2000 Mile Review: 2021 Polaris General 1000 4 seater [Family UTV Riding - Overlanding UTV]

[@letswalkinthewoods1462]

Excellent review, great info. Just bought a 2024 XP ultimate . Watching you change out the primary and secondary clutches actually made it look fairly simple. The dealer definitely told me about the misfire code if you get an hourglass shape in your belt. Learning when to use low gear is very important from what I hear

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

Thank you! Yes, low gear is your friend! Not hard to smoke a belt if you’re not paying attention!

[@chrismoore9402]

Great review.. we’ve had our general xp 4 for a year in July and we couldn’t be any happier

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

Thanks Chris! 🤙🏼

[@drexhawken8567]

I also have a general but it’s the xp 1000 we’re at 1800 miles and it’s a blessing! We bought a bench seat from utv so ours seats 5 super easy to install and makes the back more useful. I have bf Goodrich 30x10x15 on stock xp rime rf5 sound system (crazy loud) rbo rack (no swing gate) oh and we have a cell booster

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

Super cool! Sounds like an awesome machine with some nice mods 🤘🏼 Cool that the sound system is louder on the XP - ours with just the two speakers wasn’t enough to overcome the road noise - but we put tunes on through our headsets. What cell booster you use? Like it?

[@drexhawken8567]

Cell phone booster is by weboost and it works well here in Ohio where the terrain is hills and valleys so wide open spaces my guess it would be even better. I love your helmet and head sets we often ride in groups and I think I’d like to get the same system you have. I love back tire carrier you run. Keep making videos me and my family enjoy them.

[@jessewarren2689]

Nice, I've been waiting for a review on it.

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

Thanks! Now that we have some miles on everything, we feel better giving people our honest thoughts.

[@markrichard2803]

Nice review, thanks.

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

You betcha!

[@RonKahoun]

Great job on the review.

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

Thanks Ron! We are really enjoying this machine and the adventures it’s supported

[@SonicFury62]

What a great channel! So glad I found you I'm looking to get my family into this like you - similarly aged kids. What's it like when you encounter rain? Do you lose a day of riding or can you go out and stay dry enough to still have fun? Any accessories or anything that helps you prepare for rain?

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

Thanks!!! That’s a great question! If we’re prepared, we can have a great time in the rain especially with a roof and windshield. But good rain gear makes a world of difference, and having dry clothes to change into and a place to do it too. Our last trip across Wisconsin we were dumb and tried to push through some storms instead of getting out our rain gear. We were pretty miserable. But if we’re prepared riding in the rain can be a lot of fun. The kids LOVE hitting puddles so it’s a great time to ride. Bring a change of clothes, some towels in a dry bag and you’ll be good to go! www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/tusk-dry-duffel-bag-p/?ref=1069&

[@SonicFury62]

@@TheNorthwoodsFamily thank you!!

[@184876ela]

NICE I GOT MY 2023 ON ORDER FUN TIMES

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

Sweeeet!!!

[@thethrill04]

Love this review for the info on the general but also awesome to see you overlanding with the fam. We are in AR and wanting to start taking some trips out west to ride the sxs’s. Was all that footage from black hills?

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

Glad you liked the video thanks! A lot of the footage was from the Black Hills last year but fair amount was from a number of trails here in Wisconsin. The Black Hills are a great place to ride! You could ride there for weeks and not hit everything. We’re planning a trip to Colorado and Idaho this summer too.

[@danielcunha3015]

Nice ! Cheers from 🇧🇷

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

Thanks friend! Love hearing from viewers from outside the US!

[@jophoto934]

Nice video. Nice trails. Where are you riding? All Black Hill trails?

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

Thanks! We’ve done big trips to the Black Hills, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and done a lot of riding in our home state of Wisconsin

[@timhill3740]

Gilomen innovation reflashed my ecm on my Rzr to fix the misfire code.

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

There’s a couple places that will do this. From what I learned talking with a number of folks in the know, it sounds like a good option.

[@GreenWormAdventures]

I appreciate your videos and insight! Thank you!

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

You bet. Thanks for following along with us!

[@christopherklien6374]

When you went to the black hills, does SD require a special permit to ride the roads? Or can my Wisconsin registration be sufficient? Thank you!

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

Yes! You need to contact one of the county treasurers offices. They’ll get you the paperwork, it’s pretty easy and inexpensive.

[@ryank4]

Where is the engine located and did the engine heat make longer trips uncomfortable? We have a teryx4 2021 and I've had to add a vent fan to the cvt and one under the seat to pull the heat from the passenger compartment. They work good but the engine noise is still an issue.

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

That’s a good idea! I may explore that myself. Our engine is under the cargo bed behind the rear seat. It does add heat to the passenger compartment and it doesn’t help with comfort on those hot days. Even the front passenger compartment gets warm. Next trip we are going to add some kind of thermal pad to the cargo bed, mainly to keep some of that heat off the cooler - it definitely accelerates ice melt which is a bummer when you’re away from civilization. Our cargo bed has foil shielding underneath but I may add some more. We’ve thought about switching to a tilt out or vented windshield to improve airflow but not sure if any work with our electric wiper. I think heat is always an issue with these machines.

[@captseamus]

There is a company that makes front and rear insulation rubber pads that lay against the front of the engine's compartment ( inside cab)... the front insulation plugs the gaps between the front fenders and hood... I installed those in my Rzr 50.. it helps! but a fold down front windshield is much better. It helps in the winter holding the heat from the heater inside. I also bought door spacers that hold the doors open couple inches so the wind can blow in... I haven't tried them yet. I think I bought then on Rocky Mountain ATV INC

[@dgd947a15fl]

Can't wait to see an eventual hybrid version of this vehicle. Polaris said they're trying to have an electric or hybrid version of every model they make by the end of 2025.

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

Yea! The EV stuff has come a long ways. It was cool to see Polaris roll out some EV options this year. We know some folks working on EV off-road stuff, and it sounds like there will be some exciting things to come!

[@dgd947a15fl]

@@TheNorthwoodsFamily Especially if it includes a small outlet connected to the battery so it can function like a generator. That would make it incredibly versatile

[@timbuckson3668]

Wondering if you could provide some feedback on the spare tire mounting and how it affects the rear gate? Also wondering if the bed flexes with that additional weight on the back? I have the same rack system but also have the bigger tires. I have a 2023 general xp 1000 Thanks

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

They don’t recommend tires larger than 27”. But it’s more weight than size. We have 28” aftermarket headlocks so they’re pretty heavy. The gate and the hinge / hardware is quite robust, so we’ve never had issues with ours. If I had an XP I’d try it and see what happened 😆 but Razorback doesn’t recommend it. If you ever need to tilt the bed back it’s best to remove the spare tire first. I’ve done it with my 28” tires but it’s heavy and probably not wise to do a lot. Definitely don’t want to hurt yourself. Does the bed flex? Kind of. It can. My bed was a little sloppy from the factory. I took a 3 lbs hammer and very carefully bent down the pins on the frame just a hair 😉 that snugged it up quite a bit. I wish the General had a latch or something to more securely lock down the bed. The only time I tilt the bed on our machine is to work on the engine. Hope that helps some!

[@randut100]

Thanks for the review. How bad is the dusting issue with the dust circling back into the cab with the windshield on or down? It looked like a lot of dust in the cab area

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

It can get pretty dusty. It seems better with the rear window now, but still, there are some days when we’re done riding and everything inside is covered in dust. The kids will still wear their goggles in the backseat when it gets bad.

[@jocelyndesrosiers7220]

Bien aimé votre vidéo merci

[@craigduncan643]

I am looking at a 2020 general same as yours is it smooth pulling out I have a cfmoto uforce 1000 that is jerky as heck when trying to pull out slow

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

Yeah it’s pretty smooth. You don’t want to feather the gas with a CVT clutch but it’s certainly not jerky

[@markward244]

With you being tall, do you have issues with vision out the front windshield with the wiper?

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

We haven’t had an issue with it since it kind of sits in the area between our main fields of view. The advantage of being able to clear the windshield without getting out of the vehicle far outweighs any loss in vision

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

Hey Mark - I’ll add to that being the taller or the two, though Kim is pretty tall too. I’m 6’4” and the only time is obstructs my view a little is when we are going down a steeper hill but usually then I’m looking straight down and not forward so doesn’t really matter. The wiper box is actually high enough where I’m looking under it. I had to replace the factory rear view mirror however because the only place it fit afterwards was - where it blocked my view.

[@oskar-252]

Where you can get the ridecommand?

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

The actual unit you can order through your Polaris dealer, or you can purchase online direct from Polaris if you want to install yourself. We had the dealer install it and felt that was a good choice for us. There is also a free app you can get for your phone.

[@H-RutherfordHill]

What are the dimensions of the deck on your trailer? Thanks.

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

16 x 6.5 feet

[@kalcounts]

Good looking machine But rmax is more bang for the buck and Yamaha is the off-road leader. Just my opinion!

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

Thanks! There are a lot of good machines out there these days. We have a family connection to Polaris so that comes in handy owning the General.

[@WyLEE08]

Pretty obvious the OEM springs aren’t cutting it.

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

No doubt changing the springs would improve the ride when we’re loaded heavy. We have to be a little careful right now moving at speed when trails dip and whatnot. I’ve adjusted them a little and that’s helped - but it’s on the list for upgrading in the future.

[@WyLEE08]

@@TheNorthwoodsFamilyAftermarket springs will preserve what’s left of the stock shocks.

[@jasonmacneil2256]

I didnt know they could be street legal! When I saw a used one for $44,000 on ebay, I about pooped a purple twinkie!!!

[@TheNorthwoodsFamily]

Yes… depending on the state they can be registered as street legal, or in my own state, operated on roads designated ATV routes. Some machines can get pretty pricey!!!

[@captseamus]

Glad to see you are coming back on the internet! Been awhile lol In Michigan the State changes the Original Manufacturer Build Statement into a Michigan Vehicle Title with a new SERIAL NUMBER. THE OEM Serial Number is dropped from Michigan paperwork. The OEM serial number stays on the frame on the ORV. A new serial decal number goes on under the hood in plain sight. Guard that sticker with your life! Lol... Meet Michigan Requirements and ORVs are legal on every road that autos are allowed EXCEPT Interstate Highways, Private Posted Roads; Some Forest Roads/ Service Areas. I go unless its posted or private (usually a mailbox) or I have that gut feeling I could get shot! We are talking Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Michigan here folks.