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Excluding cobra bites, speeding tickets and root canals, some things are best experienced in combinings of two. Think margaritas with salt, beer brats and sauerkraut or a day off in the outdoors with your spouse, children or a good friend. Duality is one of life’s enduring themes. Let’s be bold and add riding ATVs to that list. Some might say 2-up ATVs have been made obsolete by two-person side-by-sides, but we strongly beg to differ. UTVs have their advantages, and are very fun, but two-passenger ATVs are permitted on more trails, take up less space, ordinarily cost less and may provide a more physically engaging ride, which is crucial to fanciers like us. It’s worth noting that 2-ups account for in regards to 6.7 percent of the ATV industry – a profitable segment that’s grown in recent years, consequently the expanding proliferation of selections now available. We not long back honored the Polaris Sportsman Touring 800 EFI as our 2008 ATV of the Year, but a lot of new contest from Can-Am’s freshened Outlander Max and Arctic Cat’s modern Cruiser models set the stage for a full-on 2-up comparison test. Our test team included three couples – one set of friends, some soon-to-be relatives (marriage pending) and a wedded couple that’s logged numerous miles aboard their 2-up over the past three and a half years. It was a wide array of ATV experience – the perfective crew to dissect and review three distinguishable machines. We loaded up and drove to the shores of Minnesota’s big Lake Mille Lacs to ride the Red Top ATV Trail – a typical, wooded public riding area with varied terrain. With a long washboard former rail bed, wide connector trails that wind through the woods and a technical “High Adventure” section, Red Top had the assortment necessitated for a comprehensive investigation. 3rd Place – Polaris Sportsman Touring 800 EFI With four distinct models, Polaris has a wide selection of 2-up variants serving dissimilar audiences. Its X2s have a folding rear seat that transforms into a cargo bed, while the more comfortable Touring models are designed for couples looking to put on severe miles with a larger, plusher fixed rear seat that’s a dramatic betterment in passenger accommodation over the compromising X2. Based on the old Sportsman chassis, as opposed to the superb, new XP introduced last summer, the Sportsman Touring is available as a 500 or an 800. We wanted to test the best 2-ups available, so we went for the Touring 800, with it is powerful twin-cylinder 760cc mill. Features Passenger-centric features include a rear seat that’s reclined back more than the challengers from Arctic Cat and Can-Am, two built-in cup holders, angular “vibration-isolating” handholds and rubber-and-plastic height-adjustable foot rests that also seek to denigrate vibration. Other goodies include on-demand all-wheel drive, a totally independent suspension with MacPherson struts up front and dual A-arms in the rear, a one-inch rear receiver, an beautiful painted finish that Polaris says is nine times more scratch immune than regular plastics and sharp cast aluminum rims. With a price of $9,699, the Sporty was the least highpriced machine in the test by a mere $230 vs. the Arctic Cat – but it’s the only machine here without a winch. From The Backseat What was the latest and biggest 2-up in 2008 has lost it is luster according to our six-person team. Each of our testers unanimously ranked the Sportsman Touring as the least comfortable rig for passengers. All riders cited a cheap sentiment backrest that’s reclined too far back and offers little lumbar support. The passenger seat bottom is satisfyingly cushy but it is comparatively flat shape made it hard to stay put over rough terrain, now and then bouncing the rear rider forward into the driver’s back – no fun for anyone. The square-edged handholds do the trick, but were singled out for being too close to thighs and too sturdy, transmitting more bumps to the passenger’s arms and shoulders than other, more forgiving hand grips. The passenger footrests were also the targets of a good deal of griping. The beef? They’re too short, with boots hanging off the front, and they lack the metallic serrated pegs that the driver gets. While the rubber reduces vibration, it doesn’t have the much-needed grip to keep the backseat driver the right way in place. Speaking of shaking, our passengers said the rear position of the Polaris was far too bumpy over rough trails – even in the softest spring settings, the rear suspension proved to be too stiff. It’s a roomy platform, though, For The Driver From a driver’s perspective, the Sportsman is fun to drive and perfectly predictable. Active Descent Control makes it in particular easy to judiciously regulate speed for the passenger’s comfort, which is a great quality in hilly terrain or on tight woods trails with continuous changes in vehicle speed. One tester said the engine braking was too strong for his liking, but it may be turned off with the flip of a switch. A roomy platform permitted a great deal of room for both riders to stretch out without being too close for comfort. Like most Sportsman models, the Touring is smooth riding, offers low-effort steering, a pillow-soft seat and is all sorts of fun once you commence exploring the burly engine’s abilities – sufficient though it was hard to tell the passenger wasn’t sharing in the fun. A quick slap to the back of the helmet made things crystal clear. One passenger eager to switch rides summed the Touring’s rear-seat experience clearest: “I didn’t get enjoyment from it. I was engaged in a struggle to stay on the entire ride.” As any parent who reluctantly drives a grocery getter knows, passenger ease and safety is your most eminent priority when carrying humane cargo. We anxiously await an bettered 2-up from Polaris based on the XP chassis. 2nd Place – Arctic Cat TRV 700 H1 EFI Cruiser We had hoped to test the 1000 Cruiser model, powered by the Thundercat’s rip-roaring 951cc H2 engine, but we had to take what was available – the 700, with a potent single-cylinder engine we’ve antecedently commended for it is smooth, progressive power. The 700 Cruiser also costs $2,500 less than the 1000 model, so it will likely appeal to a wider audience. Features In addition to the aforementioned niceties, key features include lasting automotive-style paint, an electronically locking differential, a built-in 2-inch receiver, a driver’s cup holder and four-wheel dual A-arm independent suspension. From The Backseat One problem cited by all was that the curvaceous handholds arc in toward the passenger too far in the front, leaving a lot of with bruised thighs. A simple design fix would make the Cat’s backseat closely flawless. For The Driver At the firstborn trail break, every one wanted to check out the smart-looking lockable rear cargo box that’s cavernous by ATV storage standards. Its operation wasn’t up to expectations, with one calling it “flimsy.” Mastering it is proper closure and locking was a team effort, but we figured it out and applied the space for hauling drinks, pens, notebooks, a tire fix kit and extra layers of clothing. All gave Arctic Cat high marks for providing such plenteous storage, utile on almost any ride, but the box could use galore refinement. The cool looks of the windshield and side mirrors were also betrayed by poor execution. The plastic windshield vibrated loose various times all around our test, while the mirrors likewise came loose and were in general hard to adjust into a utile position. Mostly, we looked at a vibrating reflectiveness of ourselves. Lastly, the Cruiser’s speedometer likewise indicated an EFI diagnostic issue, and the machine failed to start out briefly. It may be a one-time glitch, but it wasn’t received well by the peanut gallery. We’re still awaiting dealer word on what that was all about. One could always save some cash with the TRV 700 H1 that comes without the windshield, heated grips and trades the storage box for an optional plastic cargo bed, but the Cruiser would be better in cold weather riding Even with a few disconcerting bits like the EFI/speedo issue, the clunky cargo box and the removable, annoying windshield, the Arctic Cat TRV 700 H1 EFI Cruiser is a pleasant machine that’s comfortable for the driver and the passenger, has photogenic good looks and sufficient storage to in truth travel off the beaten path. 1st Place – Can-Am Outlander Max 800R EFI XT From the turn of the theft deterring key to the imagination digital gauges, the comfy seats to the superior handholds, the rumbling exhaust note to the intoxicating power that planted everyone back in their seats, the Can-Am Outlander Max 800R exudes quality and fun. It’s motivated by the most powerful engine in the test, and one of the firmest in the ATV marketplace, and all but one fellow member of our six-person test team voted the Can-Am the most likeable rig in the group – drivers and passengers. Features But we like the snazzy aluminum wheels and always want a winch on a machine that’s far too heavy for manhandling. Most of what’s good in regards to the Can-Am also makes it distinctive – a “surrounding spar” frame that helps the Outlander weigh a bit less than the others, a TTI rear suspension that reduces wheel scrub yet provides a sporty and soft ride, a no-brainer automatic locking front differential, a digital security scheme and that wild, explosive V-twin engine. The inboard hydraulic discs, while unique, are the machine’s greatest flaws with cheap sounding creaking when pulling hard on the brakes. Previous experience with Can-Am’s four-wheelers of similar design have shown these brakes to be highly susceptible to water – a questionable design call on an all-terrain vehicle, we’d say. The 2010 model with dual-mode power steering wasn’t available for our test, but would only sweeten the deal in our eyes, as low handlebars and high steering venture are slight Outlander demerits. From The Backseat A full foot of ground clearance on this machine proves you may have the best of both worlds: a chassis that wards off boulders plus sporty handling with minimal body roll. For one couple, at least, the Can-Am seemed to give hope or courage to the occasional power slide on wide-open, smooth trails. In the rougher, rockier sections, the Can-Am provided a smooth ride for both riders, if somewhat less forgiving than the Arctic Cat. “I could ride on this machine all day on smooth trails or the rough terrain,” said one happy camper. “As the passenger, I enjoyed this machine the most.” For The Driver If you’re looking to scare the bejesus out of a passenger, this machine has the speed to do it. It likewise has the poise and polish to fetch any passenger on a casual, pleasant ride, though the quick-hitting powerband does make the machine a bit jumpy. As we recognise a heap of 2-up owners only ride with a passenger a share of the time, we like that the Can-Am’s rear seat is removable, and may be substituted with a little storage box. Making the swap couldn’t be having little impact or faster, in contrast to the Cat’s fussy accessories. They both lock in with a assuring click, so you may be sure everything is decently secured. At the end of the day, all but one rated the Can-Am Outlander Max 800R as their favored ride. Looking at the facts it’s easy to see why: evident quality, a composed chassis, an overachieving engine, a comfortable seat, If you’re riding solo or with a co-pilot, the Can-Am over delivers on expectations, and looks outstanding while doing it. We suspect the addition of power steering and more or less toned down graphics will only improve the Max for 2010 – our new favorite, no-compromises 2-up ATV. |
Ferfect fit for my ATV!-
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