2021 Polaris Sportsman 570 First Ride Review- New & Fun

An ATV should be fun to ride! Sure, there are many (myself included) who use an ATV to get the job done, but… there are times we still want to throw it into a corner and accelerate out with a power slide, or push that throttle on a long straight away. In those moments an ATV should be fun to ride. If you are an adventure rider and hit to the trails to explore what is on those trails, you want an ATV that is comfortable, capable, and fun to ride. The completely redesigned 2020 Sportsman 570 is all of those things including a lot of fun the ride.

On a recent trip to Polaris headquarters, I had the opportunity to learn first hand about the new 2020 Polaris Sportsman 570 complete with the more important opportunity to ride the new Sportsman 570. What stuck out in my mind after riding it for a while over some forested trails was how much fun it was the ride, and I kept choosing to go back and ride the 570 over the more powerful Sportsman 850 and several of Polaris’ side-by-sides just because it was so much fun. Yes, it is capable, yes it is comfortable, yes it can do work, but between the power and suspension along with the power steering, it is just so much fun to ride.

Related- Polaris 2021 Models Are Out

This is the battery charging port on all Sportsman 570. What a GREAT idea. 

The “New” Of The New Sportsman 570

The Sportsman 570 has been around for several years now with the 567cc engine putting it in the very popular center of the ATV market segment of the 500-class ATV. The 2021 Sportsman sees a complete makeover with a new platform. Basically it is “mostly” all new. At first glance there is undoubtedly a new look to this year’s Sportsman that resembles its 850 and 1000 Sportsman siblings, though the chassis and build is completely different. I like the look with it being rather bold and sleek. The battery has been relocated to the front rack, which is a big plus, and there is a charging port for a battery charger right in the new redesigned pod. In addition the battery has 78-percent more cold cranking amps. All racks have metal extenders, tires come standard at 25-inches and 6-ply, towing has been increased to 1350LBS, ground clearance has increased to 11.5-inches, and the clothing on EBS models has been tweaked for a more natural engagement for riding. I can tell you after all these facts and figures that the Sportsman 570 is well equipped, looks good, and performs well.

Throwing A Leg Over The Sportsman 570

Facts and figures are one thing, but how it actually performs is where it is at. Climbing aboard the Sportsman 570 just feels right in the way you sit on it. It is a comfortable ATV that is full size and will accommodate any rider. Cranking it and hitting the trail brought one thing to mind right away. The 570 engine has a ton of power and you can feel that torque and engine response right away with a blip of the throttle. The single-cylinder 570 engine has 44 horsepower, which is a bunch. My 2005 Sportsman 800 has right around that same amount of horsepower to give a little perspective on the power Polaris is getting out of this Prostar engine. What is nice about this engine is you can ride it leisurely, or you can ride it like you stole it with the engine being able to do both. The CVT engagement is spot on for either kind of riding. The entire time of riding I was truly blown away by the engine!

The suspension comes in two forms and I like both. On the base and EPS models, the front suspension comes with the tried-and-true MacPherson Strut setup with 8.2-inches of travel. On the premium Trail models, you get 8.9-inches of travel with dual-arms. All models come with 9.5-inches of rear travel courtesy of dual-arms. The ride on all Sportsman 570 models with different front suspension setups was really good, smooth, and comfortable. Both suspension setups also were predictable when cornering even at higher speeds. This is so important when riding aggressively with an engine that has the performance to scoot down the trail quickly. Yes, if money is no object get the dual-arms on the front which offers the better ride and easier turning, but don’t shy away from the MacPherson setup if you are more budget conscious. The suspension is just that good in either case, and riding it is so much fun.

There are other things I appreciated about the improvements and changes that made riding a Sportsman fun and comfortable. The clutching on the EPS version did make the EBS engagement feel very natural when I let off the throttle. It didn’t jerk or engage in a strange way. A lot of the trails I rode had turns in them and being able to let off the throttle with the EBS working to slow the ATV before the turn was very evident. The way the throttle feels so connected to the engine response was spot on with the engine responding to the inputs of the throttle. The dance between the engine, throttle, suspension, and EBS is where it should be for a great riding experience. Polaris has got it right. It was muddy the day I rode, so I would be remiss to not talk about the Polaris All-Wheel-Drive system. I rode in both 2WD and AWD with both doing what they should. There is no simpler AWD system out there than the Polaris system. Set it to AWD and the front wheels will engage with power if the rear wheel slips just a bit. I have used this system in all riding conditions and it just works. I will also mention the instrument cluster that tells you everything you want to know about the ATV. It is easy to read and informative. The fact is the Sportsman 570 just gets everything right both in how it rides and performs as well as the riding experience and comfort.

So Many Sportsman 570 Models To Choose From

There is no lack on models to choose from within the Sportsman 570 family. I rode the Sportsman 570 EPS and Sportsman 570 Trail models. I did that strategically because the 570 EPS has the strut setup and the 570 Trail has dual-a-arms. There are models from the base 570 with no EPS all the way to the Ultimate Trail with LED lights everywhere. There are speciality models from the 570 Hunt Edition to the 570 Utility HD Limited Edition. Clearly Polaris is using the Sportsman 570 platform as its main ATV platform to build speciality models. No matter what you want to do with your ATV there is a Sportsman 570 that is outfitted to do it.

Putting A Bow On It

I am truly impressed with the Sportsman 570 in the realm of being overwhelmed with it. I had the opportunity to choose so many things to ride towards the end of the day, and I kept going back to the Sportsman 570. I even took an 850 out for a little while, but came back for more 570. That really says something about how much fun it is to ride the 570. The power and suspension just are dialed in to have fun with aggressive riding and then turn around to just enjoy cruising the trails. The comfort of the riding experience is so enjoyable that it reminds me of why I love to ride ATVs. Polaris has done a great job getting this ATV dialed in as a riding experience while continuing to refine and improve what it’s 500-class ATV should offer. I wouldn’t hesitate to own a Sportsman 570, move into it, work with it, and take it on a multiple-day adventure to the middle of nowhere. Though I have been a fan (and owner) of a Sportsman for years, I feel that the Sportsman 570 has come of age as an outstanding overall 500-class ATV. Whether you are new to ATVs or an experienced ATV rider, a Sportsman 570 ATV would be a good choice of ATV for you.

Polaris Sportsman 570 ATVs are offered at $6,999 - $9,499

For more information on specific models, pricing, and availability, check out the Polaris Sportsman 570 website.