We Want to go Offroad!

[WhereRWe?]

I'm thinking of buying a 2000 Polaris Magnum 500. It has 2-up seat, front winch, rear trailer ball, 300 miles.

Any comments?

He's asking $2,500.

[JustKev]

With those low miles and that price, if your budget supports it I'd buy it.

[number seven]

has it ever been underwater-run it and keep an open mind before buying..

[firefighterjake]

I'm pretty much a die-hard Honda ATV owner . . . you should know that before I start to comment on this particular ATV.

This is an older ATV which is no longer made . . . it basically was supplanted by the Sportsman 500 which was also produced in that same year. The Sportsman was a bit fancier and offered a few more bells and whistles with newer tech . . . the newer tech being the very nice independent rear suspension which I will admit that Polaris has fine tuned very nicely. The IRS in a Polaris (and many other ATVs now) is something that is very desired for folks who like plush rides . . . it's also useful for folks with bad backs . . . and I suspect the reason that Magnum went away was due to the public's desire for the nicer riding IRS.

That said . . . I have a solid rear axle in my Honda and I have no real beefs with it . . . although as I grow older I find myself really liking the more comfy ride that IRS offers . . . although solid axles do tend to be bullet-proof.

There are some potential negatives in the Magnum . . . note I said potential, not definite . . . and some of this may be due to my own bias.

When I purchased my ATV back in 2000 or 2001 I went with a Honda for several reasons . . .

Reliability: Polaris ATVs of that vintage and older were not always super reliable. Today I like giving Hiram a hard time about his Polaris even though I believe Polaris and other ATV manufacturers are now pretty good in terms of reliability . . . but it wasn't always that way. If you look around at older ATVs that are still being ridden I suspect you'll find a lot more Hondas than Polaris ATVs.

Chain Drive vs. Solid Shaft: Older Polaris ATVs used chain drive which to me was a weak link . . . apparently Polaris and the public agreed since the Magnum ATV (and all newer ATVs these days) use shaft drives.

Belts: At one time there was a concern about the Polaris drive belts slipping and burning up . . . it still can happen . . . but quite honestly it's really rare . . . not so much with the older ATVs . . . but if you keep it out of deep water (and I'm talking deep water) you will most likely be fine.

Radiators: This is a liquid cooled ATV . . . most newer larger bore ATVs are now liquid cooled. There are pros and cons to liquid cooled . . . having to clean the radiator is one issue which continues to vex some owners . . . the trade off being more power. One of the things I disliked with older Polaris ATVs (and which has now largely been corrected) was the radiator was relatively low and exposed with no radiator guards . . . a real problem if you were driving through brush and put a stick or branch through the radiator . . . if you're planning on sticking to trails this may be a non-issue.

Top heavy: One of my main beefs was and continues to be the top heavy feeling I get from riding a Polaris. The ride in terms of comfort is incomparable . . . the only other ATV that rode as nice was a Yamaha Grizzly . . . however with the Polaris I often feel as though I'm sitting really, really high . . . vs. the Honda which has always given me the feeling as if I have a lower center of gravity. The height difference in terms of ground clearance is a bit more with the Polaris, but I think the real issue is in terms of the frame, seat, etc. . . . for me I like feeling as if I'm sitting lower to the ground as it feels more stable, but this is most likely a personal bias from always having ridden Honda ATVs.

I would say the price isn't too bad . . . even though it is an older ATV the mileage is wicked low. The fact that it is 4WD, shaft-driven and has disc brakes (something I wish my Honda had) are definite pluses.

[WhereRWe?]

I would say the price isn't too bad . . . even though it is an older ATV the mileage is wicked low. The fact that it is 4WD, shaft-driven and has disc brakes (something I wish my Honda had) are definite pluses.

Thanks, Jake. We bought it. For what we paid for it, the downsides you mentioned are acceptable, IMHO. We don;t expect to be mud-running or doing rough terrain.

We couldn't beat the price, the low mileage, and the fact that we bought it from someone I know well and that we know was a casual rider only - trails only with the wife in back, no woods/streams - and it has been treated real well. Plus he threw in the plow and delivered it for no additional cost. We've been taking turns riding it around the field in back of the house - even RULost2? loves it! LOL!

One good thing, we can access the state's trails directly from the house - no need tr trailer it unless we want to start our rides somewhere else. Our property borders paper company lands, and we can get to their roads directly.

[firefighterjake]

Thanks, Jake. We bought it. For what we paid for it, the downsides you mentioned are acceptable, IMHO. We don;t expect to be mud-running or doing rough terrain.

We couldn't beat the price, the low mileage, and the fact that we bought it from someone I know well and that we know was a casual rider only - trails only with the wife in back, no woods/streams - and it has been treated real well. Plus he threw in the plow and delivered it for no additional cost. We've been taking turns riding it around the field in back of the house - even RULost2? loves it! LOL!

One good thing, we can access the state's trails directly from the house - no need tr trailer it unless we want to start our rides somewhere else. Our property borders paper company lands, and we can get to their roads directly.

State trails? Is there state land or a park up where you are? Most trails are created and maintained by volunteers in local clubs on land owned by private landowners or businesses.

If you find yourself becoming addicted to this new hobby you should give some serious thought to joining a local club if you have one maintaining the trails . . . trust me . . . help is always needed . . . and the help doesn't always have to be in the form of cutting brush, putting up signs or building bridges.

Finally, don't forget to do the responsible thing and ride on marked ATV trails . . . we're still "fighting" bad PR from years of yahoos riding all over private land, snowmobile trails not marked for ATVs, etc.

[WhereRWe?]

State trails? Is there state land or a park up where you are? Most trails are created and maintained by volunteers in local clubs on land owned by private landowners or businesses.

"State trails" meaning location - not ownership. LOL!

And yes, We plan on joining the "Moose Alley Riders ATV Club" as soon as we can.

[firefighterjake]

"State trails" meaning location - not ownership. LOL!

And yes, We plan on joining the "Moose Alley Riders ATV Club" as soon as we can.

Ah, I see . . . although it should be pointed out that the State does own some state land and I believe at least one state park has some multi-use trails which are open to ATVs . . .although the vast majority of the 6,000+ miles are owned by private landowners and corporations.

[Hiram357]

Thanks, Jake. We bought it. For what we paid for it, the downsides you mentioned are acceptable, IMHO. We don;t expect to be mud-running or doing rough terrain.

We couldn't beat the price, the low mileage, and the fact that we bought it from someone I know well and that we know was a casual rider only - trails only with the wife in back, no woods/streams - and it has been treated real well. Plus he threw in the plow and delivered it for no additional cost. We've been taking turns riding it around the field in back of the house - even RULost2? loves it! LOL!

One good thing, we can access the state's trails directly from the house - no need tr trailer it unless we want to start our rides somewhere else. Our property borders paper company lands, and we can get to their roads directly.

For what you say you'll be using it for I think you'll enjoy it. Despite jake's numerous biased opinions. I've had my polaris for a couple years now and I've enjoyed it to the fullest. I haven't had any major problems with it, I do my best to take care of it and keep up on the maintenance. It's never left me stranded and has gotten me out of plenty of deep ruts...

[WhereRWe?]

For what you say you'll be using it for I think you'll enjoy it. Despite jake's numerous biased opinions. I've had my polaris for a couple years now and I've enjoyed it to the fullest. I haven't had any major problems with it, I do my best to take care of it and keep up on the maintenance. It's never left me stranded and has gotten me out of plenty of deep ruts...

What model do you have?