Hello All, After lurkin' here and reading your posts I bought my first Polaris today.Will ride this weekend and a lot more in August{vacation} I will keep everyone interested updated with my real world experiences with this machine.We have been known to be hard on our machines,I have three Hondas that have been great, two Recons and a TRX90. I have to admit I had a hard time going to the Sportsman but I wanted a Four Wheel Drive bike with a great suspension,the more I was around the beast the more it grew on me.Got the ATV an free 2000lb winch for $6536 OTD thats $227 more than another dealer 80 miles away but he had only one silver bike and wanted $6999 plus. The price of $6309 OTD was good on any other color but when I saw the silver I had to have it.The ride of the bike was the final factor in buying it plus the Rubicon was $1200 more, no winch, no dealing the price down at all.New machine, limited supply.Two people I know have the Sportsman and they both love em',one of em'is a hard rider and the bike has held up well.The test begins this Saturday and I'm looking forward to pulling my buddies Grizz out of the mud with it! Thanks for all of the info and insight I have received here, and soon I'll have some honest reports to give back.

 

Congrats on the purchase Swampdog. Break that thing in correctly and it will last you a long time. They are great machines.

DJ

 

YOU BOUGHT GOOD ATV SWAMPDOG. HAVE A GOOD TRIP.

 

Excellent choice SwampDog! I just purchased one a week ago today, and have ridden it a total of 0.1 miles (when I test drove it)! Between this crappy rainy weather we've had, and the fact that my winch install hs taken me a week due to my schedule, all I've really done is admire how shiny and clean it is! (But not for long!)

Anyhow, you've made a good choice!

 

I love mine 840 miles and no troubles , but break it in good, I went relatively easy for a couple hundred miles to let everything break-in good. At least a couple tanks of gas, then after a few hundred miles get the oil changed and service it all up. But now I go through anything and everything that I can.

 

Man, you don't have to break that thing in. As long as you run good oil and change it per Polaris recommendations, you won't have any problems out of the engine. These guys talking about breaking it in good and it will last a long time don't know what they're talking about. Most of the longest lasting bikes I know of were ridden just the same from the first day--very hard. It is an excellent bike. You should read some of the water-proofing tips offered here on the forum if you plan on any creek crossings. Ride hard.

 

AWESOME choice dude. I have a 98 Sportsman 500 and I just bought a 00 Magnum 500. There great machines and will go just about anywhere you want it to go and more. Just break it in the right way and take care of the machine and it will last you a long time. I have right now 3,890 miles on my 98 Sportsman 500 and the only things I have done to it is change the brakes at 1500 miles and 3200 miles. It's an AWESOME ride! Good luck with it.

 

I would break it in. if you want to put it in low range and race through mud bogs up to the pod light go for it, but I would take it easy for a bit, maybe just rack high mud LOL. But seriously any good mechanic will tell you break in is important to have everything wear together good. They are tough! wow I have driven mine through some crazy stuff sometimes i actually wish it was more challenging it goes through muck so easily.

 

I think everybody is right. I think it is very important to break in the atv. At the same time, I
dont think we have to baby our atv and that we can
treat them pretty rough. Its not really rough for an atv. The main thing is that all the seals have to seal. After so many miles break in period. drain and re-fill the engine oil to get rid of any
metal shavings. rangerchet

ps: I remember someone else a time back was mentioning that even up to 1 thousand miles are engines are still getting broke in. So maybe after
1 thousand miles is the 2nd. best time to drain and re-fill the oil, instead of just adding when low. -rangerchet

 

Dont forget to use Low Range when doing ANY towing,hill climbing,plowing,pushing or mudding.It will save you a HUGE headache,and belts to.====Bill