I would think with less ground clearance the Xplorer would hight center before the Sportsman and get hung up earlier.Your brothers crippled Sportsman would be on even terms with a healthy limited slip diff. bike in the mud.

 

Hey Tim...put a really heavy fellow on a Sportsman500 and the ground clearance really goes down. When my father-in-law rides he goes down a couple inches...when he has my uncle on the bike too, the rear A-arms (I think thats what they are called?) go up towards the wheels instead of down! That means only about 5 to 6 inches of clearance. Xplorer is always the same.

In my opinion, low or high gear, the Xplorer is a better mudder than the SP500. Just by a wee bit though. That's only my opinion. To give them both the credit they deserve I would have to say they are the 2 best mudders I have seen yet.

 

Xplor,

What do you mean we automatically get a 2 year warranty up here? You imply that Canadians get a two year warranty. Not that I am aware of. Is this something your specific dealer does? Why exactly would he do this (except for money)?

Sure the Sportsman squats some with a heavy rider. So does ANY quad with suspension! With a solid rear axle machine the clearance to the axle doesn't change as rider weight is applied, but the frame of the quad certainly gets closer to the ground. The only way ANY quad doesn't lose ground clearance with a rider on it is if it has no suspension.

DJ

 

My friend bought a 2000 Kodiak a mouth ago and his warranty last for 6 months in Ontario.I weigh 181lb and when I go riding with freinds I clear rocks they skid over and skid over rocks that lift them off the ground.I do not know but would'nt all straight axle bikes have the same gound clearance and the size of the back wheels would make the only differance between them?

 

Oh well Bill what I want to know is how you talked him in to buying that bike with all the trouble you had...you must have gave him a heck of a deal, but then again with the warranty it isn't any big deal. I think its kind of funny even with one of the wheels not pulling he still has the same power as most of the other bikes and I agree he will learn about the belt, I think that was the problem with about 90% on here that had belt troubles, I am like you when in doubt put it low...have a good one.

 

Deej: The first dealer here in Quebec that I called told me that there was a 3 year extended waranty availible. When I called my usual dealer he said he offers a 2 year right of the bat! Maybe he added the waranty ($) in somewhere. Not really sure. The only funny thing is that I took a loan at the dealer and the insurance on the laon was 800$ ??? Not too sure about that one though...

 

ATVing,well actually my bro asked me if he could buy the Sportsman,nothing hard about that.He knew that I personally took damn good care of the quad.He road with me alot on his King Quad and blames me for alot of the old problems I had with the Sportsman..He claims that not passing up a mud hole anywhere or anytime could have added to the problems that I was having with the Sportsman.But after any day of mudding,the tires were removed and everything was completely power washed,re greased,air box cleaned if neccessary, and brakes dried with compressed air.Five oil and filter changes in 1000 miles to.So I aint buying his BS and he knows it.I did'nt buy the quad to drive to church,though sometimes I wished I did.Seems to me my brothers fat a$$ wife road the quad with the parking brake on and smoked the front and rear brakes along with the belt.And she has the nerve to tell my brother he bought a lemon because I have to take it into the dealership for the left front hub not engaging?I spent 2 hrs on it today repairing what her fat ... messed up.When my bro called me from work a few minutes ago and told me what she said,I felt like smackin the B..CH.I installed new brake pads all he way around,oil and filter,greased it up,checked and filled all fluids,and also a new belt.He tells me to pay no attention to her.If the both of them dont start listening to me on using low range,they better find someone else to be fixin it for them.The brakes and belt are non warrenty parts,they better appreciate my free labor and sound advice.It really makes me mad to hear that she said something like that after all the free labor I just gave away.The parking brake was set,and she and my bro went riding the Sportsman and KQ together,she toasted the new brakes and belt I just installed two months ago.DUMMY,IF YOU DONT KNOW ABOUT THE CONTROLS ON THIS QUAD,GET OFF IT,====BILL

00 Xplorer 400cc 4x4
If you want to come in second ''FOLLOW ME''

 

Sorry to hear about inlaws and outlaws having trouble with the old Sportsman.

Operator error seems to play a huge part in most quad failures and accidents.

But Bill... you did violate rule #1 "Never sell a mechanical device to a relative." ;o)

BTW It seems that concentric drive is not a *set and forget* chain adjustment. You may want to have some one take a look at the chain with you sitting on the quad. It will probably look alright vs the slack appearance that it will have when unloaded.

 

Hey Explorer 400 guys.....I have a 300 Explorer now and like it a lot. I"m going to get a quad for my 16 yr old son. He's tired of Dirt Bikes. I'm either going to upgrade myself or get him something to ride. I found a 96 Explorer 400 in the paper for $3400. Doesn't sound like a bad deal. Only used for hunting. Any Advice about this yr. Thanks

 

for the Xplorer, 99 was the first year for the front drive shaft and the concentric rear chain. I think it got a hydraulic rear foot brake that year to.

I payed 5200 new....dont know what they are worth but those were major changes for the Xplorer. No front chains to mess with and the rear is considerably more simple to deal with.