Side By Sides, UTV's, Whatever They Are Called

[LocuMob]

I live in a town of about 1500, and have been here for four years. The amount of Side by Sides has almost quadrupled in that time. I'm not complaining, I love anything that runs on petroleum, just noticing how many people are buying these, especially at the current pricing.

My coworker bought a Can Am a couple of years ago, right when they jacked the prices $10k overnight, for the exact same model as the day (year) before. The neighbor across the street just bought a Polaris XP for almost as much ($48.5k!) as I paid for my Scat Pack Widebody ($50k), both stupid prices.

My neighbor is semi retired and they use theirs like it's nobody's business, and they love it. Made me feel better about buying an overpriced car that doesn't get used enough.

I'd love one for the convenience, it makes sense, but I think I'll buy a Honda Grom before if entertain the idea of a side by side. I could get more than 8k miles out of the Grom, unlike most side by sides that need a rebuild or new engine by that time. That's what owners have told me, so that may be incorrect.

But it's cool to see them buzzing around town, and the four wheelers, and golf carts. I love living in a small town.

Who else lives in the country and experiences this new phenomenon?

 

[missing linc]

I've been delivering them by the dozens for the last few months, but where I live they are likely sold to farmers and some weekend warriors, not allowed on the roads here in the city.

 

[sireland67]

They are road legal here, they have to have insurance, turn-signals, a windshield and brake lights.
The state issues motorcycle tags. You can run them on any road but the interstates.

 

[ProjectBazza]

Our development near Zimmerman encircles a slough/swamp/pond (depending on recent rain amounts), and I would say about 1/3 of the people here have one of these (2 of which are electric). Every night 2 or 3 of them can be seen running around The Loop, as my wife and I refer to it, but I doubt any of them ever take them outside of The Loop, as I'm pretty sure there's alcohol involved.

And the Federales are kinda funny about that...

But recall that this is the same neighborhood where the kids have free reign of The Loop to use for their minibikes and go-carts, as traffic is all but non-existent 99.9% of the time, so as long as the neighbors keep it down, and are sensible about the alcohol (designated drivers?), I'm ok with it.

 

[LocuMob]

I've been delivering them by the dozens for the last few months, but where I live they are likely sold to farmers and some weekend warriors, not allowed on the roads here in the city.

They are allowed with a permit from the city.

 

[LocuMob]

You can run them on any road but the interstates.

The coworker drives his to the plant, but isn't supposed to ride it on the state highway we are located on. But he knows the cops, and they don't care. Every other road is kosher.

 

[LocuMob]

Our development near Zimmerman encircles a slough/swamp/pond (depending on recent rain amounts), and I would say about 1/3 of the people here have one of these (2 of which are electric). Every night 2 or 3 of them can be seen running around The Loop, as my wife and I refer to it, but I doubt any of them ever take them outside of The Loop, as I'm pretty sure there's alcohol involved.

And the Federales are kinda funny about that...

But recall that this is the same neighborhood where the kids have free reign of The Loop to use for their minibikes and go-carts, as traffic is all but non-existent 99.9% of the time, so as long as the neighbors keep it down, and are sensible about the alcohol (designated drivers?), I'm ok with it.

I'm sure a few (or a lot) of them have cold ones handy or nearby. They are all well behaved. We have the full spectrum, from plain old no frills, to the ones that seem ready to enter a race. No go karts that I've seen, but that would be cool. We have a great area we could set up cones and block off streets and have a hell of a go kart track.

 

[ProjectBazza]

I'm sure a few (or a lot) of them have cold ones handy or nearby. They are all well behaved. We have the full spectrum, from plain old no frills, to the ones that seem ready to enter a race. No go karts that I've seen, but that would be cool. We have a great areas we could set up comes and block off streets and have a hell of a go kart track.

When we were in Maple Grove my wife and I helped-out on the National Night Out thing, and one thing we did was block-off the cul-de-sac for a big ol' neighborhood party. I'd kinda like to do that at our new place as well, but we've only been here 2 years, and we're still just getting to know people. Don't wanna be "those people" who move-in and want to change everything....

But it would be fun to close-off the entire Loop and hold go-cart (and side by side?) races that night!

 

[Dan the man]

Here where I live they are everywhere. They can be driven on the streets but they have to be insured and have the safety triangle ️ on the back. The driver has to be licensed to drive no permits. There's a club here that has like 75-100 members, they haven't been out much this summer because we had a lot of rain from April into the beginning of June then it got really hot.

 

[DeltaV]

Golf carts (gas & electric), UTV's, ATV's, & etc. are big business in eastern Georgia and eastern South Carolina.

Suburban neighborhood streets are crawling with golf carts; and often driven by young children.

People in rural areas areas have really nice side-by-side UTV's, 2 seaters and 4 seaters. They are legally permitted on streets/roads.

I went a different route, but stay on my heavily wooded property. Four wheelers like mine are not legally permitted to be on county roads, but Deputies would most likely leave me alone.

 

[Dan the man]

Golf carts (gas & electric), UTV's, ATV's, & etc. are big business in eastern Georgia and eastern South Carolina.

Suburban neighborhood streets are crawling with golf carts; and often driven by young children.

People in rural areas areas have really nice side-by-side UTV's, 2 seaters and 4 seaters. They are legally permitted on streets/roads.

I went a different route, but stay on my heavily wooded property. Four wheelers like mine are not legally permitted to be on county roads, but Deputies would most likely leave me alone.

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I have a can am 450.

 

[sireland67]

Golf carts (gas & electric), UTV's, ATV's, & etc. are big business in eastern Georgia and eastern South Carolina.

Suburban neighborhood streets are crawling with golf carts; and often driven by young children.

People in rural areas areas have really nice side-by-side UTV's, 2 seaters and 4 seaters. They are legally permitted on streets/roads.

I went a different route, but stay on my heavily wooded property. Four wheelers like mine are not legally permitted to be on county roads, but Deputies would most likely leave me alone.

View attachment 1716277853View attachment 1716277854View attachment 1716277855View attachment 1716277856View attachment 1716277857View attachment 1716277860

4 wheelers can be licenced for road use also in WV. They come with titles like cars.

 

[Dan the man]

4 wheelers can be licenced for road use also in WV. They come with titles like cars.

Both of the 4 wheelers I've had ( ATV'S). Came with a title but no horn, turn signals, mirrors, that makes them not stress legal in Missouri. Same thing with the side by sides

 

[sireland67]

Both of the 4 wheelers I've had ( ATV'S). Came with a title but no horn, turn signals, mirrors, that makes them not stress legal in Missouri. Same thing with the side by sides

You have to add that stuff to get the tag.

 

[FISHYPETE]

Lots of side by side traffic in my rural/ farm area. We have a 2018 Polaris XP 900. It’s very handy around the yard and property. Don’t take it on the pavement much as we don’t have street tires on it

 

[famous bob]

I live in a town of about 1500, and have been here for four years. The amount of Side by Sides has almost quadrupled in that time. I'm not complaining, I love anything that runs on petroleum, just noticing how many people are buying these, especially at the current pricing.

My coworker bought a Can Am a couple of years ago, right when they jacked the prices $10k overnight, for the exact same model as the day (year) before. The neighbor across the street just bought a Polaris XP for almost as much ($48.5k!) as I paid for my Scat Pack Widebody ($50k), both stupid prices.

My neighbor is semi retired and they use theirs like it's nobody's business, and they love it. Made me feel better about buying an overpriced car that doesn't get used enough.

I'd love one for the convenience, it makes sense, but I think I'll buy a Honda Grom before if entertain the idea of a side by side. I could get more than 8k miles out of the Grom, unlike most side by sides that need a rebuild or new engine by that time. That's what owners have told me, so that may be incorrect.

But it's cool to see them buzzing around town, and the four wheelers, and golf carts. I love living in a small town.

Who else lives in the country and experiences this new phenomenon?

a lot of sxs utv`s go way further than 8000 miles ............
I have a Polaris rs1 , single seater that's pretty fast /fuel inj. only , no turbo or anything , fast enough for this old man , had it a little over 80 on the hiway.
I made it street ,legal with scrounged up parts , only about $65 in the parts , tagged in okla....

 

[Righty Tighty]

They're very popular just about everywhere, it seems, but they are also dangerous as hell and don't protect people from being stupid. We've had several fatalities just this year.

 

[Demonracer]

They are not supposed to be on the streets here unless licensed, but doesn't stop all of the a-hole here from terrorizing the streets until the wee hours of the morning. Since there are only 3 ways to get into our subdivision, they have look outs posted and when the cops come in they disappear into the woods and hide out.. When the cops leave, they come back out and start again. A couple of them got accidental flat tires when I put nails in a 2x4, painted it a grayish color to match the street. I put it in front of a vacant lot down the street and they ran over it. LMAO

 

[4spdragtop]

The Polaris slingshot are pretty cool, but they are approx $50K up here.

 

[DumpsterFire]

What I don't understand is so many people just use them as cars here. I rather just have a real car. They seem expensive for what they are if that's what you're using it for.

 

[Righty Tighty]

What I don't understand is so many people just use them as cars here. I rather just have a real car. They seem expensive for what they are if that's what you're using it for.

Exactly.

But how are you gonna look cool for all your neighbors to see? That’s just the latest version of “keeping up with the Joneses.” Billy two houses down has a cool toy, so I need one, too. Next thing you know, you have a boat, RV, side by side, and $100k in debt.

Plus most of those tires are way too soft for asphalt. Every time you take it on the road, you shorten the lifespan by a lot.

 

[ProjectBazza]

But how are you gonna look cool for all your neighbors to see? That’s just the latest version of “keeping up with the Joneses.” Billy two houses down has a cool toy, so I need one, too. Next thing you know, you have a boat, RV, side by side, and $100k in debt

Bingo! Describes the younger folks in our development to a "T".

The rest of us just want some peace and quiet.

Well, along with: "Get the hell off my lawn!"

 

[Dfr360cuda]

I don’t have one, I don’t know the rules in PA. The thing that bugs me about them is that I don’t have one. They scream along our streets and the train tracks at the end of our street. I saw this guy early one Saturday morn with a case of Bud Light and stereo blasting.

 

[sireland67]

I don’t have one, I don’t know the rules in PA. The thing that bugs me about them is that I don’t have one. They scream along our streets and the train tracks at the end of our street. I saw this guy early one Saturday morn with a case of Bud Light and stereo blasting.

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They are fun, I have a couple, but do not ride them on the street.
Its hard enough to dodge cars on street bikes, let alone on a slow turning ATV.

 

[go-fish]

Oklahoma loves them. People like to wear out those transmissions trying to drive on a 55 mph road all the time though. I forget which type of trans and what brands but some do not like sustained high speeds so choose wisely.

There is a mud park around here and a family got into an upside down situation in a water hole. They bailed out and left the baby in the car seat. Be smart out there.