Spent a couple of hours riding yesterday and everything was going fine until I stopped for a break. My Sportsman 500 then began idling very poorly and acted like it wanted to die if I wasn't giving it a little gas. Then on the way back to the parking lot if I wasn't giving it much gas, like on a steep downhill, it would begin backfiring. When I got back to the parking lot it died 3 or 4 times while trying to position it to load it on my trailer. Then all of a sudden it was running fine again. It has never done this before. Any ideas on why? It was by far the coldest day I've ridden it. High 20's at best. Could this have anything to do with it? Thanks in advance for any advice.

Jeff

 

yeah the weather can be the reason its doing that, i had a foreman a year ago, and if i didnt let it warm up before riding, it would backfire a whole lot, always had to make sure it was nice and toasty before jumpin on it.

 

The engine was good and hot when it started running poorly. I had already been riding for about two hours when it began. I had been riding in some fairly deep mud and water also. Could that have contributed to it?

 

It sounds to me, like you had an obstuction in the pilot circuit. That would cause it to backfire and die, becuase if the pilot jet gets blocked, it goes very lean. If it runs ok at more than 1/8 thottle, but not at idle, then its a pilot circuit problem. You might try to drop the float bowl on carb and look for water or specs of dirt. The pilot jet is about .012 dia, so it doesnt take much to plug it.

 

If you owned a 600 twin I could tell you it is natural for it to backfire, sputter, and quit. That's a polaris.

 

polaris makes a 600 twin??

 

I heard rumors that they were coming out with a 700 twin![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

huh they do have a 600 twin but the 700 been out for a while

 

yes sleeper they do....sigh...somebody needs to get with the times [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] atleast its better than owning a jap quad...becareful if it backfires cams and bolts shoot out the exhaust [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]