getting ready to get my first 4w .been looking around . got it down to honda 500 & 500arctic cat auto, could the 4w pros give me a little help? They both seen to be good 4w , but i would like to here from some people that are experinced 4w. thanks for any info, all will be welcomed

 

Both of those are good quads i got two of the 500 foremans they're great bikes. they ride smooth and get through a lot of mud....There are pros and cons to both of them the only thing i wish mine had was the independent suspension..the artic cat does have it i seen one the other day and i liked it but i didnt get to ride it so all i can tell you is that i really like the foremans

 

yes ,that is a big issue with me . Also the 3 yr warr. THat is what makes me lean toward the ac. What was the price of your honda if you dont mind me asking?

 

before some overly sensitive AC owner gets upset, I'll say now I like the cats - for some stuff

my experience has shown me the Honda is better built and require less maintenance. 3 year warranty is just a feel-good measure. I'd rather have no warranty because the machine is well built and well thought out BEFORE it was offered to the consumer. I don't need or want to have to bring a machine back to the dealer because I'm paying them to do their field trials (there's another ATVSnowmobile manufacturer that does this and gets away with it, consumers should be mad about it).

Cats are also too big and wide to be as good in the wooded trails, too heavy in some cases

Cat IRS feels tippy, well - is tippy in off cambers, even tightening up the shocks (nice feature that my Honda doesn't have) - that roll doesn't help on the trail either. IRS does help when GC is an asset and it rides pretty nice. My friend is a good rider and I've had to get off my quad and go back to help him muscle his machine over some obstacles that I just went over because his machine was about to roll.

The AC uses the Vinson engine, which is pretty peppy, but it is in a machine that is 100lbs+ heavier. My preference for the Cat 500 is the semi-auto.

The Honda has split braking, which is more desirable for most skilled riders. I've also had complete brake failure while riding my AC, and found that my friends 500i was about to suffer the same (I maintain his ride). Heard the 05 AC's rear foot brake is better, as it must be after the first few designs just don't work or work poorly.

For some reason, be it dumb luck or overly exposed CV boots, I have changed over a 1/2 dozen boots over the past 3 years on 2 Cats and zero on my Honda riding the same trails (when there are trails).

I don't know if the 05 is better, but the mud protection on the AC is non-existent. You might as well get off and roll in the mud.

Cat has a locker, which some swear by as an absolute necessity, but I have not seen make too much of a difference in where we go most of the time.

The Cat MRP system can't be beat for racks, and the receiver hitch is nice too.

All that being said, if ground clearance and a soft ride were a priority, and maintenance and shear size was not an issue, I might have bought the 05 500i myself - I looked seriously at them. Right now, I'm glad I didn't. On specs (besides weight and dimensions) Cat has the Honda beat. On paper.