I agree with you NovaSS,I had a 400 kodiak and it was all I needed,and more.It was light,nimble,and a pleasure to ride but I bent the frame on it and couldn't get it back to the way it was.The guys I ride with all had bigger bikes so wanting to fit in,I got bigger as well.A 2005 450 kodiak would be soooo sweet I don't think my teeth could handle it anyway.

 

Me and a few guys from work have gone out on 2 rides together this summer. 1 of the guys has an 98ish or so 300 Kawasaki, another has a 335 polaris and they've both gone every where the others have gone (AC 500, Polaris 700, Polaris 500, Polaris 400). The only place the smaller bikes had problem was keeping up on the flat straight aways. But that kind of riding gets boring really quick so, it's not much of a problem.

 

what you gonna use it for? you gonna keep the stock tires on it? if you are going bigger you need more power if not then you don't. gonna do lower speed trail riding and family stuff then the 400 is all you need. both will tow a ton in low range though and when it comes to speed if a person needs to go over 50 mph i could just as well jump in a vehicle speed doesn't mean anything y ou can clutch a 400 to probably do 70 mph but it would take about 2 miles to get there.

 

What I noticed going from my 'slow' 02 500i manual to a 03 400...

At high engine speed, there wasn't much difference. Low to mid engine speed, the 500 definitely has more punch. They'll both go the same places, and at about the same speed, but the 500 feels a lot more relaxed doing it. Whatever the engine speed, whatever gear you're in, it has enough punch to pull you out.

I also set out to get a 400i, but that day the dealer didn't have any in dark green in stock. So they knocked another $400 off of the price of a 500i... don't know if it's worth another $1k, but to me it was worth another $600.

 

A $1000 is a pretty big jump. Not enough difference in the two to sway that far. Totally depends on what you are wanting to spend. For a grand, I wouldn't go up to the 500. If I was spending a grand more, I'd get something different (meaning different brand and different bike). Or, I would stick with the 400. If I was getting the 400, I would hold back til an 05 hit the shelf and get the differential lock with it. Its worth it, even it if was like $400 more for the 05 over the 04. And to justify the $400 vs. $1000 for a 500, then just take into account the 05 500 will be more than the 04 500

 

I have an 03 400 i with 3300 miles on it... the bike can do just about anything a 500 or 650 can but you really have to rev the heck out of the engine to get the power I need to pull a heavy trailer or climb long hills etc. even in low range. Recently I got a 650 as well, that bike (or motor) can pull anything, go anywhere with ease (after I took a shim out of the sec. clutch). If you need this bike for hard work I would get a 500 man. over the 400 because I just don't like to rev up an aircooled engine in low range for too long. Last weekend some friends and I went down an old overgrown trail that turned into a 10 hour mudbog. This 650 worked with ease though the muskeg (yes even I got stuck a few times) while a guy on a 500i, another on a 600 griss, another on a 700 Sportsman (this bike also has lots of power but just does not have the clearance the cat has, ripped a floorboard out, bend the radiator guard and used more gas than all the other bikes) had to drive the living daylight out of their bikes just to make it back without getting hung up all the time. The 650 also used by far the least amount of gas of all the big bikes on that trip.

 

if its hot where you ride you will appreatiat the liquid cooled 500 motor over the fan cooled 400.
the 500 wont overheat on long hot rides.
mind you the 400 has excalent cooling also.
also the 500 has way more torque then the 400.
plus you dont have to beet it to keep up with the bigger quads.
once you've tryed the 500 you wont want anything else.

 

if your gonna be riding with sportsman 500s then you want to get teh 500 because as of now u say u dont need the top speed but when they pull away off the line and u never catch up to them then ur gonna wish you had the 500. IMO i would spend the extra $$ and get the 500 so you can stay with the 500HO. oh and by the way talkin about mudding ur gonna want to get the 500 because staying with a sportsman in mud is a hard thing to do so if u get the 500 with some more agressive tires and the diff locker u could prolly pull by a sportsman in the mud. good luck with your decision

 

I have an '03 400,and it's a really good bike. The motor is air/oil cooled, and it's very efficient. I never even hear the fan unless I'm going slow, over rough ground for extended periods of time. In contrast, my buddy has a 650 and the fan almost never shuts off. It has gotten a little better with some miles on it, but I don't think liquid cooling has any advantage over the air/oil.

 

Bluethumb,
you're right, the fan on the 650 runs a lot... but this is because they set the temp. tolerance a lot smaller to keep the motor at a fairly even temp. The 400 fan does not run as much but the motor gets very hot at times as I know from my own experience.