Looking for some honest evaluations of the 2005 Sportsman 500 HO. I have very conflicting opinions on this quad (Polaris in general), looking for some input.

I have had a Polaris sled and thought it was great....... however I've heard thathe quads are a diiferent animal.
I have been told by a dealer (Suzuki) that a lot of dealers won't even take a Polaris quad on trade, ok I know, take taht with several grains of salt! But still........ He said they build there own engine..... and they're prone to big headaches.
I'm in sales too........ I know a pitch when I hear one, but REALLY want to hear from other owners.

Anything you guys can say would help.

Thanks much!

 

Can't tell you a hole lot yet just bought a used one a week ago but so far it's great. The guy I bought it from has had polaris since 96 or 97 and in that time has had 4 or 5 different ones and won't buy anything else.

 

hey, fourbyfur.
I'm about to take delivery on my 3rd Polaris 4x4. My first was a 99 Magnum 500, and I now have a 04 Sportsman 600. The new one is a 05 700 EFI. All I can say is that the 2 previous bikes were, in my opinion, extremely tough and well-built. Neither one gave me even one minute of mechanical trouble, and believe me, they were certainly used for their intended purpose. Don't get me wrong, I'm not totally prejudiced against the Jap bikes (sorry, lack of better term), I know they too have some cool features. My very first ATV was a Honda, which I still own, runs great, and my son rides to this day. But (and again, this is my opinion) comparing the foreign machines to the Polaris is like comparing a Hummer to Toyota. After you ride a Sportsman and see how solid and rugged and stable it feels, anything else will seem tinny and light-duty. A major complaint about Polaris from fans of the imports is the weight of the machines. What difference does it make if it weighs 600 lbs. or 750 lbs.? You're not going to be able lift either one if it gets stuck! I find that the extra weight means added stability and ruggedness, and the engines certainly provide enough power to do anything you ask the machine to do. Another major advantage for the Sportsman is the four wheel drive system. Nothing any other manufacturer offers can compare to having all 4 wheels pulling when the system is engaged. Just watch one of those ATV shows on one of the ouotdoor channels and see how many times they show a Jap bike with one front wheel spinning freely in mid-air, while the one on the other side does nothing. That's nonsense. And consider the seat. It may not seem important, but Polaris has the biggest, widest most comfortable seat on the market. That combined with the independent rear suspension makes these things a pleasure to ride, no matter how rough the terrain is. Another plus is Polaris' extensive line of accessories. They sell hundreds of products that allow you to personalize your machine or adapt it to do whatever kind of work you need it to do. I'm fairly sure that the other manufacturers do not offer as wide a variety of options. And now it looks like they've outdone themselves with the 05 models. Lots of huge improvements over previous years. Sorry to be so long-winded, I should do a commercial! I'll just wrap it up by saying, give the Sportsman a try, you'll be glad you did.

 

Fourbyfur
I have a 400 sportsman 04 and I have nothing but good to say about it.
I have 1800 miles on it. I picked up my ride on the 16 Jun 03 and I love it.
Most rides were done on the railway down here in Nfld and at least 1600 miles were done
with my wife and I riding together. I would recommend Polaris to anyone.
I has been a trouble free ride.
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

my dad has a 99' sp500 with over 6000 mi on it. He had the flywheel break, replaced a couple cv joints and just had to buy a new battery before they went out west this year, but other than that nothing. All but the flywheel key is normal wear. He also has a 2000 335 (actually my mothers also with over 6000mi) and it has be nothing but flawless too (under powered) but flawless. My sister who lives in oregon has a sp400 and her husband has a sp500 and they both love their machines. I have a 700efi that has been flawless, awesome ride, lots of power. When dads battery died last winter I went over to get his bike to drag some deer out on the first day (3 or 4 at the same time, I can't remember which) , it was about 10 degrees out and it started on the first pull ( I think it starts faster with the pull start than when the battery was good lol). I wouldn't trade my efi for anything, I love going out to plow the driveway when it's near zero out and my machine starts up and purrs like it was the middle of summer.

 

You WON'T go wrong with a Sportsman. Period. The Sportsman 500 is, as far as I'm concerned, still the best all-around 4X4 made.

Great ride quality - still the standard!
Great tranny - MUCH better than the 600/700/800 (I used to build them).
Good motor. Not domestic, but made by Fuji / Robin / Subaru. I've rarely heard of a problem with the 500 motor. It's also responsive to mods without losing reliability. I wish it was EFI, but there have been rumours . . ..
I don't care for the EBS one bit. But that's a matter of taste.

So, get one. Break it in, pipe and clutch it. Put some Mud Lites on alloys on the corners. Or leave it bone stock. Either way, remember to keep the bugs out of your teeth - it's hard, what with the big s#!t-eating grin you'll have![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

i dont think polaris makes thier own engines fugi makes there engines... 2nd that dealer if full of it... i have a dealer around here that sells polaris and suzuki, i was looking at the vinson and he told me to go with the sportsman with the better featuers and less cost, now i know these machines are a little heavy but they definalty make up for it, take a look at them once how they are built will show you why they are heavier i mean the suzukis from half-shafts look like little pencils to my sportsmans i can get a wheelie up on mine no problem in low range and with a little effort in high it will ride one also, ive only had my new sportsman for 6 months now and i have givin this thing hell from day one screw the break in i ride it like its made to be ridden and its holding up strong.

cant go wrong with the 500, theres plenty of power there, and the ride is great, i also think the 4x4 system is outstanding and with the new sportsman there is only one inturnal hub so both front wheels ingauge at full tourq... true differential

 

[quote]
Originally posted by: fourbyfur
He said they build there own engine..... and they're prone to big headaches.

throw up a post and see how many miles some guys have on their sportsmans a few guys have reached 10,000 already with just replacement of normal wear parts like CV joints and ball joints brakes and valves.

 

Polaris 500 and 400 are same engine ...........one is bored larger.................they are BULLETPROOF!

Same tranny as the 600 and 700...........troubles with the 600 and 700 pistons fire at same time not in sequence ....to much torque..the tranny cannot handle abuse

from engines this big...

Altogether the 500 is best 4X4 made...period.

 

Tarball...I think the trannies are different between the 400/500 and 600/700 as my riding buddy's 400 has the trans and rear diff all in one housing. On my 700 the rear gear housing is separate and connected with a driveshaft. Also the 600/700 pistons do not fire at the same time, they travel up and down together but fire on opposite strokes i.e when one is on the power stroke the other cylinder is on the intake stroke.