Hey guys (& gals). When Polaris first eliminated the recoil start on 700s the move generated a lot of complaints. I was one of the disappointed. That pull-rope on our 500s saved my tush more than a few times. I’ve watched the “recoil retrofit” threads about swapping parts from the MV with interest but it always seemed like more work and money than it was worth. And it seems that would only help if your starter was bad because we need battery power for the EFI.

Now after nearly 2000 miles on each of our ’05 700EFIs I can honestly say I’m glad the recoil start is gone. Why? Those of you in colder seasonal climates probably know where this is going, and some who aren’t will appreciate it too. That recoil housing, no matter how vigilant you are about keeping the handle on tight, collects moisture, sometimes a lot of it. The moisture can freeze and disable the recoil function at the least, or disable the machine if there’s enough in there, and it will rust and eventually damage important (costly) parts. No, I’m far happier knowing that flywheel / starter area is well-sealed and protected from the elements.

In my opinion you’re far better off just carrying a spare sealed jell-cell battery when you ride. The “jump-start” packs have come a long way in recent years but they’re usually long on bells and whistles that you don’t need and short on battery quality. All that extra stuff just takes up room that a lot of us don’t have. If you’re short on cargo space I suggest you do what I do. Get yourself a small, quality, bare-bones sealed jell-cell battery (mine is a werker from Battery Mart <$40) and a set of mini jumper cables (like the Yuasa brand for ATVs). This battery is small enough to carry in your rear tool box and can’t be affected by moisture. I’ve carried it from the first day my quad hit the trail so it’s survived a pounding. It gets a trickle charge once a month (in winter I just leave it on a float charger) and I can ride with no worries of getting stuck without battery power or water / ice problems in a recoil housing.