I am working my Dealer to get my Hands on a 850 LE with EPS. Being a new ATV Owner only since June of 08 I am looking for some more refined Characteristics Of ATV's in general.

1: Less Rattles
2: Smoother drive train
3: Easer steering.
4: More Storage.
5: Better Fuel Economy.
6:Reliability.

It seems at First Glance the New XP series has 4 out of the 5.

Of the current Owners of the XP Series I would Like the Know the Likes and Dislikes??

My Dis Likes: as a (Observer only)
1:Gage Pod.
2: Narrow Seat.
3: Wheels and Tires.
4: Lack of Stock storage.

My Likes.
1: Gas take Placement.
2:EPS
3: Smoother Power train.

If I could Change My Current 08 800.
1: would be a Quieter ride.
2:easer steering.

Please let me Know if the 850 XP Really is a Better machine concerning ride Quality and handling.

 

ON your dislikes I think you will be able to drop the Gauge Pod and narrow seat pretty quickly, Wheels and tires could turn into tires only and lack of storage is just a front or rear storage box away. I find the ride to be really quiet compared to my 600 Grizzly. With it I had to wear Peltors or ear plugs.
The gauge pod is very clear and the numbers are quite large and very clear. Yu can go from MPH to RPM with a button push which is a nice feature but your 800 probably has the same. I don't think the EPS is necessary I took my 3 year old Grandson for a ride up the mountain today with cross ditches steep uphill and downhill sections one handed. The arm holding onto him was a lot more tired than my steering arm. I haven't ridden an 800 so I can't help with direct comparison's, so it's only my opinion from owning mine.
Take care,
Dave

 

the hard front storage box, made by Polaris, looks very nice

 

The 09 850 XP IMO is a better overall machine. The anti kickback steering on the non-EPS bikes is very easy to steer! IMO EPS is not needed, but may be nice.
The only drawback IMO is that the EPS bikes have a smaller fuel capasity, so you can't go as far on one tank of gas!
Get the lock and ride storage. (front and/or rear)[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Here is what I posted on another board in response to a similar question. I added and bold faced a few things particular to your questions.

I love mine. Comparing it to my most recent machine an 08 800(which I really liked) it is far superior in many ways.
Pluses are 1)Steering ease. Alot easier to steer. 2)Vibration-very smooth machine. 3)Noise-Engine noise is alot quiter,little to no valve train clacky clack noise...sounds like a V-twin street bike. 4) NO rattles at all so far. 5)No exhaust heat 6)Handles better,ride is smoother and combined with the narrow seat makes it feel more sporty and not like it weighs 800lbs. Although the front of the seat is more narrow the rear is still wide and comfortable. Slide forward in challenging terrrain,slid back when cruising. The best of both worlds. 7)No need for 3 headlight mod..already done. 8) Higher low range makes it more controllable in technical stuff but doesn't sacrifice pulling power...towed my 1500# camper with ease and less perceived strain than the 800 did(mostly due to a better clutch set up IMO) 9) Little to no driveline clunk,alot better than the 800 10) Gobs of power,with 11:1 compression I see exhaust/intake and a tuner to advance timing coupled with the appropriate octane should this thing plain retarded..I could go on and on if I thought about it long enough.
11)A much better center of gravity and suspension geometry gives the machine more stable feel in challenging terrain. There is a certain steep hill I used to rarely climb on the 800 because it would tend to feel like it could easily flip unless you hit it just right. The base of the hill is a sharp dip on the right side,it puts the right rear tire much lower than the left just as the rear tires are starting up the hill. With the 800 this would tend to pop the left front up high into the air suddenly, making it very uncomfortable. On the 850 the hill is not uncomfortable at all and soaks up the the uneven base without popping up the front left. I regularly climb that hill now.
Negatives-1)Rad protection looks like it could use improvement..althouth I have put mine through some pretty good brush with no issues so far. 2) Skids are partial plastic...again no issues yet and it seems to be some pretty hard durable plastic 3) Stock tires are basically street tires,work fairly well for common trail riding and utility use but do not clean at all in the mud...That's all I can think of right off hand.

I'll add that i put on aftermarket wheels and tires. The wheels have a wider offset. The offset doesn't seem to noticabley effect steering effort but it does effect the anti-kick back properties some,even so it is still better than the 800 was with stock wheels.

 

Is there any truth to ALL the Mfgs. having problems with the EPS burning up?
I've heard people are forgetting to take their machines out of 4-wheel and eventually destroying the pumps because there is so little difference in steering between 2-wheel and 4-wheel.
This is only what I have heard.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Syclone

Is there any truth to ALL the Mfgs. having problems with the EPS burning up?

I've heard people are forgetting to take their machines out of 4-wheel and eventually destroying the pumps because there is so little difference in steering between 2-wheel and 4-wheel.

This is only what I have heard.</end quote></div>

I don't see how it could possibly happen on a Polaris but may be a problem on the others.

 

No problem on the EPS on my grizzly and I ride in 4x4 alot.


This 850 looks to be a awesome quad...

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Syclone

Is there any truth to ALL the Mfgs. having problems with the EPS burning up?

I've heard people are forgetting to take their machines out of 4-wheel and eventually destroying the pumps because there is so little difference in steering between 2-wheel and 4-wheel.

This is only what I have heard.</end quote></div>

I've heard of a couple of issues with the ones on the grizzly. One was damage from trail debris and the other was a combination of trail debris and immersion in water.

I was told that the grizzly PS unit was a bit exposed to trail debris and that seemed to have a role in both incidents I heard about personally.

Other than those two incidents I haven't heard of any problems at all. I love the power steering on the grizzly. It's great. Probably the biggest advance in ATVs since locking front differentials and EFI.