for a lighter, more narrow machine for the trails I think the 450 is a good choice and it has a 1,100 pound tow rating so it can hang with the big boys. I believe the trans has a wet clutch so the belt is always engaged, unlike the Polaris which slips the belt prior to full engagement. the Kodiak also has the front locker and an override button for full power in full lock. definately a great choice if you want to be in complete control of what the bike does. as opposed to the Polaris where the front locks automatically and has the single brake lever. would be a rider preference thing. the Kodiak doesn't have the beefy drivetrain of the Sportsman but it is also only 591 pounds and doesn't need it. the Sportsman 450 weighs 715, 124 pound more. certainly the power to weight ratio is in the Kodiak's favor. fun factor would also have to go to the Kodiak. if you plan on any time at all on the trail I would lean towards the Kodiak, I would imagine the Polaris would feel clumsy and underpowered in comparison. you would have to move up to the 500 or 700 Sportsman even to get the same sporty performance as the Kodiak and then you have to throw around up to 756 pounds! if you are gonna work around the farm with the occasional trail ride and comfort and simplicity is priority then I would lean towards Polaris. the later would be me, my 600 treats me very well with the auto AWD and single brake lever which lets me concentrate on the load in tow and making it up into the fields.

make sure you give us a review on whatever you choose.

 

Just bought an '05 Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O. and I love it. Took it out riding and already have close to 100 miles on it (75 of those were hard miles) in one day. Nothing wrong yet. As with all machines made by man, it will have problems eventually. Some sooner than others.

I love the fact that I can drag my yard with the thing and then in the same day take it riding and go *****-out, tearing up the trails. It rides like a Cadillac too. I have ridden my friends bikes, but none compared to my Polaris. My sister rode it this weekend and now wants one of her own. She is looking to get possibly an '06 700EFI. My daughter is wanting one too, but she looks like a midget on the thing! She can live with her Honda for now!!

At any rate, ride to compare. Once you take it out of the dealership, it's yours! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I asked the same question a while back. Do a search for Polaris Reliability. I like the answers enough to buy a 06 sp500.

 

Well ive got to say that i have put my polaris to the test. Rolled it, flipped it, Easy riding, Hard riding. Hillclimbs, Drags, circuits, trails, mud,and snow. basicly if you can ride in it i have ridden in it. AND ON A 250 TRAILBLAZER. The most i have managed to do is burn the engine up once, that was all my fault and on purpose for the most part. (stupid i know) well after about 20 accidental crash tests the frame is still staight and true. They are an exellent machine "built like a solid block of steel"

 

Did the moderator pull a post from gunman?

 

I have been a Polaris fan for many years but lately I’ve been wavering!

In 1996 after years of banging over my remote cottage trail on a solid axle Kodiak and a Big Red, I discovered the ’97 Sportsman and knew immediately Polaris was years ahead of the competition (compare a ’97 Sportsman with a modern quad and it still stacks up pretty good.)

Since then my son and I have bought 2 more SP 500s and a SP EFI 700 – all have been great.

Recently my brother bought a SP EFI 500 and has experienced all the common problems described on this forum. Although he is somewhat pleased with the SP, he was driving a Big Bear for the last several years, so the EFI will have to be really bad not to appreciate it. It certainly performs well.

We also started buying Polaris snowmobiles, but with mixed results. The ’01 Widetrak is a good but is now somewhat dated - all other manufactruers have updated versions. The ’04 600 Switchback is a great sled.

We also bought a ’04 Frontier – what an embarrassment this was for Polaris and those of us who trusted Polaris to produce a fine snowmobile! Its lethargic four stroke vibrated excessively and there was a problem with the EFI that the dealer couldn’t fix. We eventually traded it after 700 miserable miles on a ’04 700 two stroke. The 700 was ok but when you ride with the competition you know these machines are not on par with the competition. Last year my neighbour bought a new Fusion – this machine didn’t prove to be worth the cash. And reports on the new four strokes are not encouraging.

After riding with friends who have BRP snowmobiles, it appears Polaris is stumbling badly. My son is replacing the 700 Snowmobile with a 2-up Renegade.

With regard to the ATVs, the 2-up Outlander 800 looks to be more impressive then the X2.

It seems that each year there is less reasons to stay with Polaris.

 

Hey gunman Driveit is asking about real fourwheelers not a sissy toy! He hunts and trail rides! Which is where the sportsman rules! Niether your alleged scrammy / kawie aren't relavant to what driveit is looking for.

 

After 11,789 miles, and never having to walk due to mechanical breakdown, you could say I'm satisfied with my Polaris.

 

Best case scenario would be to find people who will let you take a ride on their quad. I don't post often at all but I read the boards quite often. Since this is the Polaris board it is definitely biased which should be expected. I consider myself completely unbiased when it comes to quads. I own an 05 660 Grizzly and a 99 Scrambler 400 4x4 and love them both. I think it really depends on how you like a quad to ride, handle, and how much power you want.

I really don't think any of the manufacturers make a bad quad. They all have their pros and cons. I really love my Grizzly but if you look at the axles on it they should clearly be bigger. I have compared them to another quad (can't remember which brand) and there was a noticable difference in the diameter of the axles. I have also ran into the vapor lock issue a few times. The axles haven't been a problem (yet) and I have taken care of the vapor lock.

For work use I would say the Sportsman is hands down better than the Grizzly especially the 800, I have never ridden one but I hear they have loads of power. As far as trail riding it just depends on your riding style. I love the way my Grizzly rides with the aftermarket wheels and tires. With factory spaced wheels it feels a little tippy on off camber trails. The Sportsman rides much softer than the Grizzly which is something I personally don't like, however lots of people love.

For something this expensive I would definitely try to take a few test rides.

I have heard good things about the King Quad as well but there is something with the reverse that lots of people have been complaining about, can't remember exactly what the issue is though.

 

Ya know it really should not matter what we or any one else rides. We as ATV riders need to stick together and put our worries in other places. Like making sure the atv laws dont take over and close our riding areas. Keeping our riding areas safe and clean for us and others to enjoy. Just ride, be safe and most of all be happy!