Picking up my 03 500 tomorrow and would like to hear anything about this bike!! Problems, what is the top speed, how is the power? What modes do you recommend? Anything ya want to pass on will be appreciated@!
Thanks!!

 

decent power for a 500 can tow alot about 60 mph on top end well mine did i didn't put any upgrades on mine it was bone stock with 27 inch itp 589's the only problem i had was i broke my rear diff well i cracked the housing but that was my own fault along with the tires i had to much stress something had to give in the situation but if they didn't have the 650 i would have went back to the 500 in a heartbeat and the tranny and clutching is very good on them not much for worrying about the belt slipping just remember to use low when you are pulling or in the mud and you will be fine

 

my uncle just picked his 04 500 up on friday from the same dealer i got my 650 from, he says he loves it and its a blast, havent rode with him yet. but by the way everyone on this forum has been complimenting that bike i say you made a good choice.

 

Got my '03 500i 4x4 in July, now has over 600 miles. I asked the selling dealer and my local dealer about possible problems - anything I should keep an eye on. All answers were the same. None, just watch the CV boots. Depending upon how and where you ride they can tear. No problems so far. I've had three seal leaks; rear pinion seal (first time the dealer had ever seen one of those), front diff half shaft seal, and 4x4 engagement shaft seal on the front diff. Dealer said he's never seen more than one seal leaking on any machine. I asked for his thoughts as to why. Said perhaps, since it was an '03 machine and sat for a year and a half, the seals may have just gotten dry. I don't know if that is valid, but warranty fixed them all and there are no more leaks. I installed an EPI high altitute kit right away, but did not install the springs in the primary clutch since I was not interested in "hole shots," but more interested in the ability to "crawl." Mid-range torque is strong - right where I like it. I've had it up to 55MPH (by GPS) with about 5 MPH left (a guess here). Speedo was 3MPH fast. Dealer says the primary belt should last 8K miles or so at least. One more thing. With both machines I noticed the power increased - A LOT - after getting about 400-500 miles on them. To me this increase seemed significant, so break in is a real deal with these machines.

There is lots of talk about the belts on the 650s and the same holds true, to a much lesser extent, with the 500s. These machines have a lot of torque. So much so that driver's will forget about using low range. High range will pull almost anything, so why use low. Dealer tells me a lot of belt problems can be prevented by using low range in any rough riding. Don't know the truth of that, but I make an effort to use low a lot more than I otherwise would.

 

JimJa said it all, one other thing I would add is that if you are planning on getting rid of the stock tires and replacing them with 27" or 28" tires you might have a problem with axels breaking. For some reason Cat didn't beef up the axels until 2004. The 500 is a great machine, and trouble free. My dad has a 2000 Cat 500 4x4 auto and he has never had a problem. My next ATV will be the 500.

 

Definitely put on your "to do list"...Get rid of stock tires as fast as you can. The sidewalls are weak which causes poor handling in corners and effects overall steering charactaristics. Get a good 6-ply tire.

If you do get a larger tire than stock as long as you don't go more than 1" up in size you should not have any trouble breaking axles, wearing out wheel bearings or other drivetrain wear from excess weight/torque or the tires.

Given the selection of tires available this is not an easy task as the tires you get need to match the majority of the riding you do for best results. The Stock tires are kind of a one-size-fits-all thing.

You also did not mention if this was a new or used bike? Either way after it is broke in (or if its already broke in) change the oil to synthetic. The engine will run cooler, make a little less noise and shift easier. I use AC's synthetic oil change kits that include a filter and a gallon of synthetic oil for about $30. Its just easier for me. Others here on this site use different brand of oil and filter but, that's because its easier for them to get than it is for me. Do a search on this site for sythetic oils and you will get all the info you want.

Good luck and enjoy the new ride.
SJ