Hi,i was wondering what you guys think of the 2009 550 hemi quad,i just bought one.

 

Well i guess i'm the only one with a 550 arctic cat on here.
Anyway i just bought this,it's a 2009 with the new 550 hemi engine,came,with an extra set of mags with big lug tires,and a backseat for a rider.It has 600 miles on it and looks brand new.Paid $4,650 for it.Do you guys think i did ok? When i found out this was the first year for the Arctic Cat built 550 hemi,it concerned me.
But so far i have read good things on the internet about it,never really liked buying the first year for anything,but i'll have to see how it works out.

 

I have a 2010 550 with the power steering. THey are the best ATV ever, and I am not even biased! Engine is solid, so no worries there.

 

Thank You very much for the reply,sounds great!

 

One thing you could make sure you do is change the front and rear differental fluid. I like the Amsoil synthetic stuff 80W-90 hypoid is what it takes.

 

From what I hear they are fine. I like my 700 Hemi though

 

i've never heard of any complaints on the 550, it is a good size atv if you don't need alot of power like the 700 or 1000 cc but with less power it should have less drivetrain problems. and catterman i really think you should have bought a 700 lol

 

We bought the '09 550 when it first came out for the wifey. To date and 600+ miles it's had ZERO issues.

You will note a few things when compared to other AC machines:

1. a very noisy howl when riding - '09 was the first yr AC changed the bevel gear to a straight cut gear vs. a beveled gear in previous yrs. (it's less prone to fail)

2. low end throttle lag when the throttle is jammed - this is an EFI/clutching "safey" feature to prevent newbs from flipping it over backwards - as the rev's climb everything "drops" into place and she'll take off......

3. '09 is the first yr for AC's "ride-in" suspention - thus the lower seat and handlebar set-up. Also they adjusted the front a-arm configuration for lighter steering effort.

As mentioned switch out the diff oil. I too recommend AMSOIL as I use it in all my AC quads.
0w30 for the engine
75w90 for the diff's - some use the MARINE ver. to combat water
K&N 621 performance oil filter

I'd also recommend a BATTERY MAINTAINER 24/7/365. A VERY common complaint/issue is the "VOLT" or "EFI" flashing on the gauge pod. If you happen to run the battery dead from letting it sit or lots of cranking the low voltage wil throw the EFI into a tizzy.
AC stock batteries are CRAP. Keeping fully charged when not riding it save you alot of headaches. If you DO get this warning - pull the battery cables off for about 1 min and pull the big 30amp green fuse at the same time. This will re-set the pod and you should be good to go.

Oh one other thing......I've found that when FIRST starting the 550 if it's been sitting for a bit.......CYCLE THE RUN/STOP switch slowly a few times. You'll hear the fuel pump spin up and build fuel pressure for the EFI. It makes for easier/faster starts IMHP.

There...that's pretty much all I've got. Congrats on your new ride........and hey.....let's see some pics!

 

Thanks for the information.Ya know i almost bought a 2007 Suzuki 700 king quad,but the guy was asking a little to much for it.So i happened to see this one on CL and when i went to look at it,i was sold.It's like brand new.

 

I know the manual calls for 5w-50 AC synthetic.I was wondering what you guys thought of 15w-50 mobil 1 synthetic,i use it in my H-D all the time