Dirt Toys

MARCH 2017 | DIRT TOYS 15 Polaris has become fairly predict- able. The company figures if off-road- ers like any of its two-seat side-by- sides, like the RZR and Ranger, then there will be a certain contingent of those who would like to take more friends and family along for the ride. The General 4 falls in line with that thinking. The General—a side-by-side that fits between the RZR and Ranger— was released in late 2015. Not far behind was the General 4, which came out about six months later. Polaris classifies the Gen- eral/General 4 as "crossover" vehicles. We got our first taste of the General 4 last fall in Montana at the Bull Run Guest Ranch south of Great Falls. Bull Run is a fun and ideal place to test a ve- hicle like the General 4, thanks to some rugged terrain, mountain trails, a little mud and creek crossings. To our think- ing, if we regularly rode areas similar to Bull Run (which we do) we would want a General or General 4 in our stable of off-road vehicles. Before we go any further with our ride impressions, here is our disclaimer. Between the time we rode the General 4 last fall and when we wrote this article, Polaris issued a recall for the General and General 4. The recall was issued because the engine can misfire and the temperatures of the exhaust and nearby components can get too hot and cause the components to melt and/or a con- taminated brake master cylinder may cause unintended brake drag, posing burn and fire hazards. That is accord- ing to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The recall covers 2016 and 2017 General and General 4 vehicles. A fix was already in place by the time we started putting this article together so here's hoping it won't be an issue from this point on. WE WANT MORE Polaris officials said after the initial release of the General, off-roaders were clamoring for three additional features in future General side-by-sides: turf mode, a Camo edition and four seats. The General 4 gets two of those three, VersaTrac Turf Mode and, of course, four seats. The General 4 1000 EPS is available in one color, Silver Pearl, which was pretty svelte as we rumbled through the high desert and mountain trails on the Bull Run Ranch. All the things we liked about the General when we drove it are carried over to the General 4. The powerful liquid-cooled 999cc four-stroke twin ProStar 1000 engine had plenty of pow- er to tackle anything we threw at it in Montana. Boasting 100 hp, the General 4 has the ponies to carry a load, wheth- er it is four people or 600 lbs. in the car- go box or any combination of the two. The ProStar is a stout engine with good power on the bottom end that carries throughout much of the powerband. When we remember the General 4 tips the scales at 1,857 lbs. (dry), it's even more impressive when you press on the gas pedal and the vehicle takes off. One of our Dirt Toys test riders com- mented about the "great performance" of the 100 hp engine, especially for a fairly heavy vehicle. In comparison, the RZR 4 1000 has a dry weight of 1,565 lbs., or nearly 300 fewer pounds than the General 4. The General 4 carries that extra weight well.

• Cover