i own 2003 manual 500
my last bike was 500 automatic,it was a lot easier to drive and i found it alot easier to drivethrough mud holes etc .
2nd and 3rd gear are all you need on rough terrain 4th and 5th on the flat out dirt tracks
i use second gear for pulling away and only use first if stuck or antisipate trouble going through a mudhole or a very steep hill
if you dont select proper gear,1st or second the bike will bog down easily, hate the automatic clutch and if you do get stuck it is a real pain changing to lower 5 gears because the lever is normally under the mud.reverse can be challenging sometimes also
lsd forward traction is not that great ,if 1 front and 1 rear tire spin, you are stuck ,however bike is awsome in reverse!!this normally gets me out of just about anything,once i get the thing in reverse.
i would never buy manual again,automatic, point and go makes everything less of a challenge,plus nowadays nobody wants manual change so very difficult to re-sell the bike .
bike is a tank ,too big for most women etc and lots of people cannot drive because they can change gears etc