I'm 6 foot tall and 458lbs, and no I ain't making it up as I go along, lol
I went down to the dealership and sat on a Polaris 500 H.O because they sales guy kept going on and on about how great they were and he said it was all I needed even as big as I was, etc. Now they also sell Yamaha, Arctic cat, Honda, and probably more but those were the ones I seen.

Anyway, when I stepped on the foot area of the Polaris 500 the frame dipped way down almost to the floor as I swung my leg over it and sat down. Once I was on the seat good it didn't seem too bad but i felt as if the rear end of the ATV frame was sitting down too low and with my big butt on it, if I hit a big bump on a trail i was wondering if the tire would scrape the underside of the plastic fender. The salesman said it was o.k. and he thought there was plenty of clearance but again I was skeptical.

it was almost as if he just really needed to sell a Polaris that day but I have read how the Polaris 500 is a super well built machine and I'm not arguing that. I'm only concerned with it hauling my big tail around and not bottoming out when I hit a pothole.

Then today I was at bass Pro and I sat on an Arctic Cat 550 and the frame was so much higher up off the back tires with me sitting on it. Of course the price was also a lot more considering its just an 550 compared to a 500.
The Polaris was $5500 and the the AC was around $7000. To top it all off I don't even know if a 500 or 550 is big enough to carry my big azz, lol

I was trying to keep it under $6k dollars so is there any other models you guys think would be better suited for a big person around that price range or am I doomed to buy something a lot higher?

I mainly want to trail ride and use it to get me to my deer stand. I don't have any snow here in Louisiana and I won't be going through any serious mud or water, but on a lot of these old dirt roads they do get slick and a little bit muddy after a rain so 4x4 is a must.

 

Something to keep in mind is that most shocks come with an adjustment for how stiff they are....from factory, they are usually set pretty soft...cranking these up some may help you feel more comfortable about that space between tires/fenders. Or aftermarket shocks could up that even more for some additional pocket change!

 

If you liked the way the Arctic Cat "held up" to being sat on ( no offense) then maybe look for a good used 650/700, they are a bigger framed quad, and do sit up higher than other ATVs, and seem to be more "work" oriented than some of the other Ute quads out there. You should be able to find a good used one in the 6k range.

 

If you crank up the pre-load on the shocks you'll be fine. I had 3 people on my Sportsman 500 and it didn't squat too much, and I'm almost 300 pounds by myself. I wouldn't pay an extra $1500 for the Arctic Cat. Even if you bought heavy duty shocks and springs for the Sportsman it would still be cheaper and there's not much difference in the horsepower between the 500 and 550. Or like 95wolv said you might want a used 650 or 700 Arctic Cat. A used Grizzly 660/700 or a Sportsman 700/800 is another good choice.

 

Arctic Cat ATVs do not have swaybars, so Arctic Cat uses higher spring rates to compensate for that. If you set the suspension stiff enough that the ATV does not have a lot of body roll in turns, it is going to be stiffer than another brand of ATV. That might be just what you want. Alternatively, your extra weight up on top of the ATV may just accentuate the poor handling Arctic Cats have because of the lack of a swaybar. You'd have to ride one to see how you like it. Good luck.

 

My friend just bought a new 800 Sportsman, the rear shocks are set on the softest setting, there are 4 stiffer setting, on the stiffest setting your rear end will no sag at all but you ride will be rough.

I weigh 180lbs and with a 200lb passenger my 500H.O will still hit over 50mph easiy and not bottom out on the rough stuff,I set my shocks on the second last stiffest setting. On the stiffest setting its like the pivot points are welded and it rides rough.

The 550s are only 4hp more than a 500, not worth the price difference to me.
Also all Spotsmans have the same full sized chassis/frame. A SP400 has the same full size frame as a SP800. Check it out 2011 Polaris Sportsman® 400 H.O. ATVs They just have different motors.

 

Hello fellow large guy. I'm 6'3" and weigh in around 350. I agree with the guys about changing the preload on the rear adjustable springs. Have the dealership crank them up a notch at a time until you feel the ride is better for your size. I would also have them put the heavy duty springs on the front McPherson struts so the front end doesn't dive as much as the stock springs. I think you'll find that the ride is perfect after these small changes. I have a Sportsman X2 500 (now they are 550 or 850) that has 400 lb. rated rear springs. Even with the stiffer rear springs I got the heavy duty springs for up front and am glad I did. Ride is tons better for my heft.

 

Welcome to the forums.

Seems like you've gotten some pretty good advice so far. I do agree you need to actually ride one too. Your body is going to have to react as well as the suspension. See which one lets you shift your weight comfortably and safely. Which "feels" better in the turns.

Not many dealers want to let people ride them anymore, but I've never bought a car I didn't drive first, and I won't do anything different with an atv.

 

Hey thanks for all the replies so far, it makes me feel a lot better about buying an ATV being as big as I am. I know from your responses that the rear shocks are adjustable and that maybe I should put heavy duty ones on the front too, just to be safe.

 

6' 5" here and 340 lbs.
I had my King Quad 500 up to 50 mph on a road with a pnsg who weighed in around 180 lbs due to a break down.
I agree with setting the suspension a little stiffer.
I went 2 notches on the front and one on the rear and this corrected much of the sag from my fat butt. (didnt sacrafice ride comfort)
If you become a serious trail rider you may want to do springs or shocks but for now I would put my money into a good 6 ply tire.
While your concern now is the squat of the bike once you start riding it you will notice the left to right roll. While stiffening the suspension will help the soft sidewall of the tires will cause an unstable feeling around bends.
With adjusting the suspension and adding a 6 ply tire with a stiff sidewall you will have all the stability you need.
Good luck and enjoy.
Also consider the weight of the Po Po when making your choice it is a heavy machine to begin with.