I've been thinking Polaris or Outlander. I had a Polaris that was comfortable as heck but every drive train part on it eventually broke. That probably had something to do with me using the blade to push gravel around my driveway (uphill and about 100 yards). It just wasn't made for that probably.

Anyway the family is selling the farm so I'll have some cash and my wife has wanted a two up for a while. I still have a Kaw that I've had a lot of years that I use strictly for work now. It's too worn out to be going out in the boonies.

I also had issues with the brakes on my Polaris. They went from brakes to no brakes very quickly. Luckily it happened on flat ground. I could have had to jump then watch my toy roll down a mountain with the muddy side up followed by the shiny side then the muddy side again etc...

I guess my question is has anyone else had similar problems with Polaris brakes in recent years? What happened was the caliper pushed completely out once the pad got too thin and I had zero brakes at that point. I'm not that familiar with Can-Am products so I don't know what to expect from them. The motor on my Polaris was strong and solid but again I probably pushed the drivetrain too hard. I don't really want a plow again but maybe I'll get another winch down the road.

So am I looking at the right choices or should I be looking at something else? And which one would be the most reliable (more important to me now that I've aged more than a few years since I bought my Polaris)? Also I don't need to be pulling the front wheels but I don't want to run out of power climbing a steep bank. I remember a 500 Polaris engine as being pretty strong - strong enough for the two of us - but I don't know about the Outlander engines. I understand they are twins which probably means less torque. Will that make a big difference on those steep banks? I know torque is your friend in those situations.

 

I've never had a brake problem on a Polaris ATV. Before they had engine braking I wore the brakes out a lot faster but that's not a problem anymore. Can-Ams usually have more power than other ATVs with the same size engine. Besides Polaris and Can-Am your only choice I know of is Arctic Cat which is now Textron. They say their Alterra 700 is a 2 passenger model but it sure doesn't look like one. None of the pictures show 2 people on one either. Compare that to Can-Am and Polaris with a passenger seat and backrest.

https://www.textronoffroad.com/atv/f...ty/alterra-700

https://can-am.brp.com/off-road/atv/...0-570-max.html

https://atv.polaris.com/en-us/sportsman-touring-570/

ETA: All of them have power steering as an option.

 

I figured I could get power steering on one of the smaller engine models for the price I'm thinking about. The distance to a local dealer might make my decision for me. I could travel and buy one but then I'd have to travel for any warranty service too. Which is another consideration. A better warranty matters.

 

If your not restricted to 50" wide trails you might consider a side xside rather then a 2 up atv. Those that have moved to a SxS have been very happy with their decision, me included. I can tell you from experience that they are much more comfortable, easier to drive (steer), and with a small roof much better for dust control and on and on. We moved from 2 atv's into a SxS and have been extremely happy as has been most people we have spoken with. You can carry more cargo as well, the list just goes on. Now if your restricted to 50" trails then that is another story.

 

I live within 5 miles of about 300 miles of 50" restricted trails. Well a big part of that is anyway. Plus every SXS I've been in my knees banged the dash big time. I'm kinda tall which is something that has concerned me about a 2 up also. I figure the only way to find out if that will be a problem is to go to a dealership and try one. I'm not in a big hurry right now. It will take a while to get my money from the farm. But I'm certain that a 2 up is a better way to go for me. Too many bridges I wouldn't be able to cross on those trails.

 

With that many narrow trails I would look at a 2up myself...by all means do test ride any machine before you buy, that is a must!! Different mfgrs make different style machines and they all sit and ride differently even if only slightly. Nothing worse than a nice long trail ride on a machine that is really uncomfortable. Many have there machines just sitting in a garage because they don't have time or the ride is uncomfortable. Even when I bought my new machine I found a dealer that had an actual test track with mud, jumps, fast straights, water crossing etc. And yes they sell a lot of machines for having that.....

 

I have heard of some dealers that won't even let you ride a machine before you buy it. I guess you can sit on it, start it up and that's about it. How would you know anything about how it rides unless you can actually at least make a couple laps around the parking lot? That's great that you live so close to so many miles of nice trails. I live a similar distance to a local trail system but its more like 300 acres instead of 300 miles. I would guess there's maybe 10 miles or so of trails if you wanted to make a complete loop of all of them. I do have actual atv parks to go to but the closest is about 65 miles away, a couple others slightly farther.
I'd look at the Can-Am Outlander 450L and 570L max models. The 450 is a single that makes more power than the Polaris 500 does, 38 hp. The 570 is a v-twin but it makes 48 hp, which is right at what the 700cc singles make. Probably not as much torque but I'm sure it would surprise you with how strong it is. The Polaris Sportsman 570 touring is about the only other in that price range. Arctic Cat does make 2 up machines but the only one in that price range would be the 500, which is really a 443cc and is less power than the Outlander 450L. I think the Arctic Cat, well Textron now, 443cc makes 33 hp. It might be enough power to do what you want but the other engines will definitely feel stronger. No 2 up models for Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, or Yamaha. Honda does have the 50" utv Pioneer 500 which has a semi-auto transmission with paddle shifters. I actually test rode one once. Its torquey but not very fast, tops out at about 40 mph. Its in that 7-8K price range. It could be something you might look at. Being tall it would most likely be cramped as well, I'm 5'11" and it was fine for me. But for someone much taller, it might not be a good fit. The new Can Am Maverick trail looks great but it costs a lot more for even the base 800cc model. It does claim the most legroom of any of the 50" models but even the base 800cc model is around 12K. The 1000cc model is in the 14K range, 15K if you get dps.

 

There's a local dealer that sells both Outlander and Polaris so those will be the ones I choose between. Sounds like the Arctic Cat may be a little under powered compared to these two anyway. I know the Polaris 500 models are strong enough but the 570 would certainly be better I like the ride comfort of a Polaris plus the AWD system they use. I've seen too many 4wd systems with a front wheel spinning in the mud. I know Can-Am has a locking diff for the front but it has to be engaged. My Polaris I had would kick in to actual 4wd mode without any indication it's doing it much less having to stop and engage anything. It makes a difference not to lose momentum when you're trying to get through the sticky stuff.

From what I can tell the prices on both the Outlander and the Polaris are about the same when I get the stuff I want on both. They're going to run around $9k or so. I'm sure they will want to add on some other fees. I can probably swing that if I have to.

What's the consensus on the longer wheel base of the 2 up models? I've seen times when my old Kaw Bayou 220 would go places my Polaris wouldn't because it was smaller and that was especially true of going up a bank and the Polaris bottoming out when I hit the top of the bank. An extra 6" will probably cause a problem with that but I suppose there have to be trade offs to be able to ride two comfortably.

I live next to a national forest that has a vast trail system. Plus there are lots of connecting trails on private land. Or at least there was when I last rode that system. I guess it's been a while now. But my wife is retired now and I think she wants to see the back country too now that she has time to do it. I've thought about splurging on a vacation trying to make a trip around the country but that's over too quick. An ATV keeps on giving fun for a long time. I rode every trail in the area plus some not in the area before. I made several trips to West Virginia to ride the Hatfield McCoy trails. The Rockhouse system is something else. If you have never rode it you're missing something.

 

I would like to make it to the Hatfield McCoy system one day. I just don't make it too far from home anymore to ride. I've got a few relatively local parks I make it to. Land Between the Lakes down in Kentucky is about a 3 hour drive from me. I've been there a couple times but the last time was about 10 years ago. Great place to ride too, thousands of acres and lots of miles of great trails. I'd like to just make it back there someday again. I just don't get the time anymore and the friends I used to go riding with back then, I have just simply lost touch with.
It sounds like the Sportsman 570 touring is probably the best choice for you. I think it would be a great choice. My local dealer Polaris dealer also sells both Polaris and Can-am. The Arctic Cat/Textron 700 2up would be good too if the price were a little better. It does have diff-lock. Maybe if they had a leftover 2017 Arctic Cat model it might be discounted quite a bit. I think the dealers are really trying to get rid of all the Arctic Cat inventory so that they only have Textron models in stock.

 

The newer Outlanders have what they call Visco-Lok QE which stands for Quick Engagement. I've had both Polaris and Can-Am machines and there was a difference in engagement time with the older Visco than the QE. The QE is as quick as the Polaris to engage.

The longer wheelbase has advantages and disadvantages. It's better on hills with the longer wheelbase keeping all 4 wheels on the ground better than a short wheelbase. A true 2-up machine has the passenger sitting over or in front of the rear axle so you don't have that wheelie affect like you would with someone sitting behind the rear axle. The bad is tight turns are a little tougher with the 2-up. Need to plan your turns out more. A little less break-over angle in the middle too. I haven't had any issues with not being able to go somewhere a 1-up went yet.