Sorry for english typos. French is my mother tongue.

I am looking to buy a ATV but I dont know all the terms. I am not a grease monkey. I can do sall stuff on cars: brakes, oil, change tires and thats about it..

I want the ATV for riding and for deere/moose hunting. My moose hunting spot is quite difficut to access. The trail was made by us, chopping trees in mountains, crossing small creeks etc.. Its easily 2 miles long and very rough for a sxs. I have no problems getting there with my friends ATV (honda 500 2002).

I have checked some models and it seems to me a Polaris 570 would do the job. But I read bad stories on reddit about the belt. (No even sure what its used for).

I also need to have some protection underneath, some steel plate or somethig smilar because the trail have rocks and stumps. I sometimes hit them with the honda. I believe a Polaris would do the job because they were usually higher than other brands back in 95. (My dad had a Polaris 350)

I had an offer from a friend. He is selling is Polaris 570 2003 to me for about 800$ CAD(630$ USD). But the bike needs a lot of love.. At the moment its a 3X4, There is a cracking noise when you go reverse and gots other small problems like the crank (you know the handle and rope to start it manually) is apparently broken. I figured I would probbly had to throw around 1000$ to get it in order. I can have the repairs done for free by another friend... Like I said I suck at mechanics. I work with computers.

There is also the option of getting one on kijiji or a similar site, but its more expansive. I have about 2000$ USD to throw in for now.

My thought is to probably get the 570 for now, go through hunting season, and buy someting much better next year... Like a 700 or 800 and go ride with the GF.

The only work the ATV would do is to take a moose out of the woods if I catch one, and thats if my two hunting partners are not available with their SxS.. I would not go riding very far with the GF with this bike.

 

If you don't have troubles getting there on a 2002 Honda you won't have problems reaching that area with the Polaris that has full 4 wheel drive and much better ground clearance. Some of the Polaris machines have a steel plate welded to the frame right from the factory. I never needed skid plates on my 2006 Sportsman X2 that I used to have. Not sure on the 570.

The 2003 Polaris is probably a 500 cc engine, not a 570. The 570 was introduced a few years ago. The newer 570 has a good deal more hp and torque.

Look for a used Polaris Sportsman X2. It has a dump bed that can hold 400 lbs. And, that dump bed converts to a passenger seat in about 10 seconds. I miss mine but it was underpowered for some of the higher speed trail riding. You might be able to get one for that amount of money but I honestly kind of doubt it. I'm not sure you'll find a really good quad for that much money that doesn't need wrenching.

 

The belt is for the cvt drive system for the transmission. Yes, it is powered by a rubber belt but they usually last for thousands of miles before they need replaced and an oem belt is usually $100 or less and about one hour of labor. I think you can find a quad in better shape for the $2000 you have to spend. There are tons of used sportsman 500 quads out there because it was basically the most popular 4x4 utility quad ever built. I assume since you mention Canadian dollars and speak French that you live in Canada and it seems used quads cost more than down here in the U.S. Here's an example of an inexpensive one local to me for a good price that needs minor work 02 polaris sportsman 500 ho.

 

Must be a 500 Sportsman if it's a 2003. The 570 First came out in in 2014. If it's in 3x4 you have a problem with one of your locking front hubs .

Polaris stock under plates work great and should be more then enough and the ground clearance vs your Honda , you would be lucky if it hits any rocks.

Here is a pic of a 3003 500 next to a 570 2003 Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O. ATVs is that what the ATV looks like?

Your from Canada also, the belt is the same set up as snowmobiles. Just think of it as a ski-doo with wheels.

Here is a pic of the stock skid plates on a 500 sportsman , they do not need aftermarket help.

 

If $2,000 is your budget, shop around and find the best one, regardless of brand. Yamaha, Kawasaki, Arctic Cat, Suzuki and Can Am all make good machines. I bought my 2002 Arctic Cat 400 for $1,400. Was in great shape, has a winch and skidplates, manual transmission. Only reason, I left out Honda, they always seem over priced and underpowered.