I going to buy a 400i with the 5spd trans in a few weeks. I have read in alot of the tests on the arctic cats that have manuel trans. The test riders did not like the heel toe shifters or the one handle brake. To me both of them sound like they would make the bike better to ride.Maybe some of you guys with the 5spds can tell me how you like the two of thies features. Thanks!

 

When it comes down to stopping, I prefer the two brake levers vs the one only. I will say that the Cats one brake lever does do a good job in braking but nothing beats a 2-lever system.
The heel-toe-shifter just takes a little bit of using to get use to. I really like it on my 2 Cats I had before & all of the other atv'ers that rode with me & were on other makes, like the heel-toe shifter too. Some of them even made a heel/toe shifter for their 4wheelers.
Cat does offer the toe shifter as a option.

 

I like the single brake lever. With 2 discs up front and 1 on the rear you get a good differential braking effect with out having to play a dance on the levers. As to the shifter the only 2 things I don't like is, as an old crippled guy, I have a problem with getting the down shift easily, however that's my problem. I also don't like the cable on the shifter on my 2001 cat, am looking into upgrading to the linkage system. The cable froze up on me the winter.

 

i love the heel - toe shifter. It tool me a few miles riding to get use to, but now i feel akward riding something without one

 

It took me a little time to get use to the heel toe shifter. My problem was since I sit in the middle of the seat I had a hard time twisting my foot back to shift. I cut a piece of 1.5" square stock and bolted it to the heel of the shifter and now I would not go back to a toe shifter.

 

Like they said it takes a little to get used to but once you do you never want to go back to a toe shifter.As far as the brakes I think they work fine with the single brake lever.A lot of the time you don't even need them with the engine braking this machine has.

Vince

 

i cut my heal shifter off because i was always stepping on it and when you step on it it gos into nutral and the revs go to the moon.
now thats its off i raised the shifter up a notch or two and i can keep my feet in close to the engine and my toe under the shifter for faster shifts.
i road my cat for almost 700 miles befor i cut it off and i like it better this way.
after i cut it off a guy told me that he took his shifter off and bent the heal shifter in towords the motor and he gets the same afect and he can still shift with his heal and not step on it going up hills.
stepping on the shifter with my heal when you dont expect it was my biggest complant about the shifter but i think with it bent in a little i might be ok.
and if i ever deside to try it again i'll just weld it back on.

 

Shifter took some getting used to, but if you ride in heavy boots, you really grow to appreciate it. It's the same style of shifter that they put on a Harley, and you don't hear people complaining about that, do you?

Single brake lever works great for me. Performance types like separate front/rear, but I really prefer the single lever. Engine braking is so effective on the manual trans that, going downhill, you really don't need brakes.

 

I just bought a 500 4x4 and I love the heel toe shifter. it takes time to get use to. the brakes I like the one lever

 

I love the heel/toe shift. It's one of the reasons I wanted a Cat. On long rides, especially in Arkansas, the shifter on my old Bayou would eat up the top of my boots. No worries about that now. And as far as the brakes go, I would like to see a second lever and another disk on the left rear wheel. Maybe that would make the foot pedal work better. Let us know how you like your Cat.