i was wondering if any of you 850 guys had ridden the 800 sportsman, and could say if you think the 850 is that much better...i talked to my dealer about maybe trading mine in for a 850. he lead me to believe that the 850 is pretty much the same thing as 800 with minor mods. Not sure about that...they are saying the 850 has 70 hp stock, my 800 with the pipe has about 58 hp or so..i would think you would be able to feel that extra power. Just wondering what you guys thought.

 

I think the difference is huge. I had a 08 800 that I traded for 850 2 weeks ago. I went by the local shop to test ride the 850 just for fun. Well the next day I took my 800 back up and came home with the 850. The 850 is more powerful, way smoother, no drivetrain slack, love the narrow seat and way easier to steer(without EPS).

Daren

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Snedd800
i talked to my dealer about maybe trading mine in for a 850. he lead me to believe that the 850 is pretty much the same thing as 800 with minor mods. </end quote></div>

Pretty much the same thing with minor mods? Seriously? Did he actually say that? Does the man have even the slightest knowledge about the products he sells? The only thing in common between the 800 and the 850 is the shift ****. That's the only part they have in common. It's an entirely new machine.

I think I'd look for another dealer.

 

Your dealer don't know much about the 850. He must not want to sell them or repair them. The 850 is a totally new design. Front struts replaced by adjustable shocks, higher ground clearance, and longer wheel travel,along with power steering to name a few differences between the two.

And everybody who has one says it steers easier than the 800, even without power steering. But don't take my word for it, or the dealers, go ride one yourself and make up your own mind. And yes, the 850 makes 70 hp stock.

 

i'll bet you'll find he doesnt want to take your 800 on trade that why is saying that. there got to be a huge differnce between them since its a totally differnt bike w/ alot more ponies for sure.

 

Yep, as the guys with 850's chime in on this discussion, I think you'll find out the difference between the 800 & the 850 is significant.

BTW, if your dealer talks like that, you may want to look around for a new dealer. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

I have the 850 XP and IMO it is the BEST quad on the market. Your dealer is probably wondering how he is going to be able to unload his inventory of 800's and still make a profit! He probably dosn't want to have another used 800 to try and sell.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
Anyone that wants a new 800 should be able to get a very very good deal on one!

 

There are a couple of things I like better about the 800,but there are too many things to list(again) that I like better about the XP. Do a search on here,I think I have beat to death my comparison of my '08 800 vs the 850 I now have. The guys with 800's are probably getting tired of reading it,lol.

I also agree if the dealer said that either 1) He doesn't know squat 2) Doesn't want you 800. Even back before the XPs came out my dealer told me that I would be much better off selling it as the 800 values were going to go down quite a bit. With 09's and XP's out to the 800's lost some value,especially used ones. Luckily I listened and sold mine before the prices started dropping.

 

Sounds like I need a new dealer. He did say they are about the same, no kidding, this was in July right before the 850 was out. My 800 had about 300 miles on it when I asked him about the 850. maybe he didnt get a chance to ride one at that point. Not sure, probably was feeling the pressure to unload the 800's. How does the 850 run with the can am's? My 800 with hang with the outty on trails and I think it's better in the mud and on hills. It just sucks when you pull up to a nice wide, straight part and the outty walks on ya.. what can you get for a 800 trading it in for a 850?

 

I haven't personally ran an Outty but some guys with 850s say the the 850 is faster in a drag race,some say the outty is faster in a drag race. What one guy on HL says makes sense,he said the Outty was a little faster to 30mph but after that the 850 pulls away. Everything I have read says the 850 is faster on the trail with normal turns due to superior handling. Not sure if these guys are racing in 2wd or 4wd. I personally don't care about which is faster in a drag race but I would like to see a race where both machines are stock except they HAVE THE SAME TIRES. With the stock tires mine would easily spin all 4 tires up to 15 or 20 mph on hard pack dirt,and in 2wd it will spin them pretty much until you let out of it. I left 2 bare patches in a grass field about 100+ yards long with the stock tires,lol

As for trade in on an 08 800...check out KBB or NADA to get a close idea...add made 50% of the cost of your winch to that,might add a little if you have any other Polaris accessories,again maybe 50% of their cost. But get ready to not be happy....
Like I said my dealer told me it would hurt to trade it and at first said he wouldn't even take it. I started high trying to sell mine,it was in immaculate condition and had low time on it. Eventually my dealer offered $4900 IIRC as a last resort in case I didn't sell it in time for the new one to arrive. And that was on the high side of book trade in value. Once the Xp shipped I lowered the price and I sold it for $6,000 in 48hrs.