I have read about Arctic Cats being a nice bike, but i just wanted some input from independant sources as to how they like their 400 or 500 machines. Do you tend to encounter a lot of mechanical problems and is it too slow/heavy? If possible, does anyone have specific top speeds from their 500? thanx a lot.

 

I just bought my AC 400 4X4. So I don't have any experience with anything going wrong. I don't plan on having any either.
I love my machine it is great. Climbs like a mountain goat, purrs along the trail like a kitty, and rides like a cadilac. Its not a speed demon but this is a utility machine not a sport bike. I mean my dad might beat me back to camp with is Polaris Sportsmans but that will only happen once we hit a dirt road. Anywhere else I am going to keep up just fine.
If general riding is what you want then the AC will fit the bill just great. If screaming down a dirt road at 60+mph is what you want then AC is not for you. The AC tops out at about 40mph - 45mph.
For weaknesses my only complaint is the non adjustable stock shocks. The other brands atleast give you some preload adjustments.

 

Newf:
Ttaylor pretty much summed it all up for you. I haven't GPS's my top speed on my 500 Auto 'Cat yet, but the speedo reads anywhere between 50-55 pretty easily. On a downhill, I've had it close to pegged at 60, but again, until I actually take a GPS reading, I won't trust that too much-speedometers on atv's are not known for extreme accuracy, especially with 27" Bi/Tri Claw Magnums! Heh heh heh.

As far as performance goes, I love my 500 Auto-both of them! I've had them at just a hair over a year now, with no problems what so ever. My Dad rolled his several times down a very steep hillside, had to be winched back to the top over trees, other large rocks and such. Only thing that broke was the speedo cover, everything else is fine, and it's ran great since then-that was at around 30 miles or so on the machine, over 900 now.

Like Taylor said, they are utility machines, not sport quads. If speed is your thing, look to an SPHO, or even a Grizz. However, for pure work, and real technical type riding, you can't go wrong with the 'Cat. It's a very tough, very sure-footed machine, take you anywhere you have the guts to go. Yes, it is a climber, and if you can hang on, it will climb it. I run a lot of deer and elk trails with my 'Cats, as you may well know, those aren't the easiest things to find at times, let alone follow! The 'Cat takes on this task with ease, and begs for more.

I do a lot of work with towing logs, other farming type stuff up at the ranch. Consequently, the 'Cat gets a lot of hard work in four wheel low range, and yes, the winch gets used regularly! Not for freeing myself, but for doing other odd jobs, chores, etc., and also freeing full sized rigs. To date, I've winched out a Toyota lifted with 33" tires, and a chevy 350 engine in it, a minivan, our suburban with trailer attached numerous times, and even the almight Willyz Jeep!

As for weakness's, again, I have to agree with Taylor. I carry a lot of weight up front at all times (in excess of 100 lbs.), and at least an equal amount, most of the time even more on the rear rack. The stock spring/shock assembly is rated for 300 lbs. for the front and back combined on the racks, but it will squat a little. Handles the weight just fine, but I like the added ground clearance. As a result, I've installed spring spacers to help stiffen the assembly, give it better handling characteristics under heavy loads.

Some say the plastic vibrates or rattles to beat hell. Honestly I don't think this is true with all the 'Cats, both of ours don't make a sound other than just purring happily along down the trails. AC does use plastic rivets to hold the fenders together, which were designed for the single purpose in mind of saving the fenders in an accident. Say you hit a tree, or roll the machine, the rivets will break loose first, saving you the cost of a new fender. A couple dollars for new rivets sure as hell beats a bunch of large bills for a new fender!

Others may say the steering is heavy. I think the Kodiak has about the lightest steering of any quad on the market, so if you're comparing to it, yes it would be heavy. An excellent way to not only compensate for that, but turn the already awesome machine into an even better beast, would be to install some larger, more aggressive tires. I can't believe how much easier my 'Cat steers with 27x9.75x12 Bi Claws up front, compared to my Dads stock 'Cat on the stock titan 489's, in a 25x10x12 size. It's incredible in fact. With a heavier lugged tire in a more aggressive tread, there is less rubber on the ground at a given point, and consequently less friction. The result is far easier steering.

All in all if you're looking for one hell of a tough machine to do both work and awesome trail rides to the middle of nowhere and back, I'd highly recommend looking into the 'Cat lineup. However, if speed is more your style, I'd probably shy away from them a bit. The SP and Grizz are definately faster.

Oh, if you're interested, I have some pictures at the link below under varying conditions ranging from mud to deep snow. Aside from the NGKcr8E plug, I have NO performance mods on my machine. And yes, it pulls those huge 27" Claws very nicely, even when towing logs, suburbans, you know, work stuff. Time to end my long winded sermon! Heh heh heh

Best of luck in the decision, happy trails,

Mike

 

Those guys said it all pretty well. I'll just add a few things since I have a 400 and a 500. Both will top out around 50-55 in the speedo on level ground. The 500 just gets there faster and pulls stronger. The 400 is by no means a dog. It is just down about 120 cc on the 500 cat. I have to agree that adjustable shocks would be nice. The steering on the 400 is lighter than the 500 due to its narrow, 8", front tires. Keep in mind that is with its full time all wheel drive feature. I have no plastic rattles on my cats but some guys say they do. They are great machines for almost everything but land speed records. 50 mph is plenty fast for me. Good luck with whatever you get. You can see some pictures and videos below if you are interested.

Dakota R/T
http://lonestar.texas.net/~eeyore/atvhomepage.html

 

Thanks a lot everyone for your input it was very helpful. I visited the sites that some of you recommended and the pics and movies are great! Thanx!