I need your help picking an atv

[jared crews]

Hey guys I'm new to this form and got on here to get yalls opinion, I'm 18 5'10" 170 pounds if that makes a difference and have been riding fourwheelers all my life well since I was 5. But all I have owned is a utility, even though I ride my cuzins sport quad a bit. I have alot of time on utility atv and a little on sports but I am wanting to buy me one so I can give his back to him lol. We ride in some pretty rough spots in the woods and in some rutted out spots to so I'm pretty sure ground clearance is a good thing. We only do woods riding most of it technical and thick woods no racing and I want something to cut up on a little but Nothing that will kill me. So wondering if yall can help me out plus our average ride is around 23 miles so I need somethig to last that long! Any help at all is greatly appreciated. The outlaw seems perfect for me but I haven't been riding a clutch long and I'm afraid it will be to much for me so what do you guys think

[Bruce!]

Welcome to the board!

[bgirard420]

Welcome, are you planning on buying new?

[PoPo 8o0]

Well im 19, 5'11, 180 pounds and i ride sportsman 800 and can't get enough of it. The ride is awesome in the rough stuff and really can't be beat. It has a little over a foot of ground clearance with 27'' zillas. It has plenty of power and speed if you want to keep up with the sport quads. If you ride in any mud, you'll need 4x4 or else you'll be getting stuck a lot. I've pulled out a lot sport quads that got stuck in some pretty shallow mud, they just have no traction. I'll admit, when i first started shooping aroud for an atv, i was gonna buy a sport quad, but after riding a few sport quads through some rough trails, i decided utility is the only way to go. Sport quads are nice on open staright aways and are fun to fool around on, but for everyday riding, i find the utilities are better.

Are you buying new or used?

[Dbez1]

I'm a dedicated Polaris guy, but for your purposes, you might want to look into a CanAm Renegade. They are a bit pricey, but they are 4WD, and very fast with decent ground clearance. I also have to agree with PoPo above though, the big bore Polaris Sportsman is hard to beat unless you intend to do a lot of jumps. Best wishes with whatever you choose.

[crimson850]

I would get a polaris outlaw 525 irs or ktm 525XC. The ktm is by far the best trail sport quad on the market and if you go to big woods racing events KTM dominates. Both machines have the same motor but its the other components that are different. You have independent rear suspension on the outlaw which for rutted trails should make a world of difference.if you ANY intention of racing and it fits your budget get the KTM. It is really the only quad you can take off the show room and win races with. KTM dominates!

[Osceola850]

If you're already more familiar with a utility then I would stick with that. I grew up on sport quads but sold my outlaw 525irs last fall. When riding in the woods a good utility can keep up with the sport quads easily. Another plus of a utility is the plastic. I used to get covered with mud and water on my outlaw when it was wet in the woods. Now with my 850 xp I can ride in the sloppyest conditions and stay dry. The suspension on my 850 is also a lot smoother than my irs outlaw. Last but not least, the power of the 850 is awesome. I can pull wheelies with ease which I couldn't say about smaller engine utility quads. While I liked my 525 outlaw a lot, I definately don't regret selling it and getting my 850 xp. In my opinion the only thing the outlaw is good for is racing.

[scottdeet]

You didn't mention a budget or if your buying new.
I'm around 5'11" and 158 lbs. My first atv ride was in August of `09 on a
Sportsman `04 400. It was more a trail technical ride. I rode my buddy's
400 and he took his Dad's (same year & model). It was awesome and I
would've bought his 400 that day. Our other friend that went had an `08
800 efi. At that time he talked me into going for an 800, well came across
a good deal on an `07 800 stealth with some accessories for $4700.00.

Now my friend sold his 800 last year for the need of cash at the time for an in-ground pool,
now he's looking at a new 500 HO with regards for the
price and size of the machine for the type of riding we actually do.

Since the 400 & 500 are the same size chassy now, maybe consider a 400
HO if on a budget as it's actually a 455cc motor.

Here's a list of MSRP's.

400 HO - 455cc $5599.00
Polaris Industries Sportsman® 400 H.O. SCHREFFLER EQUIPMENT INC PITMAN, PA (570) 648-1120

500 HO - 498cc $5999.00
Polaris Industries Sportsman® 500 H.O. SCHREFFLER EQUIPMENT INC PITMAN, PA (570) 648-1120

800 efi - 760cc $7499.00
Polaris Industries Sportsman® 800 EFI SCHREFFLER EQUIPMENT INC PITMAN, PA (570) 648-1120

550 XP efi - 549cc $7499.00
Polaris Industries Sportsman® 550 SCHREFFLER EQUIPMENT INC PITMAN, PA (570) 648-1120

In your area prices may vary. If your looking for a ride just for yourself, I'd
consider the 400 HO first. With being $500 cheaper, you could maybe get
a few accessories for that $500 compared to the 500 HO. Basically $500
for 43cc more motor or some nice accessories to start out with, or just
save the $500

Chances are there will be upgrades on your mind in the future no matter
what model you get. The biggest jump in price is going from the carbed
models to the efi.

Just some thoughts to consider, but if money is no object then be a kid in
the candy store

[SMP63]

Love my 500 HO!!!

[egressin]

my ridin experience was my friend saying hop on my crotch rocket, twist the throttle and let the clutch out.....$23k of med bills and 6 yrs later i rode an polaris outdoorsman 3 times. i then bought a 525irs outlaw, i know great logic, but it has been extremely easy to learn on and very forgiving on rough terrain.