On Polaris's site it says:

EBS (Engine Braking System): Standard/Accessory


for the 400. That doesnt help much. It also says the PXT's are an option on "heavy-duty steel rims". Are those rims actually heavier duty than on my 04?

Theres another reason to go with the 500, they come stock with the PXT's, what I have heard is a great tire. It is an option on the 400, though.

 

The SP400 is a great bike! I purchased my ’05 back in January and love it. I negotiated the EBS for $100 when I bought mine because I thought I needed it. I still have to feather the brakes down most steep descents unless I trick the bike into 4 wheel EBS, which I rarely do. So I sometimes think EBS is trivial. (EBS is not standard on the 400 but is standard on the 500HO) I told the dealer to keep all the incentives and give me his best deal since I was paying cash. I had a budget of $6000 for an ATV and that included all the tax, license & insurance. It would have cost me an extra $700 to get the 500HO by the time I added up the final tab so that was one of the factors for me because I was not going to finance this toy. Since then I have added the Heelclicker clutch mod and added a front bumper. I also have a 25 gal sprayer for the back rack to spray pasture & brush. I may add a back bumper but that will likely be it.

I’ve been on bigger bikes and rode with bigger bikes and my 400 will go EVERYWHERE they can. I have never ran into a situation where I thought I needed the 500HO because my 400 just wasn’t up to the challenge. Look at a lot of the bikes for sale on Ebay and look at the hrs & miles, the average speed are all close to the same regardless of size. The biggest difference is how fast you want to fly out of the shoot. Compared to my neighbors ’02 650 Prairie, he’ll win off the line and so will the 500HO. But on the trail we are all neck & neck. If I want to go fast I’ll buy a sport quad.

Bottom line is this... Both are excellent choices. The 500HO will get you off the line a little quicker and the 500HO is the more popular bike discussed on this forum, compared to the SP400. My dealer actually sells more 400’s than 500’s due to the price difference. If you want what is most popular on this forum and what most of the guys talk about here, get the 500HO. If all you want to do is ride the trail on a comfortable bike, use it for a little work and feel you can ride proud on a 400, then get the 400 because it will do everything you need.

Oh yeah, the PXT tires are NOT standard on the SP400, and I am very pleased with the stock tires on my sp400. I have read somewhere that the sidewalls on the PXT’s are a little thin and tear, but I suspect that it may be more related to extreme trail conditions.

Hope this helps and sorry for the long post.