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New Guy With Maintenance Question

2142 Views 10 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  08TouringLE
New Guy (Polaris Sportsman 850 xp)

Hello Everybody,

I pick up my 2013 Sportsman 850 (red) this Saturday. It's my first ATV, and it's been 4 years in the making (saving money, consulting the wife, waiting for the right time, etc., etc.). I really wanted the stealth black, but they were all either too far away, or too expensive.

I have spent the weeks since I picked it out reading the manual, learning about maintenance issues, the break-in period, and it's features. I have ridden every ATV out there, but this is the first one I have owned and been responsible for.

I am going to try to learn how to do the basics on my own (changing oil, filters, greasing parts, etc.).

What would I expect to pay to have my dealer do basic maintenance things of this nature (service checks, oil changes, fluid checks/changes, brake pads, etc.). I just want to weigh if it's worth learning to do on my own or not.

Also, do ATV tires need to be rotated like a vehicles do? I haven't come across that in the manual yet.

Thank you in advance for your input.
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I think you will find that most of the tires are ( directional ) meaning they should only rotate one way, much like snow tires on a car. Rolling them the wrong way reduces the traction that they produce. I think you will find that they will wear fairly evenly in sets as the rear axle is solid. Maintenance is very easy once you get to know your machine and after a while you will become more comfortable doing your own maint and repairs. Saves a lot of money over time. You also learn how the machine works so when a problem comes up on the trail you potentially would know how to fix it or at least cobble up something to get you home. Good Luck.
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