I have been researching all brands of atv's and have narrowed it down to three. The 01' ATC 500 manual, 01' Honda Rubicon, and the 01' Sportsman 500HO. What is your opinion, and for what reasons do you think so? What are the high/low points of these and what are the most common problems associated with each (if any)? Thanks!!

 

KingofFrance, Thought you'd had better response asking for advice. Check out my post under Bombardier/Traxster evaluation. Maybe another quad to consider?

 

My personal choice would be the Sportsman Ho.
Reasons?

1.IRS
2.Liquid cooled,[not sure if AC is liquid cooled]
3.Best AWD system on todays market,actual 4 wheel spin insted of 3 when AWD is activated.
4.Best casual trail riding quad currently on todays market.
5.Higher ground clearance
6.Bigger,more plusher seat
7.Quicker than either the Ruby or AC
8.5 1/4 fuel tank,you can go a LONG way before refueling
9.Switchable 2wd-4wd
10.Disk brakes

Down sides of the Sportsman?

1.Dry weight is 697lbs.To some ,this is no problem,others,it can hamper them in tight situations.
2.Maintenance?Alot of grease fittings to grease,however,I'd rather grease today than to pay tommorrow for dry bearings.


Now this is MY choice and reasons,others may like another choice,
Best of luck,Bill

 

Sportsman HO
Pros
More power
More ground clearance
IRS (better in some situation)
switchable 2wd to 4wd

Cons
Reliability
One hand braking, Front & Rear are tied together
Heavy (almost 700 pounds)
Belt drive (belts slip & break)


Rubicon
Pros
Best transmission on market
Great digital dash

Cons
price


I am partial to Hondas, the best thing to do is ride as many as possible. Go to a local riding area & observe what people are riding & ask them for their opinion. If you ask your dealer his opinion everything he sales is great with no problems. I personnaly didn't like the Sportsman because of the way the handle bars were set up. To some people this isn't an issue.

The most important factor is HOW it fits you!

 

Thanks, for your help. I have arranged for the AC and Polaris dealers to both bring one machine to a testing site. I will keep you posted on what I eventually get.