Im getting ready to buy my first atv.97polaris sportsman 400 4wd for 750. runs excelent. needs a tie rod and battery. are these a decent atv.picking it up friday

 

As with any 16 year old machine expect to find things that need to be addressed along with the tie rod and battery. The engines and transmissions are strong. This was the second year model,improvements had been made,but there were still some areas that Polaris was experimenting on. The rear brakes (mounted on the transmission) at times had problems along with the u-joint drives shafts. Also it was in the year range 1996-2000 that had some problems on excessive cam wear.ALL depends on how it was maintained, BUT don't let this stop you from buying it especially if it's a clean machine. There are plenty of 96-97 Sportsman 500s still running around today. A good manual is suggested to keep up with maintenance and fluids. Here's a pdf service manual until you get a hard cover one if you wish to. Index of /ORV Manuals/Polaris/1996-1998 - All Models

 

Thanks for being helpfull. doctor said i couldnt dragrace enymore. and he told me i had ms. so i whent and got a atv

 

Wish you well,hope you have fun!