I am trading a 1966 ford truck with 34000 original miles for a 1999 polaris sportsman on saturday. there are some issues and I know that the guys in the honda forums know their stuff so i thought i would ask you guys about this polaris.

it is a sportsman 500

the speedo doesn't work at all but the 4x4 seems to work ok. do these parts have to work in conjunction?

it started with a charger on it and i killed it and tried to start it back and got nothing. could this just be a battery? the winch is supposed to work but wouldn't and i figured that all that had to do with was the battery. is this correct?

it has a pecking noise that sounds like it is coming from the pull rope cover. i put my hand on the top end of the motor and everything seemed to be fine but i could feel it coming from the pull rope cover. he said polaris's are known for this and his friend has one that does the same thing. that is my main concern.

the speedo isn't a big deal as long as it doesn't stop everything else from working.

what battery do i need to get?

BTW I was really supprised the power that this thing has! WOW
this will be my first utility quad. i have always had sport quads but i think i will really like the 4x4...plus it's pretty quick.

anything else that i need to know about on these popo 500's?

thanks alot in advance. i just don't want to get something that i have to work on all the time.
thanks again,
Dan