So... my sportsman is great. Never had a problem, use it every single day (I live off grid on a 200 acre ranch). Only thing is.... when I use the winch for more than one pull (trust me, it happens a lot out here) it drains the battery to where the warning light starts to flash, then kills it. If I let it run for a while, it will recharge... but I'd really like to have the power output to run the winch as much as I'd like. Anyone got an idea? I work on my own cars, but never messed with an atv.

 

Weak stator? Weak battery? Short in the winch?

Hard to say. Have you tested the battery when it's fully charged, and then done a load test on it?

 

i have the same problem. iv thought about adding a second battery. but the altinator wont keep up wit the demand. plus the batterys arent really big. i also thought about seeing if i can get a bigger battery. but check yout battery. how old is the battery?

 

these bikes have only a 3 to 500 watts of out put. its just not enough to generate that much juice. the winch is the batteries worst problem as it is running strickly off the battery. if its a long pull and or its used alot it could easily drain the battery down. now that being said, is the winch hooked up correctly thru the contacter, is it a old battery, is any of the cables going to the winch chaffed and rubbing bear wires on metal shrting a little while in use? its not good to have that battery light come on for sure. do you keep the bike reved up a little whlie winching? its biggest out put of wattage is around 3,000 rpms.

 

Does anybody make a higher output alternator for quads?

 

on an old ute i had i put a seperate battery box on the rack and added a car battery inline. on an old big red i put a battery in the storage box.

 

i bought a batt. maintiner...

 

Thanks for the replies. The bike is less than a year old, as is the battery. I've checked all the connections and wires, and nothing seems abnormally worn. This problem first happened the first time I used the winch, which was the first day it was installed. My buddy got stuck about 300 feet down the side of our mountain, and with only 50 ft. of line.... I realized really quick what was happening. My thought ( like MooseHenden asked) was to replace the alternator with one that has a higher output. I've looked a bit and can't find one. Anyone have a suggestion where to look? Of if one is even made?

 

Maybe try a google search for high output polaris stator. rmstator.com or rickystator.com comes to mind. I have never had fault with my sp800 running winch & it does get used. I also never had trouble with my 500. If only does it with winch that may be suspect. They will draw 150A at full load. What is your batt voltage @ 3000 rpm should be about 14.5. Batteries do tend to go bad.

 

My friends does the same thing when plowing, he thinks buying a more expensive battery with the highest AH (Amp Hours) rating would help alot.

Short driveways with lots of short runs will drain the battery more than long driveways were you do not lift and lower the blade so often.