i am looking at a 2005 sportsman 700 that has 1200 miles on it.Should i be concerned with this ? how many miles will you get before rebuild if regular maintenance is done

 

It depends alot on maintenance. How well he took care of it how he rode it etc. Mileage really doesnt matter if he took good care of it. If he rode it hard and put it away wet than those are hard miles and would be more likely to break. Just check everything out, even the small places where mud gets and noone notices. Ask about how he maintained it and all that. to me 1200 miles isnt alot but thats prolly becuase my buddy has a 05 SP with 9000 miles.

 

I got 5000 miles on my 96 the top end was rebuilt (cheap) but i also rebuilt just about everything on the rest of it (not cheap) but when i bought it it was clean so i thought until i started digging and figured the thing was beat to crap.

i replaced ,new chains,tires,tie rod ends,axle bearings,steering stem bushing,swing arm bushing, 1 new sprocket,water pump and some other small things.

1200 miles is nothing if it was taken care of.

 

If 1200 miles was concidered alot I would need a new quad every 2 years LOL. Pretty pricy hobby at $7000-$9000 a pop.

 

I have an 03 Big Bear with about 1200 miles and it has already had the engine rebuilt and it needs a new front differential. I bought it used with about 400 miles on it and it was pretty beat up when I bought it. I havent been any easier on it.
The point I am trying to make is mileage is just a number, doesnt mean anything. At 1200 miles it could be like a brand new perfect quad or it could be a piece of junk. Make sure you test ride it before you purchase it and make sure it runs good and everything works properly.

 

Sorry so long…….I have a 08 700 X2 that I got in May of last year and it has just over 800 miles in it. and my last ATV was a 500 Sportsman with 4800 on it when I sold it with the only repairs were on parts that just ware out. I will say the guys I ride with are P/M freaks. We ride in a place here in FL that is ether severely dry or under water you can see pictures of it on utube under ATV Scottsmore or 5a ATV. Im not one to take my ATV into deep water but a good run through the mud is fun. As a group we have helped a bunch of our friends buy used bikes and this is some of the things to look for. Look to see that the owner has greased the ATV by looking at all the grease fitting for residual grease that has squeezed out, Ck the tie rod ends that there not lose by slightly moving the handle bars back and forth and that the front tires are moving with your moves with no to very little slop. This will also tell you if the steering shaft has issues. Look at the brake rotors for metal to metal ware. Check the fuel filter for water or just excessive junk in it. Pull any dip sticks to see if the oil is milky as this maybe water contamination in the oil. (Do this after its hot). Test ride on pavement to see if it pulls. Make sure with this the tire air pressure is even as that will cause it to pull. If possible bring a compact flashlight and try to shine it through the radiator to see if clogged with mud. You can fined the cleanest ATV but if the rad is clogged you can bet its been in heavy mud or very dirty water. There is a bunch more to check but this will tell you if the man kept up with preventive maintenance. Even used ATV are expensive, not to say anything about parts. But the last thing you want is to break down 20 miles from the truck or to be doing repairs when you could be riding. For wht its worth !! with good P/M 1200 is no issue. One more thing check the CB boots good!!!

 

I just boke 2000 miles on my 2005 700 EFI this weekend... I have replaced a belt and 1 bolt in the rear hub... other than that it runs and drives PERFECT... And if you were to take a look at my photo album you will see that I am not really easy on my machine ;-) Come on, you buy them to ride em. I just ride mine a little harder