Question:
I had 2 Outlanders and loved them, but the frame bent the 2 trailing arms on my first so the second one I welded angles on them both before I even rode the machine and it seem to work good.
I ride pretty hard sometimes and love the handling of the Outlander, but I know I need to put a good bit of work into it that, for the money, I shouldn’t need to do.
I took a short test ride on an 850 Sportsman and a Renegade but I’m not sure if either is for me. All I know is I got a 2009 brute force 750 and I wish I had my Outlander back.
Brad
Reply:
Thanks for your question and I hope I can shed some light on your dilemma. The Outlander 800 and the Renegade 800 are essentially the same ATV with different plastic and different parts bolted on here and there.
The chassis and suspension is basically the same so if you like one, its most likely your going to feel comfortable on the other. Though the Renegade does have a much stiffer ride. With that said, it has WAY higher quality and far more adjustable shocks so its likely you can get it to ride the way you like.
We’ve heard stories about Outlander frames cracking and failing at the front where the boxed frame bends down under the bike. They are prone to getting bashed in on rocks and getting weak, then cracking. I have never heard of anyone breaking their frame and suspension where you have. I would have to assume that if your riding your ATV hard enough to break or bend it the way you say you have your probably going to have a problem with any ATV.
The Sportsman 850 is definitely a sweet bike. It rides and handles amazingly and the 850 engine is impressive. We’ve put our Sportsmans through their paces in some seriously gnarly terrain and bashed them pretty hard without any serious issues. We haven’t broken or bent anything major and have been impressed with their durability this season. Though, its important to remember this is their first season so longer term durability is still not proven.
From my personal experiences the Sportsman Outlander have both held up equally as well during our testing. For me, the Sportsman is just a bit more comfortable, but I would pick the Outlander a very close second – especially now that it has power steering.
Sincerely,
Luke Lester
Dirt Trax Television
