2015 Polaris Sportsman 1000XP

WHEN I RIDE THIS BRAND NEW SPORTSMAN XP 1000 THE EXHAUST SYSTEM GETS GLOWING RED HOT, PLASTIC FENDERS NEAR THE EXHAUST ARE UNTOUCHABLE, REAR TIRE IS EXTREMELY HOT, AND SOME GRASS THAT WAS THROWN ONTO THE EXHAUST CAUGHT FIRE. THIS IS A TWO WEEK OLD ATV WITH 13 MILES ON IT. I AM NOT RIDING THIS MACHINE HARD. THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING THE MACHINE FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AT A MINIMAL RPM. POLARIS SAYS THIS IS NORMAL BREAK IN OCCURRENCES. THESE MACHINES WILL CATCH AN OWNER'S PROPERTY ON FIRE AND/OR HURT SOMEONE SUBSTANTIALLY IF THIS PROBLEM IS NOT RESOLVED IMMEDIATELY.

EXHAUST BECOMES RED HOT ONLY AFTER A COUPLE MINUTES OF RIDING. THE EXHAUST MUFFLER IS VERY CLOSE TO THE PLASTIC FENDER AND RIGHT REAR TIRE. BECAUSE IT GETS SO HOT AND SITS SO CLOSE TO THE REAR TIRE I FEAR THAT THERE WILL BE A FIRE. IN FACT, I HAVE NOTICED LEAVES AND GRASS CATCH FIRE FROM NORMAL RIDING BUT THEY BURNED OFF WITHOUT CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE PLASTIC. THE PLASTIC GETS SO HOT IT WILL SOFTEN AND BEND EASILY TO THE TOUCH. THE STICK ON HEAT SHIELD UNDER THE FENDER GETS SO HOT, IT LOST ITS STICKYNESS AND IS NOW FALLING OFF. IT ALSO GOT SO HOT THAT THE ALUMINUM HEAT SHIELD AROUND THE EXHAUST IS COMING APART AT THE FACTORY CRIMP POINTS.

AFTER A 15 MINUTE RIDE, THE MUFFLER WAS SO HOT IT WAS GLOWING RED. THE HEAT PUT OFF BY THE MUFFLER ACTUALLY MELTED MY REAR BODY PANEL ABOVE THE EXHAUST. THE HEAT COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A FIRE HAD I PARKED THE UNIT WITHOUT FIRST CHECKING THE EXHAUST, WHICH I DO AFTER EVERY RIDE AFTER READING SIMILAR REPORTS FROM OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE.

PURCHASED THIS 2015 SPORTSMAN 1000 XP BRAND NEW IN FEBRUARY. MOST OF IT'S OPERATION HAS BEEN LOWER SPEEDS AT A LOCAL ATV PARK. THIS PAST WEEKEND, I HAD A CHANCE TO USE IT ON TRAILS IN A NATIONAL FOREST IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN. I NOTICED THAT OPERATION ABOVE 25-30 MPH RESULTED IN RED HOT METAL ON THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. ACCORDING TO A WEBSITE FORUM (POLARISATVFORUMS.COM), AND IT'S USERS THERE, THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCEDENT. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE EXTREME HEAT GENERATED BY THIS EXHAUST SYSTEM, IT APPEARS ONE OF THE FASTENERS HAS FAILED ON THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THE ATV GOT SOMEWHAT LOUDER (NOT TOO NOTICEABLE WHEN YOU'RE GOING 40 MPH). I THEN NOTICED MY RIGHT LEG BEGIN TO FEEL VERY VERY WARM (ALMOST TO THE POINT OF BURNING. LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THE BODY PLASTICS SMOLDERING/SMOKING AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF FIRE. STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH A WET TOWEL. HAD I CONTINUED DRIVING (WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY ENOUGH TO DO BEING THAT IT WASN'T SIGNIFICANTLY LOUDER), I AM FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT THE ATV WOULD HAVE BEEN ENGULFED IN FLAMES IN NO TIME. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE ON A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 15 HOURS OF USE ON IT, AND ONLY 260 OR SO MILES. IT'S BASICALLY BRAND NEW. WILL BE TAKING IT IN FOR WARRANTY REPAIRS, BUT IT APPEARS I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THESE ISSUES. THIS SEEMS LIKE A VERY DANGEROUS COMBINATION WHEN YOU CONSIDER WHERE THESE ATV'S OPERATE MOST OF THE TIME (NATIONAL FORESTS, SWAMPS, FARMER FIELDS ETC)- PLACES WHERE THERE IS MUCH FUEL TO ADD TO A FIRE. THIS COULD RESULT IN A FOREST FIRE ETC., IF NOT ADDRESSED SOON.