Manuals are not better at towing, imo.

 

Guess I want to make sure I completely understand here. Someone is considering purchasing a $9,000 dollar machine and is not going to do it because of the "stupid single brake lever." Sorry, I don't buy it. I understand there are those that want a dual brake system. Okay, fine. This isn't rocket science. For less than $100 you can convert any single lever system to a dual lever system and be a happy camper. BTW, if you are in 4x4 it doesn't matter what lever you pull or step on, you're braking all four wheels (okay three wheels until the visco lok engages or the front is manually locked - depending upon your machine).

As for the 800 handling like an SUV, well, I don't think so. It has a torque tube rear suspension which is in effect a modified sway bar anyway. Remember this is a utility machine not a sport machine. If you ride a sport machine and move to a utility, well, yup you probably ain't going to like the handling, but like a Cadillac, no, I don't think so.

Yup, it certainly is expensive and you may want to spend your dollars elsewhere. Be my guest. I shopped the internet and paid $8,200 for an 800 Max. Expensive. Certainly. Worth it - yup...to me. And that's all that matters.

 

if there was a big bore with an optional 5 speed i am sure they'd sell so much more. >>>>>>>

If this were true they would make them.

 

I can't see where a manual would tow any better quite honestly.. I drag a trailer and a harrow behind the outty nearly every weekend and with the harrow in fresh tilled and gone over witha harley rake (seed bed prep attachment for skidsteer) it will load up the harrow and you just spin the tires.. how is a manual gonna tow something that has more weight than its tractive force will allow?

Handling.. Its no 450 by any means.. But it handles at least a million times better than any polaris utility i have ridden.. mind you parked next to the outty in right now is a Poo700EFI and a Poo500.. If you want all out sport WTF you want 4wd for.. you should be able to ride fast enough you don't need it. and i can tell you with comparable riders on bother the outlander 800 and my craptor the lap times are really not a whole lot differnt.. While the outlander may be slower in some corners and over some jumps.. there are some hills the raptor cannot touch it on. and it makes up for the sections its slow on there. they climb hills like they are flat ground. it slides corners on fire roads very predictibly with not too excessive body roll for having nearly twice the weight of a sport.. For what they are. Handling is exceptional.. they do dive under braking. they corner allot better under throttle.

CVTs are better for these things than a manual would ever be.

 

I hated that single brake lever. If I get the Outlander (It's a toss up between the outlander 800 and the new grizz) one of the first mods is splitting the brakes. Just could not get use to not having the control of two brake levers. I really never realized how much I used the brakes separately until I rode machines with a single lever. The outlander specifically since I was so comfortable with it on the trail otherwise.

After having CVT machines around the farm and hauling extremely heavy loads with them trouble free I find manual transmission machines to frankly be a pain in the *** now. Not that CVTs don't have their drawbacks. I'd like to see something more waterproof or something along the lines of the Honda hydraulic unit but I have to admit, even with the abuse that I and other guys I know personally have given our CVT machines they haven't given us any real problems when it came to hauling heavy loads around the farm. Any problems we had were from sinking unsnorkeled machines and getting the belts wet.

 

my biggest thing is I want the Brake lever on the right side. the outlander power brakes like a **** so i really dont think that lever puts a whole lot to the back brake. Not that you really even have to use the brakes that much on it and you never have to use the brakes in low range. Its too hard to ride and drink a beer [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] with the brake on the left... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

"Its too hard to ride and drink a beer with the brake on the left... "

Need one of those "beer ball caps," the one with two beers on either side and a plastic tube. Or a Camel Back and a plastic tube - filled with a bottle of wine. (The disclaimer - I do not endorse or otherwise think anyone, regardless of age should consume adult beverages while driving their quad and I know no one reading this forum has ever done so...) [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

I certainly second, third and forth your comment about back braking in low. Thing will almost pitch you over the bars when you get off the throttle in low. Actually I'd like just a little less back braking. My AC650 has just the right amount for me. But, I'll deal with it and live with it. No problem.. 45-50 degree down slope in low - don't need more than a once-in-a-while touch to the foot brake the back braking is so strong.

 

I'd like the option of a 5 speed simply for trail riding. I find that with the CVT the engine is always revving high, where if you had a 5 speed, you could puddle along in 5th at whatever speed without having the engine rev.

I agree though with the hillshooting .. cvt keeps you in the power band there .. no messing with shifting mid-hill ...

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I test drove the 800 and the 650 this past summer. Boy did they have the power and handling. The 650 didnt handle that great, but then agian its a test machine. It had been abused like crazy. The 800 was a test machine too, but it apparently was a little newer than the 650 they were using. Anyhow the 800 I test drove handled like a dream. The power was INCREDIBLE, same with the ride AND handling. I bet the one you test drove had had some abuse to it.