I am considering purchasing an ’09 Sportsman 500 EFI, or an ’09 Sportsman 500 EFI X2, or the 500 EFI touring. The question I have is can a second passenger ride on the 500 safely? I have seen many pics of the 500 with the added seat back, foot pegs, etc., to enable 2 up riding. I won’t be riding 2 up a lot, so I can’t justify spending the extra $$ for the X2, plus according to the specs, if I recall correctly, the X2 is only approx. 4” longer than the regular 500. I am curious as to what others on the forum have done and what your experiences are. Any comments appreciated. Thanks

 

Hi a12, I have an X2 and can tell you that the only disadvantages to it are a little wider turning (partially offset by turf mode one wheel drive), a little extra weight, and not as much usable ground clearance due to longer wheelbase. The advantages are 6 gallon tank (about 100 mile range in mixed driving), 400 lb. capacity for the rear box or passenger, 1 or 2 up changes in a matter of seconds, longer wheelbase is safer going up and down hills. I've gone up and down some seriously scary hills with it that would have a regular quad cartwheeling down the hill. The Touring has a much more comfortable seat with the same wheelbase as the X2. The wheelbase is about 7" longer on the 2ups and the total length is about 10" longer than the regular Sportsman. I use the X2 mostly in 1 up and it has a great ride. I made a wood box to add to the pickup style bed on the X2 and can carry quite a bit of wood with it.

 

I have an 08 500 Touring and my riding buddy has an 08 500 X2. Both are great quads, but if you will carry a passenger a lot the touring is the way to go. The seat is way more comfortable.

They both offer more stability on hills because of the longer wheelbase even when riding on your own. And on your own they have more room to move around on technical sections as well.

I used to carry my kids on my older 1 up quad with a combo seat/box on the back, now I wouldn't go back even with them. I never would have carried an adult that way other than to the end of the driveway.

Two other important things to remember is that they both have heavier rear suspensions than the single seater (X2 can carry 400# in that back bed) and they have larger gas tanks. In 08 they both had a 6.1 gallon tank vs 4.2 (I think) on the single seater.

I don't think that there are any spec differences between 08 and 09, so you should be able to get a deal on an 08 X2 or Touring models of you can find them.

 

Howdy a12.....Moose and MickJP have covered this topic quite well. The main reason for my choosing an X2 was the longer wheel base......I like stability. Another plus is that I can carry a lot of gear with me. The X2 may be a little bigger but it's still pretty sporty. The turf mode was a good bonus for me too. I have to drive the X2 in a park to do volunteer stuff and it doesn't tear up the grass at all......unless you give too much throttle. Remember.....a one up is a one up and a two up is a two up.......I would think a one up with a passenger could be a little unstable as compared to a two up and if you are stopped by a ranger on a public trail, one of you may be walking back. Have fun choosing your ATV.....my X2 is a great machine..... NoJoke

 

I agree with NoJoke, If you plan on riding 2 up get an x2 or the touring model. They are more stable,safer and LEGAL to ride 2 up!
$1,000 more in initial cost beats $10,000-$100,000 in medical bills if the passenger were to get hurt!

 

Check out the o8 models I just bought 2 more 700 X2s for our ranch operations the 09 500 x2s were $7600 and the leftover 08 700 x2s were $7200. If you do haul alot of gear or ride 2up you won't be sorry to have a few more cc's