think about all the money you'll loose selling that 500 and upgrading to that 850 in 12 months 400 lbs is over 1/2 the weight of the atv...

I don't know your finances- but if you can swing the extra $$ and still keep steak in the freezer... buy the 850.

 

x2 on the 850, the new chassis is way better than the old macpherson strut and the power steering is definitely a plus

 

I would go with the XP... Either the 550 or 850, there is deffinatly a power diffrance but the 550 will still cary two people @ 60 MPH no problem.

 

I just got back from a cold ride in the NH snow on snowmobile trails that are open to quads also. With the wife, maybe 110 soaking wet, and my 350 lbs. the X2 500 struggled on inclines a bit. It would get up to about 30 mph and level off there in high gear. In low it would have no trouble at all, but with it in high, with 26" Mudlite XTRs, and the slippage of being on snow it just wouldn't have anything left after about 30mph on the inclines. On the flats it still could get up to about 50 with enough room and hard pack. I found myself thinking about an 850 X2 today. I love the X2 500 but the 700 or 800 that they came out with later might have fit our needs a little bit better. Just some thoughts.

 

Hogwash... the 500 has more than enough power. There will be no "just getting by"... this is a fairy tale. I don't care if you have a 400, 500, or 850, you aren't going to turn the machine any faster because you have a bigger engine. The trails I ride are in woods and forests - there are no straight-aways and passing lanes. The physics behind it just does not permit riding a utility machine that fast without crashing. It basically puts all of the machines on equal footing. Second, the 500 will go wherever the 850 goes. And I'm not talking about mud-bogging... but anywhere trail riding. Honestly, and I really hate to say this, but I am having a hard time believing you average 40 mph. I've been riding atv's for a long time and I have many friends that ride. I can't think of too many people that go over 60 miles in an entire day, much less average 40 mph. It just doesn't compute for me. Granted, I've never rode in Wisconsin, but maybe most of the trails are flat, straight, wide and without whoops - I don't know. But 40 through woods trails is flat out flying.

Sorry to come off this way, but some of the stuff I'm reading here is just hard for me to wrap my head around. By all means, I hope you end up buying the machine you want without any remorse. Good luck to you.

 

that 850 x2 has been on my mind lately also- my older son likes to ride 2up, but I really don't like to put him on a 1up atv, I just don't trust those bolt-on seats when it comes to my sons safety. He was sad when I sold the 650 max (I was too) ... I could sell the rene and put 50% down in cash on a new 850 touring

 

hmmm- so I guess the 50 years combined riding experience moose and I have means jack sh*it, huh?

You sir, are 100% wrong- as much as you'd like to believe that I (we) have nothing better to do then sit here and tell lies about our own experiences riding 500cc class atv's.
I’d be lost trying to count the number of times over the last 20 years I've "just gotten by" or even gotten stuck on a 300 - 500cc atv where an 800 would've owned it.

You don't sound very experienced at all (though you say you are) riding atv's, especially if you believe the "physics" aren’t there to ride an atv that fast in a wooded trail- just because you (or your friends) don't posses the riding skills to navigate a wooded trail at high speeds doesn't mean no one else can or does.

For example... I'm a very experienced rider who was riding a rincon 650, and my experienced friend who was riding his new grizz 500, we were left in the dust while trying to keep up with a brute 750 and a kfx 700- we had the throttles stuffed and they were out of sight- well over 40mph it a tight wooded and extremely rocky, sandy trails! Yes- bigger engines push more dirt, faster! Even someone with a bubblegum wrapper head should be able to "wrap their head" aroud that!

As for your silly claim that most people don't go over 60 miles an entire day... you're kidding right? I probably average 60 miles per day over the course of a month! I've easily ridden 150 miles in a single day (tight, rocky and hilly terrain), and still had hours of daylight to spare!

The fact you'd even attempt to call out a guy who currently owns a 500 x2, and his actual experiences while riding it, indicates your superb arrogance! I can tell you right now without a doubt; Hosni Mubarak would be president of the United States before the moose (or I) would tell a lie about our experiences riding any atv!
As for my atv experience... well, I've easily owned well over 25 in the past 20 years- not including the dozen or so dirtbikes- safe to assume, I know what a 500cc atv feels like.

A 500cc touring (2up) atv has plenty of power when riding single person, semi-technical trails, but when loaded with a passenger (2up), gear and riding technical trails or climbing sloppy hills... no, it’s ******* big time! The 500 cc touring starts feeling more like a 300cc when loaded with 400 lbs of passenger, 50lbs of gear, a full tank of gas and spinning four 26" or larger tires (riding in sand, mud or snow). An 800cc makes all the difference when navigating these types of trails / terrain with a passenger and remaining nimble, quick and in control of your atv.

With all your “riding experience” you should know this.










sorry mods- he pissed me off



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Beergut,

I should have directed my original post to you, because you are precisely who I am calling out as FOS - not the original poster. Period. I'm happy for all of your experience... it still doesn't hold water. In fact, I'd like to meet you some day. Then I'd like to watch you do 40 mph through tight trails on your 700 pound machine. My goodness, you are so full of it. Honestly, I really want to berate you a lot more as you've done in your reply back to me, but I won't because it doesn't prove a thing and two, because you were a Marine, and I just won't do that.

OP,

What you ride, have ridden, or what you're going to buy is obviously none of my business. I wanted to call BS on the nonsense that is getting spewed in this thread by Beergut.

 

No BS lone- there are a handful of other riders here at the connection I have ridden with, continue to ride with on a regular basis and who've been invited to my house on many occasions to ride, and who'll back me up- one of which was the grizz rider.

At which time, lonE, I'd expect you to apologize for being so arrogant and overconfident with your assumptions. You clearly are NOT an experienced rider if you think it's impossible to ride a 700lb atv at speeds topping 40mph in wooded trails.

In regards to your request to ride with me, you will not be getting any invite- as you appear to be the type of person we strive to keep out of our group.

 

i'm sure everyones version of a trail in the woods is different, my version is way too rough for 40, but some of the places i ride i can go 60, really depends on what terrain ur riding in and how familiar u r with the territory. and i've been riding motorcycles, and four wheelers for 15 years roughly so i do have experience.