zack,

sorry to hear you had bad luck with your 500ho, however, you can't advise someone to not get something because you had a bad one. Every brand makes bad ones. You have had good luck with your 05 kodiak 450. I have friend that has had problems with his 05 kodiak 450 similar to your 500ho. The 500ho has a reputation for being outright tough, reliable, durable, and vitually maintenance free. Sure they aren't exempt from having the occasional quad to be a lemon, like all other brands and sizes.

 

Maintenance free? Did Polaris finally go away from the old zerks? I used to have to do like 30 some on the old Sportsman. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img]

 

Yes they did go away from the zerks, however, if you know anything about longterm maintenance you know the more zerk the better. Those greaseless joints will have to be replaced eventually.

 

Oh, I see, the more zerks the better????? What the heck are you smoking. Is that why all new cars have so many zerks? Bushings last a long time - I have never replaced any, and most people I know don't even use their zerk gun and end up having to replace all the u-joints anyway. If zerks are so much better why did polaris stop using them????

 

They have gone back to using them more! So you think a greasless joint will last longer than a greased joint? Yes, I agree greaseless is less maintenance in the short run, however, in the long run NOT. It's easier and cheaper to squirt a little grease now and then than to replace all those rubber and plastic bushings that have worn out years later. You, say I'm smoking something but man you have really shown you mechanical intelligence on this one. I have noticed that all you do is post how AC is the best and reccommend it in about everyone of your post. I, however, am less biased than yourself and admit when the machines I own aren't the best for what someone is asking about. Actually rarely do i reccommend the quads I personally own. Also, i am not talkin about U-joints. I am talking about all the movable suspension parts. Sure CV joints are better than u-joints , however, not durable. U-joints have basically 4 pivet points. CV joint have continuous pivet points, but you have those cv-boots to deall with that u-joints don't. Your post really speak volumes cat!

 

1st, I never claimed to be a machanic. I did however take basic auto 1 & 2 in high school [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] I do not go around here and tell everyone to buy an Arctic Cat. When people ask different questions about ATV's, I post my opinon on the Arctic Cats, because I own them and spend a lot of time on them. I have also spent a lot of time on Polaris's. Since you notice all my posts, try to find one where I put another ATV down. 95% of my post are done in the AC section, or the spin zone. Read this thread and tell me how much I bash other's ATV's. It isn't my money, I could care less. Seriously though, what cars are going back to using u-joints and/or general zerk points?

Sorry if I offended you or anything, maybe I need to put more smiley faces in my posts so they don't come acrossed so strong. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

By the time one of those SEALED joints dry out, your atv has probably been handed down 3 generations. So i say the less zerks, the better.

 

propnut you underestimate what a locker is all capable of... since i'm coming off a honda to my brute with a locker i'll say that i won't be getting another atv without a locker.

Take any honda to a rutted mudhole and watch him push his four wheeler to one side yet everytime he finally finds traction all the power goes to the one in the air... do the exact same thing on any four wheeler with a brute and pull the locker and wala it'll jump right out.

It's also more than mud holes... i've had it help me on the trails as well in off cambered stuff where one of the front ends tires leaves the ground and you can't get power to it.

 

I've driven a few types of lockers in a few different types of vehicles. I know what they're good for and what they're not. I wouldn't mind having one and often think about the DGL. However, I wouldn't rule out an ATV because it didn't have a switchable full locker. I'm not riding the ATV I didn't want 95% of the time to be happy the other 5% (not knocking any locker quads...)

 

if power isnt the issue then its the one you get the best buy on....