Thoughts on 07 Polaris 500X2?

[Phish Finder]

I agreed to purchase a pair of 4 wheelers today. One is a 02 Kawasaki 650. The other is a Polaris 500 X2. I'm excited about the Polaris. Are there any things that I need to do to it right away?

Any of you guys own Polaris 500's?

What does the HO stand for?

Thanks,
Jamie

[AK Dreamer]

I have a 2001 Sportsman that I bought new. So far, it has been trouble free. I think this is because I keep up on the maintainence.

If your quad does not come with the owners manual, go to the Polaris website and download a copy. It is free. Then just follow the recommended service schedule. If you don't know how it was driven by the previous owner, changing the fluids wouldn't hurt.

HO stands for High Output. Back in 2001 Polaris made some changes to the 500 motor. Basically, the changes was a larger carb and a different cam. According to the 2001 Polaris catalog (I still have one) this was supposed to increase the HP by 20%.

[Kandiyohi Kid]

IThe other is a Polaris 500 X2. I'm excited about the Polaris. Are there any things that I need to do to it right away?

Any of you guys own Polaris 500's?

What does the HO stand for?

Thanks,
Jamie

HO means High Output.

Get a repair manual would be my 1st reccomendation.

[Water_Gremlin]

Skip the owners manual if you plan to work on the machine yourself. If you plan to do your own maintenance do yourself a favor and get a service manual. If you spend some time on dedicated atv forums free pdf manuals will pop up, or you can buy one for around $40 at the dealer.

IMO, there are three must have mods for every atv:

aftermarket tires - I'm partial to maxxis mud bugs for various reasons
winch
grip & thumb warmers

[Phish Finder]

Any suggestions on warmers?
Both machines have winches on them.


How important is a thumb warmer? It seems trivial. I've never had one on anything else.

[Tenmm]

My wheeler didnt have hot grips when I got it, and I didnt think it would be a problem. My buddies Sportsman X2 came with them and he loved them. It only took one September ride to change my tune! Its much more comfortable with warm hands and thumb.
His X2 is nice, especially for the passenger, and the cargo box is pretty handy. I'm not impressed with the EFI, though he just got a new battery and it seems to be working better. He also spends more time stuck than I do, probably because of tires, the stock ones suck. I have the GBC Gator, which is similar to the Mud Bug. Good tires make a huge difference.

[BAR300]

I'd be more excited about the kawasaki

The 650 is a great machine, arctic cat even used their motor in their 650 for a few years. The polaris is ok, a buddy has one, and besides it being heavy, 800 lbs dry it does just fine, also because it's a two up he can have an extra person on his machine in comfort. The longer wheelbase of the x2 is nice for some terrain, but bigger tires are a must, Polaris claims 11 inches of clearance but because of the weight and how the machine sags it's actually closer to 9.

[BigHinER]

I had a '06 500 X2. There is a big tree at Knik that serves as a headstone where I totaled it. I loved it. If I weren't deploying, I would buy another one. I do intend on getting another X2 when I get back but the next one will be a '10 800. The 500 pulled a loaded meat trailer at Eureka with zero problems. I bought after market tires for it which were the ITP Mudlite XTRs. I could tell a big difference in mud and such so I would recommend tires. I also had a K&N filter on it. the X2 is a FAT PIG when it comes to trying to lift it, go through mud and such but it has enough power to get you out if you get enough momentum with a rider. I usually had no problems in mud by myself.

The Toy Hauler


Good times.....Stuck at Eureka


Mudlite XTRs

[Phish Finder]

Thanks for the information. Big H, the pictures are getting me stoked!

[AKpegleg]

Mine has always worked great with no problems. Just don't rely on the fuel gauge they dont seem to be reliable. Has anyone tried starting theres using the pull cord? Why is there not a compression release? Pretty tough compared to the 400 cc.