If you go down to the woods

Polaris Britain has announced the introduction of a new addition to the Sportsman ATV family, the 500 Forest for 2012. This new model features mirrors and indicators as standard, an automatic Polaris Variable Transmission gearbox with low ratio range, all wheel shaft drive and a permanent 2500lb winch.

The Forest also has a rear hitch with machinery attachment point. The 498cc High Output 4-stroke engine unleashes power in abundance for towing and winching, with on demand all-wheel and two-wheel drive striking a balance for all working conditions. MacPherson strut with 8.2" (20.8cm) travel combines with dual A-Arm Independent Rear Suspension travel of 9.5" (24.1cm) to give this Sportsman the stance, handling and off-road capability that takes the most challenging forest track in its stride.

The ground clearance is 11.25" (28.5cm) and a turning radius of 65" (165cm) mean there's plenty of room to manoeuvre when the going gets rough. A big 4.25 (17L) fuel load keeps you on track for plenty of miles and if you're greedy for load and towing there's masses on tap, in fact as much as 1786 lbs (810kg) unbraked towing capacity. As you would expect with Polaris there's Lock and Ride, high beam headlights to light the path at night and a range of instrumentation to keep you fully informed on speed, fuel, gear selection and more while the Sage Green colour option blends in with the trees.