old Outlaw with the new one. After meandering over and around rocky outcroppings and down to the valley floor and the sand, I got to see how well the newer RydeFX shocks soaked up the Western rollers. But I was still not ready to blitz any whoop sections-instead of blowing all the way through the stroke and bottoming out like on the 500, the 525's rear shocks compressed halfway, then stiffened practically to immobility. The following kick wasn't as bad as on the 500, but no warm and fuzzies here. Add in some body lean-common on IRS machines-in the corners and speed simply wasn't a place we wanted to take the Polaris to just yet. We need a bit more time to work out the complexities of the Outlaw's suspension personality.

And before I tell you what you really want to know, I have to talk about the front brake lever. If ever there was doubt about the existence of Paul Bunyan, I can assuage it: He is alive and testing for Polaris. No really, the lever is so far away from the bar that Campbell and I (both of us wear XL gloves) had to slide our hands forward to grasp the slimmed-down-for-'07 lever. The ergos were way off here-I'm afraid to shake hands with the guy who felt this worked. He probably has a blue ox named Babe at home. Fortunately, the new dual-caliper brakes work fast and make up for time lost reaching for them.

"Yeah, yeah, but what about the motor?" you ask. It rocks! The 11cc larger mill feels like a big-bore motor should, with major oomph off the bottom and a healthy dose in the middle. Where the 500 was soft and took a while to spool up, the 525 comes on immediately and with gusto. In fact, I could go just as fast in a gear lower on the newer Polaris. Less weight means quicker acceleration and also translates into better turning aptitude, not to mention easier loading and unloading from the back of a pickup. Although the motor was easily our favorite part of the new Outlaw, Campbell still managed to find something to snivel at-the inability to shift while on the gas. With the plentiful assortment of exhausts developed for this popular motor, once the companies have adapted them to this unique frame geometry, enhancing the 510cc engine further should be easy. And its five gears are plenty-we never took it over fourth during our brief date.

Final Say
The Polaris Outlaw faces a tough peer group today. Its strengths are its rock-friendly IRS and healthy engine. However, it gets killed in the details. From the utilitylike shocks to the mishmash of fasteners (still!), this unique sport ATV has room for improvement. Things that were permissible even a few years ago will get a model relegated to last place in a flash considering the polished ATVs hitting the showroom floors now. Sure, Polaris fans will still flock to it regardless of what we say, but those on the fence who plan to hit the rocky Eastern trails-well, this is where the Outlaw does shine-might waver before taking the plunge. On a positive note, we'll get to know the Outlaw 525 more intimately during our 24-Hour torture test appearing in our June issue and then perhaps afterward as a Long-Term. And we'll work on coaxing the beauty out of the Outlaw while we are at it.

Polaris Outlaw 525
Retail price:	$7299
Engine type:	Single-cylinder, four-stroke SOHC
Displacement:	510cc
Bore x stroke:	95x72mm
Cooling:	Liquid-cooled
Carburetion:	Keihin MX FCR 39mm
Starting:	Electric
Drive system:	Chain, 2x4
Transmission:	5-speed manual with reverse
Front suspension
(type/travel):	Dual A-arms/10.0 in.
Rear suspension
(type/travel):	PRO-IRS/10.0 in.
Front tires:	21x7-10
Rear tires:	20x10-9
Front brakes:	Dual hydraulic discs, with dual calipers
Rear brake:	Hydraulic disc
Wheelbase:	50.5 in.
Claimed dry weight:	395 lb
Ground clearance:	11.0 in.
Length/width/height:	71.5/47.5/45.0 in.
Seat height:	32.0 in.
Fuel capacity:	3.9 gal.
Taillight:	Yes
Headlight:	Dual 27-watt
Instrumentation:	Neutral/reverse, high-temperature indicators
Color:	Black; white (limited edition)