i wanted to gte a sportsman 500 but i don't want to spend as much money, plus i can get a cheaper atv and have more money for extras like a warn 2500 and a gun case. Although im worried about the polaris and the problems that they have with the sportsman which im afraid are the same problems that happen to the mag500. I don't want to buy a atv that im going to have to put big money into after the warinty is up. I don't mind working on them, but have to go to school and haveing a new truck i can't spare extra money. Do the mag500's have any overheating, tie-rods, belt slipping cv boots cracking and so on. my old 94' honda is bullet proof however i now what a bigger atv like a mag or a 450s, any help would be great
Thanks
Tom

 

I would say get the Foreman 450S. My buddy has one and its great! You get the advantage of reliability, no belt slipping or replacing,a DIGITAL SPEDOMETER, TRIPMETER!. overall the 450s is a great machine and I would vote it over the magnum any day!

 

Sound like you've got your mind made up already! Get the Honda if that's what you want. I don't know why you are asking the question of which one you want if you already don't like the Polaris. I also don't see why people say stuff about how the Polaris quads are junky , Unless I've just got a jem. I have a 98 Explorer and it has not had but one problem, the vent tube for the trans got ripped off. Other than that no problems. I ride it hard too. Hondas are good machines, but I have a friend who doesn't ride too often take his 300ex in for a tune up and it is smoking. so are we suppossed to say that all 300ex's are junk. I don't think I would. Just ride 'em all and buy what you like the best. Also as far as the overheating wouldn't you say my 2-stroke would overheat faster? I check my fluids before every major ride or once a week. I think everyone should do this.

 

Its not really a fair comparison between these 2 machines in my opinion. I think you have to decide what kind of riding you will be doing. If you are going to be doing grunt work and beating the hell out of your quad the forman is the better choice. If you are doing trail riding and want more speed and a plush ride the magnum is for you. I ride with both of these machines, both are nice, but if i was going to ride for 6 hours 100 miles, it would be with the Magnum. Shifting gears gets old, and nothing beats the comfort on a Sportman or Magnum.
As far as reliability i have seen several Hondas have problem, ALL electrical issues though. The Polaris arent as reliable, but again it depends on how you ride. I know people who have not pushed there Polaris ***** out and 3years running, no problems to date. I also know people who beat the hell out of their Polaris and its in the shop every other week. If you are worried about belt slippage dont be. The intake for the belt is pretty high, and it has a higher stance than the forman. Personally i would rather ride a belt driven quad if im going on long trips. If im doing grunt work i want the shift. I have seen the belts break on Sportmans, they are very easy to change. It a good idea to keep a spare one with you, esp when you know its wearing. Again I have seen someone with 2k miles on a Sportman and no new belt, and have seen 400 miles and have it snap. Depends on how you ride. The reason for the premature belt break on that instance was do to pulling a Car stuck in the mud.
If you have a tough time deciding between these 2 machines i think you need to ride both and decide, the ride and feel of them is a world of a difference.

 

I should not have said "they havent pushed there Polaris ***** out" because thats not true. I should have siad, they have taken really good care of there quad for the 3 years they have had it. If your going to beat the hell out of it and not give it any care, expect things to start breaking. Just wanted to clarify that.

 

They are both great and I agree on most of what people are saying. But the quality of the 2000 Polaris machines are the best ever for Polaris. I have 700 miles on my Sportsman it is as tight as when it was new. And my 2000 Xplorer 250 never gave my any troulbes and i beat on that thing aweful. To compare the older Polaris with the new 1998 and up models is not fair. how the owner takes care of a machine GREATLY influences how well it will last. I ride with all makes and have owned all makes and so far Polaris offers the best ride bar none and has been my most trouble free one to date. I agree if trail riding is your plan the Magnum will be a way better choice. It is quite a machine. I say drive both make your choice then.

 

I have only owned Yamaha , Honda and Polaris models

 

As for belts breaking it more than likely is the owner not using low range enough. It is quite important on the bigger bore Polaris atv's to use low range in the rough stuff or when pulling or towing. Never had one slip never been with anyone who has had theres slip either. I think the belt slippage is grossly over stated.

 

Agree completely with XEpathfinder.

Have a '97, 2-'98s and a '99 Sportsman 500 here. They all have varying milage and hard riding. They are all on the original belts with never a hint of slippage, and we get into some pretty mucky wet areas up here. We don't use them as submarines but routinely get water to the bottom edges of the sea for short periods of time.

As for maintenance, we all do very regular oil changes and grease the chassis. We have done front and rear brakes on one '98, rear on the other '98 and the '97, and nothing on the '99. The '97 is the only one that required tie rod ends. The '99 overheated last winter when blasting through snow and the rad packed full with powder. Cool down, refill, and no harm done.

That's it. Excellent machines.

My wife and I fight over the Sportsman. We have an '87 Honda Four-Trax that is a bulletproof machine, but the (hay wagon) ride quality and need to shift cause us to fight for the Sportsman. Not to say Honda is not a good machine, it is, even this old one. The physical size of the Sportsman is more to our liking. My 6 foot tall wife looks like an ape on the old Four-Trax. Size does matter, to some.

Every brand has its good points and features. You have to ride the models you think you want and decide for yourself. It's your butt and your money. Do you want ride quality, do you want responsive disc brakes, do you like to shift, would ES be your thing, do you prefer full time AWD or switchable, and finally, what feels better when your butt is in the saddle.

We can say this is better than that, but in the end who cares. What I think is better, you may hate. As the guys above have said, ignore the hype, sales pitches and rumours. Ride 'em, pick one, lay down the cash, and have fun.

DJ

 

Im not gonna go in depth... But, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE MAGNUM 500 RELIABILITY... That is NOT an ISSUE.. If you can imagine something being done to a machine that SHOULDNT be done.. I've probably done it to mine... still runs perfect..