hey there. i am looking to purchase a used sportsman here in tucson, az from a non-dealer. have done some looking around on craigslist trying to see whats available and would like to get some questions answered to help with my decision. many of the questions are probably very basic to frequent users, but i have no idea. so as much help as possible would be appreciated.

i am looking to purchase no older than 2002-2003......

what mileage is high/ low for quad per year usage??? hours????

what is typical basic maintenance (as compared to cars needing maintenance every 3k)???

what about less frequent services (clutch, throttle, chain, driveshaft, etc??))???

what should i consider as i shop around???

any help would be greatly appreciated

thanks, chad

 

Maintenance isn't bad. I can't answer all the questions but I have some advice. Look close at <u>everything</u>. The rubber on the ends of the rear stabilizer bar linkage gets torn on old ones. I wish I had a better way to describe it. Just look for rubber bushings that may be torn. Check for play in the steering and anything that just doesn't look right too. If you get it, there are guys here who can answer all of your mechanical questions if you run into trouble.

 

Sit on it and pull up on the handle bars, do they move up? (bushings/bearings)
Is there play from side to side with the wheels/tires not moving? (tie rod ends)
If they will allow it remove the clutch cover and look at the belt, and clutches. (belt not shiny, missing parts, shreaded. clutch, not too shiny)
Pull out the pull starter and feal the rope is it wet? is it brown? (water in starter housing)
If possible use an ATV lift and put all 4 tires in the air and see how it responds in 2wd and AWD, in 2wd all tires may rotate, but you can stop the fronts by touching them, in AWD all should move and you should not be able to stop them.
At the front and rear of ATV pull up on rack and see if the ATV lifts up on the shocks, if it does too much the spings are in need of replacement.
Check the speedometer, they are prone to fail every 3-4 years.
Does it pull strong off the line in low? High?
Make sure all CV-boots are intact and there should not be any clicking coming from any of the joints.
Let it run for a while and get the fan to run and check the sound, does it sould like it is full of crap (like mine) or is it clean? Does it never run?

Would any of this keep me from buying a used 2001-2003 Sportsman? Nope I have fixed all of this. Just offer less.
I purchased a 2000 in 2003 and have had to replace/repair my share, but not too much that I would not have done it. The only thing I would change is I would have gotten a 2001+ to get the HO engine. Also not sure when they changed the steering, but my 2000 is much more difficult to steer than a friends 2003.

I change my oil every year, prolly should twice a year, but I don't. I am not sure about mileage/hours, the speedo was non-functioning on mine when I got it, so who knows how many miles she has on her. When I bought it, I replaced every bit of fluid in it just so that I could say it was all good.

Steve

 

I would never buy a used quad from a stranger.

Look into the Polaris financing on a new quad. Their deals might be hard to beat.

 

I agree with sheepdog; For the price a new one is, you can't go wrong. Read some of these posts and you'll bet an idea of how some guys treat their machines. Could be the one you're looking at.

 

Watch ATV videos on youtube and you'll want a new ATV.

 

I'm on my fourth used ATV...one honda, two yami's and my current polaris. Of the four I've had to put money into one...$350, clutch(yami), and I knew that when purchased.

Nothing wrong with a used ATV if you do your home work, inspect the machine, have a certified tech look it over if you need to.

Saying never buy a used ATV is like saying never buy a used car, truck, snowmobile or motorcycle...never buy a used anything for that matter?? I can look at Utube right now and find thousands of vids on each of the above mentioned.

Looking at used anything is pretty straight forward...does it look beat? Does it look like it's been taken care of? If there's any doubt in your mind, pass on it.

I'm **** when it comes to buying used, you should be as well. I've only purchased pristine machines, excellent condition purchased from old timers or those I knew without a doubt took care of the machine. My current machine I purchased from a one owner, 82 year old man...he took care of it and I can gaurantee NEVER beat it. This thing looked new, not a scratch.

Point is, don't be afraid of a used ATV. Research, look it over and buy from the right seller and you'll be fine...I looked at about 15 ATV's before buying this one...and yes, 10 of them were USED, you could tell! But, the other 5 were well taken care of, I narrowed it down to 3 and worked on prices, ended up getting a great deal on a very nice machine. That's what it takes to insure your getting a quality machine.

If you're not going to get **** about it, you may be best served to buy new. But if you have the time, common sense and resources...no reason a used machine won't give you many years of service.

 

I bought one used car in my life and it was a piece of $%^& that was previously wrecked, but I didn't see anything wrong with it and the dealer said it was a good car. It took awhile to start findng things wrong, like the wheels being bent out of shape but not having a mark on the outside of them, only on the inner edge. I never even thought about looking at that. Later on I found worse things too. There are so many things that could potentially be wrong it's hard to think of everything when you inspect it. People tend to abuse quads more than cars so you need to be even more cautious. I would only buy anything used from someone I know and trust, which narrows it down to just a few people.

 

thanks for the input. the quad i am looking to purchase has 90 hours of use on it by an older gentleman who says he seldomly took it off pavement......i am also having them inspected before purchase. thanks again

 

I guess it comes down to knowing what your looking at...fender supports/stock bolts, cross members, radiator suppoorts, inner fender walls/stock color/aftermarket, struts, trunk floor/stock adhesive, pull the rear/front light housing, look inside...these are just a few things to look at/for. Try a creeper, never take someones word for it?? In the end, take it to a certified mechanic or body shop if your not sure, they can tell in a hurry and it doesn't cost much, if anything to do a inspection.

Know what your looking at and looking for. Surely your not the first to unknowingly buy a crashed vehicle, but the evidence is right there for the ones that know what to look for.

You've had bad luck. I've had good luck, but again know what to look for. Same goes for cars or atv's.

All vehicles/atv's aren't crashed or beaten. I know just as many guys that drive their ATV's like sissy's, go around the mud as guys that "beat" theirs.

Not everyone has the money or wants to spend the money for NEW everything. If your smart about your used purchases you'll be fine, like me. If you don't take the correct precausions or make quick purchases, your asking for trouble.

I guess I don't get the "used is junk" theory?

In the end if your not sure and want to make sure, take it to a certified mechanic. Simple. The cost to inspect isn't much and could potentially save you money.