Well the wife and I just returned from Utah where we rode a bit in Moab and a lot on the Paiute Trail. We just have the one ATV so almost all of the riding was done double. That and loaded with a cooler of drinks, dry box, cargo box with emergency gear, MREs, and 2 or 3 gallons of spare fuel to go with the 6.5 in the tank. Can never have too much.

I must say I am very impressed. The Cat ran flawlessly, rode very smoothly, even over nasty rocky trails, and managed about 17mpg overall. Power was always there when needed, the ground clearance saved our butts many times, and handling in the tight and narrow trails through the trees surprised me with the agility of such a big machine. Many times my wife asked if I wanted her to get off so I could make it up/down a grade or over some obstacles. Didn't need to as the Cat handled it all fine with all aboard.

We rode between 45-68 miles each day. The last day of the trip, the wife told me to have at it alone. So I did-111 miles worth. This is where I really got to push it- not necessarily to the limits of the Cat but to the limits of my ability. I learned that the normally useless foot brake is actually useful for sliding in turns.

In playing with the shocks and tire pressure, I found a decent compromise between ride and handling. Even with the factory Goodyear Radials (which I have pretty much disliked so far), I was able to handle most everything with control. The exception was the deep dust places in the trail that were about like riding in sand. Lower psi would have been the way to go for these areas but there were not enough of them for me to worry about. I was running 9psi instead of the recommended 6.5 in the tires and found it to be better for most handling and trails. I had even tried as high as 11 and low as 5 but liked the way everything worked together at 9 psi. Shock settings were in the middle. Lower got a bit soft and stiffer made it rough riding on the rougher trails. Just my preference I guess for the conditions and load we were riding with.

I only used 4wd a couple of times and they were to crawl up over some bigger rocks with both of us on board. Everything else was easily handled in 2wd. I kept thinking about a recent ride on my friends SP500. I know it would have bottomed out on some of the trails we were on and 4wd would have been necessary a lot more often.

I guess if there was one thing I would change on it is a little softer seat. I realize we were on it quite a few miles but a bit more padding would be appreciated.

Had lots of other riders asking how I liked the Cat. They seemed impressed with the ground clearance, big fuel tank, IRS, and ability to haul gobs of gear. Oh, and the rear receiver hitch seemed to be a big thing.

So now I must take it back in for re-jetting back to Missouri elevations. But I'll be back! Gotta love Utah.

 

Sounds like fun! But, we want to see pictures! =)

 

I pick up the pictures tonight. I will try to get some loaded.

Craig