i hear ya Spec if I wanted a SxS I would just build a Jeep!

 

That's one noisy thanksgiving dinner!!

Well-
I just sold my 08 outty 800 today-

Now I have a choice between:

2008 Sportsman 800 Touring (2-up) with lot's of upgrades (front & rear bags, 27" tires, bumpers...) for $6000 @ 2200 miles

or-

2008 Can-Am Outlander 650 Max XT (2-up) for $6200 with less then 100 miles on it.

I'm leaning towards the outty-

 

beergut, why the change?

 

I believe beergut wanted a two up machine. Therefore he traded down (Justjokeingsmily)

 

I was looking for the max (2-up)- since the 650 only has maybe 10 hp less then the 800- I figured I'd like it.
It's pretty fast- plenty of power for any riding I'll ever do even with a double.

It'll wheelie in low gear- more then I expected with the longer wheel base.

I have a 7 year old I want to ride with- and I like having my wife ride along (sometimes )
I was always nervous with the bolt on "2-up's" mounted on a single rider atv so I wanted the max- something more stable.

otherwise- I would've kept the outty 800- it was absolutely thrilling to ride!

 

I have a freind with a 400 max and he likes it. I'v ridden the 800 max, it was impressive

 

Like Unit6666, I'll take reliability and long life over power any day. HP isn't everything. There are also gears and torque. Over time, I've realized a very important thing about Honda's... They are smoother shifting and from a start than any belt drive machine. Belt drives tend to grab more suddenly. If you are trying to climb slowly over obstacles, or maneuver through water, a high power machine with a belt that grabs suddenly and gets wet in the water is not a good thing!..period. Another think the 'high power advocates' fail to talk about is gas mileage. Maybe gas mileage and economy isn't so important to some, but, if you get on the trail and want to ride for a distance, it becomes very meaningful, very fast. My Honda Foreman 500 uses one tank of gas to every TWO tanks that my 800cc friends' machines use. Darn, I hate it when we have to end our riding because their power machines have run out of gas. One of the most capable 4-wheel drive vehicles ever made was the ******* Jeep which only had 82 HP. Yet, it would go anywhere, and go anywhere for longer. It also had all the power it needed because it was geared properly. You guys have fun with your power machines. But rest assured that you'll be in the shop and at the gas station more often then us Honda riders.

 

well- I'll give you the honda will grab earlier then the outty- which grabs at a little higher rpm- but as far as smoother shifting goes, definately not the honda- I had 2 rincons 650's and wilson911 had an 05 rincon 650 as well- all three hated shifting on colder mornings and always felt like the gears would hang when down shifting via the electronic controls and even when in auto mode, sometimes it wouldn't even shift out of first gear the first few minutes of warming up- I found a TSB stating this was normal for the honda transmission due to some kind of o-ring issue (I think I posted it somewhere around this forum) and wilson sold his 05 650 and bought an 07 680efi which he said was a little better. It doesn't get any smoother then a CVT once you're in motion!

As far as gas milage- outlanders are sippers. My 800 twin efi got better milage then a single 700 grizzly or my single cylinder rincon 650- we'd all top off before the ride, and the grizz would be at 2 bars, rincon at 3 bars and my outty at 4 bars (half tank) my polaris was a drunk *****- always running out before anyone else. We all ride the same style. As a matter of fact, troys grizz 500 would run out of gas before anyone else with a 750 or 800 would... we always had to cut the ride short because his new grizz got the worst milage...

As far as reliability- every atv reflects the owners attentiveness to maintenance- I'm very picky about my atv's- always keep them perfect... I've been stranded by my KQ, BF- had issues with my polaris shifting and my honda's (both of'em) transmission - all my atv's were low milage. The only atv that has really been problem free for me has been my can-am's... though I'd change a few things about them as well if I could.

anyway- I've been through 4 atv's since I posted on this thread last, my newest one is an 09 renegade 800x

 

Yeah, there was something just not right with the transmission on the '05. But I have had no problems with my '07 Rincon (at least while it remained upright). Beergut has just never owned a CanAm long enough to have it disappoint him... (and that new Renegade downright frightens me...)

My '07 Rincon shifts as smooth as my truck. Couldn't be happier with it. Never ridden a CVT for any great length, but as long as they are running, I assume there is little or no difference between the two. I imagine the difference is in the maintenance (none for the Honda) and the reliability (haven't owned long enough to comment). Its funny to see all the brand loyalty on here. Although I will never give up my Honda's, I tell people to try it and buy what they like.

When you think about the reality of what we are asking these machines to do, its amazing that they run at all

 

there was also an assembly line issue (2003) with bad o-rings on the oil pump- would cause low oil pressure resulting in either slippage and / or tranny damage.