I hear a lot of people giving the predator a hard time, and usually biased people who have never owned one. I just bought a 2007 Polaris Predator 500(stock) with less than 50 hours on it for 2500 dollars because the resale dealer tought it needed valvetrain work, and it turned out the tensioner just needed to be adjusted, so now i have a great quad at an even better price!
My point is they arent given enough credit for how great of a quad they are [ american made too ]. Now im not gonna be biased because i own one, i just want people to get the right info!
It has steel braided brake lines, fox shocks, and reverse! all in a 499cc DOHC beast. I will say the bottom end isnt amazing but can be adjusted with a quick gear change and really be opened up with a slip on exhaust and jetting.
Everything feels comfortable and within reach with good ergonomics and plush suspension. The 410 weight is barely noticable as i can easily jump it and wheelie it on command. Even with the anti squat rear end it can be wheelied well and has a great balance point, but when taking off keeps the rear-end down when you want it to.
I have already don a valve adjustment and can say these being american made are really well thought out and simple to work on.
I have owned and ridden many other quads and this is my honest opinion, not a biased idiot saying mines the best cuz i own it! Ive owned a kfx 400, 400ex, dirtbikes, honda 450r, and ridden raptors, yfz's, and many others so i know what they offer and that they are all great in their own way. I just believe this is just the best bang for the buck and they are way better quads than people give them credit to be. (just cause their not one of the big 4 doesnt mean their junk!) Plus their reliable!
If anyone has anything to contribute or add please chime in. I want to know what everyone thinks of theirs and how they compare.

 

I bought an 03 new and didnt have a single problem. They made some changes through the years, but honestly I cant complain one bit about mine. I did miss reverse but honestly after one day of riding you learn to deal with it and it's not so bad. The only problem I had was when I got stuck the rear suspension had so much travel that I wasnt tall enough to lift the rear off the ground high enough most of the time so I did a lot of dragging it sideways. Totally not the quads fault but genetics to blame for me being so damn short. I kept it pretty much stock other than a rear sprocket to gain some lower gearing. I did a lot of woods riding and needed that more than the 70+ top speed. Anyways I cant complain, the price was right, the extras are great and its an awesome out of the box sport quad!

 

Had an 03 with well over three thousand miles... no major problems... bought an 05... Still have it!!! new plastics and a front A-arm but no complaints at all. IMO one of the best sport quads out there for trail ridding

 

Other than for price why would you buy a 500 now that 525 is available and will run circles around a 500??????

 

Thanks guys for the info, just what i was looking for. I just dont think they've gotten enought credit for what a well built quad they are! Keep up the responses anyone, Thanks.

 

I had an 03 and now an 07. I could not resist the price of the left over 07, reverse is very convenient, for an older fat guy.
Ergos, dependability and American made, all great attributes of the, IMO, great quad.