Sorry you feel that way about the Polaris. I have worked my '04, 600 hard with the front loader and scraper blade and hours of labored low speed conditions, and have yet to have ANY problems. Loading and moving buckets full of wet sand is a good test for any suspension and tranny, and the Polaris has handled it with no problems.


Also, if you cruise the ATV forums, I think you'll find similiar opinions of ALL brands that you have with the Polaris.

JMHO.........

Oh, I forgot to mention that I had a Honda before the Polaris. It was very good, but don't compare for my use.

 

We had a 1996 Polaris Xpress 300 2wd and I beat the tar out of that thing and it never missed a beat. I buried it over the gas tank, pulled it out, fired it up, and kept right on playing with it. Only problem with it was when my cousin hit the back tire and bent the wheel and exle. Our 2000+ 500 Sportsman HO has been great. It gets used everyday to pull a trailer around full of manure, disk the arena, and other stuff and the only problem we've had with it was my mom towing the trailer and everything in high gear and it finally broke the tranny belt. Been towing in low ever since (like I told her to) and no more issues. I love our polaris's and I'll never own anything else.

 

My brother has 4 Polaris' on his farm. They are fine for the farm. Pulling a trailer, payload on the racks, etc. I'll still say this though, he always has one or more in some state of disrepair that needs fixing and they don't even get worked hard by my definition. I liked them at first, but then they started failing. I went elsewhere when I bought mine. By my defintion of riding hard, I'm speaking of mud riding, deep in mud or water, and hard trail riding on rocky trails, mountain ridign for many many miles and relying on the quad to bring you home 20 or more miles from the trailhead. I'm glad some of you have had good luck with your Popo's but keep an open mind unless you have an open checkbook for repairs. Neither my Honda or Yamaha have ever let me down and I've had to waste too much trail riding time waiting a broke down Popo's. Not just one, two, three different ones, I'm talking about at least 15 or more I've been around that are POS's. Sorry but these are facts.

Like the guy that owns the 800efi I raced against; his signature on one of the atv boards says: Polaris 800 efi, fast and fun, 350 Honda Rancher, not as fun, but reliable. He ends up riding that old Rancher often because his Popo has something broken.

My Honda and Yamaha aren't pefect, there are things I would change. But given their age, miles, and abuse, they're pretty doggone awesome with just some simple preventative maintenance.

 

Well ok then, to each his own I guess....

But a stock Bombardier 800 beating a stock predator, raptor, 450r,(honda, yammi, or suzuki) is flat out funny. I dont know of anyone that owns one but I would be more than happy to run em. Bret

 

I was surprised too. Heck we ran a couple 300ex's and some other sport quad when we ran and they were left well back in the dust. I was very surprised by that. Maybe it was a traction thing (4x4, cleated tires) on the dusty sandy surface there. I didn't see the Bomb, so I have no way of knowing if that is accurate, but the guys telling me this are upstanding guys. Maybe it's not a long enough distance for the sports to get up to speed.

This was the first time for a "real" drag race on my quad so I plead ignorance on consistency on this.

 

I dont doubt the 800 beating a 300 ex. those are more of an entry level machine, very slow acceleration and top speed. You said big bore sport quads, so I assumed you meant any of the machines I listed. No way will a utility quad run with them, unless the rider has NO EXPERINCE AT ALL. Bret

 

No, I raced a 300ex, not the 800 Bomb. The Bomb was there on a different weekend. What I was told he was wearing out many sport quads, even the big bores. At least one 660 Raptor was mentioned as one he was beating. I was told they stopped lining up when the Bomb would because he was beating them everytime. I have to say, I found it hard to believe as well. I know crap about sport quads as I personally don't have a use for them. Mine have to be able to hunt, work, and play so I have never kept up with what model is best or whatever on the sports. The only reason I know about the 300ex is a lady that rides in our ATV club rides and races one, and the 660 raptor shares the same base engine as my Grizzly.

 

Hmmmm, all my good words about my Polaris, and now I have problem. Ran great when I put it up, and now it has a knocking at the lower rear engine area when I try to accelerate. Does fine when creeping. I think it may be the infamous drive belt. Any one know for sure?

 

Sorry Charlie (hey that's good),
Can't help you there, never experienced it. Your quad is newer, it should have the newer belt, I would be surprised if that is your issue. Maybe try calling the PoPo dealer in McKinney? (Central Polaris/KTM, I think, just east of 75 on 380).

~Rob

 

I went by and talked to the Polaris mech in McKinney. New guy since I was there last, and much more helpful and friendly. He said it is possibly the belt or maybe a u-joint. Now, if I ever make it back to Sherman I'll have something to check out.

 

Hordram, luv the XR.I had one a couple of years a go and I loved it.

I had just a little done to mine (this is before I got a truck or got into trucks real big).

280 kit
Port and polished head (just minor work) with a web cam
1996 CR250 inverted front end revalved by pro action, shorted to 11.25 inchs of travel and srung by XRs only
Factory connection revalve and lengthened to 11.25 inchs of travel.
Gusseted the frame at the pegs, headstay, and shock mount.
Maier mx style plastic black and white

Man I really liked the bike but my CR250 and my new TRX450r 4wheeler will fly

 

I've got a 98' Honda 300 Fourtrax 2x4 utility fourwheeler. It ain't nothing special but it will do whatever I need it too. I run the everloving crap out of it because all my buddies have 450r's and brute forces and such, and I try to keep up with em. But anyway, not once have I ever done any kind of repairs due to mechanical failures on that bike. All I have ever done to is change the oil, put gas in it and put a few sets of tires on it. I can go out in the shed to ride it, and even after a month of sitting, I touch the starter for a split second and she fires on the first crank, every time. I'm talking year round. I VERY seldom ever have to use the choke. One hell of a fourwheeler. Tougher than a pine knot. I will never own anything but a Honda. But I will say those brute forces are an amazing machine as well. My buddy just bought an 06' Brute Force 650 v-twin EFI and I watched him hang neck and neck with a 400ex with a 416 big bore kit, hot cam, jetted carb, exhaust, and intake. That brute force is a pretty cool machine as you can lock in/out 4wd and it has a little lever on the handle bars to fully lock the front diff. They say the 750 brute force's are alot meaner.