I have read reviews saying the 400 4x4 is under powered to that it has plenty of power. I was wondering what yall think. I have also heard arctic cats are great in mud and thats about it. I need a atv that is good on trails hunting and creekcrossings/mud. I like the huge racks and ground cleance this has but is that all it has going for it?

 

I myself just bought a 2006 400i last week. As for the power, they move along pretty good for a 670lb HUGE quad! I dont know for sure yet, but i have heard that around 500 miles or so these quads really wake up..

as far as reliability goes and mud capabilities, awesome! best machines for the mud..

i am a tech at my local arctic cat dealer, for 3 years... and we have never had a 400 come in for any probs.
Arctic Cat is all we ride around here.

 

I hear this stuff from the guys that have to have a 70+ mile an hour quad to be happy. But my 2005 400i has over 2100 miles (yes they get better between 300 and 500 miles) on it and I've gone everywhere the 500s, 650s and 700s have gone. This is a trail machine not a top speed runner for the sand dunes. Besides, 54 miles an hour on 5 psi tires is fast enough to kill you if you make a mistake, so faster really isn't necessary.

 

bear4570, sorry if i was coming off like i was trying to make it seem like the 400i was blazing fast... thats not at all what i meant. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] i meant, for its size and weight, also being a 400 class utility i carries along pretty well for its size.

 

I had a 2004 400 and loved it. I did think it was underpowered until I had 300 miles on it, then it was like a whole new machine [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

They are on par for their CC output and slightly better than some with bigger motors. I think they are more powerfull than the 433 cc honda foremans my son had and for sure better than the polaris 330 magnums. Not to forget the FIS and better ground clearance they have most others in that size don't and 06 and 7 have front diff. lockers too

 

Are you expecting 650cc power from a 400? Then yes, it's underpowered. If not you should be fine.

 

in order for it to handle good on the trails all you gotta do is get a good set of 6-ply tires. this will also help you for the mud/creekcroossing area as well. i wouldn't go with any bigger then stock. 26 inch itp mud lites would be a perfect tire setup for the 400. don't expect it to keep up with your 450 r on the trails or in the dunes but then again don't expect your 450r to keep up with the 400 cat in mud and water. beings you are used to a sport quad you could always look into the 500 cat gives you a lil more power.

 

has the person who told you cats are only good in mud rode one? ive got an 06 400 and its slow compared to other atvs but i never cared about speed just low end torque which the cat has plenty of. ive have put my cat through mud which yes it is excellant at. rocks, trails and all though a bit bulky is still a great all around machine i havent found much to stop it. it doesnt corner like other atvs but i dont mind the sacrfice to have the independant suspension and the ground clearance and suspension travel.someone mentioned a good 6 ply tire (mudlites) i replaced my stockers with mudlites and there was a huge difference in steering. i think the mudlites are a pretty good tire but they tend to fall behind in the snow and on rocks just my opinion.but to say its underpowered well i guess it depends what you want. to say its a mud only machine is a misleading statement. i dont think ill ever go anything else other than cat no one else offers the options cat does others have similar opions but i like the cat setup.

 

I ride with some folks that have AC 400 4x4 bikes. It is a very good machine. When on the trail the machine keeps up with all the big boys. It is not under powered. The only time you notice it's a smaller machine is when you start down a straight-away and you get passed by someone with a bigger machine (like a 2002 Kawasaki 650 Prairie). When it comes to mud it does great. Ground clearance is key. It has a much better ride than the 2002 Kawi 650 in our group, I would way it's the same as my Polaris. When I purchased my Sportsman 400 I was tossed between the AC & Polaris. I went with the Polaris because the dealer had an interest in obtaining my business. The AC dealer wasn?t very cordial. Overall, you can?t go wrong with the AC400. If you ride with bigger machines they will be quicker down the straight-away, but on the trail & mud you will have not problem holding your own.