I am looking for some help. I currently own a 94 400 Sportsman. I am looking to upgrade. I am not brand loyal, and would like to know why I should buy a Sportsman 700 or a Yamaha 660. Thank you. Or at least can anyone point me to a consumer rating site.

 

They are both good atv's but the Grizz is prone to weak axles and is tippy. You wont break an axle on the sp. You will smoke a belt before that happens. On the other hand the grizz is not efi. I would wait till the 06 models come out. They are going to have a 500 ho efi. If you want stump pulling power then look at the 750 Brute force or the new KQ. You really cant go wrong with any ute now days. They are all built tough with plenty of power but none of them ride as nice as a Polaris.

 

Thank you for your answer. I am a total rookie, I have no idea what to buy and am just afraid of getting hosed.

 

Put any machine next to a new Sportsman and compare the drive line components, the frames, skid plates, CV protection, brake lines, tires, storage and rack convenience, and the seating position. The Sportsman is superior across the board. Sure, that's a bold statement, but I stop by the local "toy" shops now and then just to make sure I made the right choice and no other machine impresses me with build quality like the Polaris. All the other manufacturer's offerings seem to be "light duty" compared to the Polaris. Now, none of this means jack if you want a light, nimble, woods machine. The Sportsman is purpose built but also excels at most everything one can throw at it.

The only other machine I would consider is the Suzuki King Quad. It doesn't have the "beef" the Polaris offers and comes with crappy tires, but is otherwise jam packed with great features. Just make sure to hold off until the '06's come out

(Yes, we all know the Sportsman is by far the heaviest machine in its relative classes. Most have come to realize it's a GOOD thing in relationship to what they are designed to do).

 

I would have to agree!

Look at all the premium features too (tires, wheels, work lights, large racks, storage boxes).

The Sportsmans may not be the most nimble or the sportiest ride but they do hold their own in those catigories and nothing is a better mudder or work quad.
They also ride the best for rock hounding and cruising.

Jim

 

Well put, Zerowick. That is exactly the argument I use when forced to defend the honor of my Sportsmans in face of ridicule from the narrow-minded import bike loyalists. Like you I like to stop into the local dealers and check out the newest models from all manufacturers. I even tried out a Brute Force before buying my new 05 700 EFI. The motor was ok, but everything else about it was, in a word, cheesy. Like you said, totally light-duty compared to the Sportsman. The new King Quad seems to be the next best thing, but still, crappy tires, crappy racks, crappy body, etc. I recently saw that ATV show on the Outdoor Channel with that rediculous clown Doug Meyer. Is that guy for real? He was test-riding and reviewing some of the big-bore machines, and as usual had nothing but praise for the jap bikes and gripes about the Sportsman. He even said at the end of the 700 EFI test that "Polaris invented the Sportsman, but now every other manufacturer made a better version of it." I about fell off my chair. I'm sure if Polaris bought some ad time on one of his shows, they'd get a more favorable review as well. What shameless huckster. I guess that's why he tests vehicles like Honda and Suzuki SUVs on his so-called "truck" show, 4X4 TV. what a joke. Oh well, enough indignation about that. Bottom line is, the Sportsmans are well built rugged machines, and the extra weight quickly becomes familiar and reassuring. Quite often I ride 2-up with my wife on the back on a Kimpex seat, and that thing is just rock-solid. I don't think that could be said of many of the imports.

 

i agree with everything but the cv protection. it really sucks. i tore 4 inner boots on front in less than 150 miles. i installed srongmade stickstoppers and no problems since.

 

every one should own a sp 700 once in there life time .
should only take one.

 

What zerowick said is true except cv boot protection could be better i chose the sp 500 because the larger machines don't have a recoil backup incase the batt goes dead that and the 500ho was big enough for what i do and uses less gas

 

The CV boot protection has been fine for me, but I don't do much trail riding, she looks showroom clean with a quick scrubbing. The fuel economy most definately sucks in my case so I can relate to going with the 500, not any real power loss, except on the low end, and there is the benefit of the pull start in the event you kill the batt in the middle of east !@#$-%^&*.