The SP500 does have a nicer ride which is provided by the IRS. This nice rides comes at a cost, there is additional maintenance (grease zerks)& the IRS weighs more.

Seperate brake controls are very important when ascending or descending steep hills. Polaris has 1 hand braking. The Rubicon has the more durable metal racks whereas the Polaris has plastic racks.

Rubicon has the best transmission in the industry. Polaris has come a long way to make its belt drive tranny waterproof. Rubicon you don't have to ride bow legged because the tranny sticks out onto the floor boards.

Honda has better resale & reliability.

SP500HO did win a shootout over the Rubicon, Suzuki & Magnum. The only ones missing from the shoot out were the AC & Traxter. The SP500 should handle the AC but it would be interesting to see what the Traxter would bring to the plate.

 

I'm afraid I am gonna re-open a can of worms here, but I would go for the Polaris, although the Rubicon seems like a logical second choice.

I have one of those 'bulletproof' Honda 300s. So does my brother. We also had 2 'bulletproof' Big Red 3 wheelers years ago (among some other machines). One Big Red and one Fourtrax 300 had the top ends go bad in them. My brother's Fourtrax was only 2 years old when it happened. Just got too hot, overheated the oil, and the rest, as they say is history. I am not blaming Honda, as we likely just worked it too hard doing things with it beyond its capabilities.
My Polaris Xplorer has already double the miles his first Fourtrax had when it needed $2000 worth of engine work with nothing gone wrong with it yet. The difference is it is liquid cooled.
I am not trying to badmouth Honda, for they are as solid a machine you can get as long as you stay within its design limits. If you occasionally exceed the limits, the Polaris may be better.
99% of the complaints against Polaris from the old days are no longer valid.
The rattly steering has been upgraded, there are more & more shaft drive models, the Sportsman rear knuckle joints have been replaced with stronger CV joints, the electrical system is better sealed. The list goes on. I think they are getting so close to the same in quality that you won't get burned either way you go.

I know I will hear about how many 10 and 15 year old Hondas are still out there running vs. Polaris of that vintage. Of course they will be. For the same reason there are more people in their 30s that were born before 1970 than after. There were more made back then.

 

I dont want to tick anyone off here, but what's the deal with you all knocking my chain drive? IT MAY REQUIRE slightly more maintenance, but with polaris's concentric system, i can go around 3-4 weeks riding super aggressively without haveing to tighten it up, and it is more resposive tehn the shaft. Both systems have there ups, and downs, but the chains don't have quite as many downs as you all seem to think.
just my 2 cents/.

 

bowtiepu,

I am not quite sure where you are coming from on this frame problem? or this brake and bearing problem? I am assuming you read the story about some guy going into a dealership getting told that the Ruby's frame busts. You cant believe it, the Ruby hasnt even been out long enough for the dealer to have a quote on the quality of a Rubicon. Honda is still the most reliable company out there, I think alot of people would agree, even some non-biased Polaris riders would have to agree. If you want to bust a frame you are going to have to drop it off a silo. This brake problem you talk of? Is it because it has drum brakes? you dont like them i take it, and you must not like NOT having to grease your bearings either. i dont see any of these as problems, just inconviences to yourself. Polaris and Honda are both battling for the top spot. So far, Honda stays on top. Thank You

 

I've had my scrambler for six months of hard trail riding and never had to tighten the chain,
I was going to tighten it but it was still at the manuals specs.
An o-ring chain is "pre streched" there should be no need to tighten it.

2000 SCRAMBLER 400 2X4

SCRAMDADDY400

 

i was trying to show that both manufacturers have problems,not trying to bash honda or any other quad,they can all have problems..polaris has definitely gotten better

 

I have one of the "legendary" TRX300FW, the thing steers like a piano and runs like it's chained to a tree. I wish that I had done a little more research into four wheelers bfore I bought it. I'm hoping that Polaris will put the 500 H.O.into the Magnum for 2002, I'll be the first one in line for one.

 

Honda 300 4x4,

I think you're just tired of getting shown up by Polaris quads, so you come in here with your lame,"my 300 Honda can beat my friends 425 Polaris (yeah right!)" story to try and keep more of 'em from showing up on the trails with you.

Come on man, you sound like you have a classic case of Polaris envy. It's alright. My grandpa used to swear up and down that an outhouse was the only way to go. Now he loves all the luxuries the year 2000 has to offer and doesn't cringe at the sight of a corn cob anymore. Same thing applies to the technology in ATV's. Get yourself a Polaris and step out of the outhouse and into the future.

 

I also have the chain drive and have never had a problem out of it in the 3 years I've owned it. I've had to replace the rear chain once but the other two are still original and are in fine shape.

I knew a guy who was the service manager for the Polaris dealership here and he said that when the Scramblers went to the shaft drive up front they gave up a couple of ponies to the wheels in the process. Chains are the most effecient way to delivery power. Shaft is the most reliable and maintenace free. Gotta give up something either way. Polaris chose a few ponies over the headache of maintaining three chains on one quad.

 

I think the word your looking for is "intimidation"

LONG LIVE POLARIS!!!

2000 SCRAMBLER 400 2X4

SCRAMDADDY400