Although I ride 2-up on my machine I have to say I agree with what CQ is saying. We do not have a law (yet) against 2-up riding on a single, I had it on my 02 400 & 05 800 also. You have to know your bike & your driving abilities real well as the extra weight really makes a difference in the handling of the bike. My wifes back would bother her on the RZR so it was back to a regular atv. For me there would be greater danger of my wife hurting herself if she had her own bike, she was never interested in driving one much.

 

I think the X2 is only 10" longer than the XP. Wait a year and maybe Popo will offer a XP X2.

My 2-seater is very stable with 3 people on it front-to-back. Left-to-right it is a little corky though.

Only improvement I think should be made is HD front springs. It's just too mushy in the front end.

 

You guys are getting a little paranoid, I double all the time. If you run into a situation where you are going to kill your passenger its going to happen on a two up ATV also,10" longer is not going to make the difference if its safe or not.

I live in Ontario Canada it s illegal too ride double on Public roads 2 up ATV or not but its OK if your on the trails.

 

Years ago I owned the legendary Honda 300 4X4 and almost always rode 2-up.

BUT that atv I could just about bench press! Preventing a flip-over was as easy as sticking my leg out to stabilize myself and my passenger! Can't do that on the 700lb Sportsman! LOL!

Also, back then ATV cops in my neck of the woods were not as hard-core as they are today. Back then they would simply tell me not to ride 2-up and send me on my way.

Today it's a whole different story, they would arrest you and impound the ATV. Kinda wrecks the day!! LOL!(NO, this has not happened to me!!!!)

It's much easier to comply with the law than to fight it imo..........and that's why I own a X2.

 

...............same applies for helmets. (I'm still trying to get used to wearing one of those!)LOL!

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

 

+1 on the helmet. I got half hat. WAY cooler in the summer.
Q

 

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

Years ago I owned the legendary Honda 300 4X4 and almost always rode 2-up.



BUT that atv I could just about bench press! Preventing a flip-over was as easy as sticking my leg out to stabilize myself and my passenger! Can't do that on the 700lb Sportsman! LOL!</end quote></div>

Exactly. I would lift my 300 fourtrax 4x4 into and out of the back of my truck. Even if it came over on top of you it wasn't a game ender because it was so light. A larger modern ATV weighs 600-900 pounds wet with gear. When that comes over on top of you there is almost no time to react and there is no way for your passenger to get off. They're going to be pinned under it and take the entire weight of the machine and gear plus the momentum. Also because of the way they're sitting on the machine the damage to the spine is going to be quite high up in the thoracic vertebrae or into the lower cervical vertebrae. Somewhere in the range of C-4 to T-6 usually.

It's much like head injuries. Spend some time in a neuro ward with people with brain injures and you start to get religion when it comes to helmets. Spend some time with spinal cord injury patients and you get religion about riding double. It isn't like a broken bone or other injury. You can't fix brain damage and you can't repair a severed spinal cord. It's forever.

An ATV accident where a man and wife were riding double isn't a pretty scene. When you see a man sobbing over his wife while she struggles for breath and cries that she can't feel anything while you wait for an EMS to show up which seems like an eternity. She is crying and keeps asking him to hold her hand and he keeps trying to explain through his sobs that he is holding her hand. She of course can't feel it since her spinal cord has been severed so high up. You're standing there unable to fix or really even treat what just happened. You wonder that in the end if death isn't a mercy in such a situation and then you curse yourself for thinking such a thing. That eerie silence when everything is over and there are just medical equipment wrappers, body fluid and the contents of the cooler/lounge seat that was strapped on the back of the ATV scattered on the ground.

Yeah. You get religion about riding double after you see a couple of those.

 

Good post Quint.

If I ride double it's just me and my dog putting around on level ground. He doesn't overload it or throw the balance off. No trails and no way it's tipping over.

 

Good Lord - If my wife ever read this post neither me or my boy would ever be able to ride again. All have good points to ponder, however......

First off I bought my X2 for the reasons listed above. I ride 2-up, usually with my children and wanted the "safest" 2-up I could get. Additionally, while Maine doesn't harass people adding the two-up "storage boxes" to their quads - I didn't want to buy a new machine then have them start.

That said - I think you need to consider the riding you do. I mostly just put-put around on the trails so the chances of me or my boy coming off the quad is very slim. I also use it ice fishing a lot - again - just put-putting around. If this is the type of riding Rutcutter he may be okay. If I want to go fast - I jump on my motorcycle - not on my ATV.

However, to be clear - I am not saying the dangers listed above are not valid. THEY DEFINATELY ARE - and are good points to put out. I think this type of info is good for all of us to read as a reminder to the potential. You can never be too safe or cautious. But you do need to consider the type of riding one does.

 

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

You guys are getting a little paranoid, I double all the time. If you run into a situation where you are going to kill your passenger its going to happen on a two up ATV also,10" longer is not going to make the difference if its safe or not.



I live in Ontario Canada it s illegal too ride double on Public roads 2 up ATV or not but its OK if your on the trails.</end quote></div>

Even with the X2 you still can't ride two-up on the Public roads...
The Fall Rally in Mattawa we could leave the Legion to get on the trail .....But anybody riding 2-up had to get the shuttle service to the trail head..Even if there machine was built for two up The A/C 400 TRV in our group was one that was affected......They were not very happy........They bought a 2-up Quad so they were LEGAL.........But she still needed to get the Shuttle service..........Caper........

Also with my 2-up seat Tell me what the differance is if I am 170 pounds and my daughter is about 60 pounds....Or having one larger rider weighing in at about 230 pounds......The only differance I see is the extra 60 pounds is NOT centered in the normal seat area of the Quad......Dirt Trax T.V did a roll over test on 4-5 Quads and weight on the racks or extra rider DOES make a big differance on the Degree the Quad will start to roll over........As these are a high center of gravety to start with anyway.............Caper............