I recently purchased an 02 Sportsman. So far it has been AWESOME. But after skimming through the forum I am concerned about quality and $ repair bills. Besides PM recommended by Polaris is there anything I should be on the lookout for? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

Dont worry about it. Just take care of it and dont trash it. The reason you see people with so many problems on here is because.....well.....its a forum for help. But theres millions of sportsmans out there with no problems. Just have fun and congrats on the new sportsman! have you been havin fun on it?

 

umm on the '94 there's a little bolt under the starter box everytime u take it out of water drain that...i didnt now look were im at behind my garage stuck in reverse lol. ther a good bike mine pulled thro everything we threw at it. we just never had time to really "keep up with it".

 

In '01 Polaris addressed about all the known weaknesses of the Sportsman. All you have to do is:

Grease it regularly

keep an eye on brake pads

watch the recoil housing if you ride in mud/water deep enough to get the pull handle submerged. There is a 'starter drain' plug underneath to drain water if it gets in, but it is best to keep water out in the first place. A little dab of silicone sealand under the handle does this. Just put a dab under the handle, fully seat the handle onto the stem, and let dry overnight. If you do need the starter handle, a tug will pop it loose, and then add another dab of silicone after you get the starter going again.

Farmr

 

Farmr, Is the "recoil drain plug" the same as the "starter drain plug" on the scrambler? In my manual it shows a "starter drain plug" and "recoil drain plug" for the 400 scram, but just a "recoil drain plug" for the 500 scram. What gives????

 

The difference is the 400 is a 2 cycle engine, and the 500 is a 4 cycle.
Different design
different details

 

But do you know where the starter drain plug is on the 500? If it even has one

 

ACracer
We went sand hill climbing this weekend and I was high marking above the crowd! Amazing what such a heavy tank can do. Gotta love the Twin!