Do a lot of winter riding on my 00 500 Polaris Sportsman and would love to find a set of handguards to keep the cold wind off my paws. Miaer makes guards, but they don't have them for the sportsman. Thinking about a homemade job using 4" PVC pipe and a torch to soften and mold it around the brake reservoir and brake handle. Homemade is fun, but that is for cookies and paper mache. Anyone have handguards for their polaris or know where to get 'em?

 

I reluctantly put the Polaris hand guards on my SP500 a couple months ago. I say reluctantly because I’m not that crazy about “Mickey Mouse ears” appearance you get with them. But appearance be damned, they WORK. And they fit like they were made to go there (because they were!). The molded fit is fantastic, it protects the ETC and the brake fluid reservoir while doing an exceptional job of keeping the wind, branches and debris off the backs of your hands. My wife was unconvinced about well they work till we swapped rides on our last winter run. It was 3 below that night and when she got off my SP she said “you’d better get me a pair of those hand guards.” I just put her X-mas present on her Mag 500 last night.

At $50 a pair they aren’t cheap but they’re well made, solid, and as I said, they work. The part # is 2872329 and this is supposed to fit “all 2000 except 6x6” according to the catalog. Since both our machines are ‘99s I can say for a fact they fit a broader range than the catalog suggests.

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FloodRunner, on the Wisconsin River

 

Thanks Flood runner, now if I can just get my hands on a Polaris accessory catalog. My dealer up here is pro-sled, and when I brought my Sportsman, on warranty in last week, I was put on the back burner. Hopefully I will be able to acquire an accessory catalog so I can see what else I can put on my "must get" list, but will probably have to wait 'til the snow melts, just before they bring out the new crop of fisherman loving PWC's, right?

 

There is a set of handguards in the 2000 Polaris Accessory catalog. Sorry I cant tell you the price( my catalog is at work) Id say call your dealer and see what they go for. If you dont like his answer, email me and I'll get the price for you out of the catalog, unless someone else has it handy.

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Ronnie Crecelius Xpedition 425

 

Hotseat has a set of handguards that you can look at on their website if you have Adobe Acrobat. Download the Accessories 8-9 file and you can get a description and price.

 

Why not buy a windshield, I did and I have no regrets. I ride up here in the cold north so my SP is fitted with electric hand warmers, electric thumb warmer and windshied. This combination works great, it not only keeps the wind off you hands it also keeps the wind off your chest and face too.
Hope this helps.
Dave Formstone
98 SP500 EBS

 

Dave, would put on a wind shield, but I ride a LOT in the brush and woods. Wouldn't take long to scratch and smash a shield. Dealer already asked me howcome those cute black plastic fender surrounds around the tires are already broken. I commented on contacting Polaris to perhaps put some type of a rubberized fender skirting on, but if you've read my comments about Polaris feedback, I'll probably end up making my own out of old motorcycle tires. Too bad them Polaris guys don't put their test machines through some real-world testing.

 

Yeah, I have the same problem with putting on a windshield. It wouldn’t last long doing some of the brush bustin’ we do. I’ve been really tempted to go that route in the winter but it just wouldn’t last.

We run the “hot grips” too, and thumb warmers. Although I’ve noticed at night with all my lights on neither of them want to work. I have a pair of auxiliary driving lights and I’m running a 100watt H4 in the pod light. With all five of these lights on there’s just not enough juice to power the heaters. On my wife’s Mag 500 she has stock lighting but I’ve set it up so when the switch is in the High position all three of her lights come on. With all her lights on the hot grips work but she looses the thumb warmer. On both bikes I’ve been pulling power for the heaters from any wire I’ve found under the “hood” that goes hot with the ignition switch.

This weekend I rewired the “heaters” so they’re drawing directly off the battery through a relay that “goes hot” when the ignition is on. I’ve also replaced our pod bulbs with the Hella H4 +30 bulbs, the ones that draw the same current as stock but are supposed to be 30% brighter. I’m also going to disconnect my auxiliary driving lights for the season, maybe for good. They really don’t add much light and they’re obviously taxing the system. I won’t know how all this works out until we ride next weekend.

SWAC, you can use that part # to order the hand guards, you don’t need the catalog to get them.

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FloodRunner, on the Wisconsin River

 

I too run a 100 W pod headlamp but I gave up on having all three (Hi & Lo)lights on at the same time. The improvement with all three on was not significant. The altinator on a 98 SP puts out 200 W so with the Hi beam "on" there is only 100 W left for everything else. I find running my Hi beam along with my "Hot Grips & Thumb warmer" all works well. Keep in mind you need to have surplus power to keep the battery charged so you shouldn't tax your alternator to its limit.
Dave Formstone
98 Sportsman EBS

 

Floodrunner - what is the process of rewiring the headlights so that all three come on when you are on "HI"? Thanks! Jack