Rode one of these today. My only quad now is an '06 Rancher ES and I'm looking for a 2nd. The power is amazing. Is there a downside to these beasts? I'm eyeballing that Outlander 800r x xc... Can anyone convince me to settle for a Rincon or maybe just get the wife a Recon and call er good? Price tags on these big Can Ams is stratospheric...

 

The only downside is the cost. While a Can-Am with the XT option is actually very competitive price-wise with the competition it really sounds like your choice will be if you are willing to pay the extra $$$ for a larger machine.

I've got to say that I really enjoy my 800 - it's a total blast to ride. All in all I'm very glad that I got it and feel that it's worth the money. That said, I went for years with first a KQ 300 and then an Eiger 400. Had lots of fun on the same trails that I ride the Outy on. In short - you don't "need" an 800 cc machine - but they sure are fun.

Usually best to let the budget decide. Get what you can afford.

 

You'd probably find that the ride of the Outlander is much more comfortable on a long ride than the Rancher. The Outy has the "put a big grin on your face" power and pretty good gas mileage for a big machine from what I've read about it. We like the Renegade lots and people I've talked to about the Outlander love them too. The only thing I don't care for (coming from the heavy Polaris frame view) is the spar frame design of the CanAms. As I was uncomfortable with it on my son's we got a frame insert that stiffens and strenghtens the frame. Typically, CanAm has the best per cc power of any utility type machine.

 

Thanks for the input gentlemen. Budget is a consideration. But I'd rather get what I want the first time and not monkey about with several intermediary decisions. A colleague of mine got a Honda Recon for his old lady and says she loves it. I was initially looking at something along those lines or even another Rancher for the wife to ride as having a single quad isn't cutting it anymore. Want us to both be able to have their own machine to ride when we go out. I mean, she drives a Ninja on the street instead of riding on the back of my VFR so she's used to driving her own bike. Which brings up another aspect I'm facing - how are the Max versions for 1 up riding? I could see where having one machine that is a 2 up would come in handy.

 

I have a Sportsman X2 which is a convertible 1 up to 2 up machine. The extra wheelbase is better to smooth out the bumps, better going up and down hills, and more stable. A 1 up machine is better in VERY tight twisty trails where the extra length of a 2 up makes it a little more difficult. After driving both I like the 2 up machine much better than the 1 ups I have rode.

 

If you buy a rancher at our local dealer you get a free bail of hay and a straw hat

if you buy an outty 800- you get a thumbs up and instant credibility from every one you pass on the way home...

Get the 800- it's totally thrilling in the trails and absolutly violent when you want to lay down the law and show off!

food for thought... do you really want to buy something that an "old lady" can ride??? naaa

What the Moose says above about the frame has merit- but unless you plan on decking this atv out with mudding mods and rock climbing gear you'll be fine- I have an 08 max 650 and had an 08 800 xt- I punished both through rocks and mud and no frame problems to date. Most of the people who are having frame issues tend to really beat their bikes. I would consider purchasing a set of skids tho-
and yes, awesome gas milage. My friends new grizz has the same size tank, both topped off riding the same trails- he'll be at 2 bars and I'll still have 4-5 bars... and I have the twin!

So forgit'about the extra $$- the few extra thousand will make you enjoy the ride that much more, plus when you're on your death bed 50 years from now- you'll have no regrets!!!

 

Oh- and about the one up riding on the max- I currently have an 08 650 max that I mostly ride one up on- every now & then my wife jumps on for a short romp and it's a lot of fun with her on the back.
As far as handling & cornering with the max- it's more stable (longer wheel base) then the one up, but if you ride very tight trails you'll have to be a little more diplomatic about how you approach a sharp turn. I usually never have problems except a hand full of times I had to do a 3 point turn where my one up would just slide through.

It's really not an issue once you get savvy with the extra 12" of length.

 

Just to clarify something on a the Grizz vs Can-Am gas mileage issue I ride with 800 Renys and yes the Grizz gauge falls faster than the outy but in the end of a days ride they are both about equal when it comes to amount of fuel used. With that said the Can-Am's are impressive for the amount of power they put out and with the with physical weight of the machine.

 

maybe the reny has a different fuel map- because when we ride together (grizz 700 & outty 800), he's actually had to use his "extra gallon" in the trunk from running out of gas, and I still have almost 1/3 tank left- we both top off and ride exactly the same speeds. It's always like that though, the dozen times we've ridden together- that grizz is a thirsty monster!

 

Since you own both, and I assume ridden both, if you could only choose one, which one would that be?

I will be buying either an Outty 400, or a Popo500HO come spring. So far, budget is leaning towards the Popo, but the opinion on both is always welcome.