Guess maybe didn't make myself real clear about the clutch,wasn't compareing apples and oranges,just trying to make point.Snowmobiles aren't in dust,and mud,but look at grass drags and water x they run.But you hook 100 plus horses into that belt and clutches your giving it a workout.I have 145 horse on mine now!!It' s a SKI-DOO eater GUARANTED!!!!LOL(nobody worse at bashing than mobilers) People seem to like to complain about the belt,for what ever reason.Sure POlARIS has had thier bad machines, but what manufactor hasn't.Must I remind you of a couple years ago SKI-DOO had to recall all thier machine because of bad motors that they put out.Then later addmitted that they knew about them only hoped to get buy.Last year all the cats that had bad oil pumps in them,oh sure they fixed them, but my buddy that was in Wyo.with me wasn't real happy with them with only 500 miles on machine and 3 days go.He rented a wonderful reliable SKI-DOO we drug it back to rental place next afternoon.Something about a clip coming off and ruining things, that was 3rd one they had happen to.Look on the posts, you go to Yamaha you see all kinds of complaints,just more people on polaris than any other,what are the percentages of complaints?Some one mention plastic belt cover,I recall looking at mine and there is a cheap sticker on it,that says you are not to use it for a step.You can't protect people from thier own stupidity,it says don't step on it!!! you do it's your own fault not polaris,they told you to stay the hell off of it!!I'm sure if it was metal people would find way to destroy it.where there is a will,there is away!!The same YA-HOO's that put polaris together,are the same ones that put cat, or honda,together,they just move from place to place.Do you think because some guy works for cat,that he cares more than a guy working for polaris-NOT!!!!None of these manufactors make all thier own parts, most are brought in by independant suppliers.Kagey lives not far from HONDA plant in S.C. ask him about guy's that work in that plant,he knows them.If you think that cat is such a fine product so be it,but when I looked at them they looked cheap to me.But then again that was my opinion,my polaris has done me good am very happy with quality and dependabilaty of them.I wasn't trying to bash anyones machine in fact was trying to keep from it for once.LATER COB

 

Cob & Bob 4x4
I've been entertaining the thought of purchasing a sled. Couldn't help but notice the Indy series of sleds are always the best of class. 600cc & 700cc are awesome and the most powerful of the Big 4 too. Plus the one has tunable shocks while riding? If I understand right? Plus the last report I read said that the 800 Polaris was making more track HP than the 1000cc Cat & when they raced them (& I quote) "It pulled a vanishing act off the line"
You can knock the Sportsman reliability, but you'd be hard pressed to down a Polaris sled or PWC.
c-ya,


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Andrew Thomas

'99 Scrambler 400 & '99 Trailblazer, both with RCR mods.

 

Cob, I'm new here, but I have to wonder what your point is, compairing CVT'S on sleds to CVT'S on atv's. I've been riding sleds for 25 years, and the conditions under which a sled operates are very different from an atv. If when riding your sled you encounter, mud, dirt, sand, water, or 100 deg temps, then I'd see your point. By the way, Polaris has made a few bad sleds, do you remember the storm? More like a flurry!! In case you didn't guess I ride Ski-doo's(Formula III 700), the BEST! On second thought, maybe Polaris snowmobiles do encounter water. You know from melted snow dust, what with always having to ride in the back of the pack. You may just have a point after all. LATER

 

Guess maybe didn't make myself real clear about the clutch,wasn't compareing apples and oranges,just trying to make point.Snowmobiles aren't in dust,and mud,but look at grass drags and water x they run.But you hook 100 plus horses into that belt and clutches your giving it a workout.I have 145 horse on mine now!!It' s a SKI-DOO eater GUARANTED!!!!LOL(nobody worse at bashing than mobilers)

>Thought we were discussing atv's lets see the topic was "AC500 auto vs. sp500 sounds like apples and oranges to me when you compare snow mobiles to atv's


People seem to like to complain about the belt,for what ever reason.

>like to complain well isn't that what you do when you have a brand new atv that stays broke down and don't give me heck on this, this is what people are saying just do a search on here "polaris trouble" and you can read till your hearts content. these are
various people who own these polaris...
their making this stuff up no I don't think so they are being honest just like I would if something was going wrong on the AC500auto so someone else wouldn't make the same mistake or could decide on there own I sure wouldn't be trying to take up for something that is breaking down.

Sure POlARIS has had thier bad machines, but what manufactor hasn't.

>well alot haven't had these like honda so doesn't that show you I am not picking at polaris I admit Honda is probably a more reliable machine than the cat...but I liked the features of the cat better

Must I remind you of a couple years ago SKI-DOO had to recall all thier machine because of bad motors that they put out.Then later addmitted that they knew about them only hoped to get buy.Last year all the cats that had bad oil pumps in them,oh sure they fixed them, but my buddy that was in Wyo.with me wasn't real happy with them with only 500 miles on machine and 3 days go.He rented a wonderful reliable SKI-DOO we drug it back to rental place next afternoon.Something about a clip coming off and ruining things, that was 3rd one they had happen to.

>Here we go with the snow mobiles again did I hit a worm hole that transported me to the snow mobile forum. Thought this the place to talk atv's who cares if a snow mobile broke down or is running this is the place to compare ideas on atv's particulary this topic is ac500auto vs. sp500.

Look on the posts, you go to Yamaha you see all kinds of complaints,just more people on polaris than any other,what are the percentages of complaints?

>Oh so you want to talk percent huh well get out your pen write down Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda and Yamaha well lets see they been manufacturing longer than polaris and as looking at the big 5 as a whole I would far say they produce 5 times as many atv's as polaris but we still have this problem with the math where they are more complaints of polaris trouble of breaking down, law suits and cheap equipment don't really take a brain surgeon to figure this out now does it. Now what were you saying about more people on polaris???

Some one mention plastic belt cover,I recall looking at mine and there is a cheap sticker on it,that says you are not to use it for a step.You can't protect people from thier own stupidity,it says don't step on it!!! you do it's your own fault not polaris,they told you to stay the hell off of it!!

>Well you did hit this one on the head this is only one incident I read about this and it was most likely caused by the plastic becoming brittle and then it broke when it was stepped on but most of the trouble I have heard about the plastic clutch cover was not due to people stepping on it, it was due to it being plastic but then again here we go with the story of polaris putting less money in the bike so they can put more money in there pocket it sure isn't because of the weight they are trying to save so don't even go there it is the simple reason plastic cause less than aluminum and if owners and buyers keep letting them get by with it more plastic is sure to come for those deep deep pockets.

I'm sure if it was metal people would find way to destroy it.where there is a will,there is away!!

>Come on over and stand on my cat clutch cover hot or cold then we can both get on it ride the hell out of it park it for the night and ride it again tomorrow heck I will even let you stand on it the next day.

The same YA-HOO's that put polaris together,are the same ones that put cat, or honda,together,they just move from place to place.

WRONG...I don't know what kind of fly by night polaris putting together set up is but the artic cats are put together by the mechanics at the dealership where I bought mine this is a thing you should check when buying an ATV then again maybe its that old story of polaris where they are working on those deep pockets...I must say I have heard a lot of complaints about polaris atv's being put together wrong.


Do you think because some guy works for cat,that he cares more than a guy working for polaris-NOT!!!!

>Apparently they do haven't heard of any horror storys of Cats being put together where it is causing failures or break downs.

None of these manufactors make all thier own parts, most are brought in by independant suppliers.Kagey lives not far from HONDA plant in S.C. ask him about guy's that work in that plant,he knows them.If you think that cat is such a fine product so be it,but when I looked at them they looked cheap to me.

Boy isn't this the pot calling the kettle black just what looked so cheap on the cat was it the aluminum clutch cover, the titan 489 tires, the metal racks oops there I go with that plastic thing again. You want to talk cheap huh well how bout those plastic racks that will eventually chip and break or that ****y 3 head light system because they were cheap to put hi-low beams in by just getting by with one on the other and how bout that belt that polaris uses that about every polaris user I know suggest buying the off brand so it won't BREAK...well I could go on and on but I will say I talked to various dealers who sold each top brand and none of them would even suggest buying the polaris the only dealers that were trying to sell me polaris was the ones that sold one single brand don't this tell you something...cheap huh...well

But then again that was my opinion,my polaris has done me good am very happy with quality and dependabilaty of them.I wasn't trying to bash anyones machine in fact was trying to keep from it for once.LATER COB

And this is my opinion glad your polaris is doing good for you it is the other 80% I worried about when I bought the CAT just can't understand why you polaris guys take up for them. I tell it like it is on the Cat I hate the gas gauge but something small like that I can live with. And I am not into machine bashing either but when you look over so many cheap things on those ATV's and then take up for them just makes me wonder looks like you would be complaining so Polaris would produce a more quality product so there would be even more satisfied buyers.

Artic Cat 500...nuff said


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AT ;you say this is atv site but yet seem to enjoy spending more time bashing me and my opinon.I beg you for your forgiveness, for mentioning a snowmobile, consider my hand slapped,I'm guilty of talking about some thing that I know,and can compare with.Maybe we should all go and jump on the guy, that asked for advice on snowmobile in here.Gee somewhere right back afew post I seem to remmber a statement about 70's cars,who shall we chew out for that,since this is atv site,that was started with question about EBS,not money or what to buy or cars.Also what have sheep and wolves have to do with this the ATV site.You say you tell the bad parts so people can make up thier mind,well thats all I have done is tell my view point, so they can make up thier mind.Am I supposed to belive that AC sends in all the parts in a box and dealer puts it all together,YEAH RIGHT!!!Just hope your as happy with your choice as I am mine,my views are from actual experience, not what I have read from some guy's,brothers,sister's ex- boy friends neighbor.LATER COB

 

Polaris ATV's use to be shipped not fully assembled also. Parts like the tires/wheels, handlebars, etc. were not on to make the crates smaller in size. Now I guess they're shipping them fully assembled, so they can watch quality control a little better and don't have to worry about the dealers not setting them up correctly or getting the handlebars set correctly. I do go as far as to say Polaris ATV's are built better now than they used to be. I like our Polaris dealer where we live. My Uncle got a flat tire on his first trail ride a couple years ago with his 97 Xplorer 500, a stick was found in the tire. He brought it to the dealer to see what he thought of it, he got a brand new tire and wheel out of a new Xplorer 500 crate and gave it to my Uncle and took his old one. That was really nice. I really don't think many dealers would have done that.

[This message has been edited by rooster (edited 11-19-1999).]

 

Atving...... Damn Boy why don't you tell us what you are RRREEEEAAAALLLLLYY thinking.

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Kevin Gowdy aka Kagey 1999 Polaris Magnum 500

 

ANDREW; taking a chance of getting chewed out again,yes the twins are the ones that are in now.Polaris really hit a good one with the 6&700rmk models.Am really waiting to see what the HIGHMARK does for Ski-Doo.It may well be one to recon with.It's also 700 but has that awsome 151 inch track.Ski-d00 started it with Summitt then couple years polaris came out with thier twin,what a machine.LATER COB

 

I just want to say that machines that have a 2wd/4wd option don't necessarily get better gas mileage than full time four wheel drives. I know this is off the subject of this topic, but a lot of people around here think that "well if it's in 2wd, look at all the shafts that aren't turning." Well all the shafts turn, whether in 2 or 4 wheel drive, so fuel economy doesn't improve one bit. Also, I know our ForemanES get better fuel economy than our Sportsman 500, but the Sportsman will go a longer distance do to the huge tank. This was tested when we traveled the same distance with both machines and then put gas in at the pump and kept track of how much both needed.

 

Cob, I know that you are proud of your polaris and you defend it every chance you get, but the thing here wasn't about Polaris. It was the Honda automatic transmission vs. any belt driven tranny. I don't care if you put a gun to my head. You will never ever convince me that it is more reliable nor superior in any way to what Honda has developed. You may not have trouble, but there are numerous cases of it. Honda may have trouble, but until then it sure sounds like things are in their favor. If the belt drives were perfect, then why would anyone here ever bring it up(which they do day in and day out) about problems? Jealousy is not a strong reference in this forum.

Good post ATVING no matter how long it was.


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Andy Bassham *(1999 Arctic Cat 500 4x4, 1989 Honda 300)*