I now have 145 miles on my Sportsman 500 HO and here are a few items of annoyance.
1. The "HO clunk" when moving off after stopping.
2. When in Lo range and with gentle throttle it pulls away smooth then jerks ahead. A problem when backing my quad onto the trailer in wet or slippery conditions.
3. A creaking noise from the top of both struts. WD40 fixes it for about 3 hours.
Anyone else have these or similar annoyances?

 

Yes I have noticed a few quirks.

I have the HO clunk AND I have trouble shifting out of LOW rnage to High or Rev (going into service Wednesday). I have also noticed the motor to be quite noisy. I am happy with the machine but it is a little quirky. It is hands down the best 4X4 in our riding group!

 

I also have a 2001 500 HO and mine also does the same thing. I called the factory and they told me that that was the EBS engaging and that it was normal. I even went to my local dealer and tried a couple of other 500's and they all did it to some degree also. My speedo is about 3 MPH off and I also hear a clacking noise from the front left while on asphalt. It is a great machine though. I have push started sprint cars with mine, that is power.


Andy T
Jackson, MS
2001 SP 500/HO
2001 SP 90

 

Haven't experienced the first 2, but then again I haven't had the EBS since there were 2 miles on the odometer. The last one I have experienced. Usually the rubber insert that is under the washer on top of the strut gets worked out of place. That stopped the creaking on mine.

 

Just thought of another quirk. Shifting into Hi after running in Lo it grinds, I sure don't like that.

I have a hard time believing these problems exist because of EBS, my 98 SP had EBS and didn't exhibit any of these problems.

 

What do you mean you have not had EBS since 2 miles? Did you remove it from your bike? If so how and how does it run without it. Also did that void your warranty. I have a 1 year warranty. They were throwing that in to get rid of 2001 models so I jumped on it.

2001 Sportsman 500/HO
2001 Sportsman 90

 

Just put the standard clutches on it. Runs good. The main reason was so I could free wheel. No it does not void the warrenty.

 

The shifting thing was a simple 10 minute adjustment. I dropped the machine off and the next day I picked it up and it shifts great. Simple adjustment the dealer said. I go to Mena, AR next Thursday for a three day ride.