Polaris Sportsman 850 2021 User manual

2021
WARNING
Read this manual carefully. It contains important safety
information. This is an adult vehicle only.
Operation is prohibited for those under 16 years of age.
OWNER’S
MANUAL
For Maintenance and Safety
Sportsman 850
Sportsman XP 1000

WARNING
Operating, servicing, and maintaining a passenger vehicle or off-road
vehicle can expose you to chemicals including engine exhaust, carbon
monoxide, phthalates, and lead, which are known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. To minimize
exposure, avoid breathing exhaust, do not idle the engine except as
necessary, service your vehicle in a well-ventilated area and wear gloves
or wash your hands frequently when servicing your vehicle.
For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/passenger-vehicle.
!WARNING
Read, understand, and follow all of the instructions and safety
precautions in this manual and on all product labels.
Failure to follow the safety precautions
could result in serious injury or death.
For videos and more information
about a safe riding experience with
your Polaris vehicle, scan this QR
Code®with your smartphone.
!
A card containing important ATV safety information should be attached to
the owner’s manual on the next page. If you cannot locate this card, or if it
has been removed, please call 1–800–342–3764 for assistance.

2021 Owner’s Manual
Sportsman 850
Sportsman 850 Premium
Sportsman XP 1000
Sportsman 850 Trail
Sportsman XP 1000 Trail
Sportsman 850 Ultimate Trail LE
Sportsman XP 1000 Hunt Edition

ROHVA® is a registered trademark of Recreation Off-Highway Vehicle
Association. Loctite® is a registered trademark of Henkel Corporation.
NYOGEL® is a registered trademark of Nye Lubricants, Inc. Bluetooth® is a
registered trademark of Bluetooth Sig, Inc. QR Codes® is a registered
trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED. BatteryMinder® is a
registered trademark of VDC Electronics, Inc. MIKUNI® is a registered
trademark of MIKUNI CORPORATION. iOS® is a registered trademark of
Cisco Technologies, Inc. Android® is a registered trademark of Google LLC.
Tread Lightly® is a registered trademark of the United States Department of
Agriculture. AUTOLITE® is a registered trademark of BMO HARRIS BANK,
N.A. Duro® is a registered trademark of HWA Fong Rubber (USA) Inc. DBA
Duro Tire & Wheel Corp. BOSCH® is registered to Robert Bosch GmbH.
Unless noted, trademarks are the property of Polaris Industries, Inc.
Copyright 2020 Polaris Industries Inc. All information contained within this
publication is based on the latest product information at the time of
publication. Due to constant improvements in the design and quality of
production components, some minor discrepancies may result between the
actual vehicle and the information presented in this publication. Depictions
and/or procedures in this publication are intended for reference use only. No
liability can be accepted for omissions or inaccuracies. Any reprinting or
reuse of the depictions and/or procedures contained within, whether whole or
in part, is expressly prohibited.
The original instructions for this vehicle are in English. Other languages are
provided as translations of the original instructions.
Printed in U.S.A.
9931373 R01

Thank you for purchasing a POLARIS vehicle, and welcome to our world-wide
family of POLARIS enthusiasts. Be sure to visit us online at www.polaris.com for
the latest news, new product introductions, upcoming events, career
opportunities and more.
Here at POLARIS we proudly produce an exciting line of utility and recreational
products. We believe POLARIS sets a standard of excellence for all utility and
recreational vehicles manufactured in the world today. Many years of experience
have gone into the engineering, design, and development of your POLARIS
vehicle, making it the finest machine we’ve ever produced.
For safe and enjoyable operation of your vehicle, be sure to follow the
instructions and recommendations in this owner’s manual. Your manual contains
instructions for minor maintenance, but information about major repairs is
outlined in the POLARIS Service Manual and can be performed by a factory
certified Master Service Dealer (MSD) technician.
Your POLARIS dealer knows your vehicle best and is interested in your total
satisfaction. Your POLARIS dealership can perform all of your service needs
during and after the warranty period.
For the most up-to-date owner’s manual visit https://www. polaris. com/en-us/
owners-manuals.
3
WELCOME

4
WELCOME

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Features and Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Winch Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Emission Control Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
POLARIS Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Maintenance Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
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6

INTRODUCTION
IMPORTANT WARNING ABOUT THIS MANUAL
WARNING
Failure to heed the warnings and safety precautions contained in this manual
can result in severe injury or death. A POLARIS ATV is not a toy and can be
hazardous to operate. This vehicle handles differently than other vehicles,
such as motorcycles and cars. A collision or rollover can occur quickly, even
during routine maneuvers like turning, or driving on hills or over obstacles, if
you fail to take proper precautions.
• Read this owner’s manual. Understand all safety warnings, precautions and
operating procedures before operating a POLARIS ATV. Keep this manual
with the ATV.
• Never operate an ATV without proper instruction. Take a certified ATV safety
training course. In the United States, certified training can be found at www.
atvsafety.org.
• This vehicle is an ADULT VEHICLE ONLY. Operation is prohibited for
anyone under 16 years of age.
• Never permit a guest to operate the ATV unless the guest has ready this
manual and all product labels and has completed a certified safety training
course. In the United States, certified training ca be found at www.atvsafety.
org.
7
INTRODUCTION

SAFETY SYMBOLS AND SIGNAL WORDS
The following signal words and symbols appear throughout this manual and on
your vehicle. Your safety is involved when these words and symbols are used.
Become familiar with their meanings before reading the manual.
DANGER
DANGER indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, WILL result in
death or serious injury.
WARNING
WARNING indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, COULD result
in death or serious injury.
CAUTION
CAUTION indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, COULD result
in minor to moderate injury.
NOTICE
NOTICE provides key information by clarifying instructions.
IMPORTANT
IMPORTANT provides key reminders during disassembly, assembly, and
inspection of components.
The Prohibition Safety Sign indicates an action NOT to take in
order to avoid a hazard.
The Mandatory Action Sign indicates an action that NEEDS to
be taken to avoid a hazard.
8
INTRODUCTION