Cat man though and through but my boss just bought a 1999 XC 700 with 242 miles on it. It was drivin about 230 miles in one weekend up north the winter of 98/99 and then it was parked till last winter and it got about 12miles put on around the guys house.
I am not positive that is was stored "correctly" for all I know it may have been just parked.

Well my question is are there any known issues on these ? any recalles, updates, things to watch for ?

It has 192 studs, V force 2 reeds and he said it has a clutch kit but couldn't remember the brand name.

Any info would be appreciated.
Keep me posted
Thanks Flash and Flare

The only recalls on the 99 was the change the brake disc to a solid one from the poor attempt at a lightweight style, and to move the primer tee from the fuel line to one carb to the main line before the fuel shut off. The only thing to check were the reeds, for the rubber overmolding coming off, and to update the needles to R1371G (this was not an official reccomendation on the 99, just the 00, but the 99 is the same engine/timing curve/jetting). The odd stator would fail, but nothing can be done to prevent this. I would clean the carbs thoroughly, especially the pilot jets, as the orifices are extremely small.

I have a 99, bought new. Solid as a rock, 6000 miles of hard, fast riding with no problems. V-force reeds lasted 4000 miles before 1 pedal needed replacing. Reeds, dynoport can, stock jetting, the thing will pull your arms all day long. Great on lakes and flats, a little rough in the bumps. Good luck

I'd say it could defiantly use some servicing. I get the carbs cleaned for sure if it sat that long.

Solid machine. Get the brake update and clean the carbs. It's a noisy SOB, but it's a ripper and it's got a wicked top end in that chassis.

I had a '99 700 XC SP and it was a pooch. Dont get me wrong, it was rock-solid reliable but I was not pleased with it.
My brother has a '98 700 XC and his is pretty quick. If you accelerate hard, his will lift the skis and carry them for a good 50 ft.
My '99 would not lift the skis at all. From what I understand, Polaris designed it to NOT lift the skis no matter how hard you accelerate.
It was fast on the lake, would do about 100 mph. And yes, that engine sounded awsome, especially on a wide-open blast accross the lake. The sound of that engine at 8500 rpm sends chills up and down your spine.
However, the gas milage sucks. I was only able to get about 10 mpg.
I would definetly clean out the carbs, throw a new set of plugs in (NGK Iridiums) and see how she runs. The Polaris domestic twins are good engines. Reliable and they make a ton of torque. Me personally, I think the 600 is a better engine than the 700. It just seems like it revs quicker (perhaps because of smaller pistons) and unless you are running on the lake, the 700 really isnt any faster than the 600.
Hebi

The sound of that engine at 8500 rpm should send chills up your spine. That's WAAAAY over-revving. Maybe that's why yours was a pooch. They could be made to hook up if you moved the rear coupler blocks.

I had a 98 XC 700, that thing was a rocket, didn't do much to it at all. Put in R-8 helix. Traded it for a 99 700, what a PIG that thing was. I had to put reeds, clutch kit, boost bottle and gearing just to get it CLOSE to what the 98 was. I hated that sled.

Best part was I swapped my white hood for a black one off a 500 when it was new. Left the 500 decals on. Did p*$s alot of people off with 5 and 600's though!! Nobody ever asked me to open the hood! It was funny. They'd ask what I did to it, and I would tell them all the stuff I listed here, they would just shake their head. Good thing I didn't race um with my 98, they never would have had a chance!!

Looks like most ppl have had good luck with theres. Does anyone think the crank seals will be dry'ed out or cracked ?
I am just trying to assume the worst case senerio, gonna help him fix what ever needs fixing.

Please keep the suggestions and comments coming.
Thanks again
Flash and Flare

UPDATE !

Well started going through it from front to back and looks like the ski's are SHOT the UV rays from the sun has done exstensive damage, so if anyone has a set of plastic skis for a Poo let me know.

The oil tank has a slight leak were the line comes out of the lil black spigot and the primer T fitting has a small pin hole leak. (looks like a mouse was chewing on it) after about 2 hours of washing and applying armor all and some stuff called Back to Black the sled looks like it rolled off the show room floor. Under the hood its a lil dirty but nothing that can be cleaned up.
He called his dealer with the VIN number and is showed in Poo's data base that his sled had the Primer and Brake update done.
We drained the fuel tank and drained th float bowls and filled with fresh fuel, primed it a few times till I felt fuel being moved and then gave it a yank and it started.
Purrs like new or should I say bark like new ? boy is it raspy for a stock pipe and silencer.
He is gonna take the carbs into his dealer Freds Fast Track and have them "boiled out"
Oh well, all in all for the money he paid he got a ..........................SMOKIN deal !
Thanks for all your insite, if anyone has anymore info please share.
Flash and Flare

The crank seals will be fine. I'd be more concerned about rust pitting on the crank bearings. The sled probably was run with mineral based oil and not synthetic. That's a good thing. Mineral oil protects against rust better than synthetic during periods of long storage. The only way to find out is ride it. The carbs will need a good cleaning. Vic at Fred's will take good care of the sled. He's a good guy and a great mechanic. I'd also be a bit cautious about the V-Force2 reeds. V-Force had a problem with the first generation of V-Force2 reeds. They're very brittle and were easily damaged when the motor backfired. They released replacement reeds which held up fairly well.

Ya, Vic is a miracle worker with poo's. My boss had a 45th ann. edition 700 that was a complete turd. One afternoon at Freds and it was alot better.
Now he has a 03 Edge X 700 that also was a turd and one after noon at Freds and now I have to keep on my toes if I wanna stay ahead of him. Before his visit to Freds we would drag and I would be at minimum 8-10 lengths ahead, but now its ALOT closer and if I spin to much on take off he pulls me pretty hard. But thats what makes it fun.

Flash and Flare

One thing to check on any '99 is the front motor mounts.
Mine was a pooch until that was fixed. The Lower nut on the
rubber mount came loose. My son's '98 700 RMK, and '99 600 XC
did the exact same thing. Absolutly killed top end.
Clutch it for 7,900 RPM and do the needle change, and MPG will
go from 8-10 to 10-12 on the trail.

You can pick a set up at haydays if your going. Last year I bought 2 sets with carbides for $120.00. Can't find a better deal on new poo ski's. Good luck.

I had the same experience. My brother's '98 700 XC is an awsome sled. I rode it a few times before I bought my '99 700 XC SP.
The difference between the 2 sleds was night and day. My brother's '98 will carry the skis very easily, however my '99 wouldnt lift the skis at all (even with 144 studs). Now, from what I understand, Polaris changed the suspension somewhat from '98 to '99. They went from round springs to square ones. Polaris designed the '99s to transfer the weight to well that they will not lift the skis. While it looks cool, you are wasting energy by lifting the skis. I also understand that Polaris detuned for '99, to gain better fuel economy and better reliability. I can attest to this. My brother's 700 would get about 8 mpg, mine would get about 10 mpg. I never had any reliability issues with this sled. Give it 2 squirts of the primer, full-choke and it ALWAYS started on the first pull. Compare that to my brother's 700 which was about 4 pulls (and 4 pulls on a Polaris 700 domestic twin is about 3 too many).
Also, the smaller fuel tank that the SPs had also made for a bad experience. Everyone else who I rode with had 12-gallon tanks, my SP only held 10 gallons.
Im not at all saying it was a bad sled but like anything else, it had its little flaws.
Hebi