have always been a die hard honda fan and have owned many of their vehicles over the years. My most recent purchase was an 04 400 at. i am normally very traditional and prefer the basic tried and true models. Well i fell for the bells and whistles of the 400 at and its a great bike but i work my atvs hard from time to time amd this is the wrong model. I take excellent care of the machine becasue i expect it to last for years without any problems just like all my previous hondas. i have had none of the problems that other typical 400at owners have and am grateful.

after realizing this bike was to fancy for me and that i needed more grunt, i have been wanting to get rid of it and purchase a foreman 500 s 4x4 once the new models are released.

a friend is in love with the bike and has been trying to work a deal out for quite some time but we havent figured anything out yet.

today he comes at me with a proposition..
his dad wants to trade his 04 popo 700 camo for my bike...
the bike is in great shape and has less than 30 hrs on it.
this stopped me dead in my tracks, personally i would never buy a polaris b/c of what ive seen, heard, and dislike several things about the quads...

with that said, im also not stupid. i know this bike is 300cc bigger and has irs, locker, and storage. Not mentioning is worth more money right now.

my question to those of you who would never consider buying a popo or consider durability and reliability the most important factors in a atv, put yourself in my shoes and tell me what would you do? is the popo worth it or am i gonna miss my honda dearly?

sorry so long... oh yea i could always sell it if i dont like it later on. but will i like it?

 

i Might be perfect for you in this situation, since i have a Rancher, and an '04 SP 700. I am in your same shoes. Im trying to sell my Rancher to get a 500 Foreman S, or Rubicon. But annnnnywho. I would definatly take that SP. ESPecially if its Camo. It will be worth a bundle. Polaris's are just fun to ride, with their superior comfort, great 4wd system. And no offense, it will make your 400 AT seem like a babys toy. And if you dont want it, after you get it. You will be able to sell it for alot more than your AT. Polaris's reliability issues used to be a big factor, but Po Po is doing a good job with their machines (except 800, so ive heard) and i havnt had a problem with mine yet (i've abused it hard). So, yes, take it. Make sure its in atleast decent condition too.
Good Luck.
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2004 Polaris Sportsman 700
27' ITP 589 M/S Tires
3000 lb. Warn Winch
High Performance Dayco Belt

2001 Honda Rancher ES (2wd)
2.5 Warn Winch

 

i would most likely be installing 27' claws on the bike, will i have any drivetrain issues? also what type of maintainance is involved with its belt? will they belt last with extensive use pulling a trailer or heavily loaded?

 

The factory belt was fine for us, but very sluggish in high, for pulling and such, you'll have to use Low for everything (which isint a big deal). Thats why i got a High Performance Dayco Belt. If fixed the whole problem, and they're cheap. I Maintainance mine every 4 months.
My 589's rub every once in a while, when i hit a bump really hard going fast, but nothing terrible. Aftermarket wheels would be a good idea, thats why im going to end up getting. Good Luck.
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2004 Polaris Sportsman 700
27' ITP 589 M/S Tires
3000 lb. Warn Winch
High Performance Dayco Belt

2001 Honda Rancher ES (2wd)
2.5 Warn Winch

 

Even with the 589's i've had my SP700 up to 65 MPH, and bone stock, up to 70, so even with their weight, they'll fly.
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2004 Polaris Sportsman 700
27' ITP 589 M/S Tires
3000 lb. Warn Winch
High Performance Dayco Belt

2001 Honda Rancher ES (2wd)
2.5 Warn Winch

 

yeah but the thing you have to remember about going that fast is that that is alot of weight to be going that fast and you really don't have that much protection on you, one very easy way to get killed, so just be carefull.

 

Only one 700 for the AT???

 

Hondarules, yea i get you, i am careful. And ive ridden on these same trails my whole life, so there are no surprises.
Only 1 SP700 for the AT? ... LoL
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2004 Polaris Sportsman 700
27' ITP 589 M/S Tires
3000 lb. Warn Winch
High Performance Dayco Belt

2001 Honda Rancher ES (2wd)
2.5 Warn Winch

 

Nike or JJonJon can yall post some picturesof your Ranchers?

 

Trade it and sell it if you can get more for it than you can for the 400. I wouldn't keep it though. I pulled one of those out of the woods the other day. The belt messed up going up a hill.
If you do keep it get a spare belt and the tools to put it on and make sure you know how to do it. It could be a long walk back to the truck..... or even worse a long tow from a honda[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]