I can give you guys some real good feed back when it comes to comparing the 600 VS 500 HO. The biggest difference is the torque. When riding 2up and going up some steep hills the 600 at 1/4 throttle just putts right up without applying hardly any more throttle to compensate. The top speed on the 600 is virtually the same as the 500. This weekend I went for a 125mi trip with 2 of my friends who have HO's. After the trip my 600 took less than 50cents more gas than both the HO's so I would say gas consumption is the same. Both my friends prefer the feel/sound/power of the 600 and would change in a heartbeat but there is always the small issue of $. (1 HO had a passenger, 1 HO none, I was 2up) I dont know the exact hp for either machine but Polaris did advertize it as having 8% more hp's than the HO. It also weighs more than the HO. They also advertized the torque as being 25% more. This comparison was done with pre Rawhide Grip HO's (a lot lighter) and I am sure the 03 HO's will suffer more because of the extra rolling weight.

 

As far as worrying about the battery going dead or whatever, I wouldn't. My 700 Twin has been locked up in the garage for the past 4 months without seeing the light of day. Trust me, that's not by my choice. I have been working, and plus it's been too cold. But anyway.... I went down there to the garage and turned the key, and guess what, it started right up with a slight adjustment to the choke. The 700 Twin has plenty of battery life to them. I always flip the red switch on the left handle bar to STOP when I park it for awhile.

 

The 600 would be easier to shift when plowing. Low to reverse is a short, straight throw of the lever.
The 500 you need to go down, over to the side, then down again to get from low to reverse. Once you get used to it, you can do it pretty quick, though.
The 600 also has a park lock in the tranny where the 500 has only a parking brake.

Farmr

 

Good point Farmer123. Another issue is the weak front springs on the HO you will require the heavy Duty ones if you install a plow. You will be OK with the stock 600. I have hit some real nasty holes and bumps/whoops at very high speeds and have not yet seen/felt the front bottom out.

 

Great Guys!!! ...now I'm leaning towards the 600. I just know in a week someone's going to say there's a sportsman 650 with EFI....will this ever end?

 

I'll give you a real good price on my 600 as soon as the GenV 800 EFI with fuel gauge is available.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I like that added feature... "Fuel Gauge".

 

I like the inline shift for plowing, wifes 500 has a kind of awkward shift, I hope it gets better once it gets used a little, it's really tough to go from hi to reverse right now. Its pretty stiff. I havent plowed with the 500, but I bet the shifting would be a little bit of a pain. A million people do it though, so it aint impossible. As far as power comparison, I think either one will do what you want, but the twin will do it at a lower RPM without working as hard.

 

Sure you can we used to do it all the time with my sons little LT80 i was a great little machine but I am glad they out grew them . They were very tempermental.

 

I gotta tell ya. I have been fighting the urge to buy a polaris but I finally gave in. A couple of things got me to trade in my Bombardier after owning it for just over a year. 1) the independent rear suspension 2) ground clearence 3)Looks great and hauls buns. I went from a Suzuki King Quad to a Traxter XT and without the independent rear suspension it was beating the tar out of me. Then I noticed a couple of the guys in our atv club(NorthEastAtV Association) could clear alot of obstacles and not get beat up all day and that was when I traded in Bombardier in on a 2003 yellow Sportsman 500 HO and I love it. People say that Polaris set to high as I did to but if you learn how to ride it , it is no different then any other atv. Just remember these simple things. 1) Always lean into the turn 2) lean to the uphill side of a hill and 3) ride within your abilities and yuor atv capabilities oh yea ALWAYS WEAR PROPER PROTECTIVE GEAR. I also an a lic atv safety instructor for 17 years so I get to talk to alot of different people and see alot of different atv's
I was considering the 700 or the 600 but for the money the 500 suits my needs just fine besides you can only go so fast on most trails before you become a problem or hazard for other riders around you.
Hope this info helps cruise easy[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]