I like my 07 sportsman 800 dx. nice machine! I was Yamaha until I got a 02 sportsman 400 and the ride done it for me. and the 07 is even better. I have rods in my back. and this is the best ride I've found.
I own a 500 H.O. and I tell you it can haul way more then 1500lbs I towed a bumper pull cattle trailer for a mile and that 500 took it like it was nothing. I highly recommend a sportsman for the working man!
I believe that those are two separate questions. 1. How strong are the plastic racks? We've hauled what we needed on them and broke them when one of the testers hit a (big) tree. 2. Will it accept a 2" trailer hitch? No, it's the smaller (I think it's a 1 1/4" )receiver system but it is more than adequate for what the Sportsman will tow.
We have been testing ATVs and UTVs for 18 years now. The only problem we've ever had with a Kawasaki is the broken fuel gauge wire on our Kymco made Brute Force 300.
yeah, but Polaris is still the #1 ATV brand in the world. If you head over to Europe, the majority of ATV riders will ride a Polaris. Polaris for life :D
Although statistics are hard to come by, the last report I saw listed Honda as #1 in sales with Yamaha #2, Polaris #3. In this, as with many things in life, you can't let your emotions have free run over the facts. Doug
when i was on a ride i came around a turn to fast and rolled my brute force 750 6 times only damage done was the back rack bent ever so slightly hard to notice and the handle bar also bent ever so slightly and also hard to notice. It goes through plugs and now the coil is bad in it.I.D.K. Why. As for the Ranger 6x6 Excellent Machine I would stand behind it 300%.Hard working and towing is outstanding. Power is great.
I like my 07 Sportsman.....I added a 3 inch lift and 29.5 outlaws I now have 17 inches of ground clearence and can get through about anything you put me in front of....When riding my buddies see a hole and tell me to go first lol
No offense taken. My 'biased opinions' are based on being in this industry since 1992 (and having been an off-road enthusiast since 1963) but perhaps most importantly from having many, many hours of hand's-on experience with many, many machines in testing and evaluations. That typically is far more valuable than owning a few machines and having some friends with some.
I have to agree to an extent with RTparx I have a Brute Force 750 and a Polaris 6x6 I love both of them The brute force is a nice machine and tough. But it also as a lot of plastic both foot rest are cracked from rock crawling. I also have a kawasaki Prairie 650 best quad I ever had. i would trade my Brute in for another one in a heart beat as far as structure of the bike.
you have plenty of experience in fourwheeling, far more than i. what atv would you recomend? i have a 99 sportsman 500 (like new) but an upgrade would be nice.
I own a 2009 polaris sportsman 800 HO its a nice atv and really reliable i aint afraid to take it out for a long trip but the down side is that she likes her fuel. It dont cost much to fill up but I know people that own polaris atvs that are getting way better gas so is there somthing wrong that I need to take it in or is that just normal?
@rumerofhumor I commented to your comment with a "man" response? Correcting grammar or at least not understanding your miss-spelled or at least wrongly used words makes me mean and "some ATVer"? Excuse me for thinking people should take the time to write a proper, readable question if they expect me to give them a correct answer.
You should pay attention. Be quick to think and slow to react! The comment was regarding the 'original' Sportsman 500! Perhaps you should also pay more attention to your writing too as I'm pretty sure your second sentence should start with What, not That.
@SoHeavy3 The new XP's are really nice - especially for a Polaris guy! But my favorite quad is the King Quad 750 with EPS. Quiet, smooth, reliable, and capable.
@andyman14134 kingquad 400,sportsman 500ho,bruteforce 650 but only if u have the experience.most people wont ever get to use all the power from a big bore.
Been in this business for about 18 years and estimate I've ridden over 600 different machines in that time. It may give me a bit of a leg up on knowing what I talk about.....
Steve Lacots We only have what we have. All our tests were done when the machines were new. Check out our website as all the tests are categorized by year.
Of course you do have to stop and flip a switch for the engine braking to go to all four wheels for safer downhill travel. And you have to push a button for four wheel drive in reverse. And you can't control the brakes front to rear no matter what!
i would take a sportsman way over a king quad my dads king quad sucks it is the 750 i have the sportsman 800 i have to pull the king quad out of the mud all the time it sucks if u dont get the sportsman get the grizzly 700 they are good sportsmans beter tho
I'm not sure a guy used to the quality and reliability of a Honda will ever be happy with a Polaris - especially a used 500. Maybe you should look around for a Rubicon.
I have been told that Polaris is junk that breaks all the time. Not true? Also, I have heard that Honda's are bulletproof. What do you think of the ranchers and foremans?
The 08 800 sportsman is the best all around ATV out there!!!
I like my 07 sportsman 800 dx. nice machine! I was Yamaha until I got a 02 sportsman 400 and the ride done it for me. and the 07 is even better. I have rods in my back. and this is the best ride I've found.
I've got a 2006 500 Sportsman H.O and I love it to pieces. It's truly a fantastic machine.
I own a 500 H.O. and I tell you it can haul way more then 1500lbs I towed a bumper pull cattle trailer for a mile and that 500 took it like it was nothing. I highly recommend a sportsman for the working man!
One of my favorite atvs...
Oh, you're absolutely right. That was an error on my part. Thank you for correcting me.
They're showcasing the 800 Sportsman, and the announcer says 500cc? That the hell?
I believe that those are two separate questions.
1. How strong are the plastic racks? We've hauled what we needed on them and broke them when one of the testers hit a (big) tree.
2. Will it accept a 2" trailer hitch? No, it's the smaller (I think it's a 1 1/4" )receiver system but it is more than adequate for what the Sportsman will tow.
We have been testing ATVs and UTVs for 18 years now. The only problem we've ever had with a Kawasaki is the broken fuel gauge wire on our Kymco made Brute Force 300.
yeah, but Polaris is still the #1 ATV brand in the world.
If you head over to Europe, the majority of ATV riders will ride a Polaris.
Polaris for life :D
Although statistics are hard to come by, the last report I saw listed Honda as #1 in sales with Yamaha #2, Polaris #3. In this, as with many things in life, you can't let your emotions have free run over the facts. Doug
Do you prefer the arctic cat 700 efi over the polaris sportsman 800 efi.
@MrSnowbording The Xp is a great Polaris - especially in the Touring model.
when i was on a ride i came around a turn to fast and rolled my brute force 750 6 times only damage done was the back rack bent ever so slightly hard to notice and the handle bar also bent ever so slightly and also hard to notice. It goes through plugs and now the coil is bad in it.I.D.K. Why. As for the Ranger 6x6 Excellent Machine I would stand behind it 300%.Hard working and towing is outstanding. Power is great.
Evan, a Brute Force has a great locking front differential that allows you to progressively lock in both front wheels the amount you need.
I like my 07 Sportsman.....I added a 3 inch lift and 29.5 outlaws I now have 17 inches of ground clearence and can get through about anything you put me in front of....When riding my buddies see a hole and tell me to go first lol
Indeed good sir. Indeed.
@ATVTVCOM thank you. i dont hear to much about the king quad. How about the Brute force, are they good for mudding?
@Hunner72 Let's see, the brake is on the left and the throttle on the right....Which one does he use?
No offense taken. My 'biased opinions' are based on being in this industry since 1992 (and having been an off-road enthusiast since 1963) but perhaps most importantly from having many, many hours of hand's-on experience with many, many machines in testing and evaluations. That typically is far more valuable than owning a few machines and having some friends with some.
nice 4020 in the background:)
@ATVTVCOM thanks thats all i wanted to know.
I have a 2004 sportsman 700 EFI and it is a great atv but I am thinking about buing another what do you recomend
@ozzy107 Does not breaking all the time leave us to believe it breaks some of the time?
@SoHeavy3 Maybe better for muddin' as they are a bit taller and more powerful! And there's nothing quite like the sound of that v-twin!
I have to agree to an extent with RTparx I have a Brute Force 750 and a Polaris 6x6 I love both of them The brute force is a nice machine and tough. But it also as a lot of plastic both foot rest are cracked from rock crawling. I also have a kawasaki Prairie 650 best quad I ever had. i would trade my Brute in for another one in a heart beat as far as structure of the bike.
you have plenty of experience in fourwheeling, far more than i. what atv would you recomend? i have a 99 sportsman 500 (like new) but an upgrade would be nice.
while in 2wd can you switch to 4wd when moving ....................just not when wheels are spinning ..right
I own a 2009 polaris sportsman 800 HO its a nice atv and really reliable i aint afraid to take it out for a long trip but the down side is that she likes her fuel. It dont cost much to fill up but I know people that own polaris atvs that are getting way better gas so is there somthing wrong that I need to take it in or is that just normal?
@fuzznutz74 i have a 97 425 magnum polaris. have anything to say about it ?
@David1995af u can simply get it a Polaris.com or just simply vista a Polaris dealer they will have one for sure...
@andyman14134 There's a lot that goes into that question...... See the FAQ page on our website for more on that.
@rumerofhumor I commented to your comment with a "man" response? Correcting grammar or at least not understanding your miss-spelled or at least wrongly used words makes me mean and "some ATVer"?
Excuse me for thinking people should take the time to write a proper, readable question if they expect me to give them a correct answer.
how gd r these polaris quads
You should pay attention. Be quick to think and slow to react! The comment was regarding the 'original' Sportsman 500! Perhaps you should also pay more attention to your writing too as I'm pretty sure your second sentence should start with What, not That.
@SoHeavy3 The new XP's are really nice - especially for a Polaris guy! But my favorite quad is the King Quad 750 with EPS. Quiet, smooth, reliable, and capable.
@andyman14134 kingquad 400,sportsman 500ho,bruteforce 650 but only if u have the experience.most people wont ever get to use all the power from a big bore.
agreed!
One of many....
so you rather have a brute force 650 sra over both of them
@andyman14134 I would recommend something like the King Quad 400.
@andyman14134 Yes
i thought my 500 had power but damn 800ccs of power
Any one out there having intermittent heating problems with their 2008 800cc touring...???
@Hunner72 He's absolutely right - Polaris brakes are anything but.....
Been in this business for about 18 years and estimate I've ridden over 600 different machines in that time. It may give me a bit of a leg up on knowing what I talk about.....
Can you do one for a 2012 Polaris sportsman 800 efi please
Steve Lacots We only have what we have. All our tests were done when the machines were new. Check out our website as all the tests are categorized by year.
Ok
@dreambrew Polaris don't break all the time ;-) Honda's are more reliable but lack the ride and capability of the Polaris.
nice helmet:)
@andyman14134 Ya there good atvs my family owned one for 15 years and only had to change a belt.
i still say a CanAm would be more worthy over time if ridden the way this machine would be.
No, you were being a "smartass", I was the dumbass ;-)
Of course you do have to stop and flip a switch for the engine braking to go to all four wheels for safer downhill travel. And you have to push a button for four wheel drive in reverse. And you can't control the brakes front to rear no matter what!
i would take a sportsman way over a king quad my dads king quad sucks it is the 750 i have the sportsman 800 i have to pull the king quad out of the mud all the time it sucks if u dont get the sportsman get the grizzly 700 they are good sportsmans beter tho
my polaris stops fine
I'm not sure a guy used to the quality and reliability of a Honda will ever be happy with a Polaris - especially a used 500. Maybe you should look around for a Rubicon.
why would anyone want to put a trailer hitch on their racks?
I have been told that Polaris is junk that breaks all the time. Not true? Also, I have heard that Honda's are bulletproof. What do you think of the ranchers and foremans?
@xxxthorexxx253 Hondas, Suzukis, Yamahas, Kawasakis!
@bloox9 Nope.
Or no repair! I've got friends that have 10K, 16K, and even 24K on their Honda's and Suzukis and have only done regular maintenance.
i got a polaris and its not breaking all the time if it breaks its because u ride it like a fool
@fuzznutz74 Polaris are notorious for getting poor mileage. Your friends may just not ride as hard as you or may ride in 2wd more.....
spent fuel as the 800 polaris
@rumerofhumor And all your teaqchers that aref trtying to make you a beter speeler must be reallyt man!
@xxxthorexxx253 Far from it.
Why only those choices? They'd be my bottom, last. 'don't make me ride them' choices. Pick a King Quad, a Grizzly or a Brute Force at least.....
They do and so they refuse to let us witness firsthand their lack of reliability ;-)
As compared to. . . .
@1728jeff7928 Yes