Looking for first ATV, 500HO?

[antoniodef]

New here. Been lurking for a few weeks. I am looking to buy my first ATV. I have ridden them before, but never owned one. I will do my own maintenance and probably some light mods along the way (lighting, wheels, bumpers, exhaust, etc.). I have been into personal watercraft for awhile. I have a Seadoo RXP that I installed a Stage 1 and some other mods on, goes well over 70 with great acceleration. The summer is so short here in Michigan, I need something else to do.

I live in a power sports friendly neighborhood. Lots of ATV's, snowmobiles, lifted carts, etc..(even a motorized picnic table that they drink beer on!) Everyone is respectful and takes it slow. We live very close to a lake everyone rides on. I plan on doing a little plowing, just my driveway and maybe a few elderly neighbors. Play on the frozen lake and a few trips up north.

At first I was looking at a Can-Am Outlander or Renegade since I own Seadoo. They don't seem to have true 4wheel drive, their Visco-Lock seems to get stuck and they are UGLY. They also seem to run about $1500 more than a Polaris for comparable models. I have owned Polaris products before, and was very happy. Wouldn't buy Yamaha, Honda, AC or Suzuki.

I am paying cash, so I am looking to be under $6k, since I'm sure I will buy some accessories and might have to purchase the winch/plow separate. The used market seems a little high. 4 year old ATVs with 1000 miles going for $1500 less than new seems ridiculous to me. At least I know resale is good.

I love fast toys. I don't wanna kill myself, I just like knowing I could :-). I think I will have to put that on hold with my budget though. The 2011 Sportsman 500 HO seems to be a possible choice. I can get it for less than $6k OTD, I figure another $800 for the plow/winch. Two things bother me, it is carb (EFI models cost $1500 more) and a single cylinder. Seems a little old school, but everything I read says it is a bullet proof engine.

You guys think a Sportsman 500 is a good choice for what I am looking for? Any other opinions welcome.

Thanks

[cadpat]

I have a 2011 Sportsman 400. I love it and has lots of power for me. You should be good with a 500.

[blueline15]

Hey man glad you joined. I think the 500 would be a great choice for what you want and your budget. Makes good power for a single cylinder, and the motor and tranny are bulletproof. That combo has been around for awhile, all the bugs have been worked out many years ago by now. Solid set up.

Wouldnt worry about the EFI if your not changing elevations a lot. There really is no performance difference between carbed and EFI, the the ease of better cold whether starting, and it compensating F/A ratios when you are riding in a place that drastically changes elevation. Otherwise, just get it jetted right, and it will run great.

[Cableguy657]

for a little more you should be able to buy a new 500 HO. If you can find a left over you would do even better. I bought my 06 500 EFI for around $6500 as a leftover in early 2007.
or keep a eye out on Craigslist for a good used one, maybe someone that has to get rid it for the money. Someones misfortune could be your gain.

[Educ8r]

I bought an 05 500 HO last summer with a Polaris 2500 lb winch and Glacier plow for $4,800. It was also the Camo color with all of the added racks and bumpers. It only had 973 miles.

[antoniodef]

Thanks fir the replies. I do plan on buying new. I have been looking used for a month with no luck. Either older than I want or the price is too close to new. I guess the dealer war is on now. I figure I will have one within the next two weeks. The dealers around me don't have much stock yet and mainly have the XP models. I will let you guys know how the hunt goes!

[biz4two]

Originally Posted by antoniodef

Thanks fir the replies. I do plan on buying new. I have been looking used for a month with no luck. Either older than I want or the price is too close to new. I guess the dealer war is on now. I figure I will have one within the next two weeks. The dealers around me don't have much stock yet and mainly have the XP models. I will let you guys know how the hunt goes!

May want to try ATV trader online dot com as a source. It def helped in my search...and to get different pricing from dealers that are in neighboring States.

Good luck...and make sure to post pics...


biz

[Mudd Slinger]

I'm sure if you live in Waterford you've been to street cycle..and yes they dont have much of a selection...I bought an 04 700 with 400 miles on it for $4000 off of criagslist... there are deals all the time

[brad5401]

I agree with blueline. Everything about the regular (or "Value" line) Sportsman models is tried and true and still competitive or still even better than the best offered from other manufacturers in the same price range. EFI is certainly nice in that you don't have to worry about elevation changes or possibly cold starts, but you just can't beat the value and the ride quality of the 500 H.O. (or even the 800) for the price. You still get tons of accessories available for that platform. If you're able to find a great deal on the winch and plow by shopping around, you'll end up with more than a respectable set up and be comforted by the fact that you spent less coin than most people do to get comparable rigs on the XP platform.

One thing to consider, you might be able to save yourself even more by finding a 2011 Sportsman 400 H.O. It's actually a 455cc motor and closer to the power of a 500 than the name might indicate. The 400 is rated at 29 HP where the 500 is rated at 32. Sticker price is about $500 difference, and you do get the front cargo box free with the 500 (still not really sure what that's about). The front storage box is about $160 retail.

There's another thing to keep in mind, don't be afraid to haggle with the dealership about the accessories, even the winch, plow, and front box. The dealer I bought my machines from gives me an automatic 15% discount on all Polaris accessories. You can also sign up at Choose-Your-Ride and get a $25 coupon for the first $100 spent on accessories. In my household, me, my wife, and my son all have accounts with Polaris and all get those promotional coupons from time to time. If we decide we want a bunch of accessories, we use more than one...just split the order up as close to $100-chunks as we can.

Good luck with your decision!

Brad

[antoniodef]

So I have been shopping around, looking at the dealers. Dealers seem to have better prices on used machines that private sellers. Dealer/used seems to go close for bluebook, while private sellers are way over. Maybe most individuals have loans on the machine they are trying to pay? I dunno, but they relist them enough on CL.


I looked at a 700 X2, pretty neat with the tilt bed. Seems like more crap to break though. I would either love it or hate once I owned it for awhile. Not sure which one unfortuantely.

Anyway...would it be better to pick up an 07 or 08 Sportsman 700 or 800, or go with a brandy new 500? They go for about the same price at the dealers. The used average 800 miles or more on them. Some look better than others.