so my 97 sportsman 500 had no power at all ,but then we cleaned the carb and now it goes 55-60mph and power is there except when taking off from a stop. when i pin it in high gear from a dead stop, it won't even spin tires. It doesn't rev high it just slowly goes, then all of a sudden it revs higher and goes like hell. we recently did clutch work and we tried adjusting the carb to fix the problem but didn't help much. i'm wondering is the carb not cleaned enough, not adjusted right? or clutch prob? what do you think?

 

Did you replace worn clutch parts,clutch buttons,ramp buttons for the rear clutch,etc? Was rear drive clutch helix tensioned properly on the spring? New drive belt also? If speed builds up slowly,but tops out at 55-60 still sounds like possible clutch problem. Excess fuel in the carb(if you didn't replace the needle and seat,float arm worn,misadjusted) also could cause the hesitation,would pick up speed as it was able to take the fuel. Did you check the valve setting (.006 intake and exhaust)? Plus this is one of the bad years on exhaust cam lobe wear.Could be any of the above causing problems.
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yes we replaced the buttons, drive belt etc. idk if we adjusted it, do you do that when you put it back together? also if it were the clutch it would still rev higher wouldn't it? btw the first night i took it out it had no power at all when taking off, but the second night it seemed abit better when i took it for a ride. why is this?

 

Just to get past the clutch part:When you replaced the ramp buttons in the rear clutch did you preload the helix and clutch sheath 1/3 turn before you replaced the washer and circlip? Holding the top clutch sheath,does the bottom sheath turn and snap back? OPT

 

i'm not sure lol

 

Probably why it takes so long to build up speed! Best to have a manual if you're not sure! Look at the "sticky"threads in this section about a manual for your model and see if the "clutch section" will help you out. OPT

 

if it were the clutch wouldn't it still rev higher?

 

I'm just guessing since you're not sure about the clutches,especially if the rear clutch is assembled correctly?,could just be a carb problem?? Remove the clutch cover and while in neutral rev the engine and see if the front clutch closes inward,the belt will rise upward and the rear clutch should open and the belt should go lower down into the clutch. Plus with the engine off, hold the outer sheath of the rear clutch and see if the inner clutch sheath will snap back when you turn it counter clockwise and let go.If this seems alright,then the problem could be somewhere else. OPT

 

i was tired of fooling around with it, so i took it to the polaris dealer this morning. they can figure it out, i will probably spend more money but i want to ride already.

 

Post back with the results so it could help others. Good luck. OPT