hey guys, i just traded my 05 polaris 700 efi for a 05 vinson 500. i purchased my polaris in nov. of 04 and its been a headache from day 1. 6 torn boots, shredded belt, rear wheel bearings, rear footbrake quit working, handle bar grips wouldnt stay on,and it only had 300 miles on it. i rode the 500 this morning and it has plenty of power. i got the one with the 5 speed foot shifter. it rides like a horse and buggy after riding my polaris but steers much easier. i liked the brakes better on the polaris also. the 500 is the yellow one and i think its sharp i kinda hate to take it in the woods and scratch it. its got a little low end knock to it thats getting quieter the more i ride it. i hadnt rode it but about 15 mins. is this knock normal with break in? how does the vinson hold up? is it a reliable atv. im impressed so far. i look foward to chatting with you guys and thanks for your input

 

wow this vinson has awesome power. i believe it would take my 700 polaris untill it reached 60 mph. just put 20 miles on it and i love it. get me some bigger tires and wheels and ill be set. does anyone sell some sort of differential lock for the front end?

 

I use to have a Vinson 5 speed. Wish I would have kept it now. It was tough as nails. The only thing I did to make it more durable was put gorilla axles up front. I had mine snorkeled which is easy on this quad. I went through some deep water with that sucker! It was like a submarine.lol Add a snorkel, HMF exhaust and rejet it and you will notice even more power out of that 500. I've got a few pictures of it left if ya wanna take a look.

 

I got my locker here: http://www.highlifter.com/store/detroitlocker.html
I can climb straight up now and not slip a tire. Best investment I ever made for it. Definitely worth the money and not too hard to put in. I also added some Maxxis Bighorns and went wider and taller. You definitely lose top end speed but what the hell, if I wanted to go superfast I wouldn't have bought the Vinson in the first place.

 

nice ride hoosier. can i put 27 in tires on mine without a spacer or lift kit? thanks for the info on the locker stainless. im gonna get one in a couple months and some tires and wheels also. hoosier hows the boots hold up on the vinson? i seen you had aluminum boot gaurds and was wondering if you had a boot problem. i cant wait to get mine broke in so i can play some.

 

never had a problem with the boots. Just wanted to protect them. I did bust a cv on each side though, which is why I bought the gorilla's. Alot of people never have problems with the cv's but I always gave it hell in the mud.lol I would say most 27's will fit with out a problem. Some may come close to the floor board support on front. I had 1 inch spacers front and rear, not for tire clearence, just for stability. With the spacers this thing was impossible to tip over on a side hill.

 

Running 27" Swamp pro and they don't come close to anything. This is the first auto I've owned and I love it, it will roost like a sport ute and handles really well, wouldn't go back to manual now.

 

I really enjoy my 03 Vinson auto. I use it for mostly recreational riding on trails, some mud and work around the property. I just got back from 2 days playing on the dunes in Florence, OR, and it handled greate. It climbed most anything, provided I hit the dunes & hills with speed and confidence. The first modification you should make is put on an aftermarket front bumper. The front plastic breaks pretty easy and the front frame can bend. I bought a Warn bumber and it works great (plus you can add additional lights for night rides). Also, you may want to add an in-line fuel filter. I had a problem this weekend with my main jet getting clogged (happened twice). It only takes about 20 minutes to take things about and clear the jet, but a fuel filter would have prevented the problem.

 

thanks ridinlcwa, how much for your warn bumper. i know the suzuki one is 140.00. where did you put your filter? inbetween the fuel vavle and carb or where?

 

My brother works for Warn, so I got the bumper for $85 and the trail lights for $31. You should be able to get the bumper for under $100 on Ebay (often they sell it with the trail lights packaged with it). The bumper is nice because it is custom designed for the Vinson. It is a high quality product with thick gauge steel. It looks and feels solid. It was pretty easy to put on. As for the filter, I just got back from Florence last night and that is where I had the clogged jets. So, I have not had a chance to go get one. I'm going by the dealer later today to discuss the problem with them and see what kind of fuel filter I should get. But, yea, I'm thinking in the line between the gas tank and the carb.

Another bumper option to consider is Rocky Mountain ATV/MC has a stainless steel replacement for the front plastic grille and the plastic bash plate for about $60. They don't seem to have it on the web site, but do have it in their latest catalog.

On another note, I've not had any problems with my boots. I have heard from friends that their Polaris quads constantly have boot tears and must be replaced. It seems Suzuki makes a more stout boot.