Just upgraded my son from a 2002 Suzuki LT-A50 to a 2003 Polaris Predator 90. He'd gotten a bit big for the 50 and its top speed of ~20 MPH was starting to get a bit slow on long rides. I found a buyer for the Suzuki and a seller of the Polaris on the same day, so within a couple of hours we did everything and now he has a new machine and we both have a new learning curve - him riding it, and me maintaining it.

The previous owner seems to have taken good care of the machine. Cosmetically it's nearly perfect. Of the mechanical things I've checked out (not much time so far) it looks good too. The carb and filter box are dirty, and the bracket holding a heat shield next to a footwell is broken, but I liked what I saw enough to take a chance. It starts instantly and runs well. I'd estimate its top speed with my 170 pounds on it at 25-30 MPH on a paved level surface.

No manuals came with the 90, so while I'm trying to find owners and service manuals I have a few questions.

1) Is the throttle limiter the screw on the throttle assembly that has the stop nut? Anything special about setting it?

2) The online specs speak of an "electronic speed limiter". I wouldn't call a screw-and-nut "electronic" so what is this, and how is it adjusted?

3) Is this unit supposed to have a top chain guard? The entire top surface of the chain is exposed, but there are little brackets where it looks like a guard could be installed. I looked at online parts drawings but couldn't find anything.

4) What sort of transmission does this unit have? Is it like the bigger Polaris models, a belt and variable clutch system? It looks like there's room for a system like that but I can't tell for sure.

5) Speaking of the clutch - it seems to require rather high RPM's to engage and therefore when it does, the machine lurches. I'd like to back that off a bit. I presume this will require heavier clutch weights. Is this a common complaint? How difficult is it to adjust, or change the clutch weights?

6) Any other issues, good or bad, with this year and model? Anything I should inspect or know about?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice!

 

I've researched a bit more.

Regarding item #4 above, I've confirmed this unit does have a belt-clutch transmission system. The online parts diagrams show clutch weights but don't show any alternative values. Are these standard weights? Will most motorcycle shops carry them? Reducing weight is easy (just drill them out) but I need to ADD weight to lower the RPM's at which the clutch begins to engage.