We have a Ranch in East Texas and already have a 2006 500×2 and a 2010 500ho out there. That is basically the reason why I have taken my time, I did not have to have something "right now" so to speak. I had debated on whether to just buy a brand new 2014 850xp, but after having the 500×2 that has two seats I just knew I needed a touring. So I was poking around on Craigslist all around Texas and surrounding states, and found this listed as a "2013 Polaris 850xp", nothing more. When I clicked on the link up pops a 2013 850xp Touring LE priced at $7500… I called right away. This was on Wednesday, by yesterday (Saturday) I drove to Monroe Louisiana and picked it up, and I cannot say how pleased I am with it.
It is very, very clean with 95hr and just under 800 miles. Everything works and is tight, I don’t know what I am going to do with the snow plow though as we get just about zero snow in East Texas.
Coming from having ridden the 2006 500×2 for nine years now this thing is a revelation…. If you have ever ridden a 2006-2008 x2 you know how stiff the rear springs are, they tamed the spring rate down for 2009 and the earlier ones are STIFF. This 850 touring just floats over the fields. And the power difference between the 500 and the 850… :veryhappy: It just goes when you kick it. We have had nearly 12 inches of rain at our place in the last two weeks. On the 500 when you hit a muddy or wet patch in a field you nearly stop, even with full throttle it just slugs through it. Now it will get the job done, but just at a much reduced rate of speed. The 850 though, oh my. I hit the same wet patch and stand on it the thing nearly floats over/through it! I mean it hardly slows down, now I am not talking about a mud bogging hole or anything, but just a muddy, wet, sloppy field. It would just eat the 500×2 up.
But the most amazing thing is the power steering. WOW. I guess this is what is was like going from an early 60’s car without power steering to one that had it. Now you can live without the EPS, but you will not want to once you have tried it! We creep and crawl over 4-9" downed tree’s all of the time, drive through rough field, off camber fields, through creeks, over large roots, you name it. The land has been in our family over 100 years and I have access to several of our neighbors land, around 1200-1500 acres to play in. I put 50+ miles on it last night and this morning. The point however is that I have all sorts of terrain to go over, and the EPS is just astounding. No more kickback, effortless steering over obstacles, no more sore right arm while out hunting pigs with a spotlight in my left hand and driving with my right. I am 6’1", 230lbs and in pretty good shape, but a long day of riding would still leave me a bit beat up. Not now! My best friend owns the 2010 500ho and I have already told him that we are going to put the EZ-Steer kit on his. He rode mine and started looking for the kit online already. If I were looking for a brand new 2015 ATV and had around $8,500 to spend I would probably buy a 570 SP over a non-EPS 850…. It makes that kind of a difference in rough terrain.
So as you can tell I am very happy with the 850 Touring. After having ridden on the kind of hard and stiffly sprung rear end of the 500×2 for 9 years I am very sure that my wife will like it too! I am going to pick up a few things for it in the next few days. Number one are the Cecco front and rear braces. I plan on keeping it for a while and we do hit some pretty good dips and what not while chasing the pigs in our fields so I think they are well worth while. I am also going to put the Polaris front fender bags on it as to me that is the easiest way to securely carry a drink, phone, flashlight etc. I am also going to put a front bumper on it as we do bust through some brush while up in the woods, to that I will mount a LED light bar even though the lights are worlds better than the x2. I might as well throw some pictures up as well, as you will see it had a pretty thorough workout last night while we were hunting, but it is all nice and shiney now. I could not have the wife coming to the farm with me next weekend to see our new toy all muddy and dirty!
