Guys, help me out. I am looking at a '04 Kodiak 450 and a '04 Sportsman 500. They are both fairly close in price. The Kodiak has a solid axle, where the Polaris has IRS. The Polaris looks to be a bigger / heavier machine, but the complaints I hear about them are service issues. Is that true ? I will use it mainly for hunting. Looking for strength, reliability, and no problems driving through flooded rice fields and through mud....

Also, the rack on the Kodiak is metal where the Sportsman is composite / plastic. Has that been a problem for any of you ?

 

The Sportsman is by far a better machine than the Kodiak. The 500 is Polaris's longest seller, it has been around for a while and is a damn good machine. It will give you a better ride, more power, and better agility in the rough terrain. Go with the Sportsman, you won't be disappointed.

 

I've never ridden a Kodiak but I've had my 04.5 SP500HO for about a year now with no problems. I've got 250 miles on it, mostly easy use but about 60 miles on very rough trails. I'm very happy with it.

 

My buddy has a Kodiak and there is a night and day differnce. The Kodiak dives through turns with a lot of body roll and feels very hawkward and unstable. He has also had some overheating trouble with it. The polaris handles like a cadilac in comparison. It goes through deep mud like nothing else and the 500 HO is a tank of a motor. You can't go wrong with it. I have a scrambler with the same moter and it is super reliable! good luck and go with the sportsman!

 

Buy the Sportsman 500.

I own the pre-HO model, but it's one hell of a machine. The only problem I have had with it is a torn CV boot ($25 to fix myself - no biggee). As far as racks are concerned, I prefer the solid rack of the Sportsman (I've had no problems with the rack).

 

We have both in our family. We bought them both a year ago and have really liked them. I have the Kodiak and my husband has the Sporstman.

There are a few things that I like better about the Kodiak;
1 - It doesn't make my right leg hot when I ride it.
2 - It turns better than the Sportsman as far as a tighter turn but it takes more arm strength than the
Sportsman to get it to turn.
3 - It is smaller and makes me feel a bit more stable.
4 - I like the control panel better.


Pros to the Sporstman:
1 - It rides much smoother than the Kodiak.
2 - It turns much easier.
3 - It is more comfortable for long rides.
4 - The shifter is on the ride side instead of the left on the Kodiak. The Kodiak is a awkard to put in
gear using the left hand.
5 - The control panel is confusing.

As far as service, we haven't had anything go wrong with either one of them. There was a problem with the brake cylinder when we bought it but the dealer fixed it. We take them in for their regularly scheduled services as suggested by the dealer.

That being said, I would like to trade my Kodiak for a Sportsman and probably will do so in the next year.
They are both good machines and I don't think you would be unhappy with either.

 

I have a 02 500ho and have not had one problem with it. It is sweet. Don't take our word for it, get out and ride them and I know what one you will want. I rode a few quads and read many atv forums before I bought my first Polaris. Right now I can't see myself ever getting another brand. I owned a warrior before.

 

Hi there, MemphisStockBroker

Welcome to the Connection!!!

Take it from a fellow "trader".... Invest in PII!!!

A while back, I was in the same situation as yourself. I needed a hunting machine. So I got on the phone and called a few of my outfitter buddys and asked them what they recommended. The two flavors that always came up were Yamaha and Polaris. I went and tested both and the Polaris came in first in every one of my trials. Yes, the Polaris is bigger and heavier, but the ease in which they're ridden, you'd never know it. I originally went with a 700 carb version for the towing power. But have since added to my garage in a big way!! My most recent purchase has been a 04.5 500HO Sportsman for my Sweetie. I must say, if I weren't a power hog, the 500HO would have been my first choice.

The complaints you hear in regards to service are just that...... complaints. You always seem to hear about the bad things, but rarely hear about the good. All the major players out there have had some quirks to deal with. New models, "growing pains"...... Most often it turns out to be dealer issues rather than manufacturer defects. That's reason #1 to buy from a dealer that you feel will give you the "after sale" support. The bottom line isn't everything in this case.

As far as the racks.... I've overloaded my racks with firewood so many times it's not even funny. If they were weak in any way, trust me, I would have found out.

Both bikes will give you many years of service if properly maintained. Both bikes have their stong points as well as their weaknesses. But for my money, it's Polaris all the way. In my garage and my portfolio.... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]