Hey guys i'm about to pull the trigger on a new Sportsman 550 with winch and blade.

My question for you is how reliable have the new Sportmans been?

I had a Sportman 500 EFI the first year they had EFI on it and it was a lemon. Dang thing ran terrible and was jumpy had it in and out of the dealer until i got sick of it and sold it.

Went to a RZR which was awesome but I want to get back to an ATV again.

I really want a trouble free ATV this time.
Can you guys give me some info on them. Also how does the power compare to the 500EFI i'm guessing it's a little better?
Thanks

 

I have a 2011 sportsman 550 eps, so far its been a great ATV, the only problem i had was with the crappy stock tires, i had one blow out on the side wall on my first ride, so i replaced them with a set of Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 tires. The other thing i noticed is the front springs are to soft and cause a lot of body roll in turns, so i adjusted the front springs and that seemed to help. But i plan on upgrading the springs when High Lifter comes out with heavy duty replacements. Otherwise there have been no major problems with it.

 

Thanks. The dealer had a left over 850 XP I'm going to go with instead i pick it up tomorrow. I can't wait to enjoy 70hp in a Utility.

 

youll love it I like mine, again stock tires are a pos but everything else has been good

 

The 850 is a HOSS! Be careful with the power.

 

What year left over? '09 or '10? Just curious...


biz

 

It's a 2010 Std 850XP. Trying to decide if I want a winch on it or not. thinking it might be a good idea seeing how heavy it is.

 

A winch is a must in my book. Just the piece if mind it gives you when you are riding alone is worth the price. I got hung up in the smallest creek once, in the middle of no where. It had high banks and muddy bottom. The front wheels were in the air and the backs digging down in the mud. I would of had my work cut out for me without a winch, hell I might still be there!

 

got 950 miles on mine so far with 0 problems....if you put a blade on it make sure you get the glacier III and not the II.....and yes its a hoss...

 

One concern is the 850 going to be too much power for my wife? I"m going to be riding a Outlaw 525 a lot of the time on the trails she will be on the Sportsman. She came form riding a RZR and a sportsman 500 before that.
I've never ridden the 850 so i'm not sure if it's going to be unsafe. Dealer will give me a 2010 850 for the price of a 2011 550 so it's kind of a no brainer.