I can't see there has been any difference in reliability than any other ATV's I have owned or my buddy's ride which covers everything except for Arctic Cat and Can-Am. What I have noticed is the plastic or thin tin that other maker's shark of as skid plates. It's like the other brands don't honestly expect their quads to be taken off road. I have had two problems with the Sportsman (I have 1400miles on it). First was a bolt on the swing arm that came lose. Cost me $60 to fix. Second was a torn CV boot that cost $130 to fix. The torn boot can happen to any independent suspension ATV and when looking at the tare, I don't know how a stick was even able to get in there...guess it had my name that day. Engine problems have been nil. If they were that bad Polaris would not have sold more auto ATV's than all the other brands put together.

The Sportsman is built like a tank when comparing it with my other ATV's but honestly the weight is not noticeable. I was surprised at how light it feels compared to its weight. I'll take my Sportsman into rock gardens where I would not take my Kiwi and most of my buddies set there and watch. There are Polaris haters out there that claim they are crap but in 10years of hard ridding I don't see it.

 

I would take a close look at the Yamaha Grizzly 550. Nice machine in your price range.

 

Okay, so now after researching and test riding some, I have come up with different options.... Now looking at either 08 AC 700 EFI, or for same money leftover 07 Kawi BF750i. I know the BF is carbureted rather than EFI, and that is one of my major concerns, not knowing how big a deal it really is considering that a few years back none were EFI. I like the ride on both (although completely different). I like the fact that the BF has backup recoil starting ability, in case the battery goes south while out in the field.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. I have my current bike (04 Honda 400EX) all cleaned up an dready to put up for sale, so plan to pull the trigger soon. (If any are interested in the 400EX pm me for info and pics) Thanks.

 

You know how many carburated Machines Kawaski has made of everything over the past 50 years, I think they have any carburated problems well worked out.

But I do like the AC massive 6.5 gal gas tanks and with EFI I bet it gets 150miles on a tank and its a year newer. Tuff call good luck.

 

My only concern with the carb is changes in altitude and how it will affect performance, etc. I do definitely like the larger gas tank and EFI on the Cat. However, me being a believer in Murphy's law makes me really like the idea of the recoil starter for backup, just in case... which takes me back to the Kawi, and still the possibility of the SP500, which I really did like the ride and feeling of. TOO MANY CHOICES[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

What variance in altitude are you ridding at? I live at 5500ft above sea level. Most of my rides range from 3500ft to 7500ft. Once I go over about 6000ft the ATV's begin to run noticeably rich. In that case I pull the air box lid off and throw it in the rack pack which fixes the problem. There is a device I put on the 400 scrambler called a Dial-a-Jet which basically is equivalent to an out side jet for a carb. Turn the Dial to richen or lean out the fuel mixture without having to pull the carb and rejet it for higher altitudes. The kit cost me about $60 and worked very well. Some guy's can get away with drilling holes in the air lid box and installing a flap mechanism (don't remember who the maker was) that you open and close as you need more air flow. If I go down to the desert I just keep the air lid on.

I will say the Kawi 700 seams to be less temperamental about altitude than my Polaris but it sure is hard to beat the independent suspension, soft ride and storage capacity. Something else to consider is the i will not handle the same in bad ridding conditions...most of the time it is better but it will also want to tip over easier in some conditions. There is a point in the off canter when the ATV will decide it's too much. Most of the time its when crossing a deep rut, the front will make it but when the back needs to cross and you end up with a rear wheel in the air it will teeter over on the side. Some brands wallow worse when going around a corner at high speeds. Just something to consider when doing your research other wise you should buy whatever you think will meet your needs the best.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Mile High





I will say the Kawi 700 seams to be less temperamental about altitude than my Polaris but it sure is hard to beat the independent suspension, soft ride and storage capacity. <u>Something else to consider is the i will not handle the same in bad ridding conditions...most of the time it is better but it will also want to tip over easier in some conditions. There is a point in the off canter when the ATV will decide it's too much. </u> Most of the time its when crossing a deep rut, the front will make it but when the back needs to cross and you end up with a rear wheel in the air it will teeter over on the side. Some brands wallow worse when going around a corner at high speeds. Just something to consider when doing your research other wise you should buy whatever you think will meet your needs the best.</end quote></div>


Mile High,
Which one are you referring to here? the Polaris or the Kawi? From riding them both, I am guessing the Polaris would be the more stable of the two in rough conditions, at least from what little feeling I could ascertain riding on level parking lots.
Right now, I am trying to decide if I really think I need more power than the SP500, because I really like the ride and some of the other features, and I liked the feel of the SP500 much better than the SP800. Now just have to sell the 400EX and decide. And of course the AC 700 is still in the mix, but I like the idea of the backup recoil starter on the SP500....
Thanks for the replies.

Oh, and elevations could range anywhere from 4000 to 11000ft, so the EFI is very attractive.

 

You can find junk in any brand....... but from strictly a performance POV of all the ones you listed the only one I would consider would be the KQ450.......

I'm not brand biased..... I don't like Polaris but not because I think they are junk..... fact is I know a lot of people with them and they are all mostly reliable. I don't like Polaris because they are so big and wide on the saddle...... but so are all CVT machines because the design by nature makes the center of the machine bulky.....

If you like your 400ex ride and feel, a Polaris is going to feel like a bloated tank..... they are wide and heavy and feel big...... your sport machine has a narrow seat and body and really outside of the KQ 450 and Rancher 420 most Utes are going to feel big an bulky to you......

If I had to buy a Ute (moving from a sport machine) it would be a King Quad or a Rancher.......it would be something without a CVT for sure......

 

Ss97, I went from sports ATV's to my fat Sportsman and liked the feel of my bloated tank[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]...didn't mind the extra width a bit...I suppose it would also depend how tall someone is...but then again after my wife road the Sportsman, she kicked me off and claimed it as hers.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img] For comfort it's the Sportsman all the way. Instead of doing 50miles through the desert/mountains on a sports atv and have aching knees and saddle soars I could do 80 and feel darn good, fill up and do some more.

The Sportsman is about 100lbs heavier than the Brute but it also has more ground clearance and suspension. Like I said before, the extra weight was not noticeable on the Sportsman...until you slide of that 2ft deep rut and she goes over on her side (any ATV will at that point). It's much easier to muscle the Kawasaki around because it's lighter (or install a winch then it doesn't matter so much). My Kawasaki Prairie 700 is strait axle in the back so stability wise on an off canter it is a little less scary. Any independent suspension ATV will take more body language when getting sideways on a hill no matter what the make is. There is also the factor that Kawasaki put the fuel tank under the seat, just like on the Brute which helps keep the center of gravity lower. I really like that feature but even with that I have a friend with a Brute 650i who complains about it wallowing in turns even with the fuel lower. He thinks it sways too much and was disappointed (perhaps a Brute owner on the forum can give a better opinion). I have never ridden the Brute but can see it lacks that big anti-sway arm the Polaris has across the back. When taking a corner at high speed on the Sportsman it is quite stable and stays pretty flat for having such long legs. When I was looking at buying new I considered the Brute but was won over by the Sportsman's storage, a little more suspension, extra ground clearance and better underside protection. I'm not saying the Sportsman is way better because the Brute is a good ATV especially for the price.

As far as altitude: 4000 to 11000ft...I would go with EFI. The next ATV I buy will have EFI. I just road 75 miles through the mountains on Saturday and got 25mpg with the 500. EFI should be better but you won't get that mpg with a big bore. My 700 gets about 17 mpg. Good luck looking.

 

I'll never buy another quad without EFI. My last one had it and I'm hooked for life.
A Sportsman 500 EFI has:

1.5 more horsepower and better gas mileage than a Sp500 with a carb.
Active Decent Control for 4-wheel engine braking standard.
6-ply 26" radial tires instead of 25" bias ply tires.
Available painted finish and cast aluminum rims.

The carb version is the same price it was 12 years ago and most ATVs of any make and model have gone up. The EFI costs $1,000 more but it's well worth it. You can go from 0-12,000 feet and there's no carb to adjust. It starts and runs great no matter what the temperature or elevation is. They both have a $500 rebate until the end of the month. My dealer knocked off a lot more and I got my EFI for the list price of the carb 500.