feara400 ask's Design Engineer,can you give me any positive info on a Polaris that a Japanese manufacturer has'nt made better?Polaris have more options on their quads than any of the Japanese manufacturers' quads.If the Japanese manufacturers dont have the options on their quad,how can they make it better?Each manufacture has there own differances in design of their quads.You obviously give poor examples of Polaris short comings.Getting wet in only a few inches of water and the belt slipping?The AWD switch not working when wet?All the above is normal hog wash from a Japanese quad owner.If you must post of Polaris shortcomings,at least have some truth to your stories.The Japanese manufacturers make some excellant quads,but they are not without fault either.====BILL

------------------


[This message has been edited by atvbbs (edited 01-04-2000).]

 

Bill, What options does Polaris have that the Japanese ATVs don't? Is it their one-lever braking that gives the most thrilling downhill ride ever? Or has a Polaris ever won (or even finished) a GNCC? The reason I am so anti-Polaris is simple. Whenever we go riding, we either have to wait for or repair the Polarises. They do not handle as well as other 4-wd (top-heavy and difficult steering). They WILL start slipping if taken into water which will lead to eventual belt breaking. And they will start giving you shifting problems. These are the facts. Would you like the names of the owners of these machines that I ride with so they can testify about the many shortcomings of Polaris ATVS? Here is a small list of owners and problems:
Rob Blake '00 Scrambler 500 Overheats cont.
Tom Craig '99 Magnum Shift linkage
" " 2wd/4wd button
" " Reverse quit
" " Clutch slipping
Norm Underwood '98 Scrambler 400 Brakes
Troy Ericson '98 Sportsman Multi. belt breaks
These are just the guys I know. These are also the only guys that I ride w/ that own Polarises. That is a 100% failure rate in my book. Don't get me wrong, all ATVs have something about them. It just seems that Polarises have problems more frequently.

------------------
a Fast Boy from Illinois -(FBI)- Riding a 2000 Honda 400EX



[This message has been edited by atvbbs (edited 01-05-2000).]

 

Well to start with,who else has the AWD system that Polaris has?Who else has the ground clearance?Who was the one that come out with the Auto trans first?Who else gives the same suspension travel on a utility quad?Independent suspension?As for the single lever brakes,you dont have two brake pedals in your 4x4 truck,why have two on your quad?The single lever has never been a problem with me.What about the 450es Honda's battery problem?My brother John just paid 400 dollars for rear bearings and labor on his King Quad,brakes are junk to.How about the Grizz's continued problems with overheating?I can go on and on,but I think you get my point.I do agree with you that in here I hear more people complaining about Polaris problems,but I personally know to many Polaris riders that are totally satisfied with their purchases.The problems with Polaris do exist,but they do with other quads to.I did happen to purchase a 99 Sportsman that has had alot of problems,I hope that all is ok now,but that does'nt erase the fact that there are alot of happy owners to.I think maybe im feeling that you feel only Polaris quads have problems,we both know thats not true.I think that today,most quads are of high quality.====BILL

------------------

 

400, I have had Polaris quads for 10 years. I have had no trouble with water in the belt, except one time that I sorta sunk it. The back wheels float, but not the front. Ha Ha. I have had to adjust shift linkage before, I have had 1 switch fail before, I did not think that these little problems amounted to anything, I still don't. If your machine (whatever it is) does not do any of these things, then I am happy for you. I will just say one thing about my Polaris machines, I have NEVER had to walk home because of my machine letting me down. I ride alone about 95% of the time, so this would be a problem. I am to old and Fat to walk to far. I love my machine, and would by anothewr one in a heart-beat. Later, Dave

 

Bill, Polaris is credited for all those features by how many quads they sell. That's why they're number 2 in sales now. I think the majority of the Honda buyers buy Honda's because of good features and most importantly, reliability. But about that Honda 450 battery drainage problem, at least Honda knows about it and fixed it with the recall instead of not caring about the customers and letting them deal with it or buying the replacement parts themselves. Polaris problems are different. They don't seem to have a pattern of what will break or weak spots (except maybe tie rods). So you can't recall something that only happened to a few people, get my point? Enough said.

 

Hey bill, why didnt your brother replace his own bearings?? I have done it a couple times, once to a farmer i know and once to my old quad, plus a few others. If you need your bearings replaced just give me a call!! haha, thanks



------------------
RangerSX 1987 Honda 250X(completely stock)

 

Bill wrote... "Well to start with, who else has the AWD system that Polaris has?"

Bill, I may be wrong, but it seems to me that you are talking about Polaris in general, but using only the Sportsman 500 for your example, so that's how I'll try to respond. Please bear with me.

The Polaris AWD system is a standard feature on the Sportsman 500, not an option. Polaris doesn't offer a true 4WD system, and the others don't offer an AWD system. Each system has its advantages and disadvantages, and different people will have different preferences. You seem to consider the Polaris AWD system as some kind of "bonus feature" the other brands don't enjoy, while I consider it a drawback that Polaris owners have to tolerate. But either way, it's certainly not a feature envied by all.

"Who else has the ground clearance?"

In the first place, while Polaris loves to boast about the huge ground clearance of the Sportsman 500 in their ads, aren't you even a little disappointed that they never get around to telling their prospective buyers that the "impressive" ground clearance figure only exists while there is no rider or cargo on board? For every pound the Sportsman carries, the lower it sits and the less ground clearance it has. When you put 300+ lbs. of rider and gear onto a Sportsman 500, you often have little or no more ground clearance than some other 4x4's with similar size tires and load.

Secondly, the ground clearance figure used in Polaris Sportsman 500 advertising is taken near the centerline underneath, and represents one of the higher locations, not the actual "minimum ground clearance". You can call it whatever you like, but I call it "lying". This is not a Polaris peculiar sin, however, as Suzuki does the same thing.

Thirdly, who says having the most ground clearance is anything to boast about anyway? Like many other "features", it's great when you need it, but it works against you when you don't need it. It hurts handling at spirited speeds, and it makes the vehicle more tippy and less stable.

Finally, not all Polaris AWD models have such great ground clearance anyway.

"Who was the one that came out with the auto trans first?"

You've been involved in this discussion before, and you know very well that Honda used a belt-drive tranny before Polaris did, and even Honda wasn't the first to use it.

"Who else gives the same suspension travel on a utility quad?"

There are a number of non-Polaris quads with more wheel travel than some Polaris models. But here again, who says more is always better? Long wheel travel works FOR you in some cases, and AGAINST you in other cases.

"Independent suspension?

You used your brother's King Quad as an example of other brands having failures. Are you not aware that the King Quad had independent rear suspension before the Sportsman 500? And like a broken record, we come back to the same question over and over... who says IRS is better? On a narrow and high-centered vehicle like an ATV, I hate independent rear suspension, especially when coupled with long wheel travel.

"As for the single lever brakes, you dont have two brake pedals in your 4x4 truck, why have two on your quad? The single lever has never been a problem with me."

First of all, your analogy with a 4x4 truck is ridiculous. A true 4x4 system doesn't NEED dual brake pedals, so what has this to do with a Polaris AWD system which DOES need it? Secondly, did you not say some time ago that you wished your Sportsman had dual brake levers? Finally, if you don't ride steep hills, you probably don't need the extra safety offered by dual brake levers. If you've never experienced the infamous "Polaris Downhill Problem" (but I believe you have), then you aren't riding hills as steep as you might with a safer design. I certainly wouldn't!

"What about the 450ES Honda's battery problem?"

It's true. Some Honda 450ES's did have this shortcoming. But can you name another? Did your Sportsman 500 have just one problem? And did Polaris send you a letter telling you how to go about getting your probelm(s) fixed at no charge? When many 1997 Sportsman 500's were found to have a defective rear brake, Polaris offered to SELL their customers an upgrade kit to fix the problem. In your opinion, has Honda handled their problem better or worse than Polaris did?

"My brother John just paid 400 dollars for rear bearings and labor on his King Quad, brakes are junk too."

Is this a complaint against Suzuki, or the dealer who overcharged him for the parts and labor? How much did Polaris and/or the dealer ask from you to fix your Sportsman 500 problems? My local dealer charges $45.00 for labor alone, so with parts included, it wouldn't take long to reach $400.

"How about the Grizz's continued problems with overheating?

I won't argue with you there. I'm not impressed by the Grizzly either.

"I can go on and on, but I think you get my point. I do agree with you that in here I hear more people complaining about Polaris problems, but I personally know too many Polaris riders that are totally satisfied with their purchases."

No arguement there. I have a number of friends who ride Polaris quads, and most of them are more than satisfied. Some are on their third Polaris, and they love 'em! I've ridden many many miles with Polaris riders, and the great majority ride problem free.

"The problems with Polaris do exist, but they (exist) with other quads too."

No argument there. I feel that Polaris has more than their share of problems, and I remain convinced that they are the least reliable of the major brands. But no brand is 100% reliable, 100% of the time. I bought a brand new 1998 Suzuki 500, and within six months I hated it, mostly because of its evil handling (to me, even SEMI IRS sucks!), but partially because of its nickle 'n dime parts failures.

"I did happen to purchase a 99 Sportsman that has had a lot of problems. I hope that all is okay now..."

No new quad buyer should have to go through what you did. In one way, I can't understand your loyalty to such a company, but in another way, I admire you for your patience and optimism. I hope your current ride is problem free for many years to come. You've already had more than your share of frustration. Maybe I should have tried to make Suzuki cough up a satisfactory solution to my problems with the 500, but I was so sick and tired of it, I was only too happy to get rid of the damn thing!

"I think that today, most quads are of high quality. BILL"

That's a a very relative statement. Quality is usually referenced to something else in a comparative manner. A 2000 model Polaris Sportsman 500 may be of enormously better quality than a 1997 Sportsman 500, but I don't believe it's anywhere near the overall quality of a modern Honda, even Hondas built five or six years ago. Quality and reliability are almost trademarks with Honda's utility quads, and appear to be Honda's highest priority. Honda owners sometimes have to "pay" for this reliability by accepting fewer features and less horsepower, however, so owning a Honda is not necessarily the best choice for everyone. I certainly wasn't a Honda fan when I started riding ATV's, but since high reliability and low maintenance ARE such high priorities with me, I gradually became a Honda fan. Quality and reliability was still a major consideration when I bought a new dirt bike several months ago. I've had about 35 motorcycles over the last 32 years, most being dirt bikes, and this was my first-ever Honda (an XR400R trail bike). Now I'm thinking about adding a 250cc two-stroke racing bike to my toy box, and one of the two bikes I'm considering is the aluminum-framed Honda CR250.

I'm not fond of Polaris ATV's, due to numerous "features" that I dislike, as well as their reputation for unreliability. But I'm not particularly fond of Yamahas, Suzukis, or Arctic Cats (basically Suzukis), either. Some Hondas and Kawasakis bore me as well. Frankly, I think Honda's ES (Electric Shift) concept is totally ridiculous... and I bought one! But just like different brands, different features, and different colors, I think it's great that we have so many choices.

There's one thing I really like about Polaris, though... just as much as any other brand: They satisfy and please most of their owners, providing many hours of fun. And that alone makes them more than worthwhile! I've been involved with a lot of different hobbies and pasttimes, but I've enjoyed none so much as trail riding with friends having similar capabilities. I love it!

There is one quad (a specific model, not a brand) offered today that I absolutely cannot stand, and one that I'll usually do my best to avoid having to ride with... and it ISN'T a Polaris!

Happy New Year, Bill. I hope the new year brings you so much off-road fun and success that you'll come to forget your frustrations of 1999.

Gordon Banks
Huntsville, AL

 

The way Bill & Gordon have their "points" written one would believe Polaris did have the auto tranny first. Yes it's true the Oddesey was around as an auto ATV first, but it just says "first auto". That would be Polaris who had them in sleds a long time before the Oddesey

------------------
Andrew Thomas

'99 Scrambler 400 & '99 Trailblazer, both with RCR mods.

 

Rooster,thank you for reminding me that Honda did indeed make a recall for the battery problem instead of making the Honda customers figure a fix for themselves.Your right,Polaris has known for yrs of the tie-rod problems with their quads.Who pays for repair?We do.Good point.Gordon,on the AWD system and single lever brake systems?Well first off,I've never said that I'd prefer dual brake lever over single lever.I have never been in a situation where the single lever has ever been a problem for me,and I've road some pretty steep hills before.I wish the Sportsman were lighter though.The AWD system?Im not calling you a lier.I'd like to ride someday with someone who could show me the dis-advantage of the AWD system over the others.Thus far,it has not happened.I have alot of respect for your opionions,thats why I'd love to have the chance to see the dis-advantages first hand.Perhaps your right,maybe I have'nt been in some of the worst terrain situations.My Sportsman?Polaris paid for about half the bill which amounted to 400 dollars on my behalf.My loyalty comes down to the things that I like on a quad.Nobody else offers the AWD system,which im personally very happy with.The suspension on the Sportsman is also unmatched in it's superior ride over casual trails,Switchable 2wd-4wd,Snow plowing ability is great,so are the disk brakes and liquid cooling.I'd prefer not to say im loyal to Polaris,im loyal to[ME] the things that I like in a quad,and so far no other manufacture has all the options I personally find satisfying to me.Honda is getting very close with the Rubicon,but im not sure yet if im willing to part with the AWD system on the Polaris or the disk brakes.I could live with the full time 4x4 though.Your also correct when you say that what one rider finds an advantage,to someone else's riding style,it could be a drawback.Thanks for the response and have a SUPER day.=====BILL

------------------

 

Well you can't go wrong with Honda, basic but very reliable.
If you want a whole pkg, the Grizzly has the 2 to 4 option that is great and a really good suspension with automatic and the biggest engine. The rubicon will be nice but still misses the 2 to 4 option and seems really technical.
You can't go wrong with Honda and Yamaha, the rest start to decrease from then on.