Minehunter,
thank you for that suggustion.Does the new 500 have switchable 2wd-4wd?And does it have TRUE 4x4?If so,I'll be looking into it.

Bill

 

It has selectable 2-4 wheel drive. It is a mechanical setup. Nothing electrical to mess up. The 4WD is not a locking system like the Griz, Kawi or the Polaris, but it is not a limited slip clutch system like Honda nad the lesser Yamaha's and Kawi's. Instead of using clutches in teh front differential it has a racheting cone system. Wherein when one wheel loses grip and the other is stationary, the racheting cone system causes the non spinning wheels cone to basically screw itself into the differential and start that wheel spinning also. It;s a pretty simple and effective system. I know mine has never let me down. Andy Bassham is also a good source of info on the AC. He's a straight shooter and always tells it like he sees it. Maybe he can add something to this discussion.

 

Honestly, I don't know how to post..........do I get tired of hearing Bill complain about his problems with polaris? Sure I do, but for someone new here, possibly experiencing the same problems, or looking to buy, I'm sure it does them good to hear the good or bad about any quad........so, if you get tired of anybody posting anything repetitively, just know that someone probably appreciates the knowledge.

That being said.........is Polaris up to snuff with the others? It seems they have a few more issues than others, but for some reason or another, I still prefer Polaris. I bought a yamaha in 1998, the grizzly 600, over the sportsman 500 due to the impression that the japanese put together a better quad......I was very disappointed with the yamaha. After a year of ownership, I traded it in on an sp500. The sp500 had its share of problems, and my Xplorer 400 has too, but most are minor problems that tend to be annoyances more than reliability issues.

 

Minehunter,
I went to my local AC dealer a few hrs ago,and he has not even heard of the 500I yet.I know there certainly is one,I have heard of it too.I went there with hopes of checking one out?No luck yet.

Bill

 

Never owned a polaris, but it seems a lot of people mad at polaris had some of the older stuff? I don't read (or hear) as many complaints about 500ho's (and magnums and and just plain sp500's) as I do about some of the other models.

Also, I have noticed that people that traded their grizzly 600's for a 660 feel that the 660 is a lot better made. A lot of yamaha loyalists think their grizzly 600 and kodaks were really junky. But maybe the 660 is not so bad.

I am sorry to lighten the tone with these pacifistic comments, I just wonder if me/some of you are guilty of comparing their worst to your best. If this is too sappy, I can throw some nasty comments in here just for fun, like 660 front cv joints fall out at the drop of a hat, or If I went on a diet to make up for the extra weight of a sp700, I would weigh 60 lbs, be to weak to defend myself against small animals, and would be eaten by housecats.

 

buy a 650. Then you'll have a 4wd that runs. Not something that you have to spend a hour greaseing . And drives like a tank in the woods. sp700. The grizzly runs good but doesn"t like deep water . I've rode all three ov them not test drove them. For about 50 miles each . bought the 650.

 

MUDDY4LIFE {Bill}, I apologize for my remark, and I can see why Polaris has left a bad taste in your mouth. I have read several topics in the past that you have either posted or replied too, that were very informative. I'll tell you what sparked my temper about this post, but I do not want to start any crap-slinging....... I felt like you could have answered his question without dragging your sportsman 500 and explorer problems into it. The reason I say this is, ..He said he already owns a 500ho and was requesting info about the sp 700 or the griz 660. My point being.... what does a sportsman 500 and an explorer that are a couple of years old have to do with it? The 700 is totally redesigned and with any luck "IMPROVED"!

 

Scaryfast,
I also understand that the new 700 Polaris is suppose to have a TON of improvements.I only gave him MY perception of the two brand new Polaris ATVs that I've owned,maybe I should not have done that,but I was only trying to validate my reasoning for not wanting another Polaris ATV and seeking out the new Grizz.

Beleive it or not,because I have such a good Polaris mechanic that supports me every time,I have reconcidered my thought of not even wanting to test ride the new 700.With the new improvements on the 700 twin,maybe it wont spend so damn much time in for repairs.I'll at least test ride one.

Bill