Can am side by side

[Diggs59]

Yeah, this is getting ridiculous really....Why would someone not just buy a mini-rail or Jeep for the money?

I see a ton of people say things like this on other forums, and 99% of them change their mind after they spend some time in one.  I have seen a ton of guys over at pirate4x4 (big rock crawling forum) buy RZR's and other side x sides and say that they rarely spend any time in their jeep/rockcrawler anymore.  It is hard to explain to somebody who has never owned or driven one...but they are just fun. 

I can take my RZR, hit the trails, rock crawl, dune, mud, etc. and have no issues (and keep up with damn near anything).  You can build a jeep to handle any one of these situations just as well or better than my RZR can, but you can't handle all of them as well....and if you can, you are going to spend a WHOLE LOT MORE....purchase/build price, and repair prices.  If I break an axle, no big deal...I can buy the strongest one on the market for a couple hundred bucks and change it in 20 minutes.  Break an axle on a built jeep...big $$$.  Plus you can go through many places that a mini-rail or a jeep can't because of the size...


And when it comes to motor swaps etc...yes they are expensive, but they aren't needed.  For duners, maybe a few more HP would be nice...but its just for fun.  On the trails, it is easy enough to kill yourself with a stock motor.  But just like these Raptors we all buy and mod, they are plenty fast stock and have enough power to go damn near anywhere...but for some reason we all dump a ton of money to make them faster.  My current rzr is stock, but once it is paid off...I will be sporting either MC-X turbo kit or do the Weber motor swap...not because I need it, just because I want it.

  The MC-X is a bolt-on turbo kit, which takes a stock RZR-S from around 55hp (crank HP), to around 100rwhp for around $4,000.  The Weber is a 750cc parallel twin snowmobile/PWC motor that comes in multiple forms...stock, non turbo is 100hp at the crank, stock turbo motor is 130hp, upgraded ECU with more boost and race gas is 170hp.  And there are big bore and stroker kits available for the Weber...the 850 big bore puts down around 250hp to the wheels, and the big bore stroker is around 350...which is absolutely insane for a small twin cylinder 4 stroke.  The basic 130hp turbo motor runs $10,000 for the engine, ecu, clutch kit, mounts and everything you need to drop it in a RZR (and you keep your 4wd, and all factory controls), and then you can sell your stock running gear for 3-4k, depending on hours/miles.  It is expensive, but it is a MUCH stronger and more reliable motor than the factory Polaris 800 twin.  Absolutely overkill, but they are extremely fast and fun.  Just the standard turbo weber will outrun a 3 mod raptor with ease, and I have seen an upgraded ecu (170hp weber) RZR run a 4.6 in the 300' drags with big traction issues. 

The $17,000 apex motor swap that somebody mentioned is ridiculously expensive, but it is a complete package.  You send them your RZR, they buy a Yamaha Apex motor (basically a R1 motor built for a snowmobile), add the apex MC-X turbo kit, boost it to 300hp (500+ hp on race fuel, highest I have seen was 700ish HP), stretch the frame, change the suspension, and do everything needed to make it reliable and drivable in a RZR.  There is only one of these complete that I know of, and 2 or 3 more in the works.  Trey at MC-X is the only person doing this conversion right now, so it is expensive and takes a while. 

There have been a few people who have done bike motor swaps, but they are all 1-off and you lose the 4x4, need to change the CVT to a chain driven gear box off of the bike, you need to fab up a clutch and shifter, and fab a new rear section of the frame to hold everything.  You can save a lot of money by going this route, but you need to be a damn good fabricator. 

And for the question of why spend so much on a sxs when you can buy something else...why not?  For the guys who have built them and spent so much, obviously they could have bought/built anything they wanted.  For some reason, there are a ton of guys building these.  There is just something about them that is so much fun, and until you experience it for yourself...you won't understand. 

I've had a fair amount of experience with them....Just don't see the "fun factor" equaling out to the money spent. Different Strokes for different folks though.

[Diggs59]

To me something like this would be a better bang for the buck....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkl5mkZbNgA&NR=1

[Langford]

You are right, different strokes for different folks.  I don't get how people justify spending money on certain things (cigarette, alcohol, etc.), but whatever makes you happy I guess.  

To me something like this would be a better bang for the buck....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkl5mkZbNgA&NR=1

That is cool, but kind of a specialty vehicle like I said.  It may climb a hill better, but what about taking it though the whoops?  How about hitting a mud hole, rock crawling, MX track?  And I can't imagine something that being very cheap either.  The black RZR in the video I posted flew up Sand Mountain like it was nothing, it would probably hold its own with that Jeep.  But the owner had it out at Moab at the UTV rally recently and crawled around the entire park right along side all of the hardcore rock crawlers....they aren't limited to one terrain like most specialty built vehicles are.  

Don't take this as me saying I'm right and you are wrong, this is just my opinion.  I doubt either of us are going to convince each other of anything different than what we already think/believe...I'm just expressing my thoughts on the subject.  



Here is a great example of the multi-use of a UTV....a built RZR which is used as a trail machine, dune runner, and just competed in the Pikes Peak race in CO:

http://www.silverlakeforum.com/other-pictures-videos/first-utv-to-race-up-pikes-peak/

[Diggs59]

You are right, different strokes for different folks.  I don't get how people justify spending money on certain things (cigarette, alcohol, etc.), but whatever makes you happy I guess.  

To me something like this would be a better bang for the buck....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkl5mkZbNgA&NR=1

That is cool, but kind of a specialty vehicle like I said.  It may climb a hill better, but what about taking it though the whoops?  How about hitting a mud hole, rock crawling, MX track?  

For whoops, a rail or sport quad, for mud holes, a 4x4 Utility quad, rock crawling I'd rather use a Jeep, MX track, that's what sport quads and bikes are for.


For all of 'em I just think a mini-rail would be more practical for these applications...I mean once you start out at over 14,000 before you take the Can AM  off the lot you then have to start modding and we all know how quick that starts to add up:lol: You can get a pro to build you a mini rail ready to rock for 25,000 and if you would decide to do it "yourself" you could have half OR less of that 25,000 into it.

[Troy31]

Here is a great example of the multi-use of a UTV....a built RZR which is used as a trail machine, dune runner, and just competed in the Pikes Peak race in CO:

http://www.silverlakeforum.com/other-pictures-videos/first-utv-to-race-up-pikes-peak/

That is a bad ass RRZ, saw it at pikes peak. I'd have to say Doug probably has 30 grand in it though

[Langford]

Here is a great example of the multi-use of a UTV....a built RZR which is used as a trail machine, dune runner, and just competed in the Pikes Peak race in CO:

http://www.silverlakeforum.com/other-pictures-videos/first-utv-to-race-up-pikes-peak/

That is a bad ass RRZ, saw it at pikes peak. I'd have to say Doug probably has 30 grand in it though

Definitely, that wasn't a cheap build (even with his sponsors).  But it is a badass setup...throw on some paddles, adjust the shocks and you can go and bomb the dunes just as well as anything.  Throw some knobbies on there, and you could hang with anything on the trail.  Swap out for some street tires, adjust the suspension down and you can compete in the worlds biggest hill climb event.   

[disco]

This has to be the most civil exchange ever.