I was installing my winch this past weekend and in my endevours I saw a fairly heavy red wire near the rear of my 05 Sportsman 400.

It is a fairly heavy (around 8 ga.) red wire. It ends with a metal adaptor that is coated with a yellow sheath. Looks like it goes back to the starter maybe...

Anyone have any info what this wire is and what it is used for?

Please post any info. Thanks a lot!

 

is your bike prewired for a winch? if it is then its to power the winch.

 

Ya, that what I was thinking. I couldn't find any pre-wirinf for the front winch though.

And, that rear one seems to be going straight to the starter motor. I didn't trace it exactly because it was -20 so... but at quick glance that seemed to be the case.

Maybe for jump starting the "starter" and by passing the battery if it went on ya on the trail?

Any ideas?

 

definately the winch power wire - when tracing mine back it looked like it was going to the starter but it goes on the the front and ends under the right side where the winch contactor goes - its right there for the winch - cut the yellow "tape" off and hook it up to the battery -

in fact it sould be wrapped with whit tape along route somewhere and it will say winch right on it - mine was labeled that way

you said you were installing a winch - what power wire did you use?

 

oh ok, that is the one then. Thanks for the help.

I used the wire that came with the winch. It's a 4 ga. Just ran it straight back to the battery and bolted it into the side ports. I like the Polaris battery for that feature.

Where is the other end of that wire then? One side at the battery and then comes out...?

 

if your bike is a prewired for a winch,look up under the right front wheel on the frame rail and you should see 2 bolt tin plate w/ holes on the bottom. unbolt this plate and you'll see a black plastic cover over a premolded set of heavy gauge wires winch should bolt right onto the winch contacter which bolts to that tin plate w/ 4 bolts. thats the other end of the wire.