Lot of things have changed since this thread was first posted. My tastes have changed, and my riding choices have as well. I have divested myself of the sport quads altogether.I just don't have the need for speed any longer. Double bypass and a shattered right leg will do that to you. I now have my two favorite machines. A Can-am 850 XMR, and an 850 renegade. Obviously I use the XMR if I expect water or mud, and the renegade if I don't. They are heavy, powerful and handle well. After running a Honda 500 Rubicon for many years, the power steering alone makes them worth every penny. Wife has a 650 renegade too.

 

Interesting thread. It'd be hard to imagine one ATV as an end-all, dream machine because there are so many different roles.

I have an older Wolverine 350 and I think it's one of the most versatile ATVs ever made. The chassis is nimble and handles well, it's small and light enough to fit in the back of a pickup or down a tight trail, and it has enough power to work up around 50mph on a logging road and have some fun. It also has front and rear racks and will tow a small trailer for hauling hunting gear in and out of the woods. The machine is also not overly complex and it's reliable.

I don't need a 800 or 1000 ATV to "haul heavy loads"....I have a truck for that purpose. I'd wager most people get one of the big, heavy machines just because they want one, not 'need' one. It's sort of the same thing as these huge souped-up diesel pickups you see that never tow anything heavier than a pair of jet skis. Bigger, heavier, faster, shinier and more powerful is the American way and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

I grew up riding sport machines back in the 90s, had a built up 250X and a Warrior back in the dark ages when those were among the most dangerous toys in the ATV world. CanAm 1000s and Raptor 700Rs didn't exist back then, only the occasional Banshee. The 250Rs and Zillas of the 80s were distant mythical memories for most people in my age bracket.

I've toyed with the idea of another sport machine as a stablemate to the Wolverine. I live on the east coast and I like a nimble chassis, so that'd probably mean one of the 400-450 class machines.

 

I've dreamed for a few years of owning an Arctic Cat Superduty 700 Diesel. Finally found one in Georgia. Was worth the wait. Doing a turbocharger now, going to be a monster!

 

I ride in snow most winters and you need the power to get up to speed and stay there. I've been in sand and snow and have to say snow robs more power than anything but sticky mud. I like the 650 for that reason. Not, out of my mind, crazy power but more than fast enough and able to pull fresh cut hardwood out of tricky places in the hills of Vermont. Places my truck won't fit or climb. So, I like the extra power for those 800 lb. loads. Trouble I have is that the equipment packages I like are often only offered in the larger displacement 800 and 1000 class machines. I drool over the equipment on the Can-Am Outlander Max Limited. But can only get that in the 850 or 1000.

In short, if I could get the Outlander Max for the space on the racks, Rotax power, Rotax clutch engagement, but with the Polaris ride comfort, storage options, and quieter CVT, I'd have all my boxes checked.

 

I'd probably go with an Outlander 1000 XT. I actually saw a nice used Outlander 1000 XT on a local dealer
's website recently for a decent price, for an Outlander 1000 that is. It was about $7000. I'm probably just going to stick with my Brute for a while. Its honestly got more than enough power for just about any situation I seem to encounter. More than fast enough to get myself hurt if I don't respect it.

 

I liked the Brute's power when I did a review a few years ago. I wish they made a two up.

 

Well NC, I think we think alike. I have been that lone voice against large bore machines and it was kind of lonesome there for a while. Agree with everything you said with a caveat. A while back I was dragging some trees I had cut down. Nothing really big, probably around 40 ft long and maybe 8 inches in diameter...Using my old Honda rubicon. the old one that was a solid rear and full time 4x4. 500 CC's. and it got stuck in some loose loam. Well, I went to the local dealer to look specifically at the "new" Can-Am 850 XMR with the big aggressive mud tires. Well, let's say I don't have that problem any longer. the extra power and the big lug mud tire really do the job. So In this case, the big motor was a major factor and has opened my mind a little to the bigger sizes. But there again, in addition to joy riding, my machines have to pay for themselves in work for me to justify the expense. In this case it made sense. As for those shiny diesels you talked about... well, I have one. It is a nearly new 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 with the 5.9 Cummins. Nothing flashy. I need it to pull a work trailer that weighs in around 11,000 lbs, and a toy hauler that pushes 13000. I tried the smaller work trailer with an 03 Ram 1500 with the Hemi, and it could not pull it even though it was well within the rating. So the diesel was really needed. I'll never look back or go back to a gas motor again. I say it is nearly new since it has 68,000 original miles. Not bad for a 11 year old truck. Of course I didn't spend the $75,000 it would cost to replace it. I bought it for barely over $40K. Can't fathom the new ones.

 

Agree with you Moose. Just got an 850 XMR about 6 months ago for the work I need it for. (Dragging felled trees) and just recently got an 850 renegade for trail riding. What I should have done was get me a tractor. Well that is on it's way. Along with a tracked loader and a 6 ton class Mini Excavator. That should be the last of the toys for the rest of my life anyway. Now if I win the lottery tonight... all bets are off.

 

The new toys will be fun.

 

Raptor 700 with all of the upgrades.

The new 2017/2018 Raptors are so cool. They have screens on the front that shows everything including your gas amount!