I am a sorely disappointed owner of a sportsman 700. I've had a water pump leak, valve cover gasket leak, tool box leak, and now have an unexplained misfire. My quad has a total of 180 pampered miles on it! This thing drinks gas like its going out of style. If you plan, like I did, to use your machine for trail riding, forget it. The engine vibration at any RPM, in any gear, is just plain brutal. I have owned nothing but Polaris atv's my entire life. I sold my Xplorer 500 to purchase this 700. What a mistake! I'm going back to the 500 for good. I strongly advise anyone avoid the 600/700 until Polaris irons out all the bugs from these machines.

 

some of the first '02 700's may have had some of those problems but the current ones do not.......except the fuel consumption issue....but that's life!
want better MPG? then buy a Magnum 330.
-MT

 

Chucky, hers my $0.02
I for one don't think the vibration is bad. It is there, but it doesn't seem at all unusual. In fact, our new 500 HO seems to vibrate a little more than the 700. I have had a lot of problems with my 700, but thats because I couldnt wait for the second season of new and improved 700s to come out. so I was a guinea pig I guess. This is without a doubt an awesome trail riding machine, and if you don't think so, then either you have a serious problem with your machine, or, it is not the appropriate machine for your riding style. What I mean is, if you want to ride real fast and aggressive, then maybe a sport quad would be more suitable for you. Or maybe you just want a different type of ride. I would say that is your preference, not the machines shortcoming. I think mine rides like a Cadillac, no matter how rough it gets. And while it is worse on fuel than everything else, that hasn't ever been a problem for me. So what if I spend $3 or $4 more thru the course of a day? Thats the price you pay to be on top. I've certainly never even come close to running out of fuel. I don't know how far I can go on a tank, but it is a big tank. The fuel economy isn't even an issue as far as Im concerned. Of course, maybe there is something wrong with yours. From the sound of it, you're pretty unhappy with it. I don't see how thats going to change, so if I were you I would bail and get something else that makes you happy. Thats what its all about, right? You gotta try to make yourself happy, cause no ones gonna do it for you!

 

I'm wondering what anyone knows about "real" differences between todays 500ho and the 600/700. Doesn't the 600/700 use the newer locking front differential style, where the 500 still has the older style locking hubs out at each front wheel. I don't think they ended up passing this on to the 500 yet, or maybe a few other things that are still specific to the 600/700. If they'd give the 500ho these newer items, I'd probably stay with the 500 again, but maybe that's what polaris is afraid of and kill alot of new 600/700 sales that were old 500 guys and just stay 500 guys.

 

i agree with most of the other 700 owners I owned one 6 months and it was in the shop alot and never did run correctly ,hard starting hesitation and backfiring problems.,and it was an 03. i say was ,because i traded it in on a 2004 sportsman 500.It is great and in 100 yard dash beats the 600 this is fact ,I've done it .not that I wanted a speed machine ,just find that interesting.My 700 was very hard on gas also and you could actually see the fuel going out the breather hoses that runup the steering column and into the headlight pod.anyone else notice this ?

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img] I'm with you had hard starting ,hesitation ,and backfire problems, with my 03 700,not to mention the bad fuel mileage.Now the proud owner of 2004 500 H.O.

 

No hard starting, no hesitation, no fuel vapor coming out, never changed the plugs, and it is faster than a 500HO. I find it difficult to believe that a 500 HO beat a 600. Close, maybe but the 600 should beat it, if all things were equal such as rider weight and condition of the machines.

 

Well, thank you Mr. Polaris Man... Now I can make it thru tomorrow because you told me how to think and feel about my 700. And, better yet, what type of machine I should be riding, even though this is the FIFTH Polaris 4x4 I've owned lo these many years! Gee, I don't know what I'm talking about when I say "brutal vibration" after owning an Xplorer 400. Gee, I don't know why I'm just a little ticked off that after spending over $7500 in bike and accesories, the machine has been back to the dealer 4 separate times. NONE of the other machines I've owned(250 Big Boss, Xplorer 400, 2 Xplorer 500s) ever went back to the dealer for a single thing. You bet I'm not happy with the machine. I guess it's because my days of thinking Polaris can do no wrong are over with. I just wish it did'nt take $7500 dollars to figure that out!

 

what I was saying is maybe not all 700s have these problems, so maybe yours has serious problems, therefore maybe you should try a different dealer who can correct them so you enjoy it like most of the rest of us. I wasn't slamming you or your machine, just the opposite actually.

 

I'm just saying their are more than just a couple 700's with these problems.I thought I was the only one ( or so my dealertold me). I didn't know about any others till I found all of you.Still very glad I got rid of it , and got a 04 500 H.O.I previously had a 2000 sportsman 500 before getting the 700.I think they have some work to do ,and yes a 500H.O. will beat a 600 ,but I only did it in approx. a 100 yard dash across a field both of us are about 200 lbs.