2013 sportsman 500. should I bother with skid plates? the ones on my 01 seemed to hold more mud than anything, and I was never really sure if they protected anything anyways, the whole bottom is pretty solid. I do drag over logs and bang the odd rock, but structurally do they add anything?

 

I do not bother with them, just because I feel the oem skid plate is more than enough.

 

 

I find they are handy, they can withstand the rocks and boulders a lot better then the white metal of the bottoms of the crankcase and differentials can.

 

The sportsmans have a factory skid plate. Adding another just adds a mud and snow/salt trap.

 

If it comes with a good thick plastic skid plate or a metal one, I'd just watch it to see if it's getting worn out. Once it wears, get one.

 

it comes with one? seriously never new that, what year did they start that?

 

I pick it up this wknd so havent been able to look

 

The skid plates on my 2001 Sportsman 500 that guards the bottom of the motor and diffs are welded right on I think as part of the frame itself from front to back..
Even if I wanted to take them off I would need a cutting torch or a grinder to do it .

Here is what it looks like from stock when I tried to climb a tree.

They are steel and will never wear out.
Did they cheap out on newer Sporstman's skidplates now?

 

We had a 2006 Sporstman X2 500. That one came with the full metal skidplate. The other quad we owned at the time was a 2005 ATP 500 HO. That quad had a full length plastic skid plate. I guess you have to look at them now to know.

Both or our Can-Ams came with a plastic skid plate that wasn't nearly as strong as the one the ATP had.