Well its been about 2 months since Bass Pro in Oklahoma City has been selling Arctic Cats, and still no one there knows anything about them. I have been cheaking in on them from time to time as they are on my way home from work. Even though I didnt need one, I asked them for a oil filter for my 2001 AC and they acted offended that I would ask them such a thing like that. They did say that there was a guy in the back somewhere that might be able to order one for me if I really thought I needed one. Boy if I wanted parts availability like that I would buy another one of those damm over rated BMW motorclycles!!! Dont even what to get started on that horror story. My point is I think Arctic Cat has really screwed the pooch one this one. They have put themselves in the same category as the Chinese ATVs and we all need to e-mail them to let them know!! SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL DEALER !!!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

 

I agree!

 

my local dealer is in thief river falls minnesota where they make arctic cat atv's and snowmobiles and well around here i have had no problems they will go out of the way to make sure i am happy and will give me discounts because well i think alot of it has to do with me living a few miles from the polaris factory but still it all depends on the dealer not necessarily the manufacturer cause i noticed that alot of dealerships treat ppl like they don't know anything and treat them like lil nothings cause me and my buddy were in roseau the big polaris dealership i was wearing my arctic cat jacket and he was gonna order his winch for his polaris atv and ppl that came in after us got served before us cause i was wearing an arctic cat jacket i believe so i have made it my personal quest to find the dealership that treats me with respect and i did do that but to bad the owner made so much money now the dealership is closing down but don't be discouraged cause if i don't need warranty work done i will order parts off the net from now on cause i can fix my atv myself just to let you know to SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL DEALER good luck man and there are alot of good local dealers that will work with you on what you need

 

My Arctic Cat dealer is a dumb f#$k,[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img],I decided to do the work myself,that way I know its getting done,and done right![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

 

We had a damn good mechanic at our AC dealer up until last year. Then they hired some jackass into the sales dept over that area and he started jacking up the labor and screwing with the system and the mechanic finally quit. Used to, you could take a quad in there that was just acting up or something, and it could be something as simple as the air screw on the carb and he would walk out with a screwdriver, adjust it real quick, and send you home. After the new guy showed up, you would have to go inside the office first and fill out some service request, then schedule it to come in, and then you would get about a half hour labor charge for the same thing.

Other dealers around here are the same way though. When I got my Grizz, it was leaking oil. I took it to the local dealer (bought mine 250 miles away cause it was $600 cheaper), and the service manager said they were filled up and couldn't take it for over a week or so. This was after he asked if I had bought the quad from them. A mechanic came around right after that and said to just bring it around back. I did and he pulled off the pull start cover and it was just the plastic cap you take off to line up the rotor for a valve adjustment. That cap was loose and thats where the oil was coming from. I probably could have figured that out for myself eventually, but imagine waiting a couple weeks to take a quad in for something like that?

 

This is a little off topic, but at around the 300 mile mark, my wife and I were going to take our Cats to the local (Reno) dealer and have the oil changed and whatever they 'claim' to do in the initial first-time tune-up/oil change thingie. The quote was $139 each. Whew! But of course it's an involved check-up because they check "a whole bunch of things". Right. So I go to a local Hot Rod kind of shop where they specialize in building hopped up Go-Karts and ATVs. I really like these kids, and their quote was 'only' about $100.

I just took my Ford Powerstroke in for an oil change and it was 'only' $70, and that's for about 16 quarts of oil and a filter. So what's wrong with THIS picture?

So instead, I bought two oil filters, and since the Cat dealer didn't have any Arctic Cat oil change kits in stock (the ones with the synthetic oil), went on down the street to the local Honda shop and bought the oil there. Total outlay? About $80 including the filters, and I'm changing the oil myself (and cleaning the air filter too, of course).

I understand these places have to make a profit, and pay for their overhead, but c'mon...

 

Apparently there are some bad AC dealers out there too, my point is that Bass Pro is making no effort at all to try to offer parts or service. They clearly have the resources to. I am sooooo lucky to have a good dealer in MPC of Ada Oklahoma. By all means boycott any dealer that is not treating you right and let AC know. Its good that some of you are doing your own work. This will get you familiar with your machine and help you a lot if you have trouble on the trail.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Yeah, I wonder about these 'dealers' who sell lawn mowers, bass boats, storm doors, Craftsman tools, and oh yes, just took on a line of ATV's. I just don't think the 'one size fits all' mindset works when it comes to selling multi-product stuff.

 

Our local hardware store is now an Arctic Cat dealer.

I believe Arctic Cat sells the least number of ATVs of all ATV manufacturers. If you wonder why, ask yourself if you have ever seen an Ad for Arctic Cat on the Internet? Cat makes a good product but I believe the way they market it leaves a lot to be desired. Sticking machines into locations that don't offer parts or service cheapens the brand in my opinion. I think they would do much better if they started aggressively marketing their ATVs and stayed with selling them only through typical full service dealerships.

 

I've seen Polaris do the same thing though. See them at Tractor shops, Boat shops, etc. Arctic Cat is coming along. They have the full lineup now to compete, and Bass Pro will give them some recognition, cause you will see them a lot now.