Well, I didn't get home in time to call, i guess their dealership closes at five and i got home at 6 tonight, ill try again tommorrow

 

Ok I called tonight, here is what he said. A 20 year old "kid" decided he wanted a big quad to ride with his friends who all had banshees. Any way, he had no clue what to buy so he bought this (1999 Polaris Xplorer400) brand new and put on a 2000# warn winch. Anyway he rode it about 400 miles and then flipped it bad and totaled the front end. He replaced everything except for the steering column witch he said was fine but if it bothered me he could go ahead and buy a new one and install it for $50.00. He put another 100 miles on it after the accident. Anyway, he said he would drop the price down to $3400 (from (3900) if I came up and looked at it this weekend. And he said he would give me a killer deal on a 60" Plow, so I am gonna go take a look at it saturday. Do you think that would be a good deal for a 1999 Polaris Explorer 400 4x4 with 500 miles, a recent service, completely new headlights and front end, warn winch, and moose 60" plow- - - - -under $4,000 OUT THE DOOR? Thanks Guys

 

Wish I could help with the pricing, except being from Canada, our pricing structure is very different from the USA. Goodluck

 

I haven't heard any thing good about a Polaris of any kind! Basically polaris machines have great ideas but they don't hold up well. I would go with a kawasaki. I owned a bayou 300 and tortured it and it kept coming back for more, it was a great machine and I never put a dime into it other than gas and an oil change. I now own a 2001 praire 300, bought brand new with a 2000lb warn winch of the showroom floor for $5,000. My point is that a Kawisaki will hold up, the praire is a great bargain, look at the specs for yourself, it has a huge towing capacity, therefore I would say it will definately push some snow for ya(but of course down here we don't have any experience in that category)but I know it will tow! Personally for a few more bucks you could ride a new bike ! Wouldn't that be better than buying a used one? Most of the time people get rid of things for a reason so keep that in mind. I'd go kawi anything before polaris, shoot, down here in Louisiana you can't even trade a polaris in to a dealer....they just don't want them! So there you go.....

 

But then again Kawasaki has the front anti-slip front differential or whatever. It is basically a 3x4. I am going to need all 4 wheels spinning to push some of the snows we get. And also through mud? Anyway, have you ever ridden a polaris or is this just talk because you do bring up some interesting points.

 

derekhonda
You have the chance to try an Xplorer. So go and try it. After you do, I would like to here your comments. As for reliability, the newer Polaris including the Xplorer 99, are just as reliable as any Kawasaki and if any other Xplorer owners read this I'm sure they will agree. The Xplorer has been around for a long time (early 90's as the 350L, 94 400L, 95 Xplorer)and polaris has refined this quad over the years and has made it as reliable and bulletproof as anyone else out there. Polaris has been unfortunatly riding on a bad reliabily reputation from their earlier products and deserved it back then, but not today. There is a reason that Polaris is very close to honda for overall sales and if you don't try one you will never know why.

 

Derek, you're not asking the right questions. You're asking what people think of these quads and you really mean, I think, what's reliable. You already own a four stroker. What do you know about two stroke engines? They are very different animals. If you don't know much about them you'd better learn fast. It's the difference between the cost of standard replacement parts vs cost of repair parts when you don't know how to diagnose the problem. Be careful...
Chuck, Suzuki KQ 300, GPS & lunch...

 

Well ecornman, you are kind of right, I definately need something reliable. I know there isn't anything as reliable as a good ol' 4-stroke, but I havn't been able to find a big 4x4 fourstroke in my price range. The only other thing I would consider would be a Kawasaki Prairie. But that really is a 3x4 (front differential) and I need all 4 rotating to push some of the snow we get.
Also, sometimes when we go riding around the house (I live in the city and have a route out to the country) we have to cross this ditch and it would be nice to have a 4x4 then, and also to reel us back in when we don't quite make it. I consider myself to be getting a pretty good deal for a "semi" low miled quad with a warn winch and a brand new plow, for under $3700 (+tax) and sense the only other thing I have seen run acrosed auto-rv (indianas version of a magazine that sells vehicles) is a 1997 Kawasaki Prairie with nothing added on for about the same price. (3600 to be exact) So as for the money, this is the best deal, now as for reliability, ill just have to hope for the best.........

 

Like I said, you'd better learn about two stroke engines fast... Good luck.
Chuck, Suzuki KQ 300, GPS & lunch...

 

A Polaris 2-stroke on an Xplorer is just as reliable as any 4-stroke, meaning it always starts and never breaks down. (at least to the same extent as any 4-stroke) It does not require oil and filter changes or reqular valve adjustments. A 2-stroke will only last around 4-5 thousand miles before requiring a rebuild but it only costs around $400 and you have a new engine. A four stroke will probably last twice as long or more, but when a overhaul is required its usually going to need valves, a cam and mabey a new timing chain, on top of a rebore, piston, rings, and when you add everything up you will most likely triple the cost of a 2-stroke.

I owned a suzuki 250 4x4 and it was a great little machine. One day when riding, one of the engine casing plugs blew out, I lost all my oil and I seized the engine, so I went to my dealer, he quoted me $2500-$3000 (Canadian) for a complete rebuild. I thought he was insane, since I had bought the quad new in 89 for $4200 and this happened in 92. I decieded to do it myself. Just to get the engine out of that machine (crazy one piece engine tranny design), everything has to come off (all the shift linkage,rear drive components, rear suspension,etc,etc) and by the time I had the engine/tranny out, there was almost nothing but a frame left. Since I purchased the parts and did the work myself It only cost me around $700 but the labor was somewhere around 30hrs. I now relized that the dealer wasn't that crazy.

The point is, no matter what type of engine you have it will eventually require a rebuild. Some manufacturers have mechanic friendly designs and will cost you a hell of a lot less to have major repair work done (labor is usually much more than parts). Before chosing any brand that you intend on keeping for a long time, I would recommend that you ask your dealer what it costs for a complete engine rebuild. Another question to ask is if the engine can be rebuilt (top end) without removing it. It will save you BIG, if you do your homework.

Does anyone remember the mustang II V-8? In order to change the spark plugs, you had to lift the engine.