Thanks for the suggestions on the Scrambler 400 - yes I know what it is (sort of) My son has ridden a Sportsman 500 and can handle it quite well. I have ridden a Scrambler 500 and assume the 400 is a little less? The Scrambler apears to be a little more nimble and might be easier to handle. I suppose some kind of speed limiter would be a good idea. But hey guys, I'm a little selfish here and would like something I could have fun on while he grows into it. You guys on the yamahas and kawasakis are a hoot! Thanks for the validation. I definately admire brand loyalty - right after a little American Pride! Also, I live in Colorado where Polaris is king of the Mountain... This terrain is a little less forgiving than that red mud...

 

Dave

Be careful with the Scambler 400. That is way too much machine for a nine year old. I saw a stock one pull a wheelie with a 200lb guy on it. That 400 two-stroke screams! Look at a Trail Blazer for your son (250 cc)...just as sporty and slower to prevent serious injury.

An Xplorer 250 may be better if you two plan on riding together. If you buy him a two wheel drive he will not be able to go very many places you go due to the capabilities of the 700.

 

Dave~

<BG> You're very welcome. Enjoy your new quads!

Happy Holidays,

SilverBear

 

I rode the machine for 10 minutes and parked it for the night. Woke up the next morning and found fuel on the floor. Problem was the two metal fittings that screw into the bottom of the fuel tank were not sealed correctly. Very minor problem that was easily fixed by dealer. However, I was concerned in that the fuel was leaking on the exhaust. Good thing I did not ride it for more than that 10 minutes.
Other than the fuel leak, the machine thus far is incredible. I am extremely impressed with its ability to go through the snow. I have ridden it in about 3-5 feet of snow and it yet has gotten stuck. I am still in the break in period obviously so I have not ridden it for extended periods of time. Hope this is goof info for you. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

you know, i really hate to hear about that fuel issue. i had a '99 SP500 that leaked, i almost had a fire, and the dealer said if the bike had burned, polaris would not have replaced it. you think they'd get their act together and fix a problem like that. to see that an '02 SP700 is leaking REALLY pisses me off.
(i hope you have good insurance.)
MT

 

1. I have a 700, and I have had lousy luck with it. It came with a defective block casting that caused the oil pressure to build up and blow the crank seal (twice). This happened after I trailered it for two hours and backed it off the trailer for the first ride. It was another week before I got to ride it. I also had a complaint about a noise in the front wheel area, which it took three days for the dealer to be able to explain to me is a normal sound caused by the engine braking under poor traction conditions. I still don't like any noises, normal or not. I kind of wished I had just bought the 500 HO, but the money was so close I was afraid I would have regretted not going for the big dog. And they all have the EBS system.

2. This is my third Polaris, and the only brand I would ever consider buying. I never had any problems before, and we pounded the other two unmercifully. That is why I am in the Polaris forum, and not in the Kawasaki forum. I have no interest in going over there and trying to stir up the Prairie guys. I will offer my opinion on that while I'm thinking of it, though: If these people are so happy with their Prairie, then good for them. Why attack Polaris? The underdog barks the loudest, I guess. I think the Prairie is a good machine with a good motor, but the size, ground clearance and totally junk stock tires make the difference. Everybody talks about the Prairie being better with the right tires, well, my 700 came with the right tires. If you have to invest money to make your Prairie more of what you want, then I could put money into mine to keep the advantage.

3. I finally got it out on the trail, and it is absolutely the most incredible riding machine there is. It makes my Scrambler 500 feel like a riding lawnmower. There is more power than you could ever use, and the Rawhide Grip tires are outstanding. You don't feel them thumping like the mud runners and that type of tire, but they move some real estate when you need them to. I especially like the secure feeling knowing they won't pop if you hit a sharp rock just right-they are super strong and you can feel it. I actually feel a little guilty that the ride is so smooth. After all, Cadillacs belong on the road. It doesn't even feel like you're off road sometimes.

4. A couple things I don't like about the 700 is the engine braking. I think it comes on way too strong. A steep hill with ice or slick mud leaves you in a position where you may lock up the rears and start coming around, usually when you are concentrating on riding and not thinking about the engine braking. I am not even totally clear on why I need engine braking. I guess with a machine this heavy, it would be a good option to have, but I would like to be able to turn it off and only use it when I think I need it. You can't even let up and coast, the damn thing stops you. The other thing I don't like is this automatic 4 wheel drive crap. The more I think about it, the more it aggravates me. I am accustomed to having a little button for AWD (on or off) which I can manipulate at will. I do not appreciate having a choice of "2WD" and "AWD when the engineers think it is appropriate for it to engage" I like the feeling of crawling around in AWD sometimes. Now I have to almost spin my rear tires to even get in AWD. Stupid idea. (does anyone know if this is different from the 500 HO? I think it is only on the 700, but I'm not sure) I noticed this the most when driving in heavy, icy snow a few inches deep. I was trying to maintain a certain speed because it was a long side hill, but the snow kept slowing me down. about the time the rear tires would want to spin and head downhill, the front would engage and let me track straight again. once I got up to speed, the front axle disengaged, and it started all over again. This was a 3 or 4 mile stretch alongside a highway, so it was side hill the whole way. My wife figured out the traction thing right away and put her Scrambler 500 in AWD, and she didn't have the slightest problem. Don't get me wrong, I was never in danger of either getting stuck or sliding out, but it was an awkward situation. Fortunately most of my riding is not like that.

5. My wife loves this machine. I may have to buy her one for herself. She is about 120 lbs and only about 3 years experience riding, so I thought the machine would be big for her. She handled it like she was born on it, and said the sensation of being on a huge machine went away as soon as she started riding. This rig is very forgiving. An experienced rider will get a lot out of it, but a novice can ride it all day without killing themselves.

thanks for listening, I hope my experience has helped.

 

Daveruane,

Please please please reconsider putting a nine year old on a Scrambler 400. Unless you don't like him (or her) and are trying to get some insurance money. A Scrambler 400 is an adult sport quad intended for experienced riders. In stock form they go in excess of 60 mph with a 200 lb rider. There is no way that it could be detuned enough to make it safe. I would estimate that ONLY if your 9 yr old has some riding experiencing on a quad, maybe you could put him on a detuned or limited trailblazer 250 or a trail boss and watch him carefully grow into it. I wouldn't worry at all about it being a 2 wheel drive, they going nearly anywhere and if he gets stuck you'll be there to pull him out.

I once saw a 16 yr old roll a trailblazer 250 on a straight stretch of trail because of dust (no visibilty) He got hurt and he was not a small kid.

thanks for listening,
Northstar

 

A Scrambler 400 is more powerful than a Scrambler 500.

 

Walexa, I'm glad to see you were finally promoted up to a Honda, ha ha ha. I'm gonna get me one of those for the kids. Happy Trails.
p.s., I think that big mudhole we got stuck in had something besides mud in it. Yuck. A 700 doesn't have a chance of clearing that thing.

 

to everyone in this forum......

I first had a 185 kaw. Small, but bulletproof. 1985 model. Well, I sold it and decided to buy a brand new honda recon in 1998. I loved this machine but I felt guilty about the loads I was pulling with it. (855 john deere mower w/6ft deck). One thing about a comparison--- friend was riding a 1996 220 kaw. We went exactly on the same trail, same obstacles, and when we were done, the kaw had both bent tie rods. Right then I decided not to buy another kaw. So after 9 months i sold the honda. Well, I decided to buy another atv. I researched and researched. I wouldn't even ride a polaris(that is how much I had heard bad things). A friend of mine convinced me to ride a polaris. That is when I bought my 2000 magnum 325 2X4. That machine was invincible. I used and abused it and without ever having one defect other than I caused(wore belt out in 2 weeks). Six months later I wanted something faster, so, I bought a new leftover 99 Sport 400. I added some mods, and never had a single problem with it either. Well, both quads got stolen in october of last year. I, without hesitation, bought a 2000 Sportsman 500. I love it.

Point: Maybe some of these things that are going wrong aren't manufacturer defects or poor quality. I have had three now with out any problems. And as far as quality, some of you like one thing others like other things.

I almost bought a new 700. I rode it, loved it, but didn't want to be stranded if the battery went dead. The engine is great. Magazines called it low tech. The best part is the pushrods. You don't have to adjust your valve clearance. The motor is more like your car motor.

What ever you ride, have fun doing it.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]