Hi ATV riders,

I'm in the market for a new ATV. I have ben looking at the AC 650 V1 and the KQ and I like them both.
I like new look of the Arctic Cats. I also like the EFI and the sealed rear brakes on the KQ
What kind of gas mileage are the AC V1's getting and how many miles are you getting on the AC rear brakes?
Give me your pros and cons.
Thanks

 

V1??? Never hear of anybody having a V1. It kinda defies physics. How do you "V" a single?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Maybe an H1. The AC's don't use a seperate brake for the rear. The hand brake level applies both front discs and the single rear disc at the same time. The foot brake is a second caliper on the rear disc. So foot brake will last depending if you are an old biker that was afraid of his front brake. The other 3 sets of pads should wear at about the same rate and I have no idea how long that is, on my 400 the first 1000 miles has shown nil for brake wear. I did have to replace one of the front pads on my 2001 but the pad seperated from the backing and was not wore out. Brakes wear depending on how the rider uses them. A ham fisted, grab tons of brake everytime you stop kinda guy will wear brake faster than a guy who isn't in a flying rush and lets his engine braking slow him a bunch before using the brakes. Haven't heard anybodys claims as to the H1's fuel economy but no carburated machine can compete with EFI for fuel economy, just not a fair comparison, you know apples and oranges kinda deal. However the H1 has the biggest tank in class, all the cats do.

 

What kind of use do you plan on getting out of this thing? I think it is pretty simple, the H1 for more work, hunting, mudding or get the KQ if you are doing more trail riding. Brakes are a non-issue, as both would be great.

 

are the KQ's still having the tranny issue? where the H1 has the duramatic tranny (takes his hat off to the duramatic transmission) and catter is right on the money if you want to work or play both are great machines can't go wrong with either one.

 

The KQ had issues yes but they were supposed to be corrected resently. The dealer can tell you based on your vin number if it is pre or post issue. Either way there is a fix out for it and I wouldnt let the problem get in the way of getting one if thats the machine I was looking at purchasing.

Personally I am a Cat guy first and foremost. That said I do own a Suzuki and love it!! I have had a chance recently to ride a KQ and I must say it is an impressive machine. I can see why it is all the rage lately.

It really does depend on what kind of riding you plan on doing and personal choice. The Cat has much more clearance while the KQ rides like a cadi. The Cat has speed sure but come on do you really plan on riding down trails at 65mph? That said the KQ is faster on paper and in tests, but again 70+ on a trail...come on really when will you ever do such a thing. At least in a safe manor.

Go to your local dealer and see if you can get on one of each or show up at a local ride in your area and see if some one has either of the machines you are looking at. Test ride them and make your choice.

When you get close to the purchase, good luck sleeping. If your anything like me I tend to dwell on a purchase for a bit before hand.

Take care

 

I Love the look of the AC's ...but the King Quad has great looks too. I was tossing between the two when I bought mine, I gave up waiting for the H1 and have a KQ now. I owned a 500AC before that , and my Dad owns three different Ac's (650v/500man/two seater). His twin gave him tons of problems... the other two never a squeak of an issue. But not all twins had problems...just a lot of the first ones released would go into limp mode every 100 miles or so.
As far as the duramatic goes...it is AC's name for the quadramatic...so it is the same design as the tranny used in all suzuki Vinson's and ac's 500's. The H1 has a "new" duramatic... the KQ has a new quadramatic....both boast more air flow and wider belt and more clutches. Seeing that no new patents were purchased for the AC tranny... I think it is safe to say they are the same transmission in the two quads. Maybe different covers etc.... but Ac did not go design the new tranny on their own...and Suzuki has been their best partner for providing reliable trannys...so you can put it together.
The reverse failure on the KQ was discovered before the release of the H1...and it could be the reason the H1 was so late in coming out, they might have had to be retrofitted with the new tranny parts. The new tranny for suzuki has no problems either...and if it develops any it is likely to show up in the H1 as well.
Which one to buy? Go try them out...I like fast trail riding and the Kq is great at that sort of driving. The engine on the KQ is detunned and is not all that impressive at take off....but at about 8mph...it gets wild fast and accelerates nicely from there. Not sure on the H1...it might be faster out of the hole! For hard work the racks on the H1 are bigger, AC always builds a stout frame...so for towing etc... the H1 would be better..at least as far as I can tell from paper.
The KQ is more of a cross of a sport quad and a ute. It's light weight and great steering on the trails make it a blast to play on, a stab on the gas lifts the front end on any sized bump...but small racks...and less of a bumper are the costs to being 70 lbs lighter. Tires on both quads are only ok stock...but who keeps stock tires for long?
Best bet is to test them both... I would not hesitate to purchace either one!

 

Both of these quads are good. It really depends on what your planning on using it for. The Artic Cat 650 V1 is more of a work horse, bigger racks and heavier, which means it can tow more weight. The King Quad is very sporty and is certainly what I'd consider a sport utility quad, great for trail riding. It has more power and weighs less than the AC 650 V1, plus it is fuel injected, which means better fuel economy, throttle response, and easy starts in cold weather, this could be very helpful to you in the winter since you live in Minnesota. I've had no problems with my KQ and it is an incredible quad. But it really comes down to what your are going to be using it for, working or playing.

 

Recently went through a similiar decision process - I went with the AC 650 H1.