are you talking bout the metal belt cover? cause if you are it does seem like they get a lil hot but it is worth it cause it won't warp and allow water to seep in under heat and i haven't slipped my locker and i have used it in extreme situations where i was buried down to my frame in high grass and water so i jumped off locked the front end and turned the handlebars and burped the engine and it climbed right out of there meanwhile there was 3 machines within spitting distance of me burried who had to be winched out 2 on one side and 1 on the other and the 04 650 has a locking diff and i believe the 05 400 500 and 650 do not so sure bout the 400 but i know the 500 and 650 do

 

Yeap; the '05 400I has a front locker.

 

I have a 2002 500 Auto. This was developed with the slower 500 engine but the new high clearance frame. It was in the shop for the precautionary ball joint recall and a brake switch recall. The venerable brake master cylinder was fixed by me in ten minutes and some common sense. I have great brakes. My quad has never seen the shop other than the above mentioned.

It routinely romps mountains carrying three passengers which makes the engine braking all the more appreciated. It sees low range and runs in 20 degree temperatures quite often as well. For a 500 I can still haul it in a GMC Sonoma pickup. It's been rolled, buried, and foraged streams up to the headlights without a complaint.

I recently wanted to sell it feeling it did'nt get enough use and was quickly out voted 6-1, (Neighbors ride it too). Everyone even pitched in to buy new tires.

Reliable, yes, will it brake..... Well I worked for a Honda, Kawasaki shop and seen all models come in with major repair problems from transmission failures to blown engines. We had a unit used by an oil company that had 40,000 miles on the odometer. Mind you it came in for repairs every 12 months.

Id take the Cat for it's innovative features and the fact it's all steel. AC even makes a good effort to keep costs down by not bribing the magazene companies with everyother page adds.

Good question....It's good to hear positive feedback.

 

I have a 650 le.....constant belt problems.....poor cold starting.....belt squeeeels.....heat sheild bolts burn your leg.....always in shop...I have been refused warranty work....choke cable broke, and now the parts replacer at the dealer has the carb out of adjustment. I will never buy another arctic cat. JUNK

 

Sorry to hear you bought a lemon,like I have said,200hrs on mine and it purrs like a cat.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Hi, yes I have a 2005 AC 400 manual trans, 4x4 and .... its nice...... but its a headache , it has 600 miles on its and a lil less than 75hrs. and its already got a "broken axle" , actually the upper right rear cv blew all to pieces and blew apart my cv boot but my dealer is tellin me that i have to buy a hole new $200+ axle BLAH!!!! sooo ..... iam waiting on a axle and typein to ya'll hehe.
ummm can anyone tell me anygood ideas for boosting power because my big cat doesnt do to hot in the mud so i plan on adding a set of 27"-28" mud tires and i dont wanna loose a ounce of power, I have owned several 4 wheelers from Honda-suzuki-kawasaki-yamaha and this has to be the fastest full-size utility 4 wheeler i have seen, i have no performance mods,only a brush gaurd,2500lb warn winch,ram 70k spot light,and a torch light on back,and i just added a Co2 tank/inflation system for tires

 

You are complaining about breaking axles now and then you want more power so you can break even more often. Then of course you will complain that it's the bikes fault.

 

No , Iam not complaining about my 4 wheeler brakeing axles , the title of this thread is Does your Cat spend alot of time in the Garage, would you rather me to have just said , yes it spends months in the garage ? and not elaborate at all ? I also want to beef up the axles and diff's possibly replaceing the stock 400 axles and all with 650 axles and drivetrain, I have several other 4 wheelers all running bigger tires and a couple with performance up grades (thanks to my buddys at power sports honda) and they all do fine , except the 2005 Kawi 360 prarie which is a lemon, and my rancher which i fliped down a 50ft embankment and warped the rear axle other than that the 2 foremans , suzuki LT250 , and a yamaha warrior all do fine under my rideing with performance up grades and bigger tires.

 

Three passengers on a single rider quad?

Please tell me you don't fly for the airlines or drive a large truck.

Riding like that is what gives this sport such a bad name.

And I don't care how much you are offended - its wrong and your placing innocent people at risk.

Geesh...

Yes, there should be a test....

 

The 400, 500 and 650 all run the same axles so if you break them with a 400 you are doing something wrong.