Are there any problems with the 2004 sportsman 600 twin and how would it compare in terms of durability and longevity with the 500? I've hear the twin is smooth, but not really a significant power boost. What about model or engine issues? I did hear about the carb recall/change on the 600. Thanks guys!

 

The 600 is a twin engine made by lliberty and the 500 is a single made by Fuji heavy Industries. The 600 is not going to be as reliable, dependable, or durable as the 500. It will as you said be smooth as it is a parallel twin. It does not not have anymore power to speak of than the 500. I do not know the exact numbers except that the sp500ho puts out 38hp. Again this is a fuji motor and fuji is known for making big numbers out of small engines. Take the Subaru car for example. They are built by Fuji and they have 4 cylinder engines pumping out of 300hp. There was such an unnoticable diff in the two that Polaris dropped the 600 during the beggining of 2005. Also, there are more performance mods available for the 500, and it's a very simple engine to modify, more so than the twins. The 500 has the capability of being modified to put out more than the 600 also. With this all being said, the 600 is a great machine, but if your deciding between the 500 and 600, go for the 500. it will last forever and a day.

 

Textrout, if you like to play in the mud and snow or hill climb, the extra torque and HP of the 600 will stand out from the 500. In a drag race it will be about even.

The 500's do have a back-up pull start and the reliable reputation of the Fuji motor. All the performance mods out for the 700's are the same for the 600's and the little twin responds very well to performance mods. I have over 900 miles on my 600 and it's been pretty much "gas & go".

The 600 have been phased out of production but are built with the same parts as the 700's minus the crank, rods and pistons. If you can beat up the dealer on the price, it's worth a test ride. The 500 is also a good quad and the back-up pull start is something I would like to see on the twins, but never needed it. Yet.

 

when I bought my 600 it was near the price of a 500 so it was a no brainer for me, two cylinders are better than one. the 600 has 42 hp to the 500's 38, not a big deal at only 8%, however, according to Polaris it has 25% more torque.

aside from the carb update, which was to improve warm up time and drive away performance, I have had no trouble with mine. my only complaint is the fuel economy or lack thereof, I'm sure the 500 is way more conservative.

I don't mind the lack of a pull start, I take good care of it, if there was any doubt in my mind I would replace the batt. going on two years and it fires on first revolution every time with original batt. the 600 has hydraulic valves that never need adjustment, the 500's need periodic adjustment. I also prefer the motor oil and life blood of my engine to be contained within the motor itself with a metal oil pan. I don't like the idea of the 500's plastic external oil reservior and associated plumbing, take a look at where it is mounted, right in the wheel well. what if a good size stick or a rock gets kicked up in there? because of this tank, oil changes can be a hassle with the worry of keeping the prime.

for me it's the 600, less/easier maintenance, more torque.