Went riding last weekend on my sp 600 and it performed great, but the gas mileage was what I consider not up to par. I must first preface this by saying that I used low gear for probably more than half of the ride because of the very rocky conditions, and some steep rocky hills that we were riding in and up, and the fact that the guys that I was riding with weren't exactly breaking any speed records either. I have read, and heard, that you should use low when riding in these conditions because it makes it much easier on the belt , and also better on the atv as a whole. But whew, I had to go to reserve at about 32 miles, not because it ran out, but because of the extreme elevation changes it would sputter every once in a while. I think that it was not picking up the gas like it would have if it was on a flat surface. I've seen on this forum that some people say they get as much as 70 miles out of a tank, well if you are, then I am sure not. Does running it in low gear make THAT much difference? I have gotten as much as 50 miles before switching to reserve on more level ground and not using low nearly as much. Should I be using low as much as I am. I know that using low in the rough rocky areas sure gives the atv a lot better throttle response. It would be nice if Polaris would make the sp with a shift on the fly from low to high and vise-versa option, it gets aggravating to have to stop and put it back in high,
Any thoughts?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Come on guys, has anyone else not had this same problem with the fuel economy? Maybe I am using low much more than I should, I know that motor revs much more than it does in high which of course naturally would make it use more gas
As far as the cost of the gas, I could care less about that, it's the deal of having to carry extra fuel on long rides just to make sure that I don't run out that bothers me. If it's something that I have to live with then so be it, I will, because the positives far, far outweigh the negatives.

 

A heelclicker clutch kit will grab the belt better and make it so you'll need to be in low less often. I have about 400 miles on my 600 now and I've noticed an improvment on gas milage as it "loosened up" i.e. broke in. The only time I put it in low is DEEP mud or when I'm going up very steep hills (as in leaning over the front rack looking down at the headlights :-).
The 600 really is a great machine isn't it...

 

I think low should be used at speeds of around 15-20 mph or less and for pulling, hauling etc. If you are going through drastic elevation changes then that would explain your gas problem. As you go up in elevation, the motor will tend to run richer and use more gas because the air is thinner at higher elevations. If you do such riding (for instance, going between 1500 ft. to say 4000 ft.) then your best bet would be to buy a Dial-A-Jet from Thunder Products, that way you can make adjustments as the altitude changes. Also, make sure your jetted correctly for the altitude you ride in the most as that can have drastic effects on fuel economy. Other things would be to make sure your brakes are not binding, the clutch is in proper alignment, tires are correctly inflated, etc.

 

I normally get around 55-57 miles in before I have to switch to reserve but Im not sure how far I can go after that. I use my low range about 1/3 of the time where I ride for the steep and technical areas. If I am going to be at 15mph or higher I shift to high. I just went to Susquahannok State forest on the 4th of July and had 62 miles on before I hit reserve. This was all in high gear cruising around 30mph the whole time with some hills but pretty much just logging roads. I had my fiance on the back too so I guess that is pretty good considering she weighs 350lbs. Just kidding guys!!!!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] With both of us on we weigh about 300. I never really expected to get very good milage with this quad so I guess im pretty happy getting this kind of milage out of it.

 

well i have an 03 sp 600 and yeah they use some fuel........I get like 50-55 miles with reserve but then again i never really ride over 15-20 mph either.......but in those 50-55 miles low range waas never used....but the last thing i care about is how much fuel it uses......it's not like its a car so.......we're at 1000 feet elevation or 950......