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1997 Polaris Sportsman 400 Shifter Problem

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2K views 3 replies 1 participant last post by  Wallamatogus  
#1 ·
I've been fixing stuff on this 2 stroke Polaris, finally down to the last bugaboo: Shifter is worn, either I can get reverse and fwd low range , or fwd hi and low, no reverse. Apparently the shifter is no where to be found in Polaris parts, searched ebay, no luck. Having no reverse is a pita! Having reverse and low range is also a pain. Has anyone had one of these and fixed a worn shifter? My mechanic is at his wits end. I would like to fix this bike, then maybe sell it and buy another Arctic Cat. Starting to develop a serious dislike for Polaris.:angry:
 
#2 ·
I located a used one on ebay for $80. If you ever think of buying a Polaris: Have your head examined. Can't believe a bike with only 1,300 miles that looks new, could be such a money pit. After this, I still have to repair some worn out bushings.......
 
#3 ·
Today, my friend drove it behind me on a long trip to the boonies. I kept noticing a lot of smoke in my rearview mirror, but figured it was probably just the pre mix and after I fixed the oil injection, probably just running oil rich. Nope, heat from the exhaust had started to set the plastics on fire!:angry: Damned lucky that I had a gallon of water on my Arctic Cat! Tomorrow, I'm going to wrap the exhaust and see what I can do to save the plastics. This thing has turned into a real money pit. Half expect it to either kill me or give me the clap.
 
#4 ·
Figured out the shifting issue. Shifter was fine, made new swing arm bushings out of bronze, tightened and LocTited all transmission mounting bolts, shifts perfect. The engineering of this machine had to be done by an idiot on crack. Just replacing swing arm bushings would drive you nuts.