I will make sure to test drive one before I buy it, but it sounds like I can't go wrong. That's what I was hoping to hear.

If the Polaris 500 HO has more grunt than the 500 Foreman, than I will be completely satisfied. I would assume the new EFI model will have even more performance and better fuel economy.

 

the polaris 500 can easily ride a wheelie as long as you want it to... i have a 2000 polaris sportsman and i can ride an indefinite wheelie..... all u need to do is put your feet on the back rack with ur but in the air.... put it in low gear.... shift ur weight to ur feet, pull up on the bars, and hammer the gas from a stop and it will stand STRAIGHT up.... just find ur balance point ( on the 500 polaris its almost vertical) and u can ride it as long as u want.....

 

I had a 2005 Rancher ES (330 cc) and it would wheelie just fine, even by accident. The reason it is so easy on these Hondas is due to the clutching and transmission. The Hondas clutch will engage fully in very short order, which puts all the power to the rear wheels like right now. Couple that with good traction and you have a wheelie. The Polaris clutch has a more gradual engagement, therefore doesn't get ALL the power to the rear wheels as quickly. It will wheelie, just in a different manner.

As for the ESP shifting, the novelty will wear off quickly. When I made the switch to Polaris, I thought I'd never get used to or even like the automatic transmission. Well, by the end of my second ride, I was hooked. Make sure you do a test ride on each before you lay down the about 6 Gs either one will cost. If the dealer is strict with test rides, if you assure him that you will buy one or the other, I'm sure they will let you ride them. If not, go to a different dealer. When I asked to ride a Sportsman 450, there was no hesitation at all from the dealer. When I was done riding it, I chose the 500 since it came with a free winch, and the total cost was only $200 more than the 450.

Good luck with your decision!!

 

Never tried to wheelie my old 500 Sportsman, but for riding comfort, you can't hardly beat the Sportsman. You will not be half as tired from riding the Sportsman as the Honda at the end of the day. Suspension allows you to ride faster also (if you want to). Buddy has a Foreman, and he has to work harder to keep up with the Sportsmans and Artic cats in our group. Honda reliablility is a big plus, but no problems with my Sportsmans yet. By the way BAlaska, your photo page lists a Honda and Polaris, have you already rode/owned them both? Good luck!

 

i am a atv mechanic and i can tell you the new honda engines are junk,they do not hold up under presure from hard riding in mud and water.as far as the electronic shift,it wirks great until it gets submerged a few times then you are stuck in the gear you are in unless you have a manuel shifter stuck in the trunk.arctic cats are not reliable either.they break down more than any other bike.as far as the honda pulling a wheelie,sure it will it is a heck of a lot lighter than the polaris which i believe is the best and easyest bike out there to work on.

 

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. I found my 2006 500EFI a b!tch to work on. Even something as simple as chaging the plug .. I'm not a large fella by any means and getting my hands in to get at that damn plug is near impossible.

The drain plug on the engine is another killer, unless you have access to a ramp.

Nah .. my old Warrior was much easier to work on than the Polaris. I was actually very surprised on how congested things are under the plastic with the 500 .. it's a small engine for a big bike, yet still no room to work

 

I don't no if you mechanically inclined but Polaris is easy to work on you can get to anything on the sportsman's. warrior you are wrong on this.

 

Like I said, we'll have to agree to disagree on this issue .. I find the polaris unfriendly to work on, as I said unless you have a ramp to get it up on so you can more easily climb under.

I submerged my sportsman this summer and had the unpleasant task of draining the fluids and such from the gearbox, front diff., oil reservoir and the engine.

The other thing that's unhandy about maintenance on the polaris is that it has a mixture of metric and imperial fasteners and plugs on it. I will however say that if you're simply doing an oil maintenance change where you're just draining the reservoir and changing the filter, it's much simpler than the Warrior. But again .. the plug is difficult to get to for me, and the drain on the engine is a pain to get to, and the fill spout on the front diff. is a pain as well if you have the brush guards and such ..

I'm not an expert or trained mechanic but I am quite mechanically inclined and do all my own maintenance on any vehicles that aren't in warranty. For warrantied vehicles I trust it to the experts just in case I foul something that ends up voiding my warranty.

 

I started with a honda fourtrax, which is 14 yrs old, and still running strong on all original equipment. I would trust a honda over a Polaris right now

 

[quote]
Originally posted by: NLWarrior01
I will agree with you on that one.. It is a bi*ch to get to. I had to use the ramp trick also. Pull the atv 1/2 way up a atv ramp and it is easy to get the bolt back in..

As far as wheeling the atv. I cant get my front wheels to pop off the ground hardly at all. I did it once in low when it was new, but now i nail the throttle and it moves fast but cant get the wheels up. If I do the kneel on the rack trick I can get the wheels up about 6 inches off the ground but thats it. Wonder of my belt is a little worn.. 800 miles on it.

Thats the only thing i have been disappointed in the 500. Other than that it is a awsome machine.

I rode my friends Honda. Its a nice bike but I dont care for it at all. Reliable, but for the ride and grunt. I will keep my sportsman.