I am looking to buy a new quad and am in the process of evaluating all makes and so far I haven't found anything wrong with the "cats". The only bad thing that I have heard is the lack of power in reverse and guys cracking the frame. I live in northern Manitoba, Canada, where there is lots of rock and swamps and bogs. A friend of mine has a 650 ('94...I think) with gators and he figures the frame was too light for the amount of torque the 650 puts out. Cat told him to cut the serial number out and send it to them and they would order him a new frame and change it over under warranty. He was told that that is the third one this year. I myself, am looking at a 500 and am just wondering if anyone has heard of this problem in the smaller cc's????

 

The cracked frames ('94 650 V2's only) are being replaced with the newer frame and the problem is gone. The 650 didn't exsist in '94, maybe 2004. The 500's don't crack frames, but when they upgraded the frames, they also upgraded the axles on the 400 and 500's to the 650 axles in 2005. They are really bullet proof.

 

Thanks Bear, screw up on the keyboard about the year. Good to hear about the frames. Heard bad things about the reverse though in the 400's. You have one is it true? If so is this the case with the 500's? I am thinking of going with gears

 

Most of my screw ups on the keyboard involve the fingers not doing as they are told.