So, those of you with the sportsman 800... what kind of MPG do you get? I have heard that the 500s and 700s can get up to 30 MPG on open stretches. And I know 800's are a hog. Just curious as to what you have experienced number-wise.
Good question. I have never really paid attention, but I gotta imagine it's much less than 30. I do know on extended trail rides with a 500 Sportsman my 800 gets a full tank at fuel stops and the 500 still has quite a bit of gas left over.
In speaking with several owners of the 800's I'll say they range, with "average" trail riding, between 15-22 mpg. The higher end will be seen far less often than the lower end from my understanding. I have a EFI 700 and can tell you there is virtually no way they will get to 30MPG unless the trail is all downhill, lol. I ride pretty dang easy and the best I've done was about 24-25 and consistently get between 18-22. If we ride hard or more technical trails then it goes down fast. I've used a whole tank in less than 12 miles on several occasions, lol.
When deciding between the 800 and 500 remember this. The only thing the 800 can do that the 500 can't is go faster, period. But we, as men, use every reason possible to convince ourselves when buying that we need to absolute biggest available. Nothing wrong with that but it does sometimes cost us needlessly.
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Most of my life has been spent fishing.The rest of it I just wasted. If I'm not fishing, hunting, or ATVing, you can bet I'm wishing I was! Control your kids, not my guns!
Quote: When deciding between the 800 and 500 remember this. The only thing the 800 can do that the 500 can't is go faster, period. But we, as men, use every reason possible to convince ourselves when buying that we need to absolute biggest available. Nothing wrong with that but it does sometimes cost us needlessly.
Well, I bought the 800 because of the power. As I said in another post... it is not just for playing. not only do I need to plow a longer driveway, but I will be dragging a horse riding arena using a 75# drag (with spikes cutting into the ground about 5 inches each). So power is what I needed it for.
Yeap, the extra power is certainly nice. But as I mentioned the 500 would do the same job but likely at a little slower pace. It'd blow some peoples minds if they saw what some people did with their ATVs, lol. I recall a time dad unhooked his wood trailer, one of those old truck bed jobbers, from his 8N because it wouldn't pull it over the lumpy hills in the woods. He hooked it to his old 500 non HO and roared that trailer out in no time. After bending the hitch on the ATV back into a location near where it had been he figured he'd have it reinforced and use that quad instead of the tractor from then on. Low range and let it rip who knows how many times until the clutch came out of the cover. But that happened at over 6000 miles so not too bad.
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Most of my life has been spent fishing.The rest of it I just wasted. If I'm not fishing, hunting, or ATVing, you can bet I'm wishing I was! Control your kids, not my guns!
If the plan is to go over 50 miles, I always bring a 2 gallon can with. You just never know when there is going to be a place to fill up (for $5 a gallon), or when a couple big mud holes are going to show up and your priorities change
Unless your like Tuck, and sit on the side lines with his 800 tar baby
Quote: If the plan is to go over 50 miles, I always bring a 2 gallon can with. You just never know when there is going to be a place to fill up (for $5 a gallon), or when a couple big mud holes are going to show up and your priorities change
Unless your like Tuck, and sit on the side lines with his 800 tar baby
Jami
I think you should PRAY you never get stuck when wheeling with tuck! All this could come back to haunt you.
As you read more and more of these...you will notice how Ritter talks about always having to pull people out.... You gotta get into it to get out of it...
When you gonna take the training wheels off that Honda?
Yep, you'll never know what you can go through until you try the improbable! That's the fun of wheelin! It gets better when you make it but your "buddy" can't!
Quote: As you read more and more of these...you will notice how Ritter talks about always having to pull people out.... You gotta get into it to get out of it...
When you gonna take the training wheels off that Honda?
Um, I'm not the one sitting on the side line while the rest of us play in the mud.... Or go on date night instead of going to the mud run with the rest of us.
Now that you've thrown that out, the 800 better be in the middle of the mud hole on the next ride, and you should probably install bumpers.....
I can remember burning up 1/3 tank of gas a few times on a 450 getting out of nastyness in the middle of nowhere.
I have no idea of the fuel consumption of the big machines. All I can tell you is it doesnt make a difference what you ride, they will all suck down some gas when your playing in the mud. The best way to conserve fuel if you intend on testing the limits of your machine in terrain is to take extra measures to keep the most traction possible so your spending less time in each low traction situation. The less gas you burn per obstacle the farther you are going to travel.
800 Gas consumption?
and the 500 still has quite a bit of gas left over. 
You gotta get into it to get out of it...
