Im a a die hard Polaris Fan but the Vinson is a sweet machine with speed and power like the 500 HO, The Polaris is Big and Powerful and looks tuff, I can get the Polaris 500ho for 5100.00 (retail for 5999.99) or I can get the Vinson for 4900.00 (retail is 6300.00 )I need some Input on what everyone else would do, I do alot of easy trail riding and the sand cruising at the river. I lean toward the vinson for a day or two and then I lean to the HO for a day or two and then I cant make up my mind. Ill take all input good or bad, I still have my Hawkeye and Honda but they are going to be sold and we will get one bigger wheeler. Thanks RP

 

I can't help ya. Those are the two that were on my list also. I ended up with the Polaris because of the two-up Touring model. I really like the long wheelbase for rock crawling and hill climbing. If I was looking at just the standard Sportsman or Vinson it would have been much harder.
I'm not regretting my choice, unlike some I like the heavier build of the Polaris, speed was way down on the list as I knew most of my riding would be under 20mph. Good Luck, you can't really make a bad choice between these two.

 

Well, you know how your Po treated you. Will the other do as well?

 

Did you post this question on the Suzuki Forum?
I bet I know the answer..........Check stuff like storage,ground Clearance,brakes,tires(stock) lighting,suspension, and most off all the feel of you sitting on the seat and test ride!!......Good luck!!.................Shopping is one of the best parts!!...RIGHT!!...Caper.........

 

OK Ricky, April fools was 2 weeks ago! LOL!

You know we are going to try to talk you into staying PoPo, but I see your point, I ride with a buddy who owns a Vinson and it is a nice bike! The ride isn't as nice as the SP 500 HO, and tends to be more to the sporty side where the SP has the great ride, storage, and will out ground clearance the Vinson swing arm rear. I would think that you might like to stay with the Polaris IRS, towing, and the power of the 500 HO...it is a much more solid machine in my opinion then the Vinson that is built to a much lower price point to begin with. Don't get me wrong, the Vinson looks to be engineered and put together well but it just seems to have a cheaper feel to me.

 

well in the old days we judged everything on Power and speed, Today i have to measure things like Back Pain and leg room plus a passenger on Back,The Vinson is just not as well put together as the Polaris,Some Mondays after riding all weekend on the Honda or the Hawkeye my back hurts Bad to the point of not getting out of bed, Im 46 years old and should probally stop going fast and doing Donuts and wheelys, The Sportsman 500 HO is a Heck of a deal and its still bigger Size wise than all the other Wheelers, I let salesman get me all fired up on any Atv and then Im ready to buy at that point, But i think after just 3 replies in my Polaris forum Ill go with the PO-500HO. Sotrage and seating is a good Point, Plus here in Oklahoma they have 3.9 financing and 72 months and a free winch for a Little over 5K.

 

I had an 05 suzuki vinson 500. It was my first 4wd atv. I really liked it. However, I think the polaris has more to offer like storage, better tires, better suspension, etc. As for power, I would think they are comparable. Neither atv has had any mechanical problems that I am aware of. I think either one would be a great choice, but I would have a tendency to lean toward polaris. It seems you get more bang for the buck.

You said you plan to get another, larger atv after you sell some. Do you know what you would get then? It would be much easier to service two popos than one suzuki and one popo....something to consider (if you do your own maintenance).

 

With back pain, I would definately go with the Polaris. I believe the Vinson is a solid axle. It would be a more punishing ride and would cut down on ground clearance. That, and the storage that Polaris has in their front rack would be my reason for getting another PoPo.

 

rickeyparker
i would go with the sportsman 500 just because of how long it has been in production, all the bugs must be worked out... you can't beat the ride polaris offers either... look at the 4x4 cabilibities of the little hawkeye, they ROCK!! Polaris also seem to have one of the best / better stock snorkel systems out there.
i cant believe your not looking at the sportsman 400.. but you said the ride needs to be softer and i see where your going with the added rider...
i would not sell that honda though... those things are awesome.. i still ride with a few today and the guys that have them wont get rid of them.. they have more than enough $$$ to buy any atv they want but would still prefer that old honda 300..
GunnSmoke

 

Rickey,

The SP500 is a super comfortable bike, especially with the lock n ride backrest. I won't go on a long ride without it.