Hey.

Looking for some opinions on a 1 up outlander versus 2 up.

Is it worth spending the extra money or is it better to just buy an aftermarket seat?

How does the extra wheelbase and weight affect things like hill climbing, mudding, etc?

I'm going to be getting the 800 in the spring and I'm not sure about the model yet. I know that my decision would depend on my riding style among other things but just on a purely technical level what do you guys and gals think?

Thanks for your time.

Denis

 

I think it is worth the money for the 2 seater. You get a longer wheel base to accomodate the passenger so the quad will handle better, as the riders weight is in front of the axle. The extra wheelbase makes the quad more stable at higher speeds and going up or down steep obsatcles is easier. If you ride alone, you have extra room to store more stuff.

Another reason to have a 2 seater, especially in a lot of places, is that is illegal to ride double on a quad that is not designed by the manufacturer to ride two people. If you get a single seat quad and plan to ride double, you better check out the local laws everywhere you plan on riding it double and any potential riding areas you may ever visit and plan on riding double.

 

I am wondering the same thing. I contacted one guy ("Doc") on Aurora Wheelers and he said the Max (2-seater, no question). He said it is more stable going uphill, etc. I am concerned mainly about the turning radius. The extra 8" of wheelbase means harder turning around obstacles. I ride in WA state and it seems that a lot of the trails are tight areas around stumps & boulders, I know I have a little trouble now with my Rubicon. I worry about a longer quad. Oh, I think I am waiting for the 650. The 800 is really too much HP for me. I'm afraid I'd hurt myself.

 

Thanks for the input.

It's a tougher decision than I thought it would be.

 

Indeed. If it were only the extra money ($800?), it wouldn't be so tough. I wonder how often, if ever I would even have a 2nd person. My wife says she would like to go, but... I just don't know if the extra stability is worth the extra manuvering of the longer wheelbase. If any one out there has gone from a standard quad to a 2-seater, I would sure like to hear their take on-it. Also, how tight or wide-open are the areas they ride in?

I know that when we bought a new pick-up to use as our Family Truckster-I insisted over my wifes objections that we get an 8' bed over a 6-1/2' be (quad cab). That extra wheelbase really makes our truck a handful in tight situations, I wish I'd never done that! (I hate haveing to tell her she was right!

 

It seems to be one of those topics that's never brought up. I'm going to check around the net and see if there's any feedback/info. out there as to pros and cons of a longer wheelbase on atvs....

 

Riding 2 people on an ATV designed for one is simply an unsafe practice. If you want to ride double then spend the extra money and get the ATV that is designed for it. Simply slapping on a seat won't do it. From everything I've read the new 2-up 800s are 98% as maneuverable in tight situations as their minimally shorter 1 up stablemate. It is guaranteed that your passenger will be 100% more maneuverable when they don't end up a quadriplegic from getting hurt riding on an ATV designed for one. Maneuvering a wheelchair around and pissing and sh*tting through tubes really cuts down on your maneuverability. I know a lady who can tell you all about it. Her husband put on one of those wonderful boxes with a seat back on them on their ATV so she could ride two up on their ATV. You know, the boxes that are offered with a wink and a nod telling folks not to use them for two up riding when it is obvious they are specifically designed for that purpose. Well, they flipped over backwards and she ended up with a spinal cord injury that she will never recover from. Would have never happened if they had been on an actual 2-up ATV.

 

Is acceleration a factor for you?

I rode an 800 max out on the trails, and of course have ridden my 800XT plus two other XT's. I don't know if that one was a slow max, but it was not as quick as any of the 3 XT's I have ridden. Very nice ride, though.

A friend owns a 400 max, and it hauls him and the Mrs., both big people, wherever they want to go with no feeling whatsoever of going over backward on inclines.


P.S.------Captain Quint, well said.

 

Haveing gone over backward, with my Rubicon falling on me, maybe that should be my decision-maker, eh? As far as the HP goes, the maxes only weigh an extra 50 lbs. That is only like 8% of the weight of the bike. I can't imagine that that would affect the speed of the bike in any appreciable way. From what I have read, the 800's do seem to vary in speed for no apparent reason that I can fathom. Some people say they are like "superbikes" and some say they can't even do wheelies. I don't know if it is just people's perceptions or if the bikes vary, somehow.

 

it really depends on how often you "think" you will be needing 2 seats...i ride with a guy with a 2 seater and in mud holes and steep inclines he always needs to be winch cause he catches the bottom of the quad coming out and in to the holes and lips..he hates it..

he bought it cause he "thought" is wife was going to be coming..didint happen..now he has a real long ute to ride alone on....

if you will ride alone 75% of the time i would get a single seat, 2 seats is a waste otherwise