has anyone ridden both back to back? is the 550 a little quicker or a little slower?

 

I've ridden both and feel that the 550 definitely has a little more punch than the 500. The ride quality and handling is great on the traditional sportsman but the new xp's are above and beyond in comparisons IMO. If price tag wasn't a factor I'd choose the 550 without a second thought.

 

i got the impression that the 550 was alot more then the 500 in the power department?

 

i cant imagine it being a lot more, there is a 4hp difference at the crank. i never saw them side by side really, but a 37 inch seat height on the 550 is ridiculously high... my g/f already looks small on the 500

 

The 550 power to the ground feels like alot more compared to the 500. One of my co-workers raced a 550 with his 07 sp800 and stated to me that he stayed neck and neck with the 550 on a 1/4 mile stretch of road and could only start to pull away from him after about 50 mph. As far as size goes, they are basically the same size although, To me the 550 felt much smaller and more nimble thanks to some of the improvements in seating,steering and suspension.

 

you said a little more, now its a lot? i think i'll go with a little, there is only a few crank hp between them and about the same weight

 

I should have been more clear. The 550 has a little more punch (horsepower) When riding them with the xp set-up, it FEELS like alot more power hitting the ground. When riding with my co-worker, me on my sp500 and he on his sp800 I can stick with him up to about 35-40mph then he eats me alive on top end. So what he tells me about racing a 550 with 4-5 more hp probably isn't to far off. In my opinion it's not about the horsepower, but more about how it rides and feels. My brothers honda trx 300 4x4 FEELS like it has gobs of power if your shifting it right, but really only has about half the power of my sp500 and quite a bit smaller and lighter. Sorry if it sounded like I was contradicting myself. Best thing to do is go test ride them both for yourself, and you be the judge.

 

its cool, i get you now

 

All of the Xps drive trains put more pwoer to the ground since the motor is tuned and the system is differnt. Plus the few extra hp. The handeling is crazy how much better it is on the Xp frame

 

The 550 rides much better and is an all around updated 500. 550 is my vote all the way, its worth the extra money.