Polaris SPORTSMAN 850 HIGH LIFTER EDITION 2020 User manual

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
HIGH LIFTER EDITION
SPORTSMAN® XP 1000
HIGH LIFTER EDITION

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.
!

2020 Owner’s Manual
Sportsman® 850 High Lifter Edition
Sportsman XP® 1000 High Lifter Edition

POLARIS®, ACE™, OUTLAW®, SPORTSMAN®, and SCRAMBLER® are
trademarks of POLARIS Industries Inc.
Copyright 2019 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.
9929999

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.
• Snowmobiles
• SPORTSMAN® All-terrain vehicles
• Low emission vehicles (LEVs)
• RANGER® utility vehicles
• POLARIS® PRO XD™ work vehicles
• SLINGSHOT® three wheel
motorcycles
• RZR® sport vehicles
• GEM® vehicles
• INDIAN® motorcycles
• POLARIS POWER® generators
• POLARIS DEFENSE® combat
vehicles
• Timbersled® Snow Bikes
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.
3
WELCOME

4
WELCOME

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Features and Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Winch Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Emission Control Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
POLARIS Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Maintenance Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
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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 (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 read this
manual and all product labels and has completed a certified safety training
course (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
SAFETY ALERT WARNING indicates a hazardous situation which, if not
avoided, COULD result in serious injury or death.
CAUTION
SAFETY ALERT CAUTION indicates a hazardous situation which, if not
avoided, COULD result in minor to moderate injury.
CAUTION
CAUTION indicates special precautions that must be taken to avoid vehicle
damage or property damage.
IMPORTANT
IMPORTANT provides key reminders during disassembly, assembly, and
inspection of components.
NOTICE
NOTICE provides key information by clarifying instructions.
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