i currently own a sportsman but lately i have become fascinated with the idea of a sport atv, so i'd maybe like to get a pred. but how are they? my BIGGEST concern is will i be able to shim the valves, how hard is it? does the manual go over the procedure? and how often do u need to check/adjust them? i'm not that mechanically inclined but i know the basics, is there a step-by-step writeup on predator valve adjustment so i could see what its about?

 

You'd have to buy about a $250-$300 valve shim kit to have the right ones on hand,or make trips to the dealer. Cheaper to let a dealer do valve adjustments. The Outlaw is every 15 hrs,the Predator is a little longer if I remember correctly. IF you don't like maintenance (seems like) after almost every big ride,I'd stick with the Sportsman.