Hello all,
i'm a newbie here and 1st i just want to say that you folks on here are all very helpful.What resourceful bunch!I'm looking at buying a AC 400 "04"with 230 miles(pretty clean bike).I'm just wondering if you can compare it to a 03 kodiak 450??I had that one,and i'm sorry i sold it,but oh well...Will the power delivery be close?I know it will handle diff.,just hoping to have same power.Ican buy it for 2800.00,and i thought that was a good deal.Ok any in put would great.thanks all.

 

From what I know they are a little different type of bike. The AC is a much taller bike with more ground clearance and wheel travel. If my memory serves me correctly the Kodiak is a straight axle on the back and the AC is FIS. The Kodiak probably has more top end power but the 400 is no slouch at the lower end. I am sure you will be satisfied with the AC and the power of the 400, they come to life pretty well after 300-500 miles. It is not a fast drag bike but on a good day you can get 50mph from it. Fast enough for a utility machine. AC is more of a work horse than a race horse. The suspension will give you a smooth ride and not let you know about every pebble on the trail. The articulation is really good with the 10 inches of wheel travel on each corner. 12 inches of clearance so you won't have to dodge every rock on the trail, can just straddle it or drive over it with the good suspension. So you will be less tired at the end of a long ride. The AC can carry a lot of weight as well as tow a lot of weight. And the 04 has a locking front differential, once locked all 4 wheels will drive. The AC because of it's height and suspension can give you a feeling of being tippy. They are pretty stable and you can improve on the tippy sensation with a few adjustments to tire pressure and suspension adjustments and you can also add wheel spacers to really stabilize the machine.
With only 230 miles and for $2800 I don't see how you could go wrong.

 

To give you an idea of the low end power of the 400. The axles on a 400 are the same as a 500 and 650, if you check my pictures out and look at the third picture down in the middle column you will see that it looks like I am almost ready to flip on the side. Well to make my point when I got back on the machine (after taking the pictures) to drive out, a rock got caught between the footbrake housing and the wheel. I did not know it and it felt like I was stuck a little so I put the gas to it in low range and not only did I break the brake housing but I also twisted and broke an axle in half. Then I proceeded to drive out of that hole dragging the right rear as it was lock up. Once I got out I was able to free the rock and the wheel rolled but the axle flopped around a little. Any way I drove it out.

 

I'm not sure how telling him you broke your axle is going to encourage him to buy a AC.

Things break. Ride the machine, see if you like it. That's really the only way to truly tell.

 

There was a question about power of the 400, I was illustrating that the 400 certainly does have enough power, to the point that it could break axles. You generally hear about axle breaking with bigger engines. Hopefully he won't get a rock jammed to the point of locking a wheel. Under normal circumstances I am sure the axle would not have broken. And if the 400 had less power it would have just bogged down and possibly stalled.

 

hey thanks for the info buckaroo.I to think the AC is more of work horse too,but that does'nt bother me.I'm just like cruising the trails,or using it for work.And plus the price is right!!Anyway i'm still waiting on looking at the quad because they said it was stalling out and they have their mechanic looking at it.They said it's been sitt'in 5 monthes,so who knows bad gas,sand or gummed up carb??Ok, thanks again for your input,talk to ya later.

 

If it has been sittling then you are right - bad gas or gummed up carb, I don't imagine it could be anything too serious.