I'd like to know how many Polaris 98 and 99 Sportsman owners are out here?Please inform me of your repair problems, and the amount of miles you have on your 4x4.Let me know if you've had NO problems too.I'd like to know what you use your 4x4 for as well,[work-play or both]How often do you change your oil and filter?Please give me your HONEST opionion of your quad.Thanks----BILL

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Bill, my ’99 Sportsman was bought the end of April this year. It has just over 1100 miles on it now. I replaced the rear pads and rotor at 550. After having two other Sportsmans that went almost 1000 without needing brakes (the ’97 didn’t even have EBS) this was a real surprise to me and it got bad enough that the rotor needed to be replaced before I caught it. However my dealer warranteed both the pads and the rotor. Brakes again all around at 1100 miles (last week). I replaced a loose right outer tie rod end last weekend, also warranteed. I use Polaris oil and filters, changed first at 250, again at 750 and will every 500 miles after that. We ride every other weekend and put on up to 150 miles a ride. The air prefilters get washed after each weekend we ride (having a couple “spares” is nice, then you just swap them while the washed ones dry). I grease, check fluids and inspect (particularly the CV boots and axle seals) every other ride; that’s once a month or between 100-300 miles. Where we ride there’s no sand. On every trip we cross rapidly flowing rivers that have been rack-deep but are usually only about 6” over the floorboards, and water-filled mud holes just as deep. (I’ve never had a belt slip due to water but once had the problem with snow) Our usual terrain is mud, water, swampy, hilly and rocky. We sometimes find ourselves picking through rock fields, and after the BIG wind a month ago we’ve been doing lots of log-hoping. We choose this area BECAUSE of the diverse terrain.

My honest opinion? Well, after three Sportsmans and the two Magnums my wife has had, that about says all I need to say. Polaris products, and my excellent dealer, have treated me right (so far).

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FloodRunner, on the Wisconsin River

I got my '99 500 in April, I have about 300 miles on it now. Changed oil and filter at 250, clean air filter regularly, give it a good washing after every ride, grease all fittings every other ride. As I've posted before, both mine and my bro-in-laws (his was bought at the same time) have gone thru rear pads. His first set went at 70 miles, the second at 300. Mine went at around 200. He's gone thru 3 torn black bushings in the rear suspension (the ones that look like they are squashed) I just recently noticed 2 or 3 of mine are ripping(one pretty bad). As far as the engine, they both run great. I do rough trail riding, I don't baby it at all, I also use it around the yard for hauling or dragging heavy items(pulled out a large tree stump no problem). I read your problems, and I know alot of SP500 owners, none have had problems like yours. Its got to be a rare incident. If the rest of the ATV is sound, you should try to get a brand new engine out of them, don't bother with the one you have, it doesn't sound like its worth the effort.

Had 2 98's until they were stolen,got one back,so now have 98&99.No problems with either one,haven't had brake problems.Knock on wood.98 has over 1500 miles 99 little over 1000,change oil at 500 then every 1000,grease once year.Clean air filters each time we go out.We really give them run for the money,ride some real rough areas.Most of our riding is rocks some mud an water throwed in for good measure.We ride with 8 500,s dont know of any major problems with any of them.Talked to guy in the hills this weekend had 2 500's said no problems.Said he bought his because lot of his buddies have them an were happy.

Corn, I HIGHLY RECCAMEND greasing more than just once a year.

YOU GUYS,keep up the postings on the Sportsmans.We even want to include the Magnums in on this report.I need to gather as much evidence from this forum that I can.XGZX,[member]You mentioned my 4x4 being a rare incident,thanks,I agree.That is exactly my point for this forum.I need to gather as much testimonals on your Sportsmans and Magnums as possible and submit them to my lawyer.You guys can guess whats going to happen from there. THANKS BILL

Bill; I have a Magnum 500 now and have been a Polaris owner since 1994 have had no major problems with any of them . The 500 is about a year old soon to have 1000 miles on it and I have not had any problems with it not even a screw loose. I service 6 sportsman 500s 1of the 6 has had some parts failures in the driveline but it is a early model machine and its owner is a big guy who is rough on his equipment. The other 5 have had routine maintanence and brake work done pretty well on schedule. Most of these are 97 models also 1 is a 98. I change my oil at 500 miles clean the air filter as neccesary and grease after any ride in water which here is about every trip. I likly take a little better care of mine than what would be considered average.

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Kevin Gowdy aka Kagey 1999 Polaris Magnum 500



[This message has been edited by Kagey (edited 09-07-1999).]

Bill, My S500 is a 98 bought in February of 98. Now have 3800 relatively hard miles of all 4 seasons driving in N.E. Pa. Lots of water, mud, coal silt, etc..
Maintenance consists of oil, full greasing (thanks floodrunner for the grease needle tip) every 3 months. I also grease the Ujoints twice in 3 months. All three brakes replaced by dealer at 1st service-850 miles. He is good and used the severe duty pads on the rear, they don't yet make the fronts this style, but I think EBC does. I had to replace the rear pads again at 3300 miles, the fronts were good as new.

Teh quad had an annoying "groan" in the rear end which the dealer could not find (he really did try). Greasing the slip joints through the boots (floodrunner's deal) immediately cured the problem, so I just continue to do it. Actually, I think Polaris screwed up when they eliminated the grease fitting in late 97. The slip joint is supposed to be greased for life, but NOT!

Tires are the ususal OEM low end.

I changed all the fluids again at 3300 miles and everything looked very OK.

One lession - the design of most Polaris plastic is such that if you really splash into water, you get ingestion into the intake. The airbox fills up and with the paper filter, you have a real mess. Problem solved, well sort of, by replacing the stock air filter with UNI. The foam type, when properly oiled will not allow water into the carb. I've had the distinct pleasure of proving this theory several times.

The engine is strong, but could be so much stronger if allowed to breathe properly. The UNI helps but jet kit is next.

Overall, the easy top quad in its class. Maybe Honda will come up with something better this thursday!

Bill,
I bought my 99 SP 500 in March I have almost 1000 miles on it now. I've never changed the oil, but will now that I have 1000 on it. I give it a little shot grease it about every 200 miles to the suspension and the U-joints every 350 or so. ( If I pressure wash it Every thing gets a little shot a grease.)
Now for repairs At 300 miles I lost what is the equilivent of a transfer case for the 4x4. $300 for that one. Other than that I love it.
My buddy has a 98 SP 500 with just over 1600 on it the only thing He had trouble with is belts. We ride the same trails at the same pace, put them in low range on the same hills etc. and he will smoke a belt. The clutches are all adjusted right to specs. However When we put the 99 Sp belt cover(larger vent tube and snorkel) on the bike,he has'nt had any problems with it.....so far.

Jeremy
PS: Put both of these bike down for aggressive riding. and sorry to hear about the troubles you've had with yours.

Bill, bought my "99" SP500 new July 1st. Don't get to ride much. Got it to just ride and use it on a hunting club I am in, 6500 acers(rough acers). I make my own trails in the cutover areas with cutover growth from 2 feet to 4 feet with rocks and fallen logs. Also on the trails I spend most of my time either going up or down and some of it is very rocky. The hills are steep in places. No mud yet hasn't rained in along time,but it is very dusty.
The "99" SP500 has 117 miles and 22 hours on it. Keep it washed mostly with a garden hose on low. Put armor all on it and mudd off on it(although haven't been in mud). Wash the pre-filter air filter every time out.Changed Oil and oil filter at 20 hours per/manual for break in change. Used Polaris oil and filter. Checked all fluids,added about a cup of polaris pre/mix coolant no leaks.Greased it once, found one u-joint in front axle with little or no grease in it. One bolt came out of the valve cover bottom coner next to gear shifter.Noticed it because of oil leaking out. Replaced it and now doesn't leak.All bolts in cover where lose.checked all bolts on frame, engine, transmission, wheels all ok. Noticed that the transmission oil needs some added to it not much. Don't see any leaks. Runs great,pulls hills very good some with lose rocks. Brakes are good but I still have low miles on it.

[This message has been edited by hc (edited 09-08-1999).]

KEEP EM COMING GUYS,THESE TESTIMONIALS ARE GOING TO HELP----THANKS BILL

Bill,
I have a question. I understand your predicament, and agree that you have a problem that the manufacturer needs to take care of. But what exactly are you after? A new ATV, your money back, or total replacement of faulty parts? After all these positive replys on the performance of the SP500, you still don't want an SP500? Like I've said, your engine problems seem unique, but I've taken a more relaxed approach to the brakes, I guess. Maybe I should be pissed, but for all the hell I put it thru, I'll live with bad brakes for now. I'll let you know how the EBC metallic pads hold up. Maybe the Polaris pads are the problem, not the calipers.

Bill, I purchase my 99 SP500 in mid June for 6100 out the door. The only problem I have had with it is the PVT cover welting and rubbing afainst the primary clutch. But I suspect that to be that my little brother stepped on it since he always used to put his feet there(he doesn't get on it N E more). Luckily the warranty covered the cover and after 1.5 months of waiting, I got it installed. There was a problem at the dealer though. They didn't install a small bracket that bolts onto the footrest. The day I rode after the repair the entire footrest and fenders popped out on the PVT side. I used a piece of wood and have been waiting a month now for the bracket to get to the dealer. I changed the oil at 23 hours/ 106 miles. Th bike doesn't have 250 miles on it yet but I ride it very aggresively. All the quads I ride with are sport quads, and I strive to keep up with them. I go up and down the same steep hills (call me crazy) and blast through some very nasty terrian ( I frequently bottom out my front susp.), and pull them out and also grab a jet-ski to throw in the river occassionaly. This beast takes all the abuse I give it and it never grunts sputters, or complains about any chore. The belt has only slipped once, when dry, when I was trying to maneuver over a 4ft. WALL. However, placing the quad in lo-range solved the problem. I also lube all the grease fittings every month or two. But to tell you the truth, I couldn't be haapier with my purchase. :)

XGZX,you bet im after another Sportsman.Put simply,It offers everything from a 4x4 quad that I personally want.A plush ride,nice suspension,automatic, with gobs of power,nice bright lights for night riding,excellant for snow plowing,and an AWD drive system that is second to none.I personally checked out the Sportsman before buying it.Not anybody was having serious problems,being everything in a 4x4 that I wanted,I bought it.You know the rest of the [Lemon] story.If personal friends of mine that ride the Sportsman were having numerous problems,I'd not want another one.But since I seem to be the only one having serious problems with their Sportsman,[128 days in the shop]than we have to assume I've got a Lemon.Legally,im after another completely Brand New Sportsman.Unfortunately im not at liberty to explain the legal aspect of my actions at this time,but I will keep you posted of the outcome.

I've got a 99 Sportsman with 1300 miles on it. Had to replace the front & rear pads once other than that no problems at all. I grease it once a month.I changed the oil at 250 miles and now every 500 miles. I love it!

Bill, it sure looks like your not getting what you need from this post. I'm sure Polaris would love to see all these good comments they are recieving.

polaris rules!

Polaris Rules,What in the world do you mean im not getting what I need from these posts?These good and honest postings are EXACTLY what I need.You see anybody else in here having NUMEROUS Sportsman problems?NO.Now do you understand how I come up with the word LEMON?These post help me to show that I do indeed have an Isolated problem and that the proper people need to pay attention to my complaints.Just keep up the good and honest work. BILL

128 days?! What the hell is wrong with your dealer? There's no way it should take that long to get the parts and fix the damn thing. I feel compelled to call up myself and complain on your behalf!!

Thats what I said a while back. I wonder if the guys in the service dept at Bills dealership might be named Moe, Larry and Curly.

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Kevin Gowdy aka Kagey 1999 Polaris Magnum 500

XGZX,I should of taken more time last night to tell you guys that the 128 days in the shop were NOT all spent at the same time.Those 128 days in the repair shop at the dealership are total days added,if one was to add all the times the quad was taken in for repairs.[about 12 times]The worst was about 2 months,when the quad had clutch problems,and a ticking in the motor.[clutches,cam chain and tensioner were bad]BUT,hey guys,thats still to many days for any brand new quad.LATER TO ALL,and, GOOD DAY---BILL

Bill:

Good luck with your case---I guess what kills me is why Polaris wouldn't just invite you to bring your ATV to their headquarters building for an "official" inspection...Hell, they could throw it on the back of a truck and have it there in 2 days. I'd just love to see an HONEST evaluation of your ATV by a certified Polaris mechanic--and that's it. There should be NO GUESSWORK here or NAME CALLING, etc. Your ATV should be inspected by a qualified person. Period. That's it. Defects will show themselves.

Now, I bought mine in September 1988 new. Also paid $6100. I have around 1,300 miles on it AND IT RUNS LIKE A CHARM. I've replaced the brakes all around at 900 miles or so. I've also had it maintained at my dealer two times. PLEASE go to my web page to see the inspection sheet from my excellent dealer, Rini. The site is www.pflueger.com/atv

Let's see...other than the brakes, I replaced my outer tie rod ends but this, also, is common and really has nothing to do with the engine or tranny.

That's it! I wish you best luck. Again, I really fail to see why Polaris would not accept your challenge. Hell, drive it there to Minnesota at your expense and if you are so sure you have a "lemon" which Polaris will obviously determine quickly, have THEM not only give you a brand new ATV right there, but any self-respecting company would reimburse you for your trip.

I don't see this as being an inappropriate request should you choose to approach Polaris with it.

A LEMON WILL STICK OUT. IT ALWAYS HAS AND ALWAYS WILL.

Bob Pflueger

Bob,good idea going to Minnesota, except I beleive that I wont have to go thru all that traveling,nor does my Lawyer.We are armed with excellant records of repairs and maintance.Bob,dont you mean to say you have a 98 instead of 88 Sportsman? --BILL

Bill, A friend of mine bought 2 new 1999 SP500s earlier in the year, and have had absolutly no problems with them. He rolled it down a canyon the other day, and it landed so hard that it knocked one of the rear tires off the rim. He reseated the tire with a little 12 volt compressor that he carries with him, and rode it home. I am the one that does all of the mechanic work, and in return, he lets me ride one every now and then. The plastic racks do not stand up to a 20 foot fall onto rocks, but then again, I don't imagine that steel ones would have either. He is happy with his machines.

I have a 98 Sportsman 500 bought it in Jul 98 and it has 600 mi. Only problem so far was replacing a left frt a-arm bent by a large rock. Easy to change and nothing wrong since. I had the oil changed at 100 by dealer and just changed it again myself. Keep it lubed after every ride if I go through water or every other ride if it stays dry. Also clean my prefilter if it gets some dust. This is a dependable ride but it does require a lot more maintenance than my Honda 300. Where I ride there are a lot of Polaris quads and I never see any breaking down. Hope these posts help you Bill.

Bill.C
We purchased a 98 Sp500,in April 98. It was
a lemon also. High maintance, and very costly. Brakes at 550 miles. Belt shield re-
placed at 110 miles. Problems with override
switch. Over heating five times on a 28 mile
ride. With 5 other different kinds of machines that had no problems. Many other
polaris atv's on same ride over heated too.
We SOLD this Lemon and went back to Yamaha
Kodiak. Have done nothing but ride. Love It.
We also have had susuki, and honda without
alot of problems in that short of time. We
ride in mud, hills, and work them hard. Would
own anything but Polaris again.

A friend of mine has a '99 Sportsman with 1250 miles on it. Repairs to date, one drive belt at 1200 miles and one set of rear brake pads at 1150 miles. Other than that the machine has been very reliable.

Hi I purchased a 99 Sportsman 500 in January. I am 40 years old and have owned many bikes and muscle cars. So far I have to say I am disapointed with the repair record of my Sportsman. It has only 400 miles on it, I dont get to ride as much as I would like these days. So far it has had a new pvt and belt becuse its max speed was 40 mph. After repairs it goes a wopping 45 mph. The pvt cover was replaced because battery vent hose was not routed properly and spit acid all over pvt cover and etched it. Speedometer was replaced because it was sticking at 45mph. The engine sounds like it has a bad wristpin or it is detonating. It only does it under hard midrange acceleration. The dealer is unable to reproduce this condition. I wanted to check the timming and valves, so I ordered a master repair manual which is not yet available from Polaris as of 8/99 (back orderd?) yet webpage says price T.B.A. At 400 miles the front strut blew out(leaking Oil). I have never jumped the machine or abused it in any way. I am waiting to hear from Polaris to see if they will extend the warrenty 20 days to cover the strut, since it has been at the dealer more than my house. Polaris customer service rep says "Polaris does not guarentee or imply a max speed". So for $6495.00 after taxes, I own a machine that can almost out run my sons 15 year old 80cc Yamaha Moto4!
I asked the Polaris sales rep what happens at 1000 miles? Does it EXPLODE? Sales rep said "Polaris makes no garauntees against explosions". I have to say that I love the way it rides and bottom end power of the Sportman but something must be wrong with the top end to only go 45 mph. I was considering buying a Trail Boss or a Trail Blazer for my son, but am now reconsidering that purchase. Maybe a Blaster would be a better decision.
Harry Hacker
Mt. Sinai New York

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[This message has been edited by sixty9cobra (edited 09-20-1999).]

Bought my 98 SP 500 in August of 98 after many years of being a Honda owner. I have 2840 miles on it so far. At 2400 miles I replaced the back brakes (I have the EBS model). On the week end the speedometer cable came off at the odemeter and I can't seem to figure out how that happened. That is it so far, very happy with performance.

Bill, Good Luck! I had a brand new 97 Sportsman 500 that I was told was a 98 when I bought it, started having problems right away. In the first 7 months I had 6 broken ujoints and alot of other "little" problems. It stayed in the shop for days, weeks, months. I would get it back and ride it once or twice usually right around 5 to 10 miles from my house and it would break, back to the shop. It never ended. I went through the BBB and two different lawyers and alot of letter writing and still nothing happened. I had every piece of paper work, everything well documented and I still got screwed by this dealership and/or polaris. Everytime I ride with somebody they tell me horror stories of this dealership THAT SCREWS EVERYONE that walks through their doors. They should be put out of business!!!!!! After a year and a half of this crap I put $850 into fixing all of bushings and u-joints on the whole atv at the best dealership I could find and then I sold/traded it for a 99 Scrambler 500. Bill, Polaris/dealer will screw you!! I had it happen to me first hand and I did put up a long hard fight! I wish you the best of luck. I hope you can stick it to them! :<

Later,

Steve "Riding everyday on my LEMON-FREE Scrambler"