I have a 99 SP 500 and my wife has a hard time driving it she weight 100 pounds and is to small to drive it for a long period of time the steering gets to hard for her.
I have thought about selling it and buying a Explorer or a Magnum 500 thinking that they would be easer to steer has any one driven all three of these machine and if so are any of them easier to steer than the other?
Thanks for your comments


http://y42.photos.yahoo.com/mindype

 

If I recall right, they are all based on the same chassis and steering configuration. The newer models (2001) have better steering from what some people have posted here in the past.

Tires make all the difference. Some will make it 10x easier to steer.

 

I have a 2001 Sportsman 400 and my friend has a 2001 Magnum 500 and mine is by far easier to steer. He also like my steering better as well. I did ride an Explorer 400 but not long enough to really check that part out. If you want a little easier steering I would thing a Magnum 325 or Explorer 250 would help her out alot more. The bigger machines do steer harder than their smaller Polaris counterparts.

 

man4922

Do a search under steering or easy steer devices. A forum member named Floodrunner was making a device that attaches to your strut assembly that makes the machine steer easier. It was basically a piece of aluminum that would move the tie rod ends back about an inch. This would improve the steering geometry, thus making it easier to steer. I think he was selling them for around $70. A lot cheaper than buying a new machine.

 

Right on Magnummudman. I believe he still has a few of those kits. They work very well.

A couple of other things should also be considered.

Toe out adjustment: If excessive will make the machine hard to steer.

Tires: The standard tires really grip and are harder to steer than some others. You may wish to consider the Mudrunner from Goodyear. They do steer more easily than the standard Dunlop.

 

One thing my wife and I did with our Magnum 500s is tilt the handlebars down/back (towards you)a bit... It gives slightly better leverage for someone with shorter arms. A little ergonomic adjustment makes a big difference. You'll probably want to tilt the brake fluid res, brake levers, etc. to compensate.

 

i moved the handlebars back with a extension plate on my wifes TB which moves the bars behind the steering shaft which gives her more leverage on the bars. a plus is the bars are closer to her for more comfort.

 

Maybe she needs to lift some wights man, cuz one of my friends was 8 years old 3 years ago and he weighed 80 punds and could steer his sportsman with ease, its not that much of a hassle for her is it????

BMXATV10

 

Get a new Sportsman 500 HO. They steer like a dream compared to the older sportsmans. Almost as light as a 2x4 . As far as I'm concerned, that's the best feature of the HO.

 

man4922,
if your decision had ONLY to do with which machine your WIFE should get, i'd say the explorer! (almost a foot shorter in length, 5" tighter turning radius, 137 lb lighter in weight, 2 1/2" shorter in sear height!) your 100lb wife must feel like she is driving a HUGE machine right now and i think the explorer will FIT her much better than the sportsman.
HOWEVER! if you BOTH are sharing ONE machine, then buy that new sportsman 500HO for all the reasons the other guys have already given you! i love mine and so does my wife.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
'01 sportsman 500HO
2000lb warn winch
'00 chevy tahoe