My buddy and I are buying new Outlander quads this month with great anticipation. We both use to own 2001 Polaris Sportsman HO's from new and were reasonably happy with them but have decided to make the change to BRP. However I did hear there are problems with the CTV cover leaking water so I would appreciate hearing if any of you knowledgeable folks have had similar experiences and if so what did you do to rectify it?
Well I guess my day is done in the Polaris forum and will now switch to this one.
Here's to an exchange of information for years to come.

 

You might want to check out about many bent frames from the ski concept.

 

Welcome to the BRP section of the Forum.

As for your question about the CVt. There is a fair bit of info on it already in the forums. a quick search on "outlander CVT" or "outlander snorkel" will probably bring up the forum history. however I will briefly respond.


CVT leaking: not all outlanders experience this issue. but it is one that is talked about often. Will you have this issue? well that entirely depends on your riding preferences. if you will be doing a lot of riding in deep mud, (more than 1.5 feet) or deep water, same depth, then you might expierence the issue (not everyone does, it depends on how well your cvt is sealed.. If you will not be doing a lot of muding, or river riding you will probably never see the issue. If you just do the occasional mud hole and ocasional river crossing, you should be fine, no modifications needed.

I experenced some slight belt slipping when going through excessivly deep water (over 2 feet) but was fine, and was able to make it out of the river no problems. since then I have taken some RTV gasket maker and completly sealed the 2 halfs of the CVT cover together and I found for me that made a significant difference (less than $7 for tube of RTV gasket maker) I now experience zero belt slip when going through the occfasional Deep water and mud hole. although I have never completly submurged the engine, and therefore have never put either of the stock cvt snorkels under water.. although i was probably very close to doing so.

a friend of mine with the Outty 800 was getting this issue a lot, and he found that his leak was coming from water entering though the rear exaust port (snorkel)of the CVT. he goes through VERY deep water on a regular basis, and he was experiencing bad belt slip. his solution was to re-snorkel the rear exhaust port to a higher location on the bike, and his issue went completly away. now he can run the outlander almost completly submurged up to the breather box with no belt slip. (less than $50 for the hose clamps and piping needed to re snorkel the cvt. and very easy to do)

a rare few outlanders experience leakage into the CVT from behind the clutch where the transmission enters the CVT cover. I believe this is usually fixed by the dealer if you experience leaking there, but there are also threads that explain how to seal that yourself if you need to, and it is a fairly simple fix. (involves removing the CVT from the bike and resealing the gasket behind the clutch. , i have only seen a couple people report that issue.

so the short story is.. noone can tell you if you will have the issue or not. be aware ithere is a possibility it is there, and be aware of some steps you can take to fix it if you have it. I have overall been very happy with my outlander so far and do not feel this is a big issue. I have 30 hours on it in varied conditions and it performs amazingly.

one thing i will point out if you are buying the outlander is GET SKID PLATES do this right away, do not wait. either get the dealer to add them as a dealer installed option, or get richochet or similar skid plates ordered and installed the day you bring the bike home. the outlander is too expensive not to protect it with the proper skid plates and
A-arm covers. I don't know a single person who has complained of weak frame or bent/Dented SSt on this bike that has a skid plate, but I do see people complain about it that do not have skid plates installed. so lets protect yer new bike and get them right from the begining. you'll be glad you did, and you'll be even more glad when you start reading posts about dented/weak undercarrages from people that did not install them.

if you have anyother questions just ask

 

Quite a laundry list of things to do, and be careful about before you can ride it. Seems so you should be able to ride it before you start fixing it. How much does all this cost to make it ready to ride, skid plates, clamps, slipping belts, snorkles, resealing gaskets, new seals, fixing leaks and all? Should come from the factory equipped and trail ready. Well at least you can ride it in your door yard on a sunny day just so long as no mud-puddles, sticks, or pebbles are close by.

 

Actally all of that stuff listed is covered warranty except fo the skid plates which only cost 300. least when we take off down the road we have the most power instead of moped power LOL. I see u have a an arctic the only thing artic cat has better then can-am is ground clearance and thats it. Can-am has a whole lot more power, alot better handling , better warranty and better suspension so it sounds like to me if u want a good all around bike the can-am is the way to go.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: baddestoutlander400

Actally all of that stuff listed is covered warranty except fo the skid plates which only cost 300. least when we take off down the road we have the most power instead of moped power LOL. I see u have a an arctic the only thing artic cat has better then can-am is ground clearance and thats it. Can-am has a whole lot more power, alot better handling , better warranty and better suspension so it sounds like to me if u want a good all around bike the can-am is the way to go.</end quote></div>

10 mph is still 10 mph whether you are on a 250 or a 900. I have yet to see an Outlander go where my AC can go. And an Outlander doesn't handle better in the corners if the AC is setup right. And an Outlander certainly can't travel bumpy conditions as fast as an AC. Good thing Outlander has a good warranty - they certainly need it. I have had one warranty claim - hesitation at top speed - and I ended up fixing it for $6.00. If you think that the only thing to 4wheeling is having the most power then you need to wake up and smell the roses. And for sure your Outlander 400 is no match under any conditions for my AC - I will cover a 70 mile ride and have lunch before you even get there. I will also be less tired from not having to dodge e every little obstacle or worry about bending my frame. And talk about a front differential lock - Outlander has the worst in the industry. Every Outlander I have ever seen pretty much sticks to the dirt roads because that is about all they can handle. I wouldn't feel too bad about being at the bottom, Polaris isn't too far ahead. But heck if you are happy with it then it is nothing to me. Anytime you want to go pink slips let me know and we will do a 90 mile race and put it to the test. That is if the Outlander can even get through some of the places or finish, and I will even include about 20 miles of dirt road so you have a chance to get a big lead - that is if your 400 can even do 52mph. Maybe you didn't see the on Dirt Trax TV where AC won the static roll test. Loaded or unloaded the AC was able to get the highest degree of off camber before it rolled. And that is just one more tops for AC. I guide out-of-state riders on trails so I have seen just about every machine in action and Outlanders stink. If someone gave me a new one I would sell it to someone like you for 1/2 price or less just to get rid of it and then get myself a capable machine.

 

LOL 52 my outty 400 can cuise at that speed i have raced many arctic cat 400 and 500 and they dont come close to the outty 400. The arctic cat having a better ride over bumps is laugh. The oulander rides way better then any artcic cat. Arctcic cat having better handling LOl they could nt take a corner near as fast as any outty 400. The artcic are way to top heavy. Like i said the only thing arctic cat has over can-am is GC and thats it.

 

The 2008's are supposed to have better CVT sealing (don't know how) and Viscolock has been improved for quicker engagement (6 turns quicker) and a different instrument cluster.

I did my own research (tons of reading) and I'm looking forward to getting my new Outlander 650. My van will be paid off next month and I plan on trading my 500 HO right after that.

I'll make sure to get skid plates with it before I ride it. The trails in my area get fairly rough (lots of rocks) so this will be a no-brainer. I'll worry about any other problems at the point they occur. I like to ride, worrying about every single problem you might have just takes the fun out of it.

When I get my Can-Am, I'll be the only rider in my group of friends with one. Everyone else rides either Polaris, Arctic Cat, or Honda. All are quality machines and each rider swears by what they have for whichever reasons they choose. The one thing that is difficult to factor in the the ability of the ATV is the skill of the rider. A Can-Am or Arctic Cat might appear to be handicapped with one rider, and with a different rider it could be unstoppable.

I'll check back in when I get the new ATV.

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Wow I'm surprised at your response buckaroo. Up until now I've thought you were a very impartial and knoladgeable rider that focused on facts and not on bashing. Your laundry list comment is just wrong. It is very inexpensive to seal your cvt. If you need to, and many people do not need to. You admitted yourself that your own quad required a $6.00 fix. Yet you feel $7.00 for some sealant is unreal?
As for skid plates, The fact is all machines should have skid plates if you plan on doing rugged terrain riding. AC included. However it depends on the terrain you ride.

As for your comment that outlanders should stay on the roads.. That's just BS. I have traveled on very rugged trails with all makes of machines and have never been left behind. In fact I have been able to go places where other machines have gotten stuck and I have had to winch them out. I think most of the machines on the market today are good. AC included, however all machines, AC included have their strengths and weaknesses. The point of these kinds of forums is to educate new members on what "potential issues" they "may" have with the machines depending on rising conditions and how to easily fix them if they arrise.

I understand you think your machine is the best and I appreciate your brand loyalty. But your comments do not answer the question that the original poster posed, so why bash? It just makes you look foolish.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: baddestoutlander400

LOL 52 my outty 400 can cuise at that speed i have raced many arctic cat 400 and 500 and they dont come close to the outty 400. The arctic cat having a better ride over bumps is laugh. The oulander rides way better then any artcic cat. Arctcic cat having better handling LOl they could nt take a corner near as fast as any outty 400. The artcic are way to top heavy. Like i said the only thing arctic cat has over can-am is GC and thats it.</end quote></div>

Like I said most Outlanders spend their time on dirt roads. That is the only place you can drive them fast. All 400's run in around 50 mph and if you tell me yours does 60 or 65 then you are full of sh_t. And you saying that you can out run 500's is a bunch of crap too. Get real man, I wasn't born yesterday. If you want to kook rear bumpers I will pull you around backwards like your machine was a stick. And if you want to do mud, when I get to the other side I will run my winch out to help you get across. If we get into some really articulate stuff you will spend all day high centered and worrying about a bent frame. Maybe your Outlander can run fast in the corners so can my AC. I can outrun an Eiger in the corners and for cornering they don't get much better than an Eiger, that is fact (the driver was no rookie either, he races XC). My machine is setup correctly and your Outlander would eat dust. And if you think your Outlander can handle bumps then I guess you are smarter than everyone in the world because everyone knows AC is about the best in that area. Like I said anytime you want to run for pink slips just step up to bat. I guess I would be able to swap your Otlander for a 250 2x4 Kazuma. I am glad that you like your Outlander, it is people like you that are helping them stay in business. Once you try out your machine on some real trails (get off the dirt roads) and bend your frame then maybe you will have a different opinion.