Anybody out there have any input on the Max? longer wheelbase with the Max? turning radius? high center because of the longer wheel base? Way more stable on inclines and at higher speeds. How about not being able to manually lock it into all time four wheel drive like the Grizzley? If you have one would you buy another or would you get a one up? If you don't would you buy one? I'm new to the ATV world I have a 650 Max and love it. I just wonder if I should have gotten a 800 instead. Thanks

 

Bigger is better you should have got the 1000 LOL. The CanAm is the best machine on the market. Quit second guessing yourself.

shmoky

 

I'm not second guessing myself at all. I bought the 650 because every bike I ever had I pumped as much power into it that I could. Reliability? If i wasn't doing burnouts or wheelies i wasn't having any fun. That said. I couldn't see any difference in the power train on the 650 the 800 or the 1000. Reliability? fuel mileage, Iv'e had bikes that got less than 100 miles on a tank of gas. Always an issue especially in the middle of nowhere. I just wanted to see what everybody liked and disliked about there Max.

 

While I don't have much seat time on my Max 650 I have the following to say in answer to your questions (which you probably already know anyway):

1. This rides much smoother than my 06 Sportsman 500 which surprised me as the sportsman rides like a dream. I do, however, find the sportsman handles a tad better.

2. Turning radius is large on the outty max. I think whoever designed the steering for the Nissan Frontier had a hand in this.

3. Concerns over high centering due to the longer wheel base: I can't really say much other than going over high obstacles gives me pause for striking more than my sportsman did. Granted it's a brand new machine too and I don't want to beat it up just yet.

4. Haven't had cause to use the 4x4 feature yet but I've heard good reviews. I still think Polaris leads the way in this aspect with their AWD feature.

5. At the present moment I'd have no issues buying another one, but again, it's brand new, not even broke in yet. Time will tell. I might opt for a one-up machine if I was to get another right now.

 

Have had the Outlander Max 650 for about 2.5 years now and around 2000 miles. Mixed riding in just about every terrain except for dunes. Mostly rocky, rooted, wet and deep water and mud holes, along with ice and snow, roads, and hard pack.

Likes: The engine. 650 is a great mix of power and controlability. Not as likely to lighten the front end as the 800 and 1000. This is good in corners where you don't lose steering. Very comfortable ride and wife likes the nice passenger seat. She even did a 120 trip with me up in Jackman, ME this past summer. Love the power steering and that I can choose the amount of assist. I have the Visco-Lok QE (quick engagement). I think the Polaris system is just a bit faster engaging than the Can-Am's but it's hardly noticeable. Much more noticeable on older models without the QE. As far as breakover goes and getting hung up because of the longer wheelbase, I knew that would be a slight issue but the benefits on hills, and general stability make up for it.

Dislikes: CVT whine. It's the loudest of any of the makers. Obnoxious but not a deal breaker as far as buying another one. I think the ride on the Outlander is not as nice as the Polaris machines I've been on including the Sportsman X2 (that treated me very well). The Outty tends to pogo more over bumps with the trailing arms than the Polaris does with the rear A-arms.

All in all, my ideal machine would have a Polaris ride comfort, Polaris on-board storage, Polaris CVT, with the Can-Ams Outlander's size and Rotax engine.