2manytoys what type of front end/diff problems do the SPs have? I just purchased a SP 500 X2 but I am getting really worried seems like the Polaris have a lot of problems. I hope this preception is wrong on my part. I do love the machine iit rides great. I am not too hot on all of the plastic (racks, dump bed, etc...) on it but I suppose all ATVs are like this. I really hope it holds up mechanically....

 

CF, Don't worry too much about it. I've owned and ridden with Polaris riders for many years now. I've seen problems with all makes and brands over the years too.(worked for two different dealerships over 18 years/ Honda,Kawasaki'Yamaha and Artic Cat have been among the brands at these dealerships) For anyone to tell you that any brand is without it's problems is foolish. I've had very few problems with Polaris, but that's not to say it couldn't happen tommorow. I had great service out of the "00"sp500. Will the SP700EFI give the same service? Hard to say; so far so good. You will find that if people have a problem with something they are 20 times more likely to say something about that and never say anything if they've never had any problems. What I'm saying here is if something is wrong you're going to hear about it but if something is right you may never hear that side of it. I've yet to see an ATV dealership that has a brand that is so dependable that they can get by without parts and service departments. Also think about how people view problems also. What may seem like a major breakdown/ failure to some may be minor to others. For example; the guy who doesn't have a clue that there is any type of lubrication needed on his machine beyond engine oil may have a cow when he has to replace a part on his chassis because it wasn't properly lubed. You may never convince him that it wasn't the machine's fault. By no means am i putting 2many in this category. He's been wheeling a long time and I'm sure he will explain about his experiences. He made a choice based on what was right for him at this time. Will he be happy with his choice a month from now? Just like me only time will tell. I can tell you this much ,he will report back to us with good factual info. Just remember that in most cases though it's human nature to spew out the bad news way more than the good. Just flip on the evening news and check the ratio of "bad news" stories to "good news" stories. There are some good people on this forum who will help you if you need them. Be patient, read carefully and you will soon find the ones you can trust.

 

Well said. Well said indeed.....

 

Those 27" xtr's are gong to eat some serious power from the rincon... I've played on the older 650 quite a bit and they're alot of fun with stock tires but everytime you go up a tire size you feel a big hit in power compared to what stock was.

The rincons definatly not a mud four wheeler... first gear i think hits the rev limit at like 20+ mph and when ever you get in some thick mud even with those 27's you'll see why i say it.

As far as the torque sensing front diff goes... all the newer honda's have it and if you ever have a tire on the ground and one up in the air the one on the ground will be at a stand still.(Applying the front brake lightly sometimes will make it hook)

Overall the rincon is a blast to trail ride on due to its comfort and handling but to me it didn't offer any more than that.

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]Yes , you are still riding!!! You would be walking if you had a Polaris!!!! By the way , what is the problem with the front Diffs????

 

some have had trouble with unwanted engagement when in 2wd, that's probably what 2many is talking about. there was an improvement made to the internals in '04 or '05 I believe. mine has been fine, I change the fluid once a year regardless of hours or miles. the AWD on the Polaris is one of the features I like best, just got in from hauling firewood around the property and it's nice to have all four diggin' in.

 

it must suck to be you!!! got a new ride and all.... jk but i must agree it dont make a f--k what your riding even if its a 80's model it matters that were out in the wide open doing what we like to do... i ride with a guy that has one he loves it. ive rode it and its not a bad ride. i liked the esp shifting. peace out and enjoy the ride!!!!!!

 

Yes the front diff has a tendency to lock up while in 2wd. So if you are in the snow , mud or doing a power slide the front diff will turn on automaticly and it will bang real hard. There is a plastic rollar cage that is the locker mechinism and they will shatter. Or you will just get one side to lock in or not unlocc and it makes it impossible to steer. I have seen alot of these and anyone that you hear with this problem will have to rebuild the diff. It will start to act up once it gets stress cracks int the cage and eventually it will break. It will usually start to happen above 1000 miles. If you do alot of mudding it is almost for sure it will happen. You can however avoid this by using awd any chance you can. Any time you think the rear wheels are going to slip use the awd. Polaris knows about the design flaw because the cage used to be made of aluminum. They changed it to plastic because when the aluminum broke it would tear the whole diff apart. When the plastic one breaks the plastic will just get ground up and it wont hurt the ring and pinion. Im not saying that everyone has this problem but alot do, have or will have it. You can read alot of posts about the front diffs locking up in 2wd. Alot of people say its because of abuse but its not. Its a flaw. Just dont beat the crap out of it, keep it maintained and use the awd when you are playing and you should have a long life out of it. Oh and it seems to happen on the bigger bore quads like 600cc and up. The 500, 400 and scrammies are different designs.

Like Fireslayer said nothing is bulletproof and EVERY atv has a weak point and I think the front diff is the weak point on the sp.

 

xGoatman,

I dont have 27" tires I have 25" tires but some guys are running 27". It does kill power but you notice it more on top end. Just like any other atv a bigger tire will soak up power. My first gear will hit the limiter at about 32mph. Top speed is 65 then it cuts off. When I was playing around with the 4wd I had 1 front tire off the ground and the other on a rock and the one on the rock was spinning. The power goes to the tire with the most resistance not the least resistance like limited slips. Im not saying they are great in the mud but they work pretty well in the mud. Not as good as ones with locking diffs. These guys that put the bigger tires usually put lockers in the front so they do great in the mud adn it has plenty of torque in first gear to spin the tires. Oh and also it only weighs 600lbs dry.

 

When I bought my 05 700 efi I was told by the dealer not to spin the rear tire at a high speed while in 2 wheel drive they said to exceed 30 mph faster then the fronts they said that you can cause damge because of the front has been noned to engage. They said if you are on ice you should alway run awd just to be safe.