How is the 500's im thinking of getting one in manule form.
i have a 400 polaris scrambler and was looking to jump to arctic's how are they?

 

Well just got one like a week or two ago. i got the AC 500 auto.
i used to be a die hard manual trany guy, but now i have this auto. i don't think i'll ever go back to the manual.
no need realy. i can pull damn neer everything my jeep can pull. i live at 7000 ft so it doen't quit have the ponies to pull the front end up, but it has all the power i'll ever need. i used to have the rancher AT 400 CC the cat is ALOT more powerful. and heck it ride great too.

see if you can test ride one.
it's your cash. but i'dd rec amend them to anyone.

but it is your choice. they are a Great ATV.

HR

 

I'm kinda on the other end from HR. After owning nothing but auto tranny's for the past ten years I wanted to get back to a 5 speed because I was tired of replacing belts. But we can both agree that in either form the 500 can get it done. 10 inches of wheel travel and 12 inches of ground clearance are both best in class. As far as the rest of the quad goes, it's a tank. Set up for the worst conditions that you can put it through. It's performance and handling will be night and day from your scrambler though. Get down to your dealer and ride one. Speaking of your scrambler, I had a 500 back in 98 and at the time it was the baddest thing in the woods. Man I loved that thing. Hard to hunt on but a blast to put on the mud.

 

As stated, the Arctic Cats are tanks, and go through anything you put in front of them. I have to say though, the newer models have superb Automatics, with the belts lasting around 10,000 miles now, so the belt isnt a problem at all. But they (manual and auto) are both great quads

 

I have an 05 500 Auto, and love it. In my opinion, it will be a huge step up from a Polaris 400. As already stated, AC's are tanks, and can really hold up well, even when abused. The only thing you may want to consider, is different tires. The stock tires make the machine steer hard, and are not real great for traction in mud and snow, and are sloppy for trail riding. Most dealers will work with you, and put tires of your choise on, at a big discounted price when new. I wish I had done that.

 

Ditto on the tires! I have about 300 miles on my new AC 500 and wrote in to this forum to find out why the steering was so rough. I bumped the pressure up just a little (7.5) psi and it made a huge difference. That said....when sweetie gets his bonus this year, Maxis Bighorns are definately on the list! The factory tires are doo doo.

 

Well, for having an ac 500 auto for 2.5 yrs now, i've never slipped or burnt a belt.. you have to be considerate to the bike's limitations... if you lock up the front end, make small steering adjustments instead of cranking the wheels to the extreme... try to pull out your buddies in forward gear, not reverse. stuff like that.

I rode my buddies popo500 ho and that thing is a hare faster then mine (but I can catch up in the draft), has a comfy ride. I just feel the AC's articulate better then polaris, and seems to be more relieable.

 

Well i'm not against the manual tranny. having 5 speeds in hi and another 5 in low. is a great thing. just not for me. they will more than likely last longer if riden right than the belt.

SDMF said some realy valid points, i chose the auto for me and or my wife to ride. the easer the more likely she's to get on it.
her days of riding the CR250 are mostly over. :-(

i would say they are great ATV's and you can't go wrong. the stearing on mine isn't that bad. it dives into the turns but to fix this i made the front shocks 2 setting harder than the rear. helps alot. as for steering it's not hard at all. but i have the Radial Badlands stock. most i've seen don't. so i dunno.
ride as many diferant models as you can and buy what you want. not what some yahoos (me included) online are telling you to buy.

 

I have the AC auto tranny in the 500 TRV and a 400 manual. My wife likes the auto because she can mash the throttle and go. Hates to having to think about what gear she is in. Although I like the auto, I like to be able to select the gear I want.

I personally notice it themost when towing a heavy load. With both machines in 4x4 low range the 500 appears to me to struggle more to get a heavier load moving initally. I think this is due to the rpm's at which the clutch actually engages (which can be changed) than anything else. The manual appears to me to get the same heavy load moving with less strain. This is my peronal opinion though.

Both the auto or the manual are a good choice. It used to be that a manual tranny ATV was a little cheaper but I am not sure now a days.

SJ

 

I'm a member of "the pride" from way back and I still have my 01 500 Autocat (still original tires). It still runs fine and I recommend AC to any potential ATV buyer. The only major problem I've had was when the carb fell off and caused me to break my choke lever handle. Why the carb fell off is a mystery but my BIL used the cat while I was in Arkansas for 3 years and may have tinkered with it from time to time.