If you are a big honda fan than why did you buy a ac I am not disaponted with my ac 300 2/4 a honda 300 in caparson only good thing is the motor tires suck suspension sucks no ground clearince it is small and it has week plastick

 

My Arctic Cat has been very reliable, the only failures (That i didnt cause) :
CV boot
water pump seal

Ok..now for the $$$ i had to spend due to my riding habits...which just goes to prove how tough my AC is.
4 rollovers total
1st rollover: replaced handel bars, needed to replace my speedo but didnt, new front shock(hyperextended from the impact), new brake lever.
2nd rollover: (due to me not changing my brake pads and the brake fluid all leaking out, leaving me with no brakes on a huge hill). More new handle bars, glad i didnt replace the speedo from the first time. new brake pads.
3rd rollover. just pulled the handle bars back upright.
4th rollover. "" "" ""
lets see..hit a barn: pushed front bumper braces back into front shocks..2 new front shocks.
ummm...new what cha call it hood/cap thing that covers radiator, from a jump that landed so hard it popped it off and i couldnt find it.
no telling how much $$$ for oil changes after fully submerging in creeks/rivers ect ect.
new rear mud flaps from popping wheelies.
It still runs as good as the day i bought it...just minus a speedo and plus a few dings/dents/punctures.

 

Never said I was a Honda fan I'm not a honda fan. If you read it again the honda comment was in regards towards the newer Harley Davidson meaning the abuse the bike took over a fifteen year period with the worst possible stuff thrown at it impresses me compared to my new harly that gets the crap babied out of it only sees asphalt and still breaks down regularly.I agree the Ac has better features then most of the available ATVS out there and as for ride the hang with the best of them.However the reliabilty of my quad and several others here in the forum isnt worth the nice ride! I'll take reliability over comfort anyday,and why did I buy my AC and not a Honda to begin with?Well several people know me from here back when I used to log on to ATV connection every night and back then there either was no one with AC problems or they were merely not exposing the problems with there quads kida like what takes place in the Polaris forums so I heard and felt AC was a quality reliable product however now I know other wise and I wish I'd had stuck with Japenese.Dont take offense if you dont agree go on with your life I dont agree with a lot said in these forums but people are entitled to there "opinions"so I respect it and go on,Anyway later all! Hey wheres BigBadCat andy?

 

Well after reading all these bad luck stories I feel blessed. I have a 1998 500 Cat and to this day have not had a problem. I also have two buddies that have the same machines and their machines have been excellent too. Maybe 1998 was the year to buy the 500. Anyway we are well satisfied with our machines. I think it depends a lot on the abuse some people put on their machines, coupled with good care. I find that works very well in the long run, especially for the pocket book. I believe that Arctic-Cat or all the other manufacturers could make the best machines in the world and somebody out there could break it. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying everybody that had a machine break on them has been abusing them. Well I think you get the picture. I'm just looking at three 1998 Arctic-cat 500's thats been excellent machines in my neck of the woods.

 

my 300 has ben ragged I have drounded it out 9 timet yes 9 times only got watter in my oil 4 tines fliped 3 times one time I got stuck going across a sand hill and it rolled bent my handlebars and cracked my back feder 2 time I slung it around in the dark and tore out foreward and if you read dirt wheels in april 2000 how that man flipped that grizzley I looked the same bent my handle bars and my back racks 3 time I was in deep watter and I had my friend on the back and I was catwalking it and one tire hit a log and it flipped over they will float upsidedown hey exploer I did not mean to make eany one mad all atv's are good I think it is the rider most of the time or that is how it is with me and if you have a turndown on your muffler dont stand it up on th highway it will grind it shut and bend the muffler up I know

 

Hey Dusty its all cool I didnt take anything wrong everyones got there opinion,I just wasnt sure if I was misleading in my first post so I wanted to clear it up so all understands,and yeah mine does have the curved muffler tip and yes I did bend all to hell already from towing it upright oh well live and learn ....later on!

 

Well, one thing I have relalized with ATV owner, no one wants to admit they made a bad purchase. I thoroughly researched different brands and decided on the AC. Now, I am regreting it. It's a live and learn thing. During the 8 months since I've purchased the bike, I've averaged 20% driving and 80% taking it in for repairs.

I don't care how great other people's AC has treated them, no one could honestly argue with me when I say that I will never purchase another one. I own a Honda car and have had no troubles. I should have relied on that experience. But, like anything else, hindsight is 20/20.

 

Well maybe 98 was the best year for Arctic Cat. My 300 4x4 has just over 2,000 miles on it. I haven't done anything but change oil and clean the air filter. My cousin also has a 98 300 with 3,800 miles. He has had the same good luck as me.

 

I owned a 98 400 AC 4X2 . Since taking it home new I had problems.
1.VERY hard to start.the dealer worked on it 3 times . new plug,carb adjustment, and still not quite right.
2.Front wheels rubbed tie rod ends at full look.
Dealer adjusted, did not help, AC recomended putting on AC 500 wheels. on more rubbing. took 3 times to get this right also.
3.right rear shock came apart. new shock fixed it.
all of these were fixed under warrenty
4. cooling fan quit. new one $117.00 from AC, I had it rebuilt for $25.00.
I was not hard on the bike but it did get used.
I to did my homework but I was not happy with AC's quality controll, or thier dealers.
I see alot of AC dealer that are also car dealers,
heavy equipment dealers or what ever. I have since replaced the kitten with a Y2K Kodiak 4x4.

Y2K Kodiak 4X4 2000lb Warn, Koplin Gun Boot & Pack Racks 25" Kenda Claws and a 50mm ammo can full of accessories.

 

If I could replace mine, I would, but I financed the purchase of my AC and will loose a considerable amount of money if I were to sell or trade in my AC for a "Real" ATV. So, for the next year or so, I am left with a year 2000 AC which may or may not start and backfires constantly. When you buy your first ATV, it should be a great funfilled experience, mine has been a nightmare. The behavior of both my dealer and my ATV are at the root of my nightmare. Anyway, enjoy your Kodiak! I guess I'll live vicariously through you.