ok i get you'r point about that but i was thinking
about that to and all i can think how it still ran is that the air under the plastic got caught
and there was enouf air to get it out. because after he got out we checked the air box and had little water in it. I can uderstand why it's so
hard to belive me but it's true.

 

If you just want to trail ride go with the cheaper Rancher.I use my SP for many fishing trips and need the extra size and power for a passenger,loaded racks and pulling a loaded trailer while on some rough Northern Ontario trails.Comparing a Rancher to a Sportsman is like comparing a 6 cylinder Chevy S10 to a V8 powered 3/4 ton pick up truck.

 

I have the 2000 Sportsman 500 it has 500 abused miles on it and still going strong...you do the comparison Sportman is:
water cooled
disc brakes
2 to 4 wheel drive switch
IRS
almost a foot ground clearance
superior lighting system
big seat for riding 2 plushy ride
true 4 wheel drive
the belt slipping thing is bull the only person haveing trouble with this is people who don't own a polaris
some of the draw backs of the sportsman are
feels kinda tippy on steep climbs till you get use to the bike
some owners had trouble with the tie rod ends but are a new design for 2000 models
some owners have had trouble with breaks wearing out but a set of ebc pads will cure this problem
some questions or reliability but as I said 500 hard miles and it is running better than when I bought it new
high maintenance has grease fittings that have to be greased if you think this is a lot of maintenance
one of the fellows said the rancher hasn't had any trouble following the sportsman, the sportsman has larger ground clearance and true 4 wheel drive and riders vary from person to person so you make the call on this one.
The rancher is a superior machine and is cheaper than the sportsman it is a smaller bike and some riders who are smaller generally like the bike do to the large size and weight of the sportsman I don't know much about the big bear don't ride with any but what ranchers I have rode with the owners love the bike. Ride all 3 bikes and see what one you like the best, I don't think you can go wrong with either of the bikes. I have heard on this forum of some of the rancer owners complaining about the torque sensing front end not working right but I really believe that is about like the belt slipping storys of the Polaris good luck with your choice and let us know what you decided on and why...