i cant diside if i want the rubicon or a sportsman 500ho. i know the polaris has the independent suspention that i like but i dont think i want that heavy of a machine and dont know it the belt gets wet easy.

 

I hear that the SP600 will be nice?

 

I'm tired of heavy 4x4s too! My 500i is a slug because of its weight. The Honda is very light and powerfull because it is so light. The SP500 has more power, has a nicer ride, more clearance and a better overall quad but it weighs alot too. Plus the SP500 should be cheaper than the Honda Rubicon. I don't like belt driven quads so I would have to choose Honda over the Polaris.

 

Id certainly take a look at the new Honda 650cc 4x4 IRS Rincon if I were you.I had a 99 Sportsman and a 2000 Xplorer.Both ATVs were a BLAST to ride and were excellant mudders,HOWEVER,both ATVs were a piece of shi?Allways back in the shop for something.Because of my bad experiences and the continued reliability problems that come with owning a Polaris,I advise you to look hard at this new Honda Rincon.

Bill

 

I need a new nickname. All my friends own Polaris's and I own a Honda. They give me grief over the things I post in here, Oh well.

I understand the difference in weight. Our Rancher feels sportier than our Rubicon does, and it only weighs like 60 pounds less. A polaris feels very "tall" to sit on, a high center a gravity maybe. I don't like the throttle responce of a belt trans. The new Outlander 400 is as fast as a 500 HO and only weighs 600 pounds. It has a totally different style of frame and rear suspension, and I don't read about Bombardier's having many problems.

From what I have seen and read, If I did not buy a Rubicon, which is in my opinion the best ATV ever built, I would look real hard at the Bombardier Outlander 400 or the new Yamaha Kodiak 450. I think these are two tought to beat ATV's. If I was going for a big bore, it would be the Rincon first, Prarie or Grizzly second and third, Quest forth, and would quit looking after that.

When ATV Magazine did the original Big Bore "Shiftless Shootout," March 2001, they gave the 500 HO the pick for the "sportiest" and the Rubicon was the "best all around working machine".

Accelleration 0-20 mph 500 HO 1.87 sec, Rubicon 1.90 sec. 0-30 mph 500 HO 3.43 sec, Rubicon 3.58 sec,. The Rubicon was in D1. They are quicker in the ESP mode and you shifting.

Buy a Red Rubicon and be happy.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I have a Polaris for 2 years now ( first quad I ever owned)and have not had any problems. Only been in the shop once because of dealer installing wrong jet and not plugging the headlight in, and connecting some other things up. I have buried it, in mud and water, just over the top of the belt cover housing. I was in their for about 35 minutes until I drove my jeep back there to pull it out. I took it home and cleaned it up and took the belt cover off and it was bone dry, nothing in it other than a little belt dust. Maybe I got a good one or I really take care of it, i don't know, but I would not hesitate to buy another polaris product. That is my .02 cents.

 

<< Maybe I got a good one or I really take care of it >>



How a rider takes care of his/her machine is the strongest determining factor of how reliable it is.

 

The biggest factor determining reliability is the quality of the bike....some brands require more maintenance than others....you can say that maintenance is part of it if you want, but some brands need little or no maintenance and just keep going and going, while others need babying after just about every ride...and no matter how much maintenance you perform, some brands will last longer than others (on average)...some brands of motors are just built better and more reliable than others....that has nothing to do with how you take care of it......that's my opinion.

 

from past experiences with honda and polaris there are pros and cons on both
pros for polaris are plastic racks, ride and the 4x4 system and switchable two wheel drive feature and price... the cons ,very high maintenance and synthetic oil is very expensive,a lot of squeaks rattle and roll, reliability issues are still there.
pros for honda are very very very reliable low maintenance good quality machines
cons..metal racks, lousy ride ,very expensive,and limited slip front ends and some models dont have switchable two wheel drive features anyway thats my two cents worth have a good day

 

hudonl
i agree with you 100%....the ONLY reason i buy honda is for the reliability....it's performance doesn't compare to Polaris...if Polaris had the reliability of a Honda I would be on one tomorrow...it's smooth ride and 4-wheel drive system are far superior to Honda's.