Hello all

Soo.. where do I start.

I had wanted an atv for a while but not having much money I had resorted to watching others enjoy their machines. I decided instead, I would start to save for a cheaper used bike. I ended up purchasing a 98 Polaris trail boss for $1500 dollars on Kijiji.

I will be honest with you all, I know nothing about engines which by far was my first mistake when buying a used atv! When I picked it up I test drove it and it ran and in my bliss I did not check other things which later have haunted me in my sleep.

Fast-forward four months later...

I now have a bike sitting in my garage that is not fit to ride.

So i will list the problems which I "diagnosed" (use that lightly) and what I want to know is how much is it going to to cost me for each problem at a shop. My Ice fishing season is literally a month away and this was the sole purpose in buying a quad. It will kill me if I have to go the hard water season walking while others fly right by.

PROBLEMS:

1) Throttle is stuck or frozen when the bike did start it would start wide open very scary!

2) Bike has a mind of its own when you try and start it. Sometimes it fires right up some times you have to coax it to start while other times it won't start at all.

3) Magneto won't charge the battery

4) My wiring is F@#ked. Let me explain; the kill switch doesn't work the reverse light doesn't work, only high beams work on the front, my battery doesn't charge and my starter works part-time.

5) My back brakes don't work!

6) Sometimes when the bike is hot and has been driven for a couple hours it won't hold an idle, if I release the throttle and just let it putter it will sometimes cut out.

If you could break down the costs so I could see how much I will have to fork out to fix it completely I would be grateful. Also what I should prioritize getting done first so it is "rideable" because I probably won't be able to fix it all I only have 800 dollars I can allocate to the bike repairs christmas is a hard time finically.


P.S. If this helps estimations I'm near Toronto, ON, Canada.

 

I've seen it happen many many times before. DON'T spend 800 bucks more on top of the 1500 you've already spent for a bike that's worth 1100 bucks from KBB, or about 800 bucks from Nada pages. Sell it as is,cut your losses and save for a later good running machine. Or part the thing out on ebay to help recoup some of your money. I can't tell you how many people I've told this to at the shop and not just on Polaris atvs that they drug into the shop. If you're bound and determined to go ahead with trying to repair this machine,get a manual first for 10 bucks.At least it's worth the price. Sorry,I'm not trying to be sarcastic on this but actually trying to be realistic.http://visit.tradebit.com/visit.php/...75/264163234/9

 

Thanks polaris tech,

I appreciate your honesty as heart breaking as it is.

So if i were to sell it as is what do I sell it at? and what do I tell the buyer?

Secondly, if I were to fix it regardless the fact that ill be putting in more than its worth how much do you think it will run me? I do not necessarily care that the bikes value is "X" and I'll have to spend '"Y" to fix it. It is worth it to me just to make it a working bike.

I am not trying to come off ignorant I really like the bike! Besides my wife will never go for another one after this fiasco so it's kind of like all I've got, you know?

Finally in regards to the manual, I can hardly fix a bicycle let alone an atv will the manual make a difference?

p.s. I don't need it race worth. Just reliable enough to pull my sled and ice gear out and BACK lol

 

This right there makes it even more important just to get rid of it. Look on ebay at all the parts for sale for your model and the prices they're asking. From the engine, transmission,frame,rims,wiring harness,body plastic,etc. You can piece it out on ebay or craigslist and try to regain some or even most of what you've lost. Or even list it on craigslist as a complete deal,and learn from this experience as a lot of us have learned. Man if I could turn back the clock on all the bad deals I made over the years.. Chalk it up to a learning experience,buy the wife some flowers,and you'll get back in her good graces..

 

lol I understand deep down I know your right but I just want the bike fixed! I appreciate you taking the time to help me out. To try and make common sense out of this situation. But I am not about to sell the bike really I am going to fix it regardless how much I am moving backwards on this. Just because I have been so excited about this bike for so long to hear you tell me the truth of it hurts! I rather suck it up and finish what I started even if its costing me more than what the bikes worth.

All I need to know is how far will 800 dollars get me toward this bike in working order?

Again thank you for trying to stop me from doing something stupid, But sometimes when you set your mind on something not even god can change it. I will be happy when my over aged, overly priced atv is on the ice parked outside of my hut.

 

You can spend close to your amount just in engine parts and labor.. Here's a list of parts if needed. Plus expect more as you go along.Polaris Trail Boss 250 1987 1999 Connecting Rod Kit 3082790 | eBay Polaris Trail Blazer 250 Namura Piston Kit Top End Gasket Bearing 73mm 040 Over | eBay New Engine Crank Bearing Seal Polaris Trail Blazer Xplorer Trail Boss 250 | eBay Polaris Trail Boss 250 98 99 Wiring Harness Solenoid Trailboss | eBay Stator Polaris Trail Boss 250 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Polaris ATV Magneto | eBay Polaris Trail Boss 250 2x4 1989 1999 Carburetor Carb Rebuild Kit Repair P250 | eBay Haven't gotten to the brakes.. Caliper seals? pads? Controls if you can find them..

 

Well, throttle cable could solve your first issue. If that is truly what is sticking that would be my top priority. Cheap to, probably less than $30.00 for a new cable. There could be other issues causing it to run at high idle though.

Back breaks I have heard are problematic on these, and that would be a concern for me too. Do they work with the either the foot pedal or hand lever?

The lights I could care less about, that can be addressed later most likely. Same for the charging issue. It needs attention, but you can work around it for now with a jump pack etc.

The kill switch may just need a good cleaning, or it may have been bypassed. Even if you have to spring for a replcement, it shouldn't be a huge expense. Hopefully the wiring is otherwise ok. This is something you can easily save some money with the manual and do it yourself. I would address this sooner rather than later. As you have been riding it already, it isn't critical, but at the same time can save your bacon if you ever need to emergency shut it down.

As for the idling and starting issue, I would clean the carb, another place the manual will be invaluable and save some cash doing it yourself. Also replace the spark plug and maybe go with fresh gas. Never hurts and helps eliminate those things as an issue later on.

Bottomline, you may be able to get it back to serviceable for a few hundred or less, but it is going to take some wrench time on your part. Hard to tell for sure until you work through a few of the easy things first.

 

Also should add, OPT knows a lot more about these than I. Also, if it needs a top and bottom end, that is probably going to be more than you want to tackle, and it will cost a bit for parts and labor.

 

The first thing you need to fix is the stuck throttle before you hurt yourself. You might need a new throttle cable.

 

Thank you Scooter and OPT for your patience and understanding. I know there is work to do. I don't know if im capable of fixing it. But i will try and fix what i can. I agree the lights are on the bottom of my list as is the magneto issue. I can charge my battery before each outing. And i shouldn't be driving longer then 10-20 minutes each trip down the lake. Which gives me plenty of battery reserve. Plus the bike starts without the battery i only need it for the starter, wench, and lights which i can just pull start and pack a strong flash light to strap to the front in the evening. These things can be fixed in time. The back brake im not too concerned about because when i press the handle brake both engage so its probably a seal and as long as i got the handle working I wont really need the foot brake.

The kill switch concerns me as I nearly killed myself when i was riding. I had accelerated while riding and when i released the throttle it did not slow down. I was heading for a turn way to quickly! Turned the key off but it still soared. Luckly, thinking fast i opened the choke and stalled the engine. Could have ended badly.
That needs to be fixed.. I will be driving slow on the ice but even still it needs to be repaired.

My main issue is the trouble starting and keeping the engine running during idle. This is important because i need to get out there and get back each time. I dont want to be stranded on the lake. So ill probably deal with that first and pay a professional to do it. The other things forementioned I can try and fix on my own to get a little hands on experience. Just the throttle and top end job I need to finance.