I am getting ready to buy my 1st ATV. I have narrowed down to the sp 500 and the Rubicon 500, but dont know what to do. The intended use is for 50% riding/hunting and 50% work on steep slopes with big rocks. The features that attract me to the polaris are the IRS and the 11" clearance and "true" 4wd. I can get otd for $6100. Based on what I have read, I worry about the reliability. Is there an advantage of 1 brake handle vs. 2 brake handles?

I like the Honda because of the hydromatic transmission and the options on gear selection. I also have other Honda appliances, so I am a big fan of their reliability. That things I am unsure are the lack or IRS, lower clearance, full-time AWD, and the 3-1/2 AWD syndrome. Does not having a locking front differential make that big of difference? Being fulltime AWD, is it harder to turn on packed surfaces? I can get the '03 Honda otd for $6200.

I would appreciate any comments or insight that you can offer.

Thank you in advance.

 

I've seen both machines in action and I can tell you from my own experience that the Polaris will not hold up as long as the Honda. My freind has a '99 sportsman 500 and is now having alot of trouble with it. Stator, secondary clutches, coil stops working when it gets wet, belt getting wet due to poor design of belt cover bolts (easy to strip out) and one hell of alot of grease fittings and alot of U joints in the machine. Honda uses alot of CV joints which require less maintenance and last alot longer, and most suspension points are sealed meaning no grease fittings. If no grease can get out water doesn't get in either.


When the Polaris was new it had a great ride and probably faster than the Honda. For long term reliability, I'd stick with the Rubicon, lots of choices in gear selection, good transmission, sealed components. If you really wanted them, you can get the Warn 424 kit for 2wd to 4wd selection and a locker installed at the dealer. This would make both machines equel in traction, but all the benefits of the Honda engineering.

I'm sure others will have their own opinions, this is just based on my own experience.

 

I have a Rubicon, my daughter and son in-law own a Sportsman 500 and a good friend of ours just purchased a new Sportsman 500 too. I use the Rubi for trail riding and hunting here in Colorado. Dave (son in-law) and I have ridden a couple of hundred miles together in some pretty ruff terrain. From the Taylor Park area above Gunnison, to the old mining road/trail complex above Central City/Apex, to the dry washes and rolling sand hills west of Wiggins both machines handled these varying terrains well. At no time has either machine needed help getting out of a tight spot, over a rock, through a stream, or out of a bog.

The Rubi and the Sp500 are factory equipped with the exception of a winch on the Rubicon. I have a few thoughts on both machines.

The Rubicon is a dryer ride than the Sportsman. Because of the rounded fenders (as compared to the squarer fenders of the Rubicon) the tires throw more water and mud on the machine and operator.

Because of the selectable 2X4 / 4X4 modes the Sportsman has a tighter turning radius in 2 wheel drive mode. On the other hand Dave often gets caught with his pants down cruising along in 2 wheel drive and all of a sudden finds himself in “the stuff”, ending up fighting like he11 to get out of it. In full time 4X4 I never give it a thought and just blow through it.

The Sportsman has a greater cruising range than the Rubicon. I get about 60-65 miles before I hit the reserve, and Dave gets around 100 miles. I have a Kimpex fuel can rack on the back of the Rubi for a 5-gallon gas can.

The skid plates on both machines suck. I’ll be replacing my skid plates this winter with Aluminum Products plates.

The factory Rawhide tires on the Sportsman are better than the Dirt Hooks on the Honda. I’m thinking about getting Maxxis Big Horn radials for the Rubicon this spring.

As far as the “3-1/2 AWD syndrome” goes, I haven’t had much trouble with it. In situations were I have a front wheel off the ground a tap or 2 on the front brakes takes care of it.

As far as IRS, the Sportsman squats quite a bit under load. It does have good ground clearance. It feels spongy to me. On long rides his back and butt hurts as bad as mine Does. I’m somewhat indifferent to IRS as a selling point.

There are other points to concrete and have other thoughts as will. Either machine will be a good ride for you.

 

Both awesome machines, but take the Rubicon.




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1986 Yamaha Moto-4 225
2003 Suzuki z400

 

I have the rubicon and bought it as a hunting working/ quad.The hydrostatic transmission is the best in the industry for this application as it has no belts to slip ,has infinite ratios and can be manually overridden unlike the belt drives.It also has the best 4 wheel engine braking that I have used which is a big advantage for hauling heavy loads on steep ground.It actually burns less fuel than a friends 500 probably due to it's much lighter weight but the tank is smaller and the reserve portion seems larger so it will not get as many miles before hitting reserve.I have larger more aggressive gator tires while my friend has stock tires on the sportsman so I can actually go anywhere he can go and some places that give him trouble.This is especially true in muskeg where heavier machines sink more.The sportsman does ride smoother because of the IRS but I find the rubicon more stable with a heavy load on the racks due to the rigid axle.As far as reliability neither has had to be towed home but the sportsman does require more maintenance.For trail riding the sportsman rides smoother and is easier on the body but for hunting or work ,I prefer the rubicon.

 

The Sportsman leans more towards the "sport" side of sport/utility and the Rubicon leans more towards the utility side. Both are nice ATVs.

 

Just in-case u didn't purchase yet,.. my thoughts after a bud of mine got a rubicon.

Nice design, definately cleaner ride because of the fenders, ground clearance WAY too low. All my riding is strictly pleasure, so we intentionally find hard stuff to get through. (hills/bogs/logs/streams)

We cracked the fenders of the rubicon dragging it over a log jam, and it was high-centered in the deep mud ruts a few times. It is still an exceptional machine, just not one that i could abuse on and feel comfortable doing it. I prefer IRS after owning both systems. I'm just getting a little old perhaps and need the comfort it provides. As far as probs with the sportsmans... I just dont get it,.. this is my 4th one, it's ridden verrrry hard, and I've only had a wet belt once. Never a leak/belt/clutch/cdi prob of anykind.... altho that may be because i maintain it better than my wife. : )

 

The Sportsman has a better ride than the rubicon as it is an independent suspension setup, not a solid axle like on the honda. However, side hilling and climbing hills I find it to be a little sketchy on the Polaris. Also the Polaris is a retardedly heavy bike. It is over 700lbs. The Rubi is barely over 600. The Honda will last you longer and I would recommend it over the Polaris.

 

Thanks to everyone who responded to my post. I really appreciated the insight and opinions that all had to offer. The discussions helped me ask the right questions and think about the primary use of my intended ATV. As of today, I am a proud owner of an olive green Honda Rubicon! I cant wait to get it out to the ranch this weekend!

Thank you again for you opinions, and I really enjoy the forum.

Regards :-)

 

Congrats!
You will love the rubicon....