! have a 2000 foreman es . It has only 200 mi, I bought it new. Ever since day #1
I have had probs shifting. In the cold like ice fishing I wont shift at all beyond 1st unless I use th manual method. I have taken it to the dealer at least 5 time the always say its working fine for them and that if the battery is not "fully" charge it may not shift well??? Prob is if you take it out w/ lights on and use the wench it becomes less than fully charged! I would appreciate any advice. This is the first time I've ever tried a message board. Also whats the best way to keep the battery charged if its stored foe a couple months.
I forgot to mention it DOES shift well when fully charged accept in the real cold. Thanx

 

The best way to keep the battery charged is to keep a "battery tender" on it. There are several different brands but all do about the same thing. They can be kept plugged in on a daily basis. You just attach a plug to the battery and it sticks out from under the seat, when you come in from a ride... just plug it in... and your battery will always be fresh and warm. If your in a really cold invironment all the time you might want to change the grade of oil your using. I dont know what your temp range is, but if your Ice fishing, I assume its cold. You might try running a 5W30 weight oil, if your not already. Also you can use a synthetic oil as long as it doesnt contain moly or teflon additives, as these will damage your clutch.

Also after rereading your post, if you still have the original battery and only have 200 miles on an 8 year old machine, you are probably ready for a new battery. Be sure and buy a Yuasa brand battery, they cost more, but are a much better brand battery, the cheap ones from walmart are cheap for a reason, and it sounds like you are in extremem conditions.

 

Thanx. Can you buy a solar tender? Also can I buy a manual shift laver that bolts on rather than having to get out the one from the glove every time it wont shift?

 

No, they dont offer a bolf on shifter, and doing manual shifting confuses the computer and will cause problems of its own.
Not sure about the solar tenders, I havent researched it, but if you do, look for one that will give at least 1 amp variable.