ok its cold as hell up here this morning and I have read and searched this a bit but not really found much.
i don't often use my 05 500 in this weather but when i do I let it idle for a few minutes, then abrutly bring the rpm up in neutral to 5000 of so for 30 seconds to warm the drive belt.

Doing this on my 96 400 results in a easy drive away in low range. However the 05 does not seem to repond to this attempt to loosen the belt up. When i go to drive ok the bike has little power to pull itself and requires 5500 to 6000 rpm to get it to move, after 200 ft or so it seem to get to normal.
The bike works fine except in extreme cold and has always been this way. i don't believe there is anything wrong with it. 1200 miles, 300 hours, never had the belt off.
Is the belt just harder on these models and need more then 30 seconds to loosen up in neutral when cold or what am I missing.
The way it drives off when cold would leaved me to believe the belt and secondary do not turn when reving the engine in neutral.
Ken

 

so it works fine when the outside temp is in the 50s?

just a quess but id check the belt. and the clutch. take the cover off and have a look.

 

I agree with Chuck. Take the cover off and have a look at what's going on. You should be able to see if it's a clutch or belt issue pretty quickly.

 

Guess I should try removing the cover and parking it out in the cold. Watch and see what happens, I just can't help but think the belt should be smokin the way it acts, yet I never smell rubber. It works pretty normal down to 0 far.

The engine revs fine so the clutch should engage and spin the secondary.

I do this on my old bike and it drives away like you just parked it aside from the flat spots on the tires.
Ken

 

Have to agree with the others. My 05 800 saw plenty of subzero use with no issues so it sounds like your clutch isn't engaging properly.

 

In the cold weather belts just like anything else get stiff and dont want to flex as easy. If it works fine after driving it 200 ft I think it is fine. You will find that with atv and snowmobiles after the system gets warmed up it will operate smoother and better. Different models can use different belts which are made up of different copounds of rubber which will act differently if different temps. I live in northern MN and ride a lot in the winter. If it still acts funny after warming it up and actually drivning for a few minutes then you could have a belt issue. In my opinion in 200 ft its not enough time to get everything loosened up. Just try to be easy on it for the first few minutes.

 

I do take it easy and am pretty familiar with the belt drives, been helping sleds turn their tracks at -30 by turning the secondary by hand, using jackstands etc.
Just seems to me with it in neutral in the transfer case 30 seconds or so off 5000 rpm should limber up the belt enough that the machine would want to drive away kinda decent instead of acting like its pulling a 1000 lb trailer up a 20% slope with the clutches full of water. ( ok that may be a bit of exageration but you get the pic)
Worried that I'm going to smoke a flat spot on the belt.
Ken

 

if it's taking that many rpm's to move then you have a problem. 6000 rpms your almost maxing out the engine. if you were to put it in low range and take off it wouldnt take mor then 1500 rpm's. i would be checking it it out for sure it doesn't get that stiff on the belt. imo

 

I have a 03 sportsman 600. I run mine in these temps with no problems. I just let it idle in park for 5 to 10 minutes before taking off. Mine is a little cold blooded so it does take some attension to keep it idling but after it's warmed up I'm good to go.

 

To hell with the machine, how do you ride the damn thing that cold???????????????