the ony time a 500 isnt enough is in a straight line compared to bigger quads. otherwise a 400 and up will NEVER lack in off road riding. the only way i can see getting a big quad again (700 and up) is if i was a mud bogger and needed to turn 30" tires. its just ridiculous the price diffference in the 550 and 850. $1700 for that engine? not me! then the price difference from a 500 carb to the 550 is almost as much, and that machine is proven and there best selling model. that engines been around for 15 years. one good thing i have to say is im glad they went to and over head cam design with 4 valves. i was NOT impressed with my 700 or the 800 i rode. a 500 can run with the 700.

 

You can not even remotely compare the 850 to a 700,or even the "800"...have you ridden one? "Enough" power is a personal preference in most cases.. Yes a 500 will get you down the trail and back for sure...although I do know of an occasion or two that I like the extra power on the trail...and I am not talking mud..and of couse it is fun for playing.
And as for the price difference between a 500 carb and the 550..again have you ridden an XP at all? There really is no comparing the old Sportsman to the XP...it is that much better. Yes if I wanted strictly a work machine a 500 would be a good choice..but for a mix of work and play I love my 850..does the chores without sweating and can get the adrenalin pumping when I want to play. If you aren't a confident rider and tend to get yourself in trouble riding a machine with more power then stick to the 500 or the 550..
At my dealer the 850 is $1500 more than the 550...

I will say that not everyone needs the 850's power,and the 550 does handle a slight bit better than the 850 due to being a little lighter...either one is a good choice..but if you even question for a second if you might need more power,or if you like to have alot of power to play with, save yourself the heartache of wondering if you should have and get the 850....JMO Besides the 850 idles smoother lol

 

people on here need to read my comments more throughly... no i HAVE NOT ridden an xp, but it being way better isnt everybodies opinion from what i have read. also i said im glad they went to an overhead cam design on the 850 instead of the ohv pushrod 2 valve engines of old. why are u selling ur 850? did that good used pickup truck priced quad put u in the poor house? also these big numbers are great, but they are severly detuned. an 800 twin sport bike puts down more power at the wheel then these things do at the crank BY FAR. if i buy an 800 and up, i dont want it to just have way more power, i want it to feel like that "big" decal on the tank! not many people can pay 9k for a quad then modify it

 

Nope,selling it to buy a 2 up....I think you would be hard pressed to find many,if any, who have owned both an older sportsman and an xp who like the older sportsman better.

 

i had a 335. i never wished i had gotten a bigger atv. i sold the 335 last yr and got a 500. the 335 did everything i needed it to do. and if my 500 is as good as my 335 ill be just as happy. before you get a 850 id check your local laws about the 850 on the trails. round here a 800cc atv is the biggest atv allowed on the trails. but thats fine by me. im still not convinced bigger is better. unless you actuly plan to use the power for mudding or pulling large things. but then spend the 10k on a truck. id also like to see what the fuel mileage on the larger atvs is. i took mine out on the trail it got round 21mpg at an avg 40-45mph. but if you have the cash buy whatever you want.

 

id convince myself that they're head and shoulders better for that money too. i have heard some people complain they ride a little stiff and that the 550 isnt much more power then the 500. ive read that a lot. also that belt has to be a pain to get at when it comes time. hondas had that design for a while, but they dont use a cvt tranny. like i said, that 850 has what 70 crank hp? impressive for a quad, but not for the displacement. an 800 twin ducati puts out over 100 at the wheel! would i want that much power in a 4x4? not really. but if i got one at a price i couldnt refuse ur darn right id want it then!


PS: yes i know its a race bike, but the difference between 55-60hp to 100+ at the wheel is a lot...

 

I had an 08 800..and I loved it thought it was great..but the 850 truly is head and shoulders better...no offense to the current owners of the old style Sportsman but after the XP I'll never own an old style Sportman as my primary trail ride. The old Sportsman is an AWESOME work horse...but the XP can do the work and is SOOO much more enjoyable to ride on the trail..
And I really didn't pay an extreme amount more for the 850 than I did the 800..right at $1000.. Obviously you have to buy what suits your needs but is also in your budget.
IMO any one who said the XP is stiff has lost their mind..no it does not roll as much and isn't as squishy as the older Sportsman..but it soaks up bumps,roots,dead fall trees ect MUCH better...overall the ride is superior in everyway..if I wanted a squishy ride I'd drive a Caddy...ok..getting way off topic here..the thread was about what? oh 550 or 850...that's right....lol

 

i sagree, and since i never rode one i cant say too much, just cant justify that money for a quad. im pushing the smaller machines to the thread starter becaue he already had to give up a quad because of money, so i dont wanna see that happen again! plus like i said the 500/550 will do anything the big guys do, just slower

 

test rode 550 with and with out power steer for wife she found the power steer to be to touchy, so did i, on the other hand i have found when in 2 feet of sticky muskeg power steer would be nice. the 550 has almost same hp as my 09, 800

 

there is a 8-10hp difference, not too close