yeah it does have a fuel gauge, read above^^^^^^ mine will stay with a 600 and a 700 for quite some time

 

If it's any consolation, you can change the belt in a snap. It'll pull right off. No problem doing it trail-side, if necessary.

 

That is good!!! lol

How do ya all like the new spedo and pod?

 

I bought a 400 sportsman in 2004 (last June) and it has been trouble free(700miles now), I ride with mainly Honda guys up here and they are all starting to change thier tune.They tried to fill me full of all the horror stories about belts slipping and the usual crap. But after turning around and winching them out of holes they are easing up a little. The bike has good power for a 400. It is 425 cc. the ride is by far the best in the industry and I tried them all. The 4wd system is a great setup also. Fuel mileage seems to be the same as the Honda's I run with 350,400 and 450. I looked hard at the Honda but found it was lacking in technology. I could have bought the 350 ES for the same as I paid for my Polaris. I'm interested to see what the dependabilityis on the Polaris is down the road. This was my first ATV purchase and the only thing I would do different next time is a bigger bike maybe the Sportsman 600 or 700

 

Here's some reasons to buy the Sportsman:

-- Instant 4X4 engagement
-- Front locker always engaged
-- PLUSH ride that is second to none.
-- For technical riding, IRS is the way to go. For slow speed rock crawling, it's more stable than my Prairie.
-- Ground clearance
-- More factory aftermarket accessories than any other brand.
-- Reliability (the Sportsman 500 is a proven machine. Even the Polaris bashers would agree.)
-- The available snow plow system is kick-butt. Living in Minnesota, you might appreciate this.

Here's some Polaris negatives:

-- If it falls on you, you'll die. (It's over 700 lbs. wet/loaded)
-- Polaris 500 engines sound trashy compared to others
-- The 500 is about as fast as a Kawasaki Mojave 250, (but hey, you're not buying a sport quad)