I would like to thank you all for your help in choosing my 2003Arctic Cat 500i Manual. especially guys like VOODOO and MUDBLASTER in helping my choose a AC500 manual.

I just got back from a 2 week hunting trip in the VERY remote area of Canada's Northwest Territories called the Canol Trail. We had 7 quads of all sorts there and everyone agreed the AC500 (with a little help from 26 inch mudlites) was hands down the best quad there when the going got rough. From hauling over 700 pds of gear up steep revines to pulling tub trailers through rough terrain and up hills no one else could, it out performed all. We had newer Sportsmans to Hondas to Bombariers. ALL of them paled in comparison in their ability to work. HOnestly, the think the manual was a big part of it as we also had a 03 400i auto there and it went great in the rough stuff but not as good when going through the rough stuff with a big load. Surprisingly, the other bike that really impressed me was a big bear 350. Again, it was a manual tranny bike. Nice work horse, but not up to the AC500 for keeping the power to the ground.

Here is a link to some pictures of the trip. Thanks again guys!!!

http://community.webshots.com/user/derekf_hunting

 

Funny you mention that - when I bought my 500i, I kept my old quad, wasn't worth all that much anyway. It's a 350 Big Bear. Just won't die. Ugly as Hillary, doesn't have the pulling power or payload of the Cat, but still runs good.

 

Hey NWT. Great pictures! You've got some real nice animals there. I've hunted the Tungsten area myself, on the Yukon side. Beautiful country. I've hunted the Canol also, but only the South Canol. I haven't made it up the North Canol yet. You mentioned the Canol Trail, is that an extension of the (old) North Canol road past Macmillan Pass, on the NWT side?
I was intersted to hear your evaluation of the Cat doing so well with the manual trans. I've been real intersted in the new 650 Cat, but if they don't offer a manual version, I might look at the 500i instead. I think you're right on about the manual being the best workhorse for this kind of country.
I didn't make it out hunting this year because of a back injury, so it was nice to see some familiar country in your pictures. Thanks for sharing them.

 

I was up in the same area (Canol Trail NWT and Yukon side) in August this year, saw some big moose at Caribou Pass... and later loaded a nice caribou on the back of my 400 man. way up a mountain (MacPass, Yukon side). Couple years ago I also hunted on the Cantung road and zig zaged around the NWT country in that area (again saw some nice moose there as well). I can only say good stuff about the AC other than the lousy reverse (on the 400). I was thinking about a 500 or the new 650... sometimes it's not so bad to have automatic, I thought, you won't be in a wrong gear going up a mountain or into the mud. On the other hand if you (and I) did not have any problems, why fix it?

 

Wow, Nice to hear from some northerners! It always surprises me to see how many people read this forum. YukonRon, I have hunted Tungsten area a number of times, some of those pictures are from Tungsten area. This was the first time I had gone to Canol. I found it quite tough hunting, the area looks like you "should" see every animal within 10 miles, but the willow height is very misleading. The area is very nice though. I saw a 70 inch moose the day I went to get my moose out.

As far as the Manual tranny Yukon, I's take the 500manual over the 650 auto anyday FOR HUNTING. For just playing the automatic rules. As an example, I also had my old Sportsman 500 there. THe thing pulls like a tractor once you get going, but in the heavy bush, where you are stopping and starting over and over again pulling a really heavy load, it sucked. The clutch got hot, the belt slipped. YOu could tell it was hard on the machine. Ditto with the 03 AC 400i auto we had. I would say that if a person had light to medium loads (say rider, and one quarter of moose) the auto would be just fine. As long as the belt stayed turning at medium RPMs, things seemed to be okay. But if you are loading a quarter on the quad, and pulling the other 3 with a tub trailer, up and around hills, slow going, really working the machine, the manual is the only choice. We had 7 different quads at camp. Everyone agreed with that analyses.

Having said that when we hit the trails, the big bear and me were always last! the autos rules the fun stuff!!!!

 

im glad your happy with your cat.
im glad to have bin some help.
im looking forword to going hunting myself but i dont have limited entry so hunting dont start till oct 20 to the 26th but i plan to be out there every day from dawn to dusk till i get somthing. deer season started sept 15th so i've bin out looking but not very hard.
and im glad to hear that the cat performed so well.
it's good to know that it will take all your stuff in and more comming out without any problems.
thats what makes it all worth while.

 

NWT - I know exactly what you mean about the belt stuff. My Polaris is great for running around, mud-bogging and even some pulling. But when you have to get a trailer full of moose meat moving every time you stop and go through the mud holes, the belt takes a beating. Plus my old Polaris is pre-engine braking, which gets real scary down the hills with a load. I'm ready to trade to a manual, even though the largest percentage of my riding doesn't need it.

Woodpecker - I see you live in Carcross, we're practically neighbours. I love riding in the dunes out there, hanging out on the beach, or exploring on Montana Mountain. Nice area.

 

NWT-
Those are great pictures! I especially like the las one of the Quad looking out over the mountains. That is what ATV's were made for! Personally i'd say that one is magazine contest worthy!

B

 

Hi NWT and YukonRon, this was just the kind of info I needed to decide on an AC 500 manual for the next bike (better get it soon before they change too many things for the worse on it). I know a bit about this hardcore riding and/or working conditions in the buckbrush mountains and swamps (never mind the creeks that turn to major boulder moving rivers overnight). So far I only used manuals and was just about always on my own way out there in the bush. Just on some fun rides I went with some friends and most of them use automatics and they worked fine there. I use ATV's every day for countless jobs including dog mushing. I can't afford to have them break down a lot... This Cat seems just as tough as my old Honda but whith a way better ride and more.
Nice to hear from some folks north of 60 and BC as well. Maybe we cross trails one day!
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Not a surprise to me NWHunting, the 500 Cat was my second choise when I got my new machine, the Outy I bought won't do that kind of serious work without damaging clutch or belt, but it's much faster & better on the play end. The only auto that would do that kind of work would be the 660 Griz, it has the hydrolic clutch to go with the belt drive & the power to crawl effortlessly!