I'm considering buying my buddies '00 Scramber 500. It is bonestock except for a K&N filter. About $2,000 to buy it.
The bad news:
It's been rolled several times, so the handlebars are loose turning it right to left, an easy fix?
The engine is hard to start cold, compression has not been checked, 110 psi cold or warm to test? Runs and starts fine at all other times.
The engine has idled for extended periods of time in the past, good or bad? The engine does make a light clanking sound when idling. Seems quiet otherwise.
How do I determine if the trans is ok? It seems "soft" on takeoffs and I seem to have to rev it up a lot before it does catch if that makes any sense, lol. I don't know...maybe the nature of the tranny?
I learned how to ride ATV's on this one, so I'm a bit biased toward it, lol. I've ridden his 660 Raptor and didn't like having to shift to find the right gear on the trails, lol. The ground clearance was better in the Scrambler, too. I was thinking if I didn't buy his how much a new Scramber 500 would cost. I've also been considering the Suzuki Z400, but I don't know much of anything about that model as compared to the Scrambler, just heard it's a good bike and I would probably buy it used, too. Thanks for any and all info or advice for this noobie rider...

 

Wel if you dont like shifting on the 660 then you wont like shifting on the z400. The Scrambler is a great all around atv. Sport plus utility. The clanking that you hear is the clutch. All Polaris atv's will make the sound at one point. Not a major deal and can be fixed cheap. If the bars are lose then it will need tie rod ends and steering shaft bushings. Easy fix. If it takes more rpm's than usual to get it to move then belt is worn and secondary clutch buttons worn. Also easy fix. Plan on spending about $300 on everything you need to get it back up to par. I think $2000 is a good price even if you have to dump in an extra cpl hundred.

 

Well I hooked up a compression guage and only got a reading of 33 psi and then 38 psi when I added oil. Is this near normal for a cold engine? If not then what should it read?

 

i would buy a kfx 700 the ar automatic and have drive shafts instead of chain

 

Well I thought I'd update this thread and say that I did buy that '00 Scrambler...it did need some stuff done to it...

Here's what I've done so far:
-Greased all the fittings I could find
-Changed gearcase, front diff, engine (& filter), & hub oils using Polaris brand stuff & 80/90 Penzoil gear lube.
-Drained & refilled radiator with Honda premixed coolant (a good idea? The Polaris/Honda dealer said to use the Honda premixed coolant as it is "better"...don't know)
-Lubed (Polaris chain lube) & tightened rear drive chain (took two tries, lol)
-Flushed out brake fluid in both brake hydraulic systems using Polaris brand DOT 3 brake fluid (old fluid looked dark)
-Replaced left front CV boot using a Polaris CV boot repair kit. NOTE: It took 4 hours, lol. I rented a CV plier from Autozone ($10), but I think I should keep it as I pretty much mutilated the tool trying to get one of the clamps to lock together on the CV boot. Hard part was getting the dang axle back into the CV joint...took about 2.5 hours before it finally went together! I'm pretty sure next time I can do it in about 2 hours...LOL!
-Polished the plastic body/fenders and detailed the quad

-The steering bushing rivets down on the bottom of the steering shaft are really loose, should I just grind off those rivets & buy a couple of bolts & nylon nuts to fasten that down or is there something else that has to be done to repair it?

So far I've got about $117 in repairs/maintenance, I'll be adding to it soon when I order a drive belt & cover seal & other stuff that I've found it needs, lol.
Any comments/advice welcomed...[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

The 500 has an auto compression release so compression will not be constant, but the book says 70to 90 psi for compression. They suggest a leak down test to verify compression. Loose steering can come from several places in the steering system. From the tie rod ends to the bottom post bushing the middle post bracket and even the handle bar mounts can wigle sometimes. The cam chain will give a slight rattle sound at idle as well as the clutch. If it's from the clutch side it may need some service. Enjoy it, they are a good machine. Get a service manual and keep on getting your hands dirty. Sound like you are getting along fine allready.

 

yeah thats what i would do, i wouldnt buy a quad if it already has problems, even if it is 2000 dollars, once the machines had accidents things just start going wrong left and right and in the end u'll prolly end up being frustrated, then u'll wish u put that 2000 towards a different scrambler thats less beat or a different quad

 

Well here's the thing, this quad had not been used for any jumping over say a couple of feet (he still doesn't jump his Raptor 660 more than a couple of feet now, lol) nor has it been raced, only used in trail riding.
All the fluids I drained were in great condition, the drain plugs with magnets didn't have much metal built up on them at all. Even the radiator fluid looked like brand new when I drained it. If I were to guess I'd say the machine has less than 750 hours on it....the chain is original from what he can remember, and it is in nice shape with what seems to been plenty of room for more tightening in the future, the tires are original and don't look hardly worn at all. The brake pads/rotors still have a lot of wear left as well. All of this stuff together told me the quad wasn't really "used" as much as perhaps most others I've seen in the sub $3K price range.
So, I paid $1900 for it (I actually only paid $1,360 out of pocket as he owed me $$, lol) and it came with a helmet that matched it, lol.
I did look at a newer Scrambler ('02) at a dealer and its rear tires were twice as worn and it was priced at $4K. But it did have tighter steering and no visible damage beyond scratches.
But in the end I could've perhaps just drove this quad this season and had to do nothing else to it after tightening the chain and replacing the CV boot (actually I damaged the boot last time I took it out) and I probably would've been fine, lol. I just like to keep up on maintenance (probably to a fault, lol).