You said your main concern is getting the belt wet. I have as yet been unable to get my belt wet. I go into every mud and water hole I can, and head for the deepest part. My 700 is so watertight it is unbelievable, and I havent done anything to it. When I first got into Polaris' some of my friends warned me about that, but I think it's mostly BS. My old Scrambler would swim around without getting the belt wet, as long as you didn't hit the water fast. What I figured out on that was that splashing against the fenders directed water into the vent for the clutch housing, getting the belt wet (only when you hit the water really fast). Even so, all I had to do was putt around in circles for a minute or two, then it would clear right up. But the 700 is like a duck, as far as I'm concerned. One time I saw a lifted Praire 650 and a stock Grizzly 660 drown in water that I made it through on my Scrambler, then the icing on the cake was my wife making it through on her 2wd Trail Boss! So, to answer your question, Polaris has excellent waterproofing. I've been to a lot of mud bog competetions, and organized trail rides, etc. and I hate to say it but the Grizzly, as much as I like them, seem to be the most susceptible to water. The biggest concern with the Polaris belt I think is knowing when to go to low range. If you try to get it to do something it can't do, something has to give, and if it can't spin the tires it will smoke the belt. I never got my belt to slip until I put the 28s on, and even now it is very rare. Gonna have to put a clutch kit in.

 

I bought a 2004 sp 500 ho yesterday, I love it, but only put 4 miles on it. Not a lot of places to ride yet, just got 2 feet of snow. Got a 2500lb warn winch and a 50 in plow. I paid 7100 and that includes plow , winch ramp, and a new helmet. Thought I got a good deal. I also was looking at hondas but the true 4x4 is what sold me.

 

Congratulations, Iggy, hope you enjoy the new ride!
I just bought an 03, and about 3 weeks later the 04s came out. I can't believe they released them like they did. Now my resale is another year older and we're still in the beginning of 03? Whats up with that? Maybe I'll trade it in for an 05 in June, or hold out til August and get an 06 Jeez.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

Polaris made some changes to the machines, and instead of having a 2003 1/2, they just released the 2004 models. If they wouldn't sell so well, the 03s would have lasted longer [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]
Nebraska isn't the cheapest place to buy one. Someone posted a link somewhere in the Polaris forum here to a dealer that was selling the 700 for $5999.

 

700 for $6000??? that dealers is loosing a ton of money, thats way below his invoice, I'm glad I work at a Polaris shop, i can get a sweet deal on my new sportsman when i decide to get it.

 

If your plans are for trail riding, don't even consider the 600/700 twins. I am a very disappointed owner of an 02 700. They are horribly clutched, and, the engine vibration will flat wear you out. It is especially bad in the handlebars. Get the Sportsman 500, it's still the best in the business.

 

Hello NorthStar.....I was in Epping last year at Star Speedway......watching the Supers....gotta love em....I noticed an old railbed next to the parking lot...is that rideable?.....thankx

 

The 700, from the factory IS clutched mostly for farmers pulling/hauling big loads. A clutch kit does wonders to smoothen out the clutch actuation, while giving a little boost to midrange power.

Everyone feels vibration differently. What is a lot to some, isn't much to another. To ME, though, the 600 vibrates about half what the 700 does, and has about 90% of the performance.

That said, if I were buying a new ATV today, I would probably deal on the 500, unless the 600 was very close in price.

Farmr

 

i have 2 sportsman 400s and the belt has never got wet and from what i've heard you dont even need to take anything apart to get water out of the tranny just put it in neutral rev it up and wait a couple of mins for the belt to dry. also from everything i've heard the 600 is better than the 700

 

I have a 1998 Polaris Sportsman 500 and i have had no major problems with it, except of course for those junky u-joints which are now replaced by the cv joints, the tranny is great and so was the suspension. I would reccomend you go with the Polaris only because i had one and i have never ridden a Rincon