I'm looking at buying a used 1997 Polaris Sportsman 500. I've heard mixed reviews on Polaris's of the past. I'm looking for a bike I can pound hard and not worry about it giving out on me. Don;t get me wrong, I take care of my bikes, but the last thing I want on my mind is "what was that noise?" or "whats that shaking?" or "can you gimme a tow?" I want a good, solid dependable bike that I can take on a week-long vacation in the mountains and relax knowing the quad between my legs is gonna keep on truckin'. Is 97 a good year? did they have EBS that year? How good are the brakes? How good does it handle and ride? How is it compared to a Grizzly? I know it won;t haev the power of a 660, but how are the handling characteristincs? I don;t want a clunker. Also, if it doesn't have EBS, how hard is it to upgrade? One more thing and I'll leave you guys alone...is 913 miles on the ODO alot? I don;t know much about these things since I;ve been riding a 250R for the past 15 years (no odo!) Please help out a fellow quad-man! Thanks a million!

 

I think they had EBS from the first Sportsman in '96, option on some like the 400.

I would get 2000 or newer and that's low miles, I have over a thousand on a '02 and that's probably considered low miles. Divide the miles by the time for and average MPH, it might have been used for a lot of low speed HD work.

The drive train clunks and they squeak and make all kinds of noises but the 500 ho is a reliable mount. The IRS rides much better than a Griz but the performance will be down.

Dirt wheels or 4 wheel ATV action did a shootout in 98 or 99, do a search on their site in the archives.

 

I had a 97 SP 500 and it did not have EBS. My 2001 SP 500 had it.

 

I had my 97 for four years. It gave me NO problems what-so-ever!!! I just wanted a new SP 500 so I sold my 97. A friend of mine got a Grizzley when they came out and I smoked him repeatedly. He wasn't even close. We were racking on a dirt road with some gravel on it. I even put mine in 2x4 mode and he was in 4x4 and I still beat him by many lengths. Not even close!!! We traded off for a while and the only thing that the Grizz had over my 97 was the steering. His turned easier. My 97 rode smooth. I had no problems with the brakes, although I prefer the EBS which you may be able to add to your 97. 913 miles is nothing unless like jimmypsp700 suggested it was used for heavy work. Even then I wouldn't be to overly concerned. I plowed snow with my Sportsmans and they all did it with ease. I guess how dependable the one that you're looking at will be will depend on how it was cared for by the previous owner/s. Good luck!

 

1998 was the first year for standard ebs, and it wasn't standard until about halfway through the model year to my understanding. prior to 98 i think you could get it as an option on one, if you could find one. our 98 has i think a january build date and it has ebs

 

Man i bought mine brand new in November its a 2005 Sportsman 700. When you get into the bigger tires and hard mud ridding they tend to have a little problem with the reae axles. Keep in mind i ride usually 3 times a week and usually 3-6 hours at least every ride. Ive had to replace the right rear 2 times and left rear once but there isnt much i wont go through. The only real disadvantage to a Polaris is the Belt Drive. You constantly have to worry about if yo uhave water in the belt cover if you stay under the water alot. You will know when it gets wet it starts to slip and you know to stop where you are. If your above water or close to it go ahead and get it out of the water drain it and let it rev around 4000 or so rpm for 30 sec or so. If it gets wet and you still are trying to ride it the belt snaps with ease and your through for the day. Ive went through 2 belts so far but other than that its great. One thing i can say about Polaris though while they are running which is most of the time, there isnt another bike that can hang with it. I have pics of the riding we do or some of it anyway check out what ive got and you can see what a polaris will go through compared to most other bikes.

 

as for the mileage, its pretty low IF its correct. remember the speedo is replaceable and mileage in most states on quads doesn't have to be tracked like in vehicles. look at the overall condition, frame, cvs & boots, ujoints, tightness of bushings, bearings, tie rods, ball joints and such. these things will give more info to how well it was kept than the mileage will.

 

You have to remember that in STOCK form they will take alot more abuse and hold up just fine. But just like trucks if you add lifts and bigger tires it will add ALOT of stress to the drive components. So yes it is not unheard of breaking axles with bigger than stock tires. As for the water in the belt housing if it is sealed right then you should not get water in the belt housing. I have been sitting in creeks with water up to the bottom of my seat and have NEVER got water in the housing. They are usually very water tight but there is always a chance just like most other quads. Now when I lift a truck and add bigger tires I will replace the components that I know will break with the added stress. So in your case you cant complain about breaking axils because they do make a heavy duty axle and also heavy duty cv boots for your stock axles. All the money that you have just spent on stock axles when we all know they wont hold up to bigger tires you could have bought 1 set of Gorilla axles and still save money and time.