I am very new to the ATV world. I have about 8 hours total on my Polaris Predator 500, or any ATV for that matter. So of course there will be crazy questions from me. I appreciate any answers.

Recently, well yesterday I took my first spill. Bent my throttle hand lever thingy. Does it matter what kind I get to replace it? Is there different kinds? Maybe this one fits on a Polaris, and this one fits on a Honda? Also would it be easy for me to fix it myself? Im pretty good at mechanical aspects of things.

Another question I have is, I broke part of the plastic on my Polaris. Where the Screw, meets the plastic to go into the actual atv. It isnt obvious, and you have to actually look for it to see it. But I'm wondering if there is a way to go about getting new, or ordering new plastic?

Also how are Polaris in the water? I went through around 2-4ft water, and everything was fine. Then we went through some creeks not even a foot deep, and it seemed to stall? Well I appreciate any help I can get. Thanks!

 

ttt

 

Do you mean you bent the front brake lever? You can get aftermarket ones that are tougher, but expensive. Or just go back to the dealer for a new one. Shouldn't be to hard to replace though. If you mean the throttle lever itself, it may be easier to get OEM. They are not that hard to replace either. I know earlier Preds have a water aversion like you mention. The solution is to reroute a vent hose or two. Try a search and you should be able to find a solution to your stalling problem.

 

Sounds like you need to take it easy.......the predator is a quick, fast race quad.....not really made for beginner riders.....so be careful, and take it easy for a while. The plastic should be fine, unless it isn't real secure for some reason.....I have no clue where you said it was broken(be more specific)........The throttle....get a predator one from the dealer.....or order one online.

As for the stalling, reroute the vent hoses off the carb to a higher location........you are getting water in there, creating a vaccum so to speak.


Also, make sure you keep up on the oil changes.......I usually recommend: First 1 or 2 hrs, change.......then around 8hrs......and then every 12-20(depending on how hard you ride....12 being a full racer).....

Keep it greased up, especially the axle, if you are riding in water......otherwise, you'll have problems real soon!!!

 

no. I bent the front clutch lever. The lever on the left, like when you shift gears! lol. Sorry im very new to this sport. I'll go for the tough one, thats pricey. The Marines pay me good, lol. Yeah it didnt like water at all. I mean I had someone look at it, when it was parked for the night, and one of the cables for the battery was loose, so he thinks it is that, but I dunno. I have read elsewhere where they are not very water friendly. I'll just stay out of the water from now on. Im not exactly that knowledgable to be re routing anything.

Oh I of course take it easy, and no my limits, believe me ! I just had a misjudged turn I did, which caused me to fly. I know im a beginner, but I also wanted something for when I get decent at it, to be able to keep up with the crowd. So thats why I chose predator 500. Your right, its fast; i love it. How do I go about ordering or seeing what kind of plastic fits mine? What kind of grease, and type of lubricants do you all recommend? I could read the instruction booklet all day, but experienced riders know what works best. Ok here is propably dumb question of the year. How do you all keep track of hours? Just by your own judgment?

 

If it is the clutch lever, you can get those aftermarket all day long and they are basically universal. I probably wouldn't spring for the expensive one unless you think you may be breaking them often... Rerouting the vent hoses shouldn't be a big deal, if you can replace the clutch lever you can do that! Just get a schematic, figure out which tubes to move, then put them higher up on the frame somewhere. Or search around and see what others have done. Likewise, I would leave the plastic for now, it gets all scratched and banged up quickly anyway, especially if you are just learning and might be having little "accidents" from time to time[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] WHat you can do though, is take a small drill bit, and drill a whole wherever a crack terminates. The hole helps to dissipate pressure on the plastics and prevents the crack from spreading.

Crack ------------
Drill stopped crack o---------o

It is kind of like rip stop material in the BDU's. There are several companies that sell plastic for your Pred, Maier, Laker Custom, Polaris, and Fullbore probably has about the best looking stuff, but you are going to pay! As for oil, just make sure it is designed for a motorcycle style clutch and you should be fine. Regular car oil will cause your clutch to slip and wear out prematurely. The other stuff, start off with what Polaris recommends and go from there.