Yeah, this is also why I'm not wanting to sell my King Quad b/c the fix for the lag is coming from VDI, which will make it in my mind the perfect ATV for me, and my style of riding.

I know the Outty 800 has a lot more power to offer out of the box, without any ECU needed.. that's why I feel it's worth that hefty upper 8k price range, b/c all the power is there.. no lag!! Can Am has given their customers just what they want, whereas Suzuki makes you have to go out and spend an extra $400 on an aftermarket ECU to get, that alone would make me feel better about spending the extra money on the Can Am 800.

 

Toyeboy, read this one again! Right on the button!

 

Yeah but I went through that when I bought the King[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]!
I'd kind of like to get a sportbike in the future, maybe a Hayabusa 1300, that's only $11 or $12,000 new....and look how fast they go, I'd be beating Ferrari's instead of BF 750's.

 

Hi Everyone,

I haven't ever posted on here but I read these forums and they are a great source of information. I was impressed with Toyeboy saying with mods, the 800 outy may not be so overpriced. Everybody buys what they feel is best for them and there is no reason to second guess other's decisions or criticise their ATV. I ride with many people on different brands and ride theirs too. Its all about having fun. My friends have both utility and Sport ATVs and they will ask to ride my Cadillac (SP700) when their rear gets sore and they are tired of the bumps. They also use my ATV like a tanker to carry all of their food, gas, water, weapons etc. We just all have a good time and I am there with the winch to pull the 2 wheel drives out if they get stuck. I also carry tools to fix anything that gets broken.

I have been looking at a lot of utility ATVs lately and making a decision on what I want has been difficult. I had an SP500 and then an SP700 (both non EFI). The reason that I am looking is that I need EFI - period. I ride anywhere from 1,800 to 11,500 feet and the rejetting is getting old. I also am an IRS fan from my 2 Polaris ATVs. So I have been focusing on the Grizzly 700, SP500 EFI or SP700 EFI, KQ700, Rubicon 650 and Outy 650/800. Although I am a Sportsman fan for many reasons, I just don't want a 715-750 pound ATV. I liked my 2000 SP500 quite a bit and thought that the SP700 would be a more powerfull version but its a big machine that doesn't handle as well because of the weight. I understand that the Rubicon doesn't have a low gear and is low on power so it has fallen off my list. People have said that it doesn't need the low gear but I can't buy that.

I am more intrigued with the Grizzly, KQ and Outy because the first 2 weigh 600 pounds and the outy weighs in the 650 range which is the absolute tops I want to go. Sorry Brute Force fans but EFI is the #1 requirement for me so I can't consider it. I use the ATVs to trail ride, hunt and do some technical riding once in awhile. The "tough" hunting is done in the Rockies of Colorado so I need an ATV that can haul an Elk out of some NASTY country. I don't like to tip toe around anything when I am riding for fun or hunting. If I need to get up a rocky trail with an Elk strapped to the racks, then I need to. I go through muddy areas and getting through deep snow (with weight on the racks) is very important. Power is of concern to me but not for top speed reasons but for hauling weight up hills, through snow and mud. Low end torque is what I need. I need low end power that allows me to feather the throttle in situations where I may tip over if I just gun it. I like to go and do technically challenging things on occasion too. My friends will challenge me and say " I bet you can't climb that hill" and I like to try. Sometimes the winch has to get used. I have used my SP700 to pull my pickup out when it got stuck. I do like to trail ride but just about any machine can handle that duty IMHO.

I do question whether the Outys are over priced but with no experience on them, I don't know if they are worth the money. I want reliability for that money. The 3 year warranty partly addresses that but if its a limited warranty what gets fixed may not be what needs to be fixed. I had the extended warranty on the SP700 and its annoying when the things that break aren't covered. I know that ATVs take abuse and do need maintenance but I don't want anything with design flaws in it. The problem is that driving an ATV around the dealer parking lot tells me nothing of how the ATV will perform in the field. I did get a chance to ride a Grizzly 600 when they first came out but it was a short drive on a trail. I am getting annoyed with belts but that is what all these automatics have. I am just wondering what people's experience with on these ATVs is. On the Polaris, I know when to go into low to prevent the belt from slipping. However, I have just 1250 miles on the SP700 and the belt or clutches already need work. This annoys me a bit as I am losing power with belt slips and having to use more throttle in technical or uphill scenarios. I think that a decrease in weight would help the belt slippage. What are people's thoughts on their ATV belts. It looks the Outy would have to have a shorter belt than my Polaris - does that help reduce the slippage? The literature on the Grizzly says that the clutches on the tranny are of a better design but not why that is. The Polaris rides like a Cadillac in all terrain - that is my favorite thing about my Polaris ATVs. Which ATVs have a comparable ride ? I take long rides most days 50+ miles and that can beat me up as well as I want good traction no matter what the terrain. I would like a pull start so that a dead battery doesn't leave me stranded and I do prefer split breaks. My SP500 had that and the SP700 does not. I read that the KQ has locking front differentials which is a plus but the Outy has the Visco-lok. Does that work well and is it reliable ? That can't be tested in the parking lot. I read some concerns with the Outy frame but someone on here said that the best thing to do is install skid plates. While looking at many of the ATVs I am considering, I saw a lot of plastic underneath that I know I would break so skid plates would likely be a requirement for all these ATVs except the Polaris. So much for keeping the weigh down. The 650 Outy XT I looked at seemed to have "u-brackets" installed under the frame for protection. It looked like they fit right on the frame and were not full plates. They were silver which I assume they were aluminum and I am pretty sure that they were in addition to the frame and not the frame itself. Now that I have done more research, I will go look again.

In a nutshell this is my ATV criteria:

EFI
IRS (equivalent ride to Polaris)
good low end power
good CVT tranny - minimal belt slippage and maintenance
weight under 650 lbs.
good reliability
pull start backup
split breaks
cost is last because I will pay if the ATV is worth the cost


Sorry for the long winded write-up but I do enjoy riding ATVs and using them for work and hunting too. Its a great way for me to enjoy the outdoors as well as challenge my off-roading skills. Any insight from people here would be appreciated especially from people who have owned multiple models that I am looking at.

Thanks,
KardiacKid

 

Kardiac Kid
I have an Outie 800. We just got back from a week on the Paiute Trail in Uah. Here are some observations after almost 600 trail miles from 6000 feet to over 11,000 feet elevation on everything from logging roads to single track.
First, the power is awsome and very useable. High range on everything but the very steepest loose stuff. The engine brakeing is awsome. In 4 low you have to feed in some throttle to get it to move on even the steepest, rockiest stuff. The ride, as compared to my SP500, is every bit as comfortable and compared to my brothers KQ, much more stable. No twitchyness or darting. The ground clearence is very good. The stock radial tires inspired confidence in all the conditions I ran into. In my opinion, the bike performed flawlessly.
Now for the bad stuff. My wife is 5' 2" and cannot ride the Outie without getting burns on her left leg. The plastic is very close to the exhaust on that side and since she is short, she 'squeezes' the bike and gets close enough to the exhaust to get hurt. I am 6' 4" and don't have a problem with the heat except to know it is there. You have to be careful on the throttle if you are in low range. The bike will wheelie very easily and you have to be prepared for the power. Not for a novice rider. The fuel economy was just adequate, with a range of about 90 miles the way I ride.
In a nutshell, this is the best quad I have ever ridden and I will be trading my SP500 in on a Outie 500 for my lady.

 

Don't think you will find a pull start on an EFI quad. You need battery power to run the EFI. Just get a good battery, like an Odessey, or carry a jump start battey.

The ride and stability on a Outlander is second to none!!!! If you buy one, you will NOT be dissapointed!!!

 

Get the best...forget the rest.

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img] Hi Toyeboy, look at it this way. You stated your opinion without checking the facts.
After some research, you restated your opinion with facts; take it as a learning experience!
You've grown. Your true colors shined when you apologized; you grew again. I respect that, RIDER!
I did alot of research prior to buying. Yes, after I weighed all the facts, I chose to purchase
an 06 400 MAX XT. It was the right choice for ME. And if I buy another, I can't afford not to
make the same decision!
RIDE SAFE, RIDE HARD, WITH FRIENDS & HONOR! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Howee at 38 Miles

 

The King Quad is the only EFI ATV to have a pull start...but I don't know if you can start it on a dead battery or not...I've never tried.

 

Do a test, disconnect your battery on the King Quad and see if you can pull start it. Please let us know.

I have a friend who plans on buying a quad soon and is interested in the KQ. I told him I thought it was the 2nd best quad out there. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img]

He wants to save some money and the KQ is cheaper. He wants to be able to start it wih a dead battery, so that test would be good for him to know.