looking at purchasing a 500 touring for wife and i just wondering if its big enough power wise for the two of us?can get pretty good deal on new one.i have rode 800's in the past but never 500.we mostly trail ride in northern wi.just wondering how others like the 500.
thanks for any info

 

I've never ridden a 500 touring polaris, but I have ridden the outlander 400max & 650max (their version of a 2-up) and an 800 touring polaris- Personally I feel any atv that's built for 2 riders should be fitted with the largest engine. When you factor in both riders (you didn't list your weight), 5 gallons of fuel (or more for long trips) and all the gear you load your atv up with- that 500 starts feeling like a 300 on anythin but flat logging trails.

Will it get you down a trail? sure it will. Will the atv handle the weight? sure, no problem- but why have "just enough" when for a little extra $$ you can have the confidence of a big-bore to get you up those rocky hills and pull you out of the sticky mud at ease... You'll never regret buying the touring 800, it will "exceed" your expectations, you might regret the 500, as it'll only "meet" your expectations...

 

oh- and welcome to the atv connection!

 

thanks for info.that is what im afraid of a little small.combined weight would probably be 400 range.borrowed friends 800 last year for ride and that had plenty of power.now that were hooked were looking for our own.

 

go to a dealer and ride them all 500- 550-800-850

 

hows the 550 for power?

 

I rode the 550xp- not sure what all the praise is about- I thought the atv felt under powered for its size (it's really large)- I guess if you're coming off a sp 500 or a smaller atv it feels fast- but compared to an outty 500 / 650, a brute 650 or a grizz 500 it felt big and lazy.

I still say if you're considering a 2-up atv and you plan on riding it often, get the larger motor- the actual size of the atv is the same between the 500 and the 800- other then a few extra bucks, I can't imagine why someone would choose a smaller motor for a 2-up when there's a larger motor available. The better gas milage (if any) is not worth loosing the extra 300cc's. I never understood people who say "it's got too much power"... when you're talking about two atv's that are the same size, only one with a smaller motor- just give the one with the bigger motor less throttle- at least the power is there if you need it.

 

have dealer looking for 2010 850 touring right now.

 

We have the 500T and ride with a family that have the 500T. We just got back from a weekend where we rode 97 miles the first day and 89 the next. The riding went from sand washes to steep rock climbing. Though we normally ride single or with small grandkids, the couple we travel with weigh about 300+ for him and 140+- for her. They have never had issues with the 500 carrying them both. We have done the Paiute trail up to 11,000 ft with them and had no problems. The 500T will give you well over 100 miles between tanks, much better range than the 800. If you are a high speed rider take the 800, we normally travel between 25-30 mph depending on the trail (we could will travel 40-50 mph no problem) many times we are under 15mph when rock climbing.
The 500 is no dog, but your expectations my differ than mine.

 

sounds like the riding we do hills sand our combined weight would be about 400lbs.we ride around 40mph depending on conditions.just trying make decision on $6000 500 or $9000 850.