What are the 2007-2008 Polaris Sportsman EFI's like?

Anyone have any experience with the first-gen EFI Polaris Sportsman 500s? What was this engine like, was it a good one, or was it problematic?

A farming friend of mine has been drooling at all the used wheelers on Craigslist. Way out in the hinterlands, the wheelers get beat like rented mules so there is no used market. He wants me to pick him one up, which I’m happy to do, but I’d like to hear about the early gen EFI Polaris wheelers from guys who own them.

Any special issues or were these machines especially problematic?

Grouse

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

He wants me to pick him one up, which I’m happy to do…

Are you paying, because if so, I’ll take one, too!

I am also looking for a used discbine for the same friend, Ralph. A big one. Do you want me to drop one of those off at your place as well?

Pros: At 14+ feet wide, it makes very short work of your average residential lawn. Very, very short work.

Cons: Cutting around trees and flower beds can present challenges. Cut quality is somewhat lacking. Large windrows of cut grass are seen by some as unsightly in a suburban environment. Minimum pulling tractor HP rating of 150 tends to eliminate the use of all but the beefiest of lawn tractors.

Grouse

Nah, I’ll just take the 4-wheeler.

Sorry. It’s enough work to find one of them.

Grouse

They go zoom zoom and the wind in your hair flaps around and you are overcome with a giddy sense of glee and excitement.

(But seriously, they are the flagship model for Polaris and you’d be hard pressed to find a better quad).

Grouse- I’ve got a 2004.5 Sportsman 700 EFI. It’s been a great machine. I’ve changed oil, and replaced the battery a few times and that’s it. Mine has mainly been used for ice fishing and plowing my long driveway, but did have a few years of trail riding in the early years.
If I had to pick one flaw, I’d say it would be starting in very cold weather. The EFI and large displacement need a powerful battery. There is no option to pull start, so if the battery gets weak, you’re SOL. I’ve combated this by putting my flasher battery on it overnight on real cold nights. They make a perfect trickle charger at about .5 amps.

Charger….I use the flasher battery charger, not the battery itself…..

Setter, this was one of my main concerns. So is it correct to say, a dead battery on these EFI machines = won’t start because the EFI needs electrical power? Or is there a pull starter option like the carbed machines?

Many thanks.

Grouse

there is no pull start rope.Its electric start or walk lol.

I had a 1997 sportsman 500 i bought used and used hard you couldn’t kill it.,I gave it to my kids and purchased a new 2005 sportsman 700 efi. My luck definitely changed when i purchased it. the cam shaft went out 3 months after the 1 year warranty expired. the nice camo color turned to purple camo after a couple years. and Polaris ignored my complaints. I soon will be getting a new machine. Will it be Polaris?? I don’t know I’m not enamored with there customer service.

The 500’s have a rope pull start. The bigger twins do not have a pull start.

trytoofish wrote:

there is no pull start rope.Its electric start or walk lol.

I had a 1997 sportsman 500 i bought used and used hard you couldn’t kill it.,I gave it to my kids and purchased a new 2005 sportsman 700 efi. My luck definitely changed when i purchased it. the cam shaft went out 3 months after the 1 year warranty expired. the nice camo color turned to purple camo after a couple years. and Polaris ignored my complaints. I soon will be getting a new machine. Will it be Polaris?? I don’t know I’m not enamored with there customer service.

Consider a Brute Force.