I am thinking about purchasing a polaris, but I would like to be able to climb out the hills in the sand also, how does the Polaris 400, and 500 perform in the sand

 

Other than my belt problem, my sport 400 kicks a$$ anywhere, sand dunes included.

 

I have a Scrambler 500 4x4 that I rode at Little Sahara a few weeks ago. I have stock tires and it will go anywhere in just two wheel drive. If you are stopped near the bottom of a hill and need speed quickly, just click it over to four wheel drive and it will go anywhere you point it. Paddle tires would be all you would need on a 2wd Scrambler to help you pick up speed faster on take off. I got five feet of air off the razorbacks several times. It has to be the best flying 4x4 I've ever seen.

 

My 400 is built strictly for dunning, with a fully modded HPD race motor and a ton of weight trimmed off it, there isn't a hill at Glamis I can't get up, faster than most other bikes there I might add.

I like the 400 for sand over the 500 as it is easier to build up.

 

The Scramblers are great at the dunes.

Plenty of power and you are always in the correct gear when climbing.
Last time we were at Silver Lake we could beat 400EXs with Paddles draging up the hill NO PROBLEM.(I DID NOT HAVE PADDLES). My buddy has a 400 2x4(HAS PADDLES) and I have a 400 4x4. My 4x4 seems to make up for not having Paddles. I could acctually back up the hills in REVERSE. Anyway, you will have no Problem.

 

The only good quad i think polaris has ever made is the sport400L. They are pretty nice machines. Closest polaris has every come to a sport machine. try that for sand

 

Fez
The Current Scrambler 400 should be the same bike you are refering too except the Scramblers are Improved.
More Suspension Travel and Concentric Drive. The New 400 has Aluminum Running Boards, Aluminum Frt Bumper, and Aluminum Wheels from the Factory.

The 500 is the 4 stoke version and each of them has the option for selectable 4x4.
(2002 400X if you an find one)

And True, They are the Closest to a Sport Machine that polaris has currently.

 

How about wheelies, can you get them to ride wheelies at all, thanks for all of your imput so far.

RC

 

rc3: I see your from Oregon (although I'm not sure where your town is), I'm from northern Ca. just south of the border on the coast. My location makes it easy to get to the Oregon dunes. And I presume this where you would be riding? I've been there a couple of times with my Scrambler 500 4x2. First time it was totally stock. Went there with a fellow that had a C'dale (what a nice machine that is). Well, there were a few hills that I could not get up that he could. I was pretty well convinced that it had to do with two basic things. First, rear tires, I had cheap trakker paddles, he had sand skate II's. Second, weight. Yes, weight. I came home and thought about how best to try and solve this problem, and decided to add a pipe (supertrapp IDS II) and K&N filter. As well I put Skat Trak Edge paddles on the rear and GBC Shark fin on the front. It all made a remarkable difference and I was able on my next trip up there to get up any hill I wanted, no problem. It is still a heavier machine, but it is an absolute blast to ride! And wheelies are also now much less effort! All in all decent results for not too large an investment.

 

I made my first trip to the sand the other day and although I noticed the machine bogs a lot more, I went right though some really loose stuff. Stock tires and a pipe. I could just about do the same speed no matter how much throttle I added, it just spun more. So it goes good, but paddles are needed to get much speed out of it. After that, you just spin, make a lot of noise, but keep right on going. Once there was any pack to it at all, I could rip it up good.

Fez, Polaris currently makes a ture sport quad. Soon, you too will be able to buy one. Wait a few months til they hit the market. I think anything built on a new chassis (ie 2002 technology, not 1986) is going to really be nice. Add a 550 4 stroke and at 375 lbs, it'll be cool.