MudHatter, good afternoon! Right about now the glorious gasps and deep sighs are ramping up at the very thought of myself even saying anything, LMAO I'm the long winded :devil . This is once again one of the profound Opinionated questions of all time.
XTP vs XMR shouldn't be the question in my opinion, the actual question is why should anyone spend more money on the 2017 XTP/MAX XTP vs the 2017 XMR. Sure the XTP comes in 1-up, 2-up and the XMR 1000R only 2-up without the seat. So lets list two of the extras the XMR gives you at a lower price and detail their importance.
Radiator Relocate.
2" extra Ground Clearance.
If I hear another soul say anything about heat and in the same sentence claiming the XTP is better than the XMR.....well :th_smiliefrustrated . The very fact that the lean settings are turning up the heat in an already cramped machine forces the notion that the Radiator should be moved to create more space, better radiator cross air and the ability to move more air in and around the engine compartment. Hands down the XMR Wins but it still needs a hole cut through the hood. However based on my opinion you've at least won at this point, in that you paid less and have better cooling to a degree. XMR for the win!
Ground Clearance, this category should be highlighted and in bold. Not only does the XMR have better clearance at 2" it also changes the footprint by 4" in width. That's two inches overall in each direction for stability whether you're running smaller and or less aggressive tires. This number is in the set-up not the Silverbacks. So you're getting a better set-up again for less money. You're going to get through holes and over obstacles better, period. Hell, how many folks come on here and ask what's the better option to get 2" of lift or what tires will give me just enough more clearance.........I can't even count the time this happens yearly. XMR for the win!
Look I can go on for days as to why the XTP shouldn't exist at it's current price point but it truly boils down to this. These quads are not so different in 2017. Sure you get a two-up seat with the MAX but that seat is on CL and Ebay daily at good prices and the Dealer lets them go between $450-500. Say you live in Michigan, California and a few of these places where it's prominently sand ridding, then sure the Silverbacks are going to dig you into a hole but lets face it, the tires are going to have to be replaced anyway so why not factor another set into your already expensive ATV Loan and have two sets for multiple different styles of riding just to be safe. We are killing it on our Silverbacks, trail riding, rock crawling, hill climbing, and so forth, all while two-up everywhere. Are they the best at everything, of course not, but I assure you of this, they have gotten us everywhere the rest of the crowd is headed/going. Hell, we just road Rock House with them last month, TO EASY! Do they walk at high speeds YES...but if you're aware of that going in you're ahead of the curve and should be prepared for what ever condition comes up and still have the ability to control the situation based off of being pro-active and less re-active to this challenge.
Bottom line in purchasing anything is to get everything you can get for the money you're spending. Most....a large majority of folks are not going to leave their quad stock. The most common changes are Tires, Suspension, Cooling and Tune (exhaust and extras), with the XMR you get two big modifications out of the way and once again the tires only last so long. I say buy what you want but remember this down the road when and if you pay more for something and get less, only to then turn around and buy those things later not to mention the components it takes to achieve installing those better options afterwards. The XMR's extras are not just as simple as what you see to get them to fit, there are countless differences in parts between the two set-ups. In the end everything can be changed, but having fun while being safe is the most important, SALUTE!