2012 polaris sportsman 800 efi problems

ncpopo · #1 (**permalink**) 05-03-2012, 07:49 PM

What are the pros and cons of the 12' Polaris 800 efi! Any changes in the new ones vs older versions, things to watch out for, how tough are they! The reason I'm asking is because I'm looking to purchase one in the next week or so unless some of you change my mind with ongoing problems they are having! I had a brute force 750 before that was a good machine but price is what has me checking out the 800!

**Bruce!** · #2 (**permalink**) 05-03-2012, 09:02 PM

Welcome to the board!

Sportsman800HO · #3 (**permalink**) 05-04-2012, 07:03 AM

buy it, you'll never go back to kawasaki

AKStew · #4 (**permalink**) 05-04-2012, 08:26 AM

There's a reason the Polaris 500 is the best-selling ATV ever, and the 800 is just a 500 with a larger, twin cylinder engine. The twin cylinder engine is tried and true. It's been on Polaris 600cc and larger ATVs for about 10 years now and they have proven to be very reliable. The basic engine is still the same. The EFI system makes cold start problems a thing of the past and severe altitude changes are seamless.

The ride is second to none. It's silky smooth on the trails. Smooth enough for grandpas and tough enough for the young rambunctious crowd, which I'm not. My Honda Rincon friends prefer the ride of my 700.

There are LOTS of aftermarket products for it.

The only real "issue" is with the front springs getting tired fairly quickly, especially if you hang a plow or accessories on the front end. Polaris sells heavy duty plow springs that many people use to correct it when it happens, or there are several aftermarket options as well. The change-out is easy and less than $100 if you do it yourself.

It's a heavy machine at 700-800 pounds, but coming from a Brute Force, you are used to that.

When hauling all my hunting gear, I sometimes wish I had metal tube racks for tying things down but I always seem to manage. I like the look of the composite racks much better.

No matter what anybody tells you, every brand breaks down sooner or later. How often and how bad is dependent on how you ride and how well you maintain the machine. Polaris is not immune but they are reliable.

Stew

ncpopo · #5 (**permalink**) 05-05-2012, 11:03 PM

Also what is the lug pattern for the 12' sportsman 800!

2quick · #6 (**permalink**) 05-06-2012, 03:33 AM

Well put stew. My friend has a 2010 800 and I love it. Only bad thing I can say about it is, it's when your trying to take off very easy for loading in a truck bed up a set of ramps or on a steep incline. The throttle is very jerky. If you go on long rides it's a gas guzzler if your riding pretty hard. But coming from a 750 Probally not much diffrance.

KICKER431 · #7 (**permalink**) 05-06-2012, 04:54 AM

Totally agree with Stew. I have an older '04 700 that had been babied before me. It hasn't had any problems, except the springs as Stew mentioned because I plow with it. More reliable than my truck. Since I bought it I have used it for some mudding and water riding. It suffered a little problem with water in some electrical connections which I could have avoided with a little more preventative maintenance. I do take care of it and give it good service after my rides and it is very reliable.
I also have an '07 700. It was abused before I bought it. It's first year with me resulted in lots of break downs and broken parts. I have becoem a great mechanic by just keeping it running and on the trail. Now that it has been maintained for over a year, it too is a great machine.
I have seen it said, I believe by Stew, that the 800 is the same engine as the 700 only with a longer stroke on the cylinder. It is a very reliable engine.
When it comes down to it, the reliability and problems you will run into are determined by how hard you ride it, and how much you maintain it. If you play hard, then expect to spend time maintaining. Whether you do it, or run it to the shop, it will need work. You gotta pay to play. If you aren't harsh on it, it won't be harsh on you.

crazyjoe · #8 (**permalink**) 05-07-2012, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2quick

Well put stew. My friend has a 2010 800 and I love it. Only bad thing I can say about it is, it's when your trying to take off very easy for loading in a truck bed up a set of ramps or on a steep incline. The throttle is very jerky. If you go on long rides it's a gas guzzler if your riding pretty hard. But coming from a 750 Probally not much diffrance.

It's a 2011 Sean!

But I'll agree with you 100%, there is no way to ease into the throttle without it jerking once the clutch engages. It seems better in high, but I'm not trying to toast my belt just while loading it on a truck/trailer etc. I've gotten used to the jerk anyhow, no biggie now. And she is a thirsty son-of-a-gun too! I ran out of fuel long before any of the other atv's on our last big ride, I'm looking into a rotopax 4 gallon setup right now to remedy that

The extra power makes it all worth while though. I love this machine, and cant get enough of it!

Joe.

800touring · #9 (**permalink**) 05-07-2012, 09:45 AM

my08 800 touring has 10,000 miles of kicking its ass and its running good still and I can get about 80 to 90 miles out of a hard day riding it. but it has a 6 gallon tank being the touring

COpolaris · #10 (**permalink**) 05-07-2012, 01:00 PM

There is no doubt that the Sportsman is tried and true. I have owned five (02-700, 03-600, 03-700, 07-500 and 11-800). I still own the 02-700 and I just bought a 2012 XP850 and sold my 2011 Sportsman 800. I have thousands of miles on my Sportsmans and never had many issues at all. But I have to be honest with you about the new 800. In 2011 Polais changed the Sportsman 800 models. They removed the Engine Braking and ADC and they moved the engine back almost 4 inches. I ride almost exclusively in the mountains, so these changes were not to my liking. By moving the engine back, it was meant to make the steering easier (which it did), however it also made the front end lighter, which made it feel a lot more tippy when going up steep areas. Because of the engine movement, the exhaust was changed a little, which created the heat to be extreme on your right leg, to the point where I would ride with my right foot way up on the fender to keep my right leg from burning and sweating constantly. The other change may not be an issue for you, but for me in the mountains, Engine Braking is a must and ADC helps also. All of my other Sportsmans had engine braking and my 07 and my new XP also have ADC and it is wonderful. I'm not trying to steer you away from the 800, because all in all...it is a GREAT machine. I just wanted you to know what changes were made and how they affect the machine compared to pre-2011 Sportsmans. The power with the 800 is great and the V-Twin is an incredible running engine.