My son has a 800 with a turbo still got a 900 if that helps...Good Luck

 

Yea, come on guys I want to know to.
Do I spend the money to upgrade my shocks (I am one of the few that got the cheap shocks on my rzr s le) and then get motor mod.s or just buy a new 900xp????
You won't be bad mouthing the rzr-s just give us some guidance on our next purchase and hopfully save us some hard earned money.
Is the 900xp worth the extra Money, Yes or no!!!

 

I'm not being a smart azz, but you need to go loook at the 2 machines side by side on a dealers floor. The S is far superior on rough rocky trails, and the 900 XP shines in the wide open areas. The XP is better suited for jumping and flat out running.
Where we ride 90% of the time, there isnt an XP out there that can keep up with my Std '09 RZR with power steering. They are halfway up the trail, and I am sitting at the top waiting for them! You can't utilize all of that HP in the XP on tight winding trails.
I also upgraded to Afco shocks with King PR springs!

 

I agree with this. I have ridden with XPs and on twisty trails they dont go any better than an 800. Now in mud and wide open areas of course they do better. I would say is worth it to you to have the extra HP? Thats the question. Now suspension wise unless you are comparing the LE S (fox shocks) versus the XP, any other model wont compare in ground clearance or ride quality.

 

Thanks Steve,
Thats what I was talking about. I ride mostly at Little Sahara State Park in Oklahoma, but a month or two each year I will take my RZR-S to Colorado.
I agree so far I have had no problems running the rocks in Colorado with my S or playing in the sand at Little Sahara.
Thanks, Max :ride:

 

I’m with these guys... the XP is better for more wide open usage. Since you live in SC (I’m in NC) you’ll do probably the same basic riding I do... 99.9% woods and trails.

The XP is too wide for the trails around these parts. It’s not that it won't work, it’s just conducive to what it was made for. The XP is a beast with HP and nice suspension.

You can take a rzr (standard or S), install aftermarket suspension and/or shocks and have a blast in the woods.

All this coming from someone that started off with a Commander, dropped down to a standard rzr and then modified the crap out of it and is now running a 57” width. (which IMO, is PERFECT... some of the trails we ride through, even the S’s clip trees)


I’ve looked at buying an XP and installing the narrower suspension but my rzr works too well for my style riding.


Mark

 

I would get the 900, I have been able to go anywhere the 800 will thus far.

 

I agree. My nieghbor has the RZR and I can go 99% of the places he goes. Except when he decided to cut though the woods between trees with no trail. I made it but it was a little tight for mine. I just had to do a little more manuvering than he did but still made it though. He at the time was trying to prove something but I still like mine better. The ride, Ground clearence, and power. Now the RZRs would probably be the best of both worlds but I got a good deal on mine and don't regret it at all.

 

Xp is the king of the hill!

 

I live, and ride in Colorado, and owned the RZR-S for 2 years, and thought it was the best. Now I have the RZR-XP, the XP is hands down the better all around machine. I ride alot of 4x4, and fire roads, and have only come across a few areas that the S would have been better, one was between two trees. as far a handling the XP shines over the S in the twisty winding trails, The xtra power is a no brainer, in the higher elevations as the S just don't have it. On the higher climbs, the S was in low range, and with the XP, I'm tearing it up in high range. It's a blast over the S. No looking back, I would take the XP over the S in a minute for all my trail riding in Colorado. Yes, I can't ride ATV trails, but who cares, 99% of my riding when I have a ATV is on 4x4 trails, and fire roads. So the width is not a problem either.

 

Adding to my previous post:
I've had some more riding experience with the XP. I've now found that the XP does not do so well over downed trees, logs above 14 + inches high. I have had two bad experiences of getting hung up on the downed trees that have fallen across the trails. The front is no problem, but when the rear Trailing-arm comes in contact with the tree, or log it raises the rear wheel off the ground, and I get high centered. With a little work I got off of one, but the other instance I had to winch myself off. The RZR-S never had this issue. I guess you have to have some trade offs. A little speed over the downed trees-logs may be the answer, I know you can't just crawl over them as I did with the S...:sad:

 

You CANNOT compare how a 900 cannot keep up with an 800 unless you drive both yourself. I have owned a standard 800, made it an "S", and now own a 900, so I know what each will do. The XP is hands down the best overall machine, I've ridden in some sand, a little mud, tight ATV trails, and in the mountains out East and I'll take my XP any day. If an XP can't keep up with an "S" it is all driver, not machine. If it loses ground in one spot, it more than makes it up in others. I haven't had that problem, I don't know who you all are riding with;-)

 

When we go riding in TN, there are a lot of trails that even the S’s got wedged in between trees.

Like I said, it’s dependent on where you ride. I assure you even if the XP were to get down a trail where it was simply too wide, then there would be a way around it.

I ran my Commander on a lot of the trails here locally and had to carry a chainsaw just so I could get out. It was ridiculous. (of course, I also had 3-4” of spacers too)

The best of both worlds would be the XP engine in a modified suspension rzr.


Hmmmmmm....


Mark

 

I live in Southern Idaho and we have it all. Deserts, dunes, mountains, sage brush and pine trees. Before my 900 I had an 800s and loved it. The minute I got behind the wheel of a 900 it was all over. Power, clearance, working suspension everything. I ride so many different type of trails its crazy and the 800s does not come close to the 900. so IMHO I would say a 900. Your best bet go ask your local dealer to let you test one, forget looking at them side by side go drive the sucker

 

Maybe Just Maybe, someone at the Taylor Park Ride could give a short (SAFE) ride in a 900XP?????
Before I bought my RZR-S a salesman took my wife and I on a demo. ride in a Ranger XP, that crazy sucker about wrecked us twice in the parking lot and my wife got down in the floor board. The bad thing about it was he went to service and took a customers Ranger that was in for service. It goes with out saying I did not buy a Ranger from him. But, after a week or two I had time to think about the ride I decided that if a Ranger ran that good and could jump the cement logs in the parking lot without turning us over a RZR-S would even be better. And now I'm thinking a 900 XP would even be more fun.

 

I never did understand why a salesman would drive on a test drive. (especially a customer's vehicle... nevermind in a reckless manner)

My dealer gave me a brand new Commander to go play with and a rzr 4. I guess they figure if I wreck it, I bought it...lol.

Mark

 

I believe it all comes down to where you ride.

In Utah and Colorado, there are more places where the Forest Service has put in posts at the trail head that are 50" apart...that's it.

Many of the trails in the Taylor Park and Bonanza OHV Tour areas are getting narrower. Trails like Tomichi and Hancock passes, 30 years ago I did in a Chevy K10 with 36x12 tires. Today, I'd have one whole side hanging in mid-air. No one maintains the trails, the uphill side is slumping with time and the trails get narrower. I expect this will continue to occur with time.

Up in Taylor Park the PiePlant loop is so tight between the trees I was rubbing my Pro-Armor doors about every 25 feet!!!

So, if mountain trails are your thing...a 900 XP's width may become a problem.

If wide open country and dunes are your thing...go for the XP!

JMO

Pirate

 

As, I said before, I ride a lot of mountain trails in Colorado, and for the most part never have many issues with width, as Colorado is Loaded with 4X4 trails, and fire roads. I'm not saying that there are no ATV/ motorcycle, or motorcycle/horse only trails, but there are so many of the 4X4 trails that one can ride the S,or XP on, that the ATV/motorcycle only, or motorcycle/horse only trails are just not that big of a deal. Last year at the 2nd annual RZR Forum Ride there were a lot of S's, and some XP's. I was one that had a S there, I came early, and stayed for two weeks, rode almost a total of 600 miles, rode the majority of the trails, and don't remember once having any issues with width. With all the ADVANTAGES of the XP, I would not want to go back to the S, and for sure not the 50. I bought my 2012 XP just a little over 3 months ago, and now have over 1600 miles on it. And as much as I liked my S,(which at the time, thought it to be the greatest). I'm not regretting the trade up to the XP. It's just a hoot to ride, especially on all the twisty, turny mountain trails. See ya at Taylor...

 

Hi, Mark
I refused to drive the customers Ranger, but he kept pushing to at least ride in it. The Salesman is no longer working at this location. The Owner decided he was a to big of a Liability to keep around. And I agreed !!!!!!!
Max,

 

I live in NC and I con go anywhere I want and anybody tells you the XP is not as good on tight trails does not know how to drive the only 800 that has kept up with me had a supercharger on it tim taylor rules more power is the way to go

 

There is no comparison between the two... Your comparing Apples and Oranges...

If you don't have a width restriction then the XP is the ride to buy...

 

fact is....the xp will not go places a 800 will go
fast and open = XP
slow and tight = 800

 

Agree 100%. It's simple. The XP needs wide trails or wide open spaces and the 800 is slightly slower but will fit on tighter trails.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

Is the 900 really that much better ? With such little difference is the 900 that much better, faster and handle better ? Anyone who has hands on experience please chime in . Thanks !

There is no comparison between the two... Your comparing Apples and Oranges...

If you don't have a width restriction then the XP is the ride to buy...

+1

when i lived in SWPA the trails are a bit narrow and some places has a width restriction so i bought and S.

my best bud up in PA has an XP and on the trails that we both know pretty well i can keep up until we hit the wide open spots where the HP becomes a factor. then when we hit the woods i can reel him back in.

this was my first side by side and all in all i'm happy that i got an S. i know at least three people that bought an XP as their first side by side and IMHO it is too much machine for their skill level and they are just too dangerous to ride with.

now i live in TN and my skills are much better i will be looking to step into an XP as soon as i can afford it. for now i am thankful that i own one.

sorry for the long post, these rum and cokes are tasty! int: guinesses are yummy too!

 

I've owned all three also.the only place my rzr-s was better was rubicon .other wise rhe xp is in another class.

 

xp


Matt

 

I defiantly like the XP over the S even in the woods, with the extra power one can usually slide the tighter turns. But the hanging up on the downed trees with the trailing-arms is kind of a bummer, that's all I'm saying. I certainly would not go back to a S, not for my kind of riding.