one downfall with the polaris is they are higher maintanance machines. they do ride very smooth on slower goings though. as for the cat yes it is stiffer suspension which soaks up the bumps at higher speeds for more aggressive riding or you can just soften them up. polaris is starting to get their new rims from china which i have been told and seen that they bend very easily. polaris is starting to get alot of their componenets from china which would scare me but they have always been knowen for higher maintanance.

 

what about the "clunk" sound when i put the ac in 4wd then back to 2wd? it sounded like is shifted really hard. maybe i need to still ride the grizzly 450 and the kq 450. i do know so far i like efi. who else makes a 400-500 atv with efi? should i be leery of polaris quality? alot of people seem to like them. what makes them higher maintenance? who has the lowest maintenance atv?

 

Hi Burnt.... I think the best advice I have heard here is go find a local riding club. Give them a call and tell them what you are up to. If someone in my area wanted to test my machines I would set up a ride session and do a test ride. When I started I had a 2005 polaris ATP and thought it was the best there was(and it was good for what I did with it). But then I caught a rider in the area and he let me ride his AC v2 650 and I was hooked. But before I did this I was able to ride and fully test a couple of machines for a couple hour ride tests and make a informed decision. For me it was not all about power(yes the V2 has lots of it) but about comfort after riding for 5+ hours. And I sure noticed a difference there. AC was the most comfortable. I liked the hand position, seat height, leg room, ride comfort, ground clearance, and the rack system. I am 6'2" and 250+ so am kinda big. What I did not like is the fake front bumper and a weak belt system. So I have made my own bumper and if I am just putting around I run it in low range. I can run upto about 20 mph in low. My wife took over our polaris after I got the AC but not for lnog. As shortly after she would take off on my AC adn leave me with hers. So now to say we both have AC's. And sold the polaris to a very good friend. Hope this helps. Most of all if you are looking at only a few dollars difference between what you want and what you would settle for, hold out for the what you want. It is a big investmetn and do it right the first time.

Oldmancrash

 

i wouldn't say who would make the lowest maintanance machine cause they all have their strong points and weak points but i will say that polaris does make the highest maintanance machine on the market period. and you will see them getting cheaper and cheaper as the years go on. and i know there will be some brand loyal ppl that will come in and argue their point but more then likely they haven't really ridden their atv's or thats the only thing they have ever owned. as for the clunk i haven't noticed it on my 650 at all even after 2000 miles. oh and oldman you can ride your 650 up to 48 mph in low range before it starts over reving.

 

If your looking at a good quality midsize ATV I would have to suggest the Arctic Cat 500 Auto. The engine is built by Suzuki and is one of Suzuki' award winning engines in the past. By using an engine from Suzuki, Arctic Cat has been able to focus on the things that makes an ATV fun and easy to ride. It has a large number of industry-leading amenities including 12" of ground clearance, fully independant suspension with 10" of travel, a HUGE gas tank, on-the-fly 4x4, a fully locking differential which is operated by a lever on the handle bar, and the ever versitle SpeekRack system built into the impressively strong racks.

I wouldn't overlook the automatic CVT transmission either. I was wary buying an ATV with an automatic transmission thinking I would miss the versatility of a manual. Now I wonder what I could have done with all the time and gas money I wasted shifting gears. I have yet to encounter a sistuation where I wished I had a manual over an automatic. With the CVT, the bike is ALWAYS in the right gear for the situation at hand without any gear shifts, manual or otherwise.

I have had experience with Polaris and Honda ATVs and although they too have their perks, I would choose Arctic Cat for their reliability, toughness, and versatility.
Besides, you can take advantage of Arctic Cats sales event and get a 3 year warranty with low monthly payments or no payments and interest for 6 months. (No, I am not an Arctic Cat dealer, salesman or employee, I just love my Arctic Cat!)

 

Hey burnt3d Try the Ac 500 Ihad the 400 manual Loved it but always wished i would have sprung for the bigger bike . Also on my ac the suspention was ajusted too tight once I let it down acouple of notches it was alot better ride. Also better throttle response with kand n filter. I put 2000 miles on this bike with no mech problems.

 

Burnt3d,
I am 6'8" and about 290 lbs. I just bought my first ATV in September after sitting on about every quad known to man and the most comfortable for me was the AC. I bought a 2007 400 4X4 AT and it hauls my huge self around with no problems.
My brother in law has a 2005 Prairie 360 and he is about my size and he loves it. I really like the ground clearance and the independant front and rear suspension. I have had no problem up to this poin and have about 550 miles on it For me it was a perfect choice for a first quad.

 

guy... i bought a '06 kodiak 450 4x4. $59/month, winch, 2 yr warranty, and $100 customer cash. so i far i really like the machine. Tim

 

Here's what I can say about maintenance on the Cat... I've owned a 2002 500i manual since new. It has seen mostly farm use, but it's a rocky, hilly farm which is why I got a Cat, got tired of my old Bear getting hung up.

In four years of use, the Cat has been pretty much bulletproof. Had to change a spark plug when it got fouled, that's the only time the Cat has ever failed to start. Broke the tip off of a rear axle, but that was my fault. Otherwise, it has been gas and go. Nothing has worn out.

The Cat has hauled countless wagon loads of cut hardwood, probably 600-800 pounds a load, over some very rough trails, and up and down hills. It flies up a rocky creekbed without spazzing out, very much in control.

I don't know that there is such a thing as a quad that isn't fun. They're all good, and you'd be happy on any of them. Me? I plan to update the Cat next spring, and haven't the slightest interest in looking at anything other than another Cat. My last one has been too good.