Newbie to WVSXSRIDERS and new to SXS

I am from Crab Orchard, WV. I am new to this site and actually will be new to a SXS in a few days. I grew up in the mountains in my Jeep CJ's. That was before the days of ATV's. I bought a three-wheeler when they first came out and bout killed myself on it a few times so I bought a fourwheeler when they came out and still own one. I have decided to get a side-by-side for my retirement gift to myself and start riding the trails...if my aching back will let me. So here is a question for the experienced riders of this site. Which SXS rides the best and would be recommended for an old guy like me with a bad back? I know there will be a few different opinions on this but these things cost so much that I sure don't want to buy one that I can't ride. Any advice is certainly welcome. I've been watching some WVSXSRIDERS videos and hope to join you guys on some rides.

To the Forum, enjoy the information and fellowship...MD

Welcome to the site! My dad is from Daniels. 
I would suggest the Polaris Rzr S model, the Arctic Cat wildcat, Can am commander to start. There are others that members may suggest.

welcome to the sight ,wildcat 1 lives in the same area as u do he has a wildcat that u could check out the wildcat does ride pretty good and it does not beat u up as bad but there r a bunch of great sxs out there it all depends what kind of riding u r into

I have a bad back as well. I had mine operated on several years ago and it still acts up from time to time. Because of this, I went with the Wildcat.

RZR 1000 and maverick has the best ride out there. I would suggest going to look at them all and make a decision on what you like. Good luck and hope to see u on the trail

I will go with 'best' as being very subjective to the guy writing the check. I can say I cracked a lower vertebrae (motocross) many years ago and can only stand in the same place about 5 min before I start shifting my weight around and all kinds of stuff, so no stranger to back oddities. I own a Maverick and have been pleased, but took several for a spin. The RZR seat just didn't fit me. I highly recommend taking any you are seriously considering for a short ride.

Welcome to the site. I would look hard at the RZR 900 S Polaris just came out with.The Maverick & Wildcat ride really good.I owned a Wildcat 1000 and put about 1500 miles on it before the motor had a problem and once it was fixed I sold it so I know they ride great.I have also driven the Maverick & Commander and the Maverick rides much better in my opinion.I also owned a 800 RZR S and put close to 4500 miles on it and it rode good.I now have a Wildcat Trail 700 and I'm amazed how good it rides for what it cost.It all depends on how much money you want to spend.The RZR XP 1000 ride awesome too.I would try to drive all of the ones you are interested in before you spend your money and be disappointed .

Get one you feel comfortable setting in. That is real important with a bad back. Unfortunately, I know. Any of these machines can be made to ride like a Caddy with a high dollar set of shocks, but if you are going to just buy something new and not spend tons of cash on shocks, go with something known to ride smooth. How many miles you are planning to ride also matters when it comes to reliability of the machine. The longer machines tend to ride a good bit smoother than the shorter ones. Every one of these can ride very smooth if you slow way down for the rough stuff. No matter what one you pick, you are gonna be blown away by how much smoother it rides than a quad. I've heard from several people that the mavericks ride very smooth and can be had for a decent deal if you shop around. Both Wildcat and Wildcat trail should do you good also when it comes to ride smoothness. That may be the top three in smoothness from what I've been told. Any sxs will ride way way smoother than any Jeep or quad.

I think you will like the SxS.  I have a significant pelvic injury that irritates my SI and manifests as lower back pain.  A day on my wheeler will irritate it, a day in my SxS won't.  That said, there are a lot of good SxS options... but it's like a pair of boots.  Try as many of them out as you can & buy the one that fits and feels the best to you.  I have a Rzr 800 S [recently replaced by the impressive 900 S] that has upgraded PRP seats & am really enjoying it.

Another great option is the RZR 800 XC which has the upgraded shocks and the upgraded PRP seats that kmccauley mentioned.  You may be able to find a good deal on one that is left over.  They ride very nice and those seats don't even compare to a standard rzr seat.  Very nice on the back.  If you wanted to go the RZR S route, you could always upgrade the seats if you weren't happy with them.  Personally I think my teryx seats are very comfortable and the ride isn't bad for what it is.  If you are looking to just ride and not work the machine, then there are plenty of options out there.

Thanks for the replies. Lots of good advice here. I have looked at most of the ones mentioned and had narrowed it down to the RZR, Wildcat Trail, Commander XT, and a Polaris Ranger EPS. Nobody mentioned the Ranger though. The main reason I was considering it was that I could take the grandkids riding from time to time in it with the bench seat. The dump bed would be usefull at times too. I didn't know the RZR models rode that much different either until you guys mentioned the S model. Looks like it has more suspention travel than some of the other model RZR's. That is good to know. I may have to look a little harder at the Wildcat Trail since it was mentioned several times and I found that it cost less. I was offered a decent deal on a Wildcat and a leftover Ranger EPS but I want to buy something that I can ride with the least amount of pain regarless of price. The Commander seats sure sit good but they are pricey and a little harder to get in and out of but I haven't ruled them out. Anyway, thanks for the help. Always good to get advice from someone with experience with them. These things are not cheap and I want something to ride, not just an expensive yard ornament. I plan to buy something within the next month so I am still looking at my options and will listen to any advice. Thanks

If you are considering a Ranger then you may want to consider the Yamaha Viking also. It should prove to be more dependable than the Ranger in the long run. Just my opinion.

If you want seating for three, hands down the viking is the winner. It should ride pretty good being the wheelbase is longer than the rhino. Maintenance will be very minimal compared to most everything else. And, if for some reason it doesn't have enough beans for you, JBS has some performance mods for it that will get you rolling faster. They are just a little wide, but so is the ranger with a much higher seat height. Viking wins over Ranger, that's a no brainer, even if it costs you a little more.

I agree about the Yamaha reputation for reliability but I would still choose the Ranger for myself. Viking is longer and wider, no adjustable seat, no glass window option, no power steering option, no rim/tire option, 20 hp less. The Viking needs more options to be competitive.

I'd put a middle seat in that 900 S for the kids and love it.

kmccauley wrote:

I'd put a middle seat in that 900 S for the kids and love it.

my friend wants to do that. how does it fasten? do you have any photos of it?

Timmi wrote:

kmccauley wrote:

I'd put a middle seat in that 900 S for the kids and love it.

my friend wants to do that. how does it fasten? do you have any photos of it?

I'd have one for my 800 S Timmi if I wouldn't have to give up my PRP seats.  Our kids would love it.  Those standard seats in the new 900 S are more comfortable than the old standards in the 800 S IMO... which would allow a comfy seat plus the middle seat.

This is the one I would get though for the 1K or the new S.  Looks like it has its own mounting system and harness.

http://www.utvgiant.com/rzrxpcesewh.html

Poor kid would have to be tiny to ride on that.  And wore out by the end of the day.  I was looking at getting a 570 a few years ago and doing this for our daughter.  So glad I went with the 4 seat Teryx instead!  She would have outgrown it in a year or less.  Drive em all and buy what suits your needs!  That's the beauty of having a fairly diverse market!  There is something out there that will suit your needs without sinking a ton of money into it.  But then, that's half the fun....making it your own.

I ran across a real deal on a leftover 2013 Teryx 750 SE yesterday. Any thoughts on them..ride, quality, etc?

fish4bass101 wrote:

I ran across a real deal on a leftover 2013 Teryx 750 SE yesterday. Any thoughts on them..ride, quality, etc?

they are reliable, ride is fair, about like a Rhino. I don't know about a third seat option. not knowing the price, I am thinking for very little more money you could buy the Teryx 800 2 seat which has much better features.

fish4bass101 wrote:

I ran across a real deal on a leftover 2013 Teryx 750 SE yesterday. Any thoughts on them..ride, quality, etc?

Did they let you take it or one similar to it for a spin to see how it felt to you?

 and the information your getting is true. Need to try as many as you can out 1st. I have had several machines through the years & understand one thing, get what makes you feel comfortable. I recommend a machine with gas shocks and plenty of wheel travel.

  Good luck with your decision.