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64" or 72", does size matter in width?

29K views 31 replies 21 participants last post by  Apex1 
#1 ·
I am looking at the Rzr Turbo in either the 72" or 64" width, and the question comes down to width. I will be doing a lot of trail riding here in the Sierra Nevada area and some desert/dune riding as well. What are some pros and cons with going with the wider unit? I should also mention we plan on taking the unit to other states as we travel and ride there as well. Any input, comments or suggestions would be great. Thank you.
 
#2 ·
Well, it depends on where you want to go. There are a few “slot canyons” here in AZ where the 64” will just barely squeak through. 72” would be no go. And I have found a couple that I really had to work to get my 64” through.

And of course, if one goes to places/trails with the 50” restriction, it is a no go for either
 
#3 ·
You are going to get a lot of opinions on this. As others have said it depends where you go and what you want to ride. If you ride roads 72 inch. If you ride anything resembling a trail 64 of less. If you really want to trail ride and explore go 50 inch. If you have a 72 inch machine and the guy coming at you has a 72 inch machine you need 12 feet of width to pass. That is a lot of room and is no longer a trail.
 
#10 ·
Only you know what trails you are going to ride and what future upgrades you might want to do.
I hear guys say all the time they can take their 72 in machine down any trail their buddy’s can. They might be able to, but is it enjoyable squeezing thru trees all day ? When I drive around my property I take my 900S. It’s much more enjoyable than my portaled RS1 or my Portaled XP4.
It’s easier to make your machine a little wider than it is to make it narrower.
I’m looking to buy a Pro XP. We do a lot of ledges, rock crawling, and hill climbing. I’ll put portals on it and be about 72 inches.
 
#11 ·
I recently bought a velocity. I’ve went everywhere my buddies have so far. I’ve also done a few things that they had problems with and the added width made it easier for me. I’ve also had to slow down more to squeeze through. And one time had a tire fall in a hole that I had no choice to do where as the other guys squeezed by. Even owning the 72” and using it I’m still not sure i made the right or wrong choice. Lol


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#16 ·
As others have said, it depends where you are going to ride. I ride Northeast trails. The only width restrictions up here worth mentioning are 65” in NH and 60” in Maine. I’ve not yet ridden NH, but I believe this is a matter of enforcement not actually fitting. In Maine, I’ve ridden a good amount and have encountered some very tight bridges and gates, but so far I’ve been able to fit everywhere. A 72” machine would have trouble. Most of the trails would not be a problem, but when you get to a bridge that crosses a major river or gully, you would be forced to find an alternate route if there is one or turn around. One gate that led to the Canadian border I was able to squeeze through just touching both sides. Another XP1K had to turn around due to his aftermarket wheels.

I prefer my machine to be as narrow as possible without sacrificing performance. I feel the 64” platform is plenty good for east coast trail riding. Open desert is another story. Honestly, some of the restricted trails are never going to be opened up to 72” because that will allow Jeeps to fit. If they could get XP suspension performance in a 60” package I’d be all over it.
 
#19 ·
Then there's always the question of "Will it fit on the trailer or will I have to buy a new trailer?
 
#20 ·
Yup, that's the bigger question for me. I already know the answer is NO. Sure, I could probably jack it up and ratchet strap it so the suspension wouldn't sag, but if I ever went bigger tires, then that's likely not gonna work with my 6' wide trailer. I'm not ready to invest in a new machine and a new trailer.
 
#21 ·
The bigger the machine (both wheelbase and track), the higher the performance potential. Wider and longer allows you to go faster over larger obstacles with ease. The faster you go the bigger machine you want. The track width is a critical component to opening up greater suspension travel. A 64” that uses wider wheels to make 72” will not be at the same performance level of a true 72”.

That being said performance, speed and comfort is all relative. A 72” wide vehicle can be a liability in some places. On tight east coast trails my concern with a 72” would be the ability to not hit an oncoming kid on a dirt bike or quad. My thoughts...

60” is the minimum for a performance based utv. 12” of travel is minimum.

64” is ideal for east coast trails optimizing travel without using every inch of the trail.

72” is ideal for east coast riders that want max performance period. Open desert or large west coast trail networks, I would consider 72” as my 1st choice.
 
#23 ·
I would also strongly recommend actually measuring the machines you are intending to buy. I bought my 2019 XP4 High lifter that was advertised as 64" wide and never laid a tape measure on it to see how wide it really was. I then purchased a toy hauler that had an inside clearance of a little more than 70 inches between the wall and the slide where the front wheels have to sit. When I got the toy hauler home I had an OH @#!% moment when I opened the back door of the hauler with the RZR sitting behind it. When I put the tape across the front end of my stock brand new machine it measure 67" wide. LUCKILY it still fit and my wife didn't have to go to jail for murder, but I only have 3" of wiggle room in the hauler VS 6".
 
#24 ·
I bought the Turbo S Velocity, 72", in the Northeast (eastern PA). No regrets so far, but it's still early. Also, mine does measure a true 72" - others have reported 75"??

I ride with 50" 4wheelers (mostly lead by my father-in-law). He too loved all that the Velocity had to offer, but was very concerned about the width. 2 weekends ago he took us down the tightest trails he could find, in an attempt to see if we will have issues later on. Only 3 times did we not fit - 2 of which were a matter of staying to one side rather than the other, so no inconvenience at all, the other was a tight fit mid-turn that was not possible like that, so I had to turn around off to the side and come at it straight on, we fit, but slowed them down just a bit.

We're going out again this weekend for more fun and tight trail testing. I have contacted all of the parks we plan to ride (AOAA, Famous Reading, Lost Trails, HMT, Burning Rock, and several more) as well as reading first hand experience from others with 72" machines. All parks said we will fit everywhere, but may come across an occasional tight squeeze. Those with 72" machines seemed to say the same thing.

Nowhere we ride had gates limiting width, and I have no plan on riding state lands, so I do not think we will have any issues.

And just take everyone's recommendations, including my own, with a grain of salt. I did a lot of research before buying 72", and it seems like everyone narrower than 72" says "no way, hell no, won't fit" (or some variation) and everyone with them says "All clear, all good, send it."

Riding with 50" machines, I think I should find out real quick who is most accurate. 30miles in, no real issues yet. I can report back after I rack up more miles and my father-in-law tries to force us down more tight trails.
 
#27 ·
You sir, are correct. However, there are always places a 72” machine will not fit.
But, with that being said, I can also find places a 64” machine will not fit! Then we can go down from there and find places a 60” machine will not fit!! LOL
For me, I actually like the size of the 60” S models, but I like the ride of the 64” XP models more!!! I am sure the 72” models would be even better, but for the type of riding I do, I don’t want the turbo’ed machine......fewer potential problems.
 
#25 ·
You won’t have issues in PA cause everything is private parks, although I did have a couple VERY tight squeezes with my XP at Lost Trails. That place sucks anyway though. You’re pretty much a no-go in Maine due to narrow bridges more than anything else. You can ride, just not very far. Also NH is out. The lower half of the state is restricted to 50” and the upper half restricted to 65”. HMT could handle a 4-door Jeep on most trails I’ve been on.
 
#28 · (Edited)
I mean, there are some state lands open to anything under like 58" I think, but I never had plans to ride those anyway. The group we ride with does not go up to Main or NH, so that shouldn't be a problem either. They do occasionally go into upstate NY, which I have been told can get tight, but the group also brings a few spare 4wheelers, so maybe we just ride one of those on the tighter trails.

Yeahhhh, my Jeep is 74" wide, my RZR is 72"..... BUT, the Jeep is like the 4wheeler of the ATVs, (with the exception of older vehicles like the Tracker) it the narrowest of them all, and it can make it difficult on trails where trucks or other heavily modified vehicles have widened out the tracks. I realize this is what SideXSides are doing to 4hweelers, so I guess I'm now part of the problem.

You sir, are correct. However, there are always places a 72” machine will not fit.
But, with that being said, I can also find places a 64” machine will not fit! Then we can go down from there and find places a 60” machine will not fit!! LOL
For me, I actually like the size of the 60” S models, but I like the ride of the 64” XP models more!!! I am sure the 72” models would be even better, but for the type of riding I do, I don’t want the turbo’ed machine......fewer potential problems.
Agreed! And I am determined to find those spots early on so I can avoid them down the r̶o̶a̶d̶ trail. I also have a hatchet if push comes to chop!

And I did want a narrower RZR. I even searched for ways to make the Turbo S 64". But it's just not possible, and I have accepted that. To me, it was worth it for all of the strengthened/improved parts that came with it, but to others, that might not be the case.
 
#26 ·
I noticed last time i went to windrock that there are now two popular trails near the parking lot with width restrictions. Here's something else to think about. One of the trails has a new 65" restriction with 4" pipe set in concrete as the gates. My 900s with beadlocks that puts it at 64" passed through barely. My buddy's turbo couldn't make it because of the extended fender flares that he put on it. Anybody that rides the area knows that most people end up putting some sort of extended fender flares on them. Just something to keep in mind.
 
#32 ·
It is interesting how few people are willing to admit they went too big.

I have driven utvs from 6” of travel to 24” of travel and there is something to be said about dimishing returns on adding more travel. Overall the 64” class of utvs offer 14-20” of travel. For a do it all performance machine this is probably the sweet spot.

64” unlocks the ideal travel without going ultra wide. Again if ultra high speed is your thing, 72”. If you just want a great, fast, overall performer... 64” will more than do the job.
 
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