My wife and I are new to ATV's and are looking for a 2 up. We plan to ride relatively flat trails (no mountains, probably not much mud). Would appreciate any input on these questions:

-For a total of 340 pounds of passengers, is 400-500 cc okay or would I be sorry we did not go to 650-800cc?
-Arctic Cat or Polaris for 2 up? Comfort and reliability are primary concerns.
-How much off MSRP is a good deal? 10%, 15%, less?
-Are 2 ups really comfortable for a 2-4 hour ride?

Thanks for any help you can give us.

 

I love my AC TRV. Go to both dealers and sit on the ATV's to see which one feels better to you and your wife. If staying on relatively flat trails, the 400-500 would be fine, but if you want to carry extra gear, then go with the 650-800. I was looking at the AC 650 but went with the AC 700 LE as had the winch, better rims, windshield, plus the efi. To add those extras on the 650 would have spent a littlde more than the cost of the 700, plus got efi. I have not ridden with a passenger much, but some of the other posts say that they ride better with two people. I have about 1200 miles on my TRV and no problems. I purchased a hard case to go around my back seat for storage and it is working out great. The extra length of the TRV makes going up hills easier. If you look for last years model, should get a discount on those as the 2009 will be coming out soon. I have been on mine for about 9 hours of riding and it was still comfortable.

 

I have to agree with uncle check them both out and see what is more comfortable, Myself I have a 400 TRV and have absolutely no complaints, I ride with passenger's and I am 6'3 265 pounds, you will notice a slight power loss when attacking moderate to steep hills, but not enough to be a problem. Just one thing to remember with 2 up's though, they are a bit different than regular quads. The extra length is what needs to be accounted for when you are riding. Just ride smart, and be tactically aggressive, by this I mean plan your turns ahead of time in your head don't always try and take the same line that your buddies do with regular quads. 2 up's cannot and will not turn on a dime, so tight turn arounds and tight turns can be problematic when you first start riding, but as soon as you get adjusted to the way your machine handles it will prove to be one Hell of a Time!!

Good Luck!

Arctic Hunter

 

Thanks Uncle and Hunter. My nephews have AC TRV's and love them. I'm leaning towards the larger machines since I'm not really sure how we will be using them. I bought an under-powered boat once and swore I will never make that mistake again.

 

Probaly a good call it is always nice to have the power to use if you need it!

good Luck!

Arctic Hunter

 

I have a polaris x2 (700). It is reliable and has a nice ride. There are a lot of people on this forum with sp 500 x2's that say they have plenty of power and are comfortable. Since you are riding mostly flat land and no mud, the smaller one may be a better choice simply because they get much better fuel mileage. This may not matter to you depending on how far you ride, but we are talking 12mpg on a 700 vs 20mpg on a 500! Big difference! AC makes a really nice atv and you should definitely check them out as well. Polaris makes a touring model that is even more comfortable for 2 riders. I'm with the others, sit on both and ride them if you can. Another thing to consider is whether or not you have a local dealer for either of them. That is important when it comes to getting parts and repairs. I would lean toward the AC since your nephews have one. Good luck and welcome to the forum!

 

I don't have a X2 500 but I have a standard 500 and a passengers weight does not effect the power of the ATV at all. I have to look back to make sure the person did not fall off because it will not tell you by some sudden surge of power with the sudden weight loss. LOL

I use to double with a 250 2wd and it handled a passenger well enough.

 

Thanks everyone. In my area the Arctic Cats are $500-$800 less expensive. Unless the test rides show the Polaris to be better, we will probably go AC.

Ksaff

 

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

Thanks everyone. In my area the Arctic Cats are $500-$800 less expensive. Unless the test rides show the Polaris to be better, we will probably go AC.



Ksaff</end quote></div>

2008
Polaris 500 Touring $7699- AC TRV 500 $7349
Why are the AC less? No EFI, no aluminum rims, no storage box, no headlight, no skids, etc...? The retail is only $350 differance. Polaris aluminum rims/PXT tires make up that differance! What about all the other goodies? Polaris also has turf mode. That all adds up to over $2000 differance. So if you can get a Polaris for $7000 you don't want to pay over $5000 for the AC.


If you're new to atvs you will be sore the 1st few times you ride! Just start out with short rides and work you're way up to all day.

 

JMR866 is absolutley right! You have to compare apples to apples. Most atv's don't come with half the stuff sportsmans do.....they are ready to go anywhere right out of the box.