2007 Polaris Predator

Test Riders: Joe Tolle, Chris Earlywine, Bobby Ross, Aaron Meyer

A few weeks ago, I placed a call to ATVScene.com test rider Chris Earlywine informing him of our upcoming test on the 2007 Polaris Predator 500. “Oh, OK,” he replied with a less-than-enthusiastic sound in his voice. “You don’t sound very excited,” I queried. “Have you ever ridden a Predator 500?” He replied: “Once, but I just rode it around for a second outside the shop.” I informed him that he was about to have the chance to become more familiar with the machine and while he didn’t complain, he really wasn’t excited.

A few years back, we put the Predator 500 head to head against a 2006 Yamaha YFZ450 and a Honda TRX450R. Judging the shootout was a group of riders and racers varying in age from 18 to forty something. While the Predator didn’t win the shootout, it was definitely the surprise of the day. Before the shootout began, most of the riders seemed to have the same bleak expectations for the machine as Earlywine, but by the end of the day, when they were tired and fatigued, each rider looked forward to his chance to ride the very plush and smooth-running Predator 500.

Sitting at 47.5 inches wide the Predator is narrow enough for most trails, yet wide enough for plenty of stability on the track or dunes. The Predator’s chromoly rear axle is covered by a limited lifetime warranty, saving you $400 on an aftermarket unit.

The Predator’s engine is built by Fuji, a subsidiary of Suzuki. While it is a bit weak off the bottom, it makes up for it with a smooth midrange rush and plenty of top end power. Reliability is another of its strong attributes.Besides winning a favorable opinion from all of our test riders, the Predator proved to be bullet proof, never requiring maintenance. While it didn’t prove to be the ultimate high-performance machine, the Predator proved to be a strong sport machine with favorable performance and excellent reliability. With so much to offer, we thought it was time to bring the Predator 500 back for a solo test so we can once again discover what made this machine such a hit in our 2006 12 Hours of ATV America Sport Quad Shootout. Who knows? We may even change a few more opinions before it’s all over.

Mechanical Stuff

The Predator 500’s power plant is built by Japanese manufacturer Fuji, a subsidiary of Suzuki. The water-cooled 499cc four-stroke engine features a four-valve, double-overhead-cam design. While it has proven to be very reliable, it is heavy by modern four-stroke engine standards.

The Predator’s ergonomics are spacious and well laid out. While most test riders felt the machine was extremely comfortable, Pro-Am racer Aaron Meyer thought the seat was hard to move front to back on due to its shape. Larger test riders disagreed. Transferring the Predator’s power from the top end is a five-speed manual shift transmission. Earlier models were known for sticky shifting, however Polaris updated the transmission in 2004, greatly improving its feel. Polaris further updated the transmssion by adding a much-appreciated reverse gear. Shifting into reverse is super easy thanks to the lever on the right handlebar directly left of the thumb throttle. From first, depress the right thumb lever and shift down. To take it out of reverse, simply shift back up into first. It’s a well designed no-brainer operation.

Feeding the Predator’s engine is a 42-millimeter Mikuni BSR carburetor, which features a pulse fuel pump to help keep fuel flowing consistently at all RPM levels. On the intake side, the Predator isn’t quite perfect. There’s a massive intake, which runs from the rear-mounted air-box to the carburetor, which is mounted conventionally, directly behind the cylinder. Where the problem lies is in the air box. Polaris, for whatever reason, uses a paper air filter similar to what you would find on a lawnmower or automobile. After our test ride, we found a light coating of dust on the inside of the air-box. Obviously this filter setup is inadequate and this is something we’ve griped about for years. Before you take your Predator home from the dealer, have them install a different filter and mounting assembly. These components are available from Rath Racing.

The Predator uses aftermarket quality suspension components on the Predator 500. Seemingly set up for heavier riders, the preload adjustable shocks are nearly flawless. Out back, the rear shock works well on small to medium-size hits, but has a hard time making full use of the travel on big impacts. The rear end seems a bit too stiff.  

The next time you get stuck on a hill and need to back up, you’ll be glad Polaris had the forethought to put their reverse actuator on the handlebars next to the thumb throttle. This allows you to hold the front brake while shifting into reverse; genius.Grease fittings abound on the Predator, which makes lubing all of its major pivot points a snap. In the chassis department, the Predator features a conventional tubular mild-steel frame. Up front, the Predator’s front end has no rake, meaning the dual A-arms sit parallel to the ground. This is part of the Predator’s anti-squat, anti-dive setup. The anti-dive system is designed to help prevent body roll when steering into a turn, however some people feel this may detract from the front suspension’s ability to react to small frontal impacts. More on this later in our ride test.

Out back, the Predator features a conventional rear swing arm with a linkage-less rear shock mount. Polaris uses what they call their anti-squat rear suspension geometry, which is designed to reduce transfer of weight to the rear of the machine under acceleration, allowing all of the engine’s power to be used to drive the machine forward.

The Predator’s plastic skid plates do a decent job of protecting the undercarriage of the machine. Notice the narrow front frame rails and the long A-arms which help to reduce bump steer.When it came to shocks, Polaris did not skimp. The FOX SHOX podium fronts are preload adjustable only, however companies like Rath Racing can add remote reservoirs and compression adjustability to these shocks for a few hundred dollars. On the rear, FOX’s Podium rear shock features preload, compression and rebound adjustability. With 10 inches of suspension travel up front and 11 inches in the rear, the Predator’s suspension travel is impressive by any standard.

The dimensions of the Predator are somewhere between a cross country and motocross setup. With a wheelbase of 50.5 inches and a width of 47.5 inches, the Predator is a bit wider then most cross country race machines, while it’s 2.5 inches narrower then the 50-inch width allowed in competitive motocross racing. This means the Predator is narrow enough for most trails, but still wide enough for some fun on the track. In our opinion, this makes the Predator the ideal freeride machine.

For nighttime rides, the Polaris comes equipped with dual headlights and an LED taillight. The headlights offer plenty of light for casual nighttime trail riding and, according to Polaris, the new LED tail light makes the rear end more visible. This will come in especially handy in dusty conditions.

More aftermarket goodies: Maxxis Razr rears and Pro fronts mounted on Douglas Ultimate wheels come standard on the Predator. Your friends can buy this setup for their machine for another $500-$600. This setup works great, although we will switch to Razr fronts when the Pros wear out.

Track-Ready Features
Polaris advertises the Predator 500 as, “trail tough and track ready.” From what we can tell, it isn’t just a marketing gimmick. The Predator features a list of goodies that you won’t find on any 400cc or most other open-class ATVs.

The Predator features steel braided brake lines front and rear, which aid in braking power and feel. The machine’s tire and wheel package is equally impressive with 20X11X9 Maxxis Razrs out back and 21X7X10 Maxxis Front Pros up front. All four tires are mounted on Douglas Ultimate aluminum wheels; normally an aftermarket option that Polaris offers stock. Finally, the Predator is equipped with a chromoly axle, which features a limited lifetime warranty. The axle alone is worth $400!

New for 2007

Besides the white or black color options, Polaris raised the rev limiter on the Predator 500 to take more advantage of the good top-end power. Mild bottom end power and a rev limiter that kicked in early used to force Predator pilots to shift often. The new rev limiter should allow the machine to take better advantage of its strong top-end power.

The Predator is actually missing a few things this year. The first thing we noticed missing was Polaris’ Pro Steering linkage. The linkage was designed to reduce bump steer. Without having an old Predator to compare it to, we didn’t miss the Pro Steering setup. The other thing missing is about two hundred bucks off the machine’s retail price, dropping the MSRP to $5,999, in the same price range as the 400.

Test Time
Jump on the Predator and you get the feeling you’re on a big quad. There’s plenty of room to move around, however all controls are well within reach. There’s a minor bulge in the middle of the seat you may notice the first few times you ride the machine, but once you get used to it, it isn’t annoying.

The electric start, (with no kick start backup) fires the machine up easily. One thing Polaris did we like was make all of the functions, such as choke and reverse, handlebar mounted.

Backing the machine off the trailer, you realize how simple and well thought out the reverse procedure is. To put the Predator in reverse, shift into first gear, and then push in the thumb lever mounted to the left of the throttle and shift down again. When you’re ready to go forward, engage the clutch and shift back into first. The best part about the reverse procedure is you can hold in the front brake while pushing the reverse lever in. Many other sport machines require you to remove your hand from the handlebars and turn a knob on the front fender. Having the ability to brake while you shift into reverse can come in handy in a sticky situation.

Helping keep the front end down, the Predator’s anti-squat rear end was an asset on steep climbs. This is what happened once Aaron Meyer cleared the ledge.

The Predator does a good job of hiding its 405-pound dry weight as Aaron demonstrates. Warmed up and rolling, the Predator 500’s engine is a reflection of the chassis setup, somewhere between trail and track. Down low, the Predator’s power is a bit weak, even by 400cc machine standards. Still, the Predator has a surprisingly low stall point thanks to a heavy flywheel and lots of overbuilt internal motor parts. While we would like to see more low end out of an open-class machine, the engine’s rotating mass will keep the machine chugging along well enough in tight situations or for less experienced riders.

Accompanying the midrange is a smooth broad surge of power. Nothing like the hit of a YFZ. It’s just the feeling you’ve worked your way into the business part of the powerband. The Predator puts out decent horsepower numbers, but without a lot of low end torque, or a monster hit in the middle, the Predator is deceptively quick and smooth enough to be ridden all day.

From the midrange up, the Predator will easily walk away from the 400cc class machines. From the midrange up, the machine revs like a racer, but keep in mind, at 500cc and 405 pounds, the Predator has a less advantageous power-to-weight ratio than the larger open class and 450cc machines.

While it’s not the perfect engine for trail riding or motocross, the Predator’s power plant works well in both environments. The engine has just enough low-end power to tackle tight stuff without killing the clutch and there’s plenty of power for wide open trail riding or a romp on the motocross track.

While shifting on the older Predators was notchy, updates back in 2004 cured that problem. Shifting is smooth and predictable, whether the power is on or not. Gear ratios worked great for our tests in Ocala National Forest in Florida and at Big Rock ATV Park in Maysville KY. However, we would recommend going up a few teeth on the rear sprocket for tight woods or motocross applications.

The Predator’s handling offers good agility coupled with excellent cornering stability. Steering is very responsive and the machine has a tight turning radius. With its wide stance and virtually no body roll, the Predator can be charged into corners like a full-out motocross quad. Although the machine is wider then most sport machines, its quick steering makes it an extremely capable trail machine.

One of our favorite print magazines chose the old Raptor 660 over the Predator 500 in a shootout a few years back. When we asked why, the reason was because the Predator couldn’t lift the front end easily enough. Yeah Right! The Predator is super stable under acceleration, yet bringing up the front end can happen at will. In our opinion, the old Raptor 660 was a pig in comparison to the super steady Predator 500.The rear end of the Predator holds the machine back a bit in turns. Once you’ve entered the turn and hit the throttle, the rear of the machine seems unwilling to sit into the turn thanks to the Anti Squat rear suspension. This keeps the rear end’s center of gravity high, making it more susceptible to two wheeling. What’s worse is the front end is so well planted and stable there is little warning before the rear end begins to high side. Out of the box, though, it’s still one of the best cornering machines on the market.

Having virtually no rake to the front A-arms helps the Predator stay flat in corners and its lack of caster helps the machine turn quickly, in spite of its substantial width. The only draw to this setup is the Predator can get a bit twitchy flat out in fifth. On the trail or most motocross tracks you will welcome the machines fast handling manners.

Accelerating from a dead stop, the Predator launches straight forward as advertised, however lean back a bit, hit the gas, slip the clutch and the front end can be lifted for a 100-yard sprint across an open field. The tendency for the machine to stay flat under hard acceleration also helps on steep climbs where the Predator scrambles its way up like a cat.

For heavier riders, suspension is a story of good and great. The Predator’s front suspension feels nearly flawless. The FOX front shocks react well to everything from small bumps, to rolling sand whoops and even jump landings. The rear shock is good on smaller hits, but seems less then willing to make the most of the travel on bigger hits.

STOP! Lurking under that easily accessible airbox lid is a paper filter similar to those used on your grandpa’s lawn tractor. Throw it in the trash before your first ride and replace it with the billet aluminum flange and White Brothers filter available through Rath Racing. While riding down a mile-long whooped-out trail in Ocala National Forest, we noticed a hint of swapping in the rear end. Nothing that made us feel out of control, but it was there. We backed out two clicks on the rebound and found that to cure the problem somewhat. When we returned home, test rider Chris Earlywine backed the preload off the rear shock completely in an effort to make better use of the rear suspension. This helped a bit, but we think things would perform better if the rear shock could be set up with more sag. This would allow the machine to make better use of its massive travel and make the machine’s outstanding cornering even better.

The Predator doesn’t have the soft pillowy feel of the Z400 or the stiff crisp feeling of the LTR. Instead the ride is somewhere between trail soft and motocross firm. Test riders Chris Earlywine (200 pounds), Joe Magoo (250 pounds), and Rob Frede (260 pounds) all felt the suspension worked quite well overall. While lighter riders Aaron Meyer (150 pounds) and Bobby Ross (150 pounds) thought they couldn’t make full use of the suspension, even on hard landings.

The FOX suspension components are very nice and, with some fine tuning to the rear shock by an aftermarket suspension tuner, the suspension would be totally race ready. Most riders, especially bigger ones, will be happy with the stock setup.

In the braking department, the Predator rates highly. Get on the binders, and you’re rewarded with good feel and power and little fade. Braking performance seemed balanced as both ends worked equally well. Good brakes combined with excellent stability help the machine shine when charging into turns.

The Bottom Line

The Predator 500 is fast and nimble enough to throw around on a motocross track, plush enough to ride on the trails all day long, has enough of a top end rush to be fun on the dunes, and it’s reliable enough to do it for years to come. We’ve said it before in this column and we will say it again: While the Predator doesn’t do any one thing perfect, it does many things very well.

With a MSRP of $5,999 the Predator 500 costs around a grand less then the Yamaha Raptor 700. In fact, it’s right in line with the price of the 400cc machines, allowing the buyer to step up to an open class machine for the price of a 400! With so few shortcomings and so many strengths, the Predator 500 is in our opinion, one of the best deals in sport ATVing today.

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