I AM AN OWNER OF A 2005 500 LE AND I JUST BOUGHT MY WIFE A YAMAHA BRUIN 350 4X4. THE ARTIC CAT MODELS WERE TO BIG FOR HER. WE LINED THEM UP AND SHE COULD BEAT ME ON THE TAKE OFF BUT AFTER THE 200 FEET I COUGHT UP TO HER. I WAS WONDERING WHAT MODIFICATIONS I CAN DO TO MY ARTIC CAT TO BEAT THE THE BRUIN. I DONT MIND BEING BEAT BY ANOTHER 500 BUT A 350 COME ON WHAT IS THAT!!! SO PLEASE TELL ME SOME THINGS I CAN DO FOR IT!!!

 

I'd turn her throttle screw in a little [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Less weight, even with less engine will accel better off the line. Besides the only winner is at the finish line, not off the start line. Also your Cat need so be broke-in, give it 300 to 500 miles. Don't screw around with your wife's quad. If she finds out your butt will be in a major sling. Drop the caps too, it's the same as yelling at people.

 

There is a lot of stuff you can do, muffler mods, clutch kits, jets, etc. However your 500 should have no problem blowing that 350 off the line. Unless you are like 450lbs and your wife is 80lbs....

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I agree with catterman, something isnt right there.

 

A hmf muffler from a 450 foreman an rejetted will make loads more torque and topend power and should smoke her bad. A 500 with that done will be lust behind a 650 prairie Kawie in 300 feet. It really helps but it makes the bike louder.

 

Speaking of potential problems with my 500, I never thought it was a fast runner. I already had to have a new choke replaced. When the dealer replaced it he put a whole new carburator on it. It always starts hard. It wants to crank alot before it fires up.
When in gear at an idle, when I accelerate it has a small pause before the machine starts to roll...Belt? Some friends have a 06 500 2 up version and it excells faster off the line than mine with two small people on it, their combined weight is roughly equivelant to mine. I'm not far behind them and I'll pull abreast of them.
No, I dont weigh 350 lbs, more like 225, and the wife 160lbs. Do you all think I might have take it back into the dealer? I still have one year of warrenty work on it. What do you think may be the problem???

 

how many miles do you have on the 500? i know when i used to drive the 500's it would gain lots of horsepower after i put on a couple hundred miles. if you have less then 100 miles it will come around.

 

i'd have to agree... there is something up with that 500... the bruin 350 is a slouch, imo-- that 500 should smoke it.

how fast is the 500le compared to a foreman450? i know the foreman 450 will outrun the bruin no questions asked.

 

I wouldn't say the 350 Bruin is a slouch. On takeoff it excells off the line pretty quickly. Like I said before, after about 250 feet I catch up to her and continue to pull away.
My problem is that I would think that a 500 would be just as fast on take off, and then continue to pull away from her.
As far as break-in goes, I have 250 miles on it. After reading this forum I realize that I have to give it more time ( I put synthetic oil in it after the first oil change). Thats due to buying it primarily for deer hunting and snow plowing. I admit it sits around more than it should. Now that the wife has her Bruin we do plan to ride alot more.
I'm going to take it back to the dealer due to a faulty start in gear switch. While there I'll mention concerns about the hard starting, and slow take off. Maybe ask them to look at the belt or the carb. After the warrenty is expired I'll entertain opinions on letting the 05- 500 breath better.