Just sold my Quad and was considering a Side by Side. I just wanted to know if anyone on here has made the switch and how do they like it compared to the Quad. Or if anyone sold their quad and brought a Side by Side and dont like it.

 

i thought about it when i was gettin rid of my wife's lil recon then i thought wait then she will be riding right next to me tellin me everything im doing wrong instead of just during the 5 mins we were stopped LOL so i bought a brute force instead

 

There are pros and cons, but if your other alternative is the big heavy monster utilities, you are way safer with a side-by-side, that has a rollcage!!!

 

If you want a SxS make sure it's legal where you want to ride. The only one that's trail-legal in Michigan is the RZR because it's 50", the maximum allowed by law and the others are all too big. If you put 1" wider tires on it it would be illegal.

 

I've been involved in off-road motorsports for the last 35 years. Started out with dirt bikes, got into racing at that time and won a few local championships. Had a Honda support ride for a while. Then went to college, got a better job, and moved to rock crawling Jeeps. After 15 years of Jeeps our family started ATVing as an off road sport. After several years of ATVs my son's and I got back into dirt bikes, and desert racing again. Last year my oldest son finished second place in the same desert race championship I had raced in decades ago. We have also owned a 2006 Rhino 660 and a 2007 Rhino 660, and now have a Jeep again as well. So we've tried most off road motorsport venues that involve dirt. Haven't done anything on snow or water yet.

I just sold our last Rhino, and do not plan on getting another one at this time. I think the side by sides available now are still in their infancy stage. The Rhino is twice the size and twice the weight of a Grizzly, but has the exact same size engine, axles, CVs, driveshafts, and steering components. The same is true for other manufacturers more or less. The side by sides just do not have anywhere close to the same level of performance, or the same level of reliability as the ATVs do. The manufacturers need to think of the side by side as a separate class of vehicle, and not just a bigger ATV that can carry two people next to each other. Side by sides need 1.5 liter to 2 liter motors, and much stronger drivetrain components, with chassis improvements to be compatible with this.

As side by sides are currently built, they are boring. The power to weight ratio is dismal, and handling is poor. I really tried to like side by sides, and spent entirely too much money on them, but our side by sides never got used very much. They sat in the garage weekend, after weekend, after weekend, because they just weren't as much fun as the ATVs or dirt bikes, and not as comfortable or capable as the Jeep for long distance rides.

So there's at least one person that tried them, and preferred not to own one anymore.

[edit] While the side by sides currently being produced may be in their infancy stage, the aftermarket for side by sides is going full speed ahead. You can make a side by side into anything you want it to be with the aftermarket. It is very common for people to spend $10K on a Rhino, and then dump another $15K (or more) into it with aftermarket parts. Just depends on how much money you want to spend.

 

63 mph in a stock RZR S doesn't sound boring to me. Especially since most of my riding is under 20 mph.

 

They want $12,000 for a side by side here, you can get a mint condition used 2003 Jeep Wrangler for that and take it to work,a store and wherever after the days ride,and they do 80 MPH comfortably all year round.

 

TLC, that may be a great idea where you're at, but just south of you Jeeps are illegal on ATV trails. That's why I always tell people what they should get depends on where they are.