What is to be expected for starting in the cold? Mine sits outside and I got it started to plow snow at about 25 deg. last week. Doesn`t seem feesable to get it to start much colder, like 10 deg. or less. What`s the cut off?

 

Just keep the battery on a maintainer. Pull start if you have to. We get down into the upper teens down here at times and haven't had any real problems starting them. Others that live in arctic conditions can give you their on this.

 

We have had temps in the low teens here...and my sporty 500 sits outside under a cover...It starts right up in the cold...I use it daily to bring coal bags up to the house...now that its getting colder i will leave on a maintainer ..but so far its not been on...and starts right up....I use Stabil MArine stabilizer and also use seafoam in every fill...both keep gas fresh...and inards clean....

 

I start mine up rather easily anytime in the winter , seems to just need full choke for the first 1 minute or less then I just close choke and walk away and let it warm up. Is been like that since day one and we have Cold winters in Northern Ontario Canada.
I do not use ATVs in the winter but like to let them idle once a month for 10 minutes to keep the battery healthy. Their stored outside with just a ATV cover.
The Yamaha needs more choke baby sitting but still does ok.

Wish some off my snowmobiles started that easily in the winter.

 

You may have to turn up the idle a little bit to keep it running good. I had to do that every winter on a older Sportsman and I had to turn it back down for summer.

 

[quote=old polaris tech;3224509]Just keep the battery on a maintainer. Pull start if you have to. We get down into the upper teens down here at times and haven't had any real problems starting them. Others that live in arctic conditions can give you their on this.[

Pull starting is not an option on this one. Pulls like a stuborn mule. Never gave it much thought. Maybe I should? Just checked the battery voltage after sitting a couple weeks and it`s 17*. Battery was 11.8 volts on my new wire for the battery tender. I have an old magnetic heater that was used on my airplane years ago and I`m going to see what that does attached to the bottom of the frame. Anything to help warm the engine should be a plus. We have weather coming in tomorrow and could get some snow here in southern Wisconsin so I want to be ready.

 

[quote=lowflyer;3224594]scrapped the heater idea, engine case 20* after an hour at 20* ambient.

 

Just grab the rope handle with your left or right hand and cover/inter lock it with the other hand. Pull starting is fairly easy this way. You won't have to worry about having the handle ripped out of your hands.First thing I learned on pull starting the 500.

 

I find the auto decompression makes the 500 easier to pull start then my old 250 Yamaha Moto4 or my 350 Grizzly.

 

I pull started my 500 all last winter. I've had the handle ripped out of my hand but it works better with two hands like OPT said.