First time posting, so be gentle. Its time to upgrade to a bigger ATV. I've narrowed it down to a Polaris 700 or 800 sp or Suzuki KingQuad. I have never owned a Polaris, but have had older model KingQuads and currently ride a Rubicon and Kawi 3010 Mule and never had a service or reliabilty problem with any of them. I do use them, just dont abuse them. This is my biggest concern on buying a Polaris. Based on posts on this Forum there seem to be issues with Polaris (as well as other manufactures).I like the way a Polaris is built. It seems to be well made. It has alot of great features, some I like, some I don't. I am sold on the IRS, although the bike does have alot of exposed moving parts. Not yet sold on the AWD, would rather it be my choice of full time 4x4 or not. Also never had a belt driven ATV(Mule doesn't count). Polaris doesn't have a large following in my neck of the woods so I am also concerned about Dealers ability to solve and repair problems. So put my concerns to rest about Polaris and give me your opinions. Rubicon went up for sale on Monday.

 

I was in the same boat as you, KQ or Sportsman. I looked at the KQ and I liked the design til I got close to the front end. The front end is just too wimpy, by that I mean protection for the radiator and the headlights. You may be able to buy a decent aftermarket brushguard to help in that area. We have no polaris dealer in my town either so it was a concern for me but in the end I was willing to travel a bit for my dealer needs. I just plained like the polaris better than the KQ.

I would suggest you try them both if possible. The KQ will have 4 wheel EBS, my polaris needs to be "wedged" to get 4 wheel ebs. The KQ is somewhat lighter (but it shows). I think both are good machines and you wouldn't go wrong with either.

 

It all has to do with personal preference, I looked at alot of different brands/models and narrowed it down to the grizzly, rincon or the sportsman series quads. I didn't like to seat/handlebar positions on the yamaha or honda. the cost for the honda left that one out of the pick. basically it came down to what I was looking for in a quad. I wanted IRS, 4x4, comfort, handling, and of course appearance means the world to me but then I found out that Polaris had an EFI model and I was sold. I went to my local dealer and test rode an EFI and it felt great! the problem with that dealer is that he wanted list price for the quad with no helmet/accessories. I found a few other dealers willing to fight for the best price and give me helmets. I ended up going to Weiss equipment in Frankenmuth MI cause they gave me the best price and more free stuff. I got two 700EFI's for $7250 each out the door plus $11 title for each. I also got two pairs of scott goggles, two HJC chromium helmets and two orv stickers for the cost of 1. this was a great deal cause the HJC helmets were $249 each and the goggles were $20 each. only one other dealer came close and it was for $7250 with solid colored helmets.

so far the only big problem I have had with my quad is a failed fuel pump at 11 miles and a few recalls. overall I am completely satisfied with my purchase/choice and would recommend a Polaris to anyone looking for "THE WAY OUT"

 

Polaris makes a good quad but their customer service sucks. I would not consider a new Polaris for that reason.

 

The Polaris is much more of a work horse than the KQ. Not to say it won't beat the KQ in a drag or even on the trails, but I believe it is more suited for chores than the Suzi. I too have had some customer service issues but it seems to be on a dealer to dealer basis. It also seems that Polaris machines are more "trouble" than the other bikes, not that they break down more, but they require more maintenance in general. You can't beat the Polaris in build quality, sturdiness and stability, but it comes at the price of more weight. In my case, for barn chores, logging, that weight works to my advantage and the machine carries it well. However, if you mainly run the trails and travel at higher speeds I think you will be happier with the KQ. It's over 100 pounds lighter and that much easier to ride longer and more likely to be controled by your own body weight, just simple laws of physics. I know Pro-Polaris people are sometimes sensitive about the weight issue, but it's plain and simple, less weight means less fatigue, and on the trails that means more fun. For me my 04.5 SP600 does just what I want it to do without struggle, for the most part, due to the low end torque of the twin and I don't ever worry about damage to the frame pulling heavy loads because it has such beefy construction. The Polaris can do everything well and to me shines as a work horse. The Suzuki, from what I've read can also do everything well, but probably shines more at higher speed duties. Some one who has ridden both can tell you better, good luck.

 

im going to go see if i can trade my 05 700 efi for a king quad. i bought mine nov 13 and ive had 4 torn boots, shredded belt and most recent the rear brake pedal dosent work. your going to have a lot of people say im just to rough on it but im not. im just normal trail riding along the banks of the lake and sanbars of the river. good luck on whatever decision you make.

 

Since I have not ridden the KQ I cannot comment on it but it seems to be a good value. I can speak to the Polaris since I have owned numerous models. We have two 2004 SP 700s and they have been 100% trouble free (1300 and 1200 miles). What attracted me to the Polaris was how strong and well built they are. There is truly no doubt they are a work horse and come with great components (good tires, rims, skid plating, stainless brake lines, etc). As far as reliability and issues, I think you can find something wrong with all the ATVs. They all have their pros and cons and issues. I would buy based on which one 'feels' right when you test drive them, based on features, and based on dealer support.

One thing about belt driven automatic ATVs - there is nothing wrong with them. If there was such a fundamental flaw with them, they would not be on every snowmobile made today. The only problem I see with belt driven quads is usually the owner. It is very critical (but easy) to know when to use low range or high range. I would say 80-90% of the issues with people burning or shredding belts is due to improper use of high range. If you try to pull a 2000 pound trailer in high range you are going to ruin a belt. Even if the quad does move the trailer, the amount of stress and slippage on the belt is going to smoke it. I think too many people assume that if the engine does not bog down then they are in the right gear. Well, a belt driven quad will never bog or stall so you have to listen to the RPMs and see if the quad is moving forward the way it should when you apply the throtle. If it doesn't respond immediately, you probably need low. Once you get used to the belt driven system it becomes very obvious when you need low and when you need high. Another instance of when you can tear up a belt is if you get water in the housing (which has never happened to me) and fail to address it immediately. Water will cause the belt to slip but all you have to do is pull the drain plug and then rev the quad a bit with it in neutral. The only time a belt can wear quickly under proper use is if there is something wrong with the clutches. When you buy a new quad that should not be an issue. If you take care of your clutches and inspect them as per the manual, you should have no problem with it. If you read through this forum you will see many people have 2000 + miles on belts. And if you think about it, a belt is a pretty cheap replacement item when you finally need to replace it. Take the the little bit of time needed to learn how the belt system works and you may never want anything else.

 

The biggest complaint I have with my 2003 700 polaris is the ebs.Remember before you buy it that the ebs only works on the rear wheels and the suzuki ebs works on all 4 wheels.Going down steep hills the polaris can be a handfull.

 

im going to go see if i can trade my 05 700 efi for a king quad. i bought mine nov 13 and ive had 4 torn boots, shredded belt and most recent the rear brake pedal dosent work. your going to have a lot of people say im just to rough on it but im not. im just normal trail riding along the banks of the lake and sanbars of the river. good luck on whatever decision you make.






I have a 98 sportsman and have only torn 1 boot. I have a 01 sp and havent torn any on it and i ride em both pretty hard.

 

I love my Polaris Sportsman ... but i say try the others, you may have different uses than me.

Never had a problem and i have a great dealer!