bowtieguy,I do run Redline waterwetter. it helps a bit , I didnt have the temp gauge I now have so no acurate info till winter,. But my 700w/800 pipe and stuff runs at 190-195 all day on trail rides or mudding.My buddy has one of them neato digital point and read thermometers that we will be useing maybe tonite as I am adding heat shield to air box and trying 110 octane race gas.

 

IS the wetter in with the freeze? I noticed on the container that it does'nt make much of a difference with the freeze. But with water its a 30+ difference.

 

Within the first 100 miles of using my brand new Sportsman 450, my step-son burned his leg because the exhaust pipe had melted through the plastic exactly as you describe. There is a heat shield and some foil tape there, but with the pipe hard against the plastic, it is still an injury just waiting to happen. So it is not just the 800.

After Polaris' lack of attention to the injury and defect, and my discovery of prior problems with Polaris not addressing or reporting product defects (so others are not injured), I decided to report the unsafe product (Polaris Sportsman 450) to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). You can do the same at:

http://www.cpsc.gov/talk.html

Maybe if we all make a report, no one else will get burned.

Thanks.

 

I have heard of these heat issues more with the 800, but I don't
doubt it for the other Sportsman models. I have a 450, and
it can get real hot, I starting feeling it last time I rode really
coming up thru the seat toward the back end near where the
seat meets the rack. And yes you could of guessed it my
Big'ole fanny getting micowaved not even in the kitchen
Ohh my word "My biscuits are burning!"

Anyways in all seriousness is there anything we can do to
improvise like getting this foil tape guard and placing it further
or doubling?

Thanks,
R'

 

This is a reason of me being leary of something I buy. Polaris should be backing their product, and telling people, " you might get burned if the exhaust gets hot", and it could melt the plastic & start the machine on fire and blow up".

Instead your on your own.

 

Polaris has had issues with its quads melting plastic since day 1 in the late 80's with the first cyclone quads. You would think that a company that has been making quads in that amount of time could find away to keep their bikes from melting the plastic?!!!!

 

I just got thru emailing Polaris costumer service with these issues, and told them, that I intend on being a future customer. I also asked them to set up a technical thing, so that customers could relate their issues & try to solve them side by side with polaris techs.

I think it would go a long way to be able to get assistance, or something from the manufacturer, rather than getting the run around by a local dealer that does'nt know shicken from wild honey.

I'm not sure if they will listen, I was thinking that it would last as long as a fart in a tornado in their minds. But who knows, if so many people tell them their concerns maybe they will do something.

They would have to have a R & D, dont you think?

 

only way polaris is gonna do anything is if we all file a complaint with the CPSC( consumer product safety commision). thats what i did about a month ago and a man from cpsc came to my house and took pics and did a reprt of the issue. i told him about caaling polaris and complaining and he just laughed, he said polaris will not do anything if we as costomers call , but if cpsc calls they we jump out of there seat and do a recall, but cpsc have to get enough reports to make polaris do recall.
everyone with this issue should file a complaint with the CPSC at the link attached below

https://www.cpsc.gov/incident.html

 

Hey, while all you guys are rubbing Aloe on your legs ,also check the upper radiator hose. Mine rubbed through the plastic cover and hose on the frame while on a trail ride.I replaced the rubbed through section with copper pipe. I have seen atleast 4 other sportsmans with some sort of wear on the hose including a 800 w/ 550 mile on it.

 

Hey about these upper radiator hose issues, any reported problems with the 450 models?

This is very interesting for me as I posted in other threads of this forum trying to
trace down all my heat issue flash warnings msg. on the digital disply and some stalling.
After much research everyone informed me of block w/mud/dirt on radiator so yours
truly had some shower sessiosn with my quad, front/back/top/bottom etc. Hopefully
no more problems but now that you raise the hose problem, is this something I should
be concerned with?

Thanks,

R'