2009 sportsman 800, i replaced the t-bap with the otbpowersports one and its still the same. You really have to force the shifter to get it to move. It shifts fine once the engine is warmed up, so i've just been fine with this for years since its good to warm up the belt anyways, But now i'm getting it ready for sale. Could it just be i need to adjust the throttle cable? i have no idea how to do that.

 

Don't mess with the throttle cable to use it as an idle adjustment!Some people use the cable adjuster to idle up or down and this can be a safety issue. Make sure you have 1/8" slack only at the throttle lever.No more than that or you can have a higher than normal idle.The main job on idle is the tps sensor and also the set screw on the throttle body. Over time these can get slightly out of adjustment. Best to have the correct tps harness to recheck the base vdc setting,loosen the set screw to where it's not touching the idle stop and once the tps is adjusted and tightened,you can set the final vdc by the set screw. Another thing that can cause hard shifting is using the wrong belt. I've had customers complain about this same thing that machines were hard to shift until it warmed up. On these I just replaced the belt with the oem one and problem was solved.Don't know if this is your case or not. See if this will let you go through the pages on adjustment procedure.https://www.manualslib.com/manual/84....html?page=132 One thing you can try is if you have a "D" type driver for this idle screw you can lower it a tad. Mark it's original position first! If you don't have this driver, a pair of good needle nose pliers can possibly work,just don't bugger up the head of this screw.Don't go very far or you can really mess things up. Just look at your tach as you turn this screw,should be around 1080-1150 rpms and this may help on the shifting. That is if you have the oem belt...

 

i have to look up how to measure the free play better but at quick glance it seems like almost 1/4 inch free play. i did this by looking at where the contacts are without touching it pic1, and then how far apart they are pressing lever until seeing the cable in there actually move , pic2




pic2:

 

Manual says around 2 mm distance between the contact points and that usually comes out to about 1/8" slack at the thumb lever just like the older models required. Too loose and the contacts can touch and the machine will die,too tight and you can have to high of an idle and dangerous if you turn the bars and it accelerates on you. Watch this video especially when he holds the throttle open and stops the cable with his finger which simulates a tree limb grabbing the cable The contacts will close and kill the machine. That's the safety part of this switch. Your contact point distance looks ok if you have a tad bit of slack at the lever.

Actual contact point distance from each other at an idle from the manual is between .0625 - .1250" (1.58 - 3.17mm) so there is a little leeway on the distance on these.

 

Ok, so looks like i need this polaris TPS Test Adapter Harness (PU-47082). i'll have to check with the dealer on that. thanks

 

This little harness is 55 bucks for a one time use..New OEM Polaris TPS Tester NOS It's really easier to just let the dealer recheck the tps setting and adjust if necessary. Plus what are your rpms when at an idle? If it's not more than 1150 rpms or so,the hard shifting may be in the outer gear shift quadrant.These can get rusty over the years and cause problems also. Behind cover 3.2009 Polaris SPORTSMAN 800 HO EFI (A09MN76AX/AZ) Drive Train, Main Gearcase | Cycle Parts Warehouse Plus here's one that was in a lot of water evidently as from the factory they're filled with grease. This you might want to check out also.

 

i'm guessing its not a rusty gear since it shifts fine as soon as i shut off the engine. i just started it up here, initial rpm is 1220, picture 1. I left it to warm up for 5 minutes (its 44 degrees here). It was at 1350 after that, so sounds like i should take it to polaris sometime.

 

That can very well cause hard shifting when cold if the engine is that high rpm. It adds a little pressure on the clutches(belt comes up off the one way) so the belt is engaging the sheaths and putting pressure on the driven clutch. Being able to shift ok when the engine is off is a tell tale sign that rpms are the cause or that you have problems in the clutch one way bearing washers in a lot of cases. If they're worn the belt can drift over and touch the inner sheath. This is something else you might want to check out.The one way bearing shouldn't have no more than .020 side to side play or it's time to replace the fiber and metal washer. Again rpm is supposed to be 1150 ± 100 RPM. Plus you might try cleaning dirt off the air temp sensor and making sure the air filter is clean.May not help but can't hurt. Again the throttle lever slack needs to be 1/8" also.