About 3 weeks back I asked everyone how the SP500 performed in thick mud, and water. Along with pulling a wagon through the stuff. I was also concerned with belt slippage. Well, I bought the quad. Gave it 2 weekends to break it in and then off I went on my annual moose hunt. It was one of the wettest seasons on record here - I knew I had my workout ahead of me. One trail we take to get into our hunting area requires us to go about 15 miles in. A good 10 miles of that is mud and swamp holes.

Since returning I thought I would provide some feedback of how the quad performed for me.

My over all impression.... VERY Impressed!

Performance in water: It swam like a duck. I was suprised about the amount of float it had even when the wagon I was pulling sank the rear wheels a bit. Most of the time the breather vent for the belt stayed about an inch out of the water when it started to float. There were a few times where I got so bogged down that I thought I would swamp the thing. A few of the biggest holes nearly drowned it out, but, I left it low and kept it full-throttle. Amazingly it eventually pulled itself out.

In the thickest mud the only thing that seemed to hold me back again was the wagon fully loaded with camping gear and meat. Once the wagon started high center and plow mud it drug me to a stop about 7 or 8 times. These were the times I had to break out the winch and pull myself through.

Without the wagon attached it went everwhere I asked it to. Once, one of the guys was stuck in a swamp - up to the gills on his Honda 300 FourTrax. I pulled up behind him and pushed him right out. I went to switch from AWD to 2WD after we got out and to my suprise I found I never had it locked in AWD! Wow!

Once, while heading up a fast flowing creek(most years this is nearly a dry creek-bed) I got the belt a little wet. What happened there was once I started to float the current started pushing backwards and eventually jackknifed the trailer. I had to wait until one of the other guys could come along and unhitch me. Although I kept the gas applied; a bit of the fast moving water was able to splash in the case. After I got out it slipped a little for about 5 minutes.

Composite Rack: Broke off 3 of the bolt holes attaching the metal part of the rack when the gun boot got caught up in a tree. This was fairly easily fixed in camp using some flat washers on the bottom side. Seems to be a weak point ont the rack - but, maybe it is intended to be a weak-link to prevent further damamge to the rest of the rack???

Stick stoppers: I really like the design of this feature. I pushed it through some pretty thick deadfalls and didn't have to worry about tearing a boot.

That's about it...

Time to get out and ride!!!

 

Bog, here's a tip for you. I've been riding Polaris since 94 and have learned this. In the rare occurance of actually getting the belt wet, put the bike in neutural and hold the throttle. Not full throttle, just enough to blow the water out of the belt housing. You'll be able to see the water coming out on the left side of the engine. It'll be blowing back out of the snorkle. This will have you going in about 2 minutes. If you try to ride it dry, you'll take the chance of damaging that belt. Glad you like your bike. Keep the shiny side up.

 

Bog,

Running in that deep of water can get water in the front and rear gear boxes. You may want to check yours to make sure that it isn't milky colored. I think the oil in the rear tranny is green, and should be clear. You can avoid water entry by venting them higher, even in the headlight pod. It is also a good idea to check the condition of the hub fluid after lots of riding in water/mud. Other than those check points, it is an excellent bike. I've been on rides before, and the sp500 would make almost every other quad seem like a toy. The sp500 is a serious mud machine. I now have an xplorer, but haven't had time enough to put it to much mud riding to compare the two. Maybe that'll change this weekend.

Waylan

 

Thanks for the tips! Good advise about about a wet belt. I checked the gear oil and all looks well.

Now I'm working on my old bike A '93 Kawi bayou 300. Looks like the valves need replaced as well as the cam chain... fun fun... not! Trying to find a good parts dealer for it online. Anybody have a good line for that bike?

 

Bog, another thing to change is the vent on the coolant overflow bottle. When riding in deep water the engine cools the coolant contracts and dirt can be sucked in contaminating the coolant this in turn will destroy the water pump seal. (Been there done that) What you need to do is drill the plastic cap on the overflow bottle and install an adapter (some have used a bicycle tube valve stem) so that a piece of flex tubing can be slid over it snugly. Then run the tubing up high into the area where the air intake is or into the headlight unit. It is important to make it watertight or you will be no better off.
Hope this helps.

 

I REST MY CASE FOR ANYBODY THAT HAS GIVE ME A HARD TIME ON THE CAPABILITIES OF THE SPORTSMAN...HEHEHE...Anyway Bog sounds like you got that baby broke in now sounds like you are enjoying your new machine. What is so funny a similar inncodent happened to me. Me and another Sportsman 500 camo and a Honda 400 were riding some pretty deep mud holes, I am talking some stuff that went half way up the bike and then slammed you sideways when you entered into it. Well anyway my buddy on the Honda 400 and to be truthful about the matter he had tires that were about half worn out got stuck in the hole. So I preceded to get behind him and push him out well sure enough I pushed him out with a little bit of a struggle which I wasn't used to. When we cleared the hole my 2 buddys started saying that only my rear wheels were spinning and sure enough they were right after investigateing I discovered my key switch was just about in the off position but my bike was still running but the 4 wd was not working due to the ignition switch not being fully turned on.(I know some of you that have done this so don't laugh at me). Anyway the really far out part of it was what they were laughing about is my buddy was holding his brakes all the time I was pushing him through the hole and I still pushed him out...I didn't know at the time he was holding his brakes or he would have still been sitting there hehehe. Anyway we got a good laugh about it and my buddys were amazed that I pushed him out of the hole in 2 wheel drive with him holding the brakes. And my sportsman is not even an HO. You might want to check the seal around your belt to bog unless you really got it down and deep, I have had only one incident where I experience a little slippage and it was once crossing a river I shouldn't have even been crossing. I was in the water up over the racks my but got went and I was nearly being pushed down stream, I simply did as one of the other fellows told you in the post in neutral half thottle for about 2 minutes and I was on my way. And who says belts don't belong on 4 wheelers well have you read enough Andy are you sitting there slobbering at the mouth with your tongue hanging out thinking about that new HO you are getting you lucky dog.

 

boy i had a similar experiance with my sportsman in the ozark ar. mountains,i had just crossed this wide creek crossing with rushing water that came over my rear racks and really surprised me that it made it across,well my buddies couldnt make it with their 450es and a yamaha wolverine so i had to come back across the rushing stream and to my surprise i didnt take the right angle across and it swept me over the rapids into the deep end of the creek and proceded to go about shoulder deep on me.im 5'8'' well i jumped off,and it popped up out of the the water i guess the weelspin was fast enough to keep the breather out of it, well i floated along with it till a shallow spot were i could get back on.I drove it threw the bush on the side of the creek to my buddies amazment.if i can figure out how to post pics i have several that my buddies took when i was goin down,they thought for the count.that is why im goin to buy another sp500 my third since they have been out but ill have the HO this time BRINGEM ON!!!!!!! i personnally t hink that the sp is the best 4wheeler on the market!!!.