Trying to decide btwn. Polaris Sportsman 500 vs Honda Foreman ES.
'03 Honda Rancher Foreman ES 433cc $6145

'04 Polaris Sportsman 500 $6740

powerlines and work around the house (have 15 acres) hauling etc.

I am about 185 pounds?

looking at these two because they are sold local.....

any ideas or suggertions????? PLEASE HELP.......

 

Am I mistaken here or is the 03 Honda Rancher not a 350 (329 cc). Are you referring to the Foreman 450?

 

Where do you ride? What are the trails like? You cannot beat the comfort of the Sportsman. The IRS will offer a much better ride than the straight axle. It also has more power, a bigger towing capacity, more clearance, better stock tires, the ability to turn off 4 wheel drive, or have it on when needed. It is very reliable. the belt system is proven to work. We've got three of them. Over 8000 miles on them in the last 14 months with no problems other than a couple of torn cv boots. Maintain them properly, and they will last you. I wouldn't recommend any other. Go into the Polaris forum, there are plenty of columns written on this subject.

Scott

 

I screwed up!

I am looking at the Foreman ES 433cc

Not sure why I wrote rancher...???

I dont know much about ATV's....city-boy became doctor and moved to the mountains of vermont

Patients I talk to say riding is muddy powerlines and rocky.....

should I look at any other makes. People around here say get what feels comfortable, but everything is new to me.

Thanks

 

Of the two you mention, the Polaris will outperform the Honda in just about every situation. Except reliability. The Honda 450 is a great dependable workhorse. Polaris is a much more comfortable machine to ride. My opinion.

 

a buddy of mine owns a 450s, i own a 500 sportsman. we have owned them for close to 4 years. he now admits to me that his next quad will be one of the sportsman models. the 450 is a great quad, but there's just no comparison between the two. he just can't stand the fact that his quad cannot do what mine does. he hates getting pushed out of mudholes, pulled back to camp when his tank goes empty, staying at the bottom of a wicked hillclimb cause his quad won't make it,etc......... i think that he's (steve) just tired of setting on the sidelines! dependability 101. my quad has 2400 miles & i have replaced 3 belts. they cost $25 at my dealership & take about 30 min. to replace. some people have better luck than i do with belts. after i bought the quad i noticed that a bushing was cracked in the front a arm, it was under warranty & replaced free. thats it! steve's 450 has 1200 mi. & has had to replace the front grill cause his brakes got wet & he ran into the tube bumper of my quad. other than that, a battery & just the usuall stuff like oil changes. his quad is very cold blooded. it takes a while to get it started & will not idle until riden or reved to get it warm. buy the sportsman!

 

For a working quad I would look at the rubicon.You get a real automatic transmission (not belt drive)and it rides and handles better than the 450.It is also over 100lbs lighter than the sportsman.

 

The Polaris is a great ride with lots of suspension BUT the downside is they are not reliable. I had 2 of them and kept thinking that I had just gotten a couple of lemons but most everyone that had one was having lots of problems. There is no perfect atv out yet but Polaris still has a long way to go. It got to the point where I wouldn't go riding unless I had a friend on a Honda come with me, I was afraid of breaking down.

 

I recently bought a polaris sportsman 500 so far it has been great lots of power fairly quiet and a very comfortable ride. My uncle ownes a foreman that I got to drive. I would go with the sportsman because of more power and a lot more comfortable ride. Before I bought my polaris I was asking everyone and they all said polaris was the way to go. Not a single person said they weren't reliable. I say go for the polaris. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Go with the Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O. Has a little better clearance and a Smoother ride. Also dont get a '04 Sportsman, those things are freakin ugly lookin. All boxy lookin and everything. I mean the Speedometer looks a little cooler but thats about it. The '03 models look so much smoother and sleek. Also you can get a 03 model which is the exact same as a 04 model for cheaper.