2011 850 xp eps steering problem

[Maddestmax]

Just got 2 miles on my 2011 850 xp eps and on the gravel And paved roads it feels like my tie rod ends are shot. Checked it out as best I could and seems to be in the steering colum. The bars shake side to side like it's missing some washers or bearing in the neck are waisted. The rh side outer tie rod ball joint feels sloppy. I'm takeing it to the dealer on Wednesday. I'm glad I bought the 3 year warrenty. I don't expect any machine to be perfect but I think Polaris needs to up there quality control. Stop trying to cut corners and just make an American machine that we all can be proud of. Need to kick carslile tire to the curb(crap) put some big horns on stock. Skid plates???? (ricochet).
Anyway does anyone know of any recalls on this bike?

[Ghost Rider]

I would start by checking the tire presure, and see it that helps. You are right about the stock tires being crap, on the first ride of my 2011 sportsman 550 eps the side wall on one of the tires blew out, so i ordered a set of Bighorn 2.0 tires, there definatly way better than stock.

[terb]

Originally Posted by Maddestmax

Just got 2 miles on my 2011 850 xp eps and on the gravel And paved roads it feels like my tie rod ends are shot. Checked it out as best I could and seems to be in the steering colum. The bars shake side to side like it's missing some washers or bearing in the neck are waisted. The rh side outer tie rod ball joint feels sloppy. I'm takeing it to the dealer on Wednesday. I'm glad I bought the 3 year warrenty. I don't expect any machine to be perfect but I think Polaris needs to up there quality control. Stop trying to cut corners and just make an American machine that we all can be proud of. Need to kick carslile tire to the curb(crap) put some big horns on stock. Skid plates???? (ricochet).
Anyway does anyone know of any recalls on this bike?

THERE MADE IN MEXICO!!!...

[Maddestmax]

MEXICO?????!!!!!!! #%*€#^<^#*£ If I knew that I would have bought a Asian persuasion!! America has let me down again. Whatever. I'm going to just keep fixing this thing cuz it is a smooth fast quad. I put a couple more miles on it today and it must have some kind of ecu program that retards the power for break in. It didn't feel like a 70 hp bike until I was cruzing up and down my driveway with my 16mo old son and it backfired. I gave my son back to mom and took it for a Cruz and it feels like a whole new animal. Wierd. But it is fast. Still have not gone full throttle or over 50 mph but it feels good now.

[Herbord]

I just bought a new 2011 850 Touring with EPS. I took it on one ride and after that I had play in the handle bars they would move up and down about quarter of a inch. It drove me crazy on the trails. I took it to a dealer when I got home and Polaris replaced the whole EPS unit over a $1000. I also put the ricochet A-arm guards on it but some how still got a hole in the boot on the rear shaft and let me tell you it sure did not take long to make the shaft go bad with a small whole in the boot. That was around $200 out of my own pocket when I got home. Tried to replace the boot the dealer said everything looked OK and when we put it back together the noise was still very bad. But you can't beat the ride this machine is full of power. Also faster top end then my Stock 2007 & 2009 Raptor.

[Maddestmax]

Well I took my xp in to the dealer so they could make a claim with Polaris about the loose tie rod end, rear upper control arm bushing at spindle and upper steering colum bushing. My dealer contacted Polaris and showed them the video of all the problems on my machine and there brainless ass#%+# that calls himself a qualifed tec says it's all normal. What a bunch of crap. They really need to work on there customer service. How can 1 out of 4 tierod ends have a bunch of play and it be normal??? How can 1 out of 8 control arm bushings have play and it be normal??? I'm lucky to have a great dealer to help me out. There not giveing up. They are going to open my bike up and check it all out to find proof of defective parts. So far I am not impressed by Polaris as a company at all. If this does not get resolved I will never spend my hard earned money on anything Polaris again.

[NineLives]

Its hard to believe the problems you guys are having with brand new machines. I bought a 2010 500 H.O. Touring in the fall of 2009 and his not give me one ounce of trouble and I am not easy on it. I agree with the crap tires and changed my after a few months with mud lights and did a couple of mods but mechanically the quad has been perfect so far. Maybe your machine was built on Friday by drunk and high employees. After they were fired from Chrysler they must have been hired by Polaris.

[Maddestmax]

Well I'm very happy with my dealer. They took the bike apart and got a better look at the issues and talked Polaris into the warrenty work. The upper steering colum bushing, outer tierod end, and rear upper control arm bushing will be replaced. Must have been made in Mexico parts.

[MPR850]

Hi, I had the same problem with the steering column, but i sorted it out by my self. I took a sheet of metal about 0.0275" (0.7mm) thick and cut a square of 1.18" * 1.57" (30*40mm) and placed it behind the upper bushing. Just loosen the nuts abit, and slid it in betwin. Makes all the difference, it was annoying to drive before. Don't think that a new bushing would had sorted it out.

[Dbez1]

Originally Posted by Maddestmax

Well I'm very happy with my dealer. They took the bike apart and got a better look at the issues and talked Polaris into the warrenty work. The upper steering colum bushing, outer tierod end, and rear upper control arm bushing will be replaced. Must have been made in Mexico parts.

It's good you got the problem resolved. Hopefully now you will have years of trouble-free riding.