OK, I had to get in on this one. PH, I don't know if you have read any of my previous posts, but my wife & I own 99 400 & 500 Scramblers. Both are awesome. Stock vs stock, the 500 wins a drag race everytime. Jumps 2-3 bike lengths on it out of the hole & the 400 can't catch it until they are both WOT for a while, I'd guess 1/4 mile or so. The 400 has just been honed (spelling?) and installed new Wisco. This with a good airbox mod & boyseen reeds I predict will make it leave the 500 immediately. That is what prompted project: 500 Scrambler (FMF & K&N Dynojet). So I predict both to still be about equal, but stronger than stock. Should finish the 500 on Saturday. Both are great machines, would be hard to go wrong with either.

Jerome Coker
99 400 & 500 Scramblers

 

If & when you ride the stock 400 keep in mind it seems like a dog compaired to a piped/clutched one. So if you think its fast stock you havent seen nothing yet. For about $300 you can get an HPD pipe, their $75 clutch kit & Ritter cycles $35 air box modification kit that comes w/ a foam UNI air filter & other parts to modify your air box. This $300 mod will make a DRAMATIC improvement in performance!!! This is the first mod you will want to do & gives the biggest bang for the buck. Ritters air box mod actually makes a noticeable improvement & you have to rejet for it also so when you get the suggested jetting chart from HPD w/ the pipe, make sure you start w/ 1 or 2 sizes bigger or richer because you'll be sucking much more air than w/ a stock filter/airbox setup. You cant get much cheaper than $35. Go to HPD's web page to see prices for higher level of mods like 39mm carb, reeds, head etc.
Good luck
Jim Maloney 98 400 Scrambler

 

Why modify a brand new one? Why don't you ride it for a year and then look at hoppin' it up.

The stock 400 and 500 have plenty of power. They may not out drag banshees but they are still an extremely fast machine with plenty of juice.

What happens if you want to sell it next year and buy another? Would you want a modified one or a stock one? (I think I would want one which is bone stock, so I could do the mods )

Until you are tired of the stock machine, I would leave it be.

Then I would add one piece at a time to see the difference. I bet you wouldn't get tired of the improved performance of the Air Box modification for a couple of months. Then add the others.

Geez, on my 400EX which I have rode for the last 6 months, I have only upped the main jet two sizes and added a Uni filter. You can really feel the difference.

Now that you have me thinking, I should go out and buy another performance part..... Damn it.

RM

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99 400EX 95 Scrambler 400 85 LT250R

 

ren, i agree 100%. i plan on buying a scrambler soon. but when i go out and spend 5,000 on a quad, i, for one, don't want to have to sink more money into right off the bat. and for two i would want to see how it is stock and ride it until i get a little sick of it and and looking for more power. then do alittle at a time like you said. some mods you have to do at the same time, for instance, the clutch and pipe. another thing i though about... i know the warranties on quads aren't the longest thing in the world, but there is some kind of warranty, and if you modify it i think that voids the warranty, doesn't it? unless of coarse you pay out the a$$ and have the dealer do your mods. well, still anticipating my new scrambler. going tomarrow to get prices and start working the salesmen, try to see how far i can push them. i go away for two weeks in nov. for school, so i am hoping to get it as soon as i get back.

bigdevil

 

Has anyone figured out why there is such a difference between the weight of the '99 400 and the '00? Am I wrong in assuming that the 500 and 400 4x4 are pretty much the same other than the engine? If so, then why didn't the 500 see the same increase? It almost seems like they are trying to help justify the purchase price of the 500 by taking weight out of the '400 or 500?' equation.

I guess what I am saying is: What could add 22lbs to the 400, and not be added to the 500? I sent an email to Polaris last week, but no answer yet... Anyone know? Have an idea?

Thanks,
Need_4_Speed

[This message has been edited by Need_4_Speed (edited 11-01-1999).]

 

I still think it's a typo for the 400's weight.

 

how reliable are both tell me what kind of problems anyone has had with them

 

Jim,

I think the life of the piston depends a lot on the rpm range you are running at. I've been running mine at about 6700 rpms and I haven't had a problem yet. Compression ratio doesn't seem to matter that much with a milder compression ratio like 12:1. I imagine it would if I went to 14:1 or 15.5:1 though. Still, I'll get a new piston this winter just to be sure. I really don't need that much more power(from the porting) as I have to shut the motor down about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up some nasty hillclimbs to avoid flying over the top and landing in the trees. I just thought that while I'm having the piston done I could be getting it ported too.

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Mike Chero 97 Polaris Sport 400L/ 97 Polaris Trailblazer 250ES

<A HREF="http://users.penn.com/~hal9000/mikeetta.html">MIKE & CELESTE'S ATV PAGE </A>

 

Didn't they go from munimula to steel wheels for 00. Don't know for sure, thought I read that somewhere. I'm sure that and different rubber would add 22 lbs.