I think buck said it best in his first post. The only thing I would add is I don't like to wrench on anything I just paid thousands of dollars for, and AC has not caused me any issues at all. The only thing I have done to mine other than normal maintenance after nearly 4,000 miles is a very minor shifter adjustment that I took care of myself.

 

One last thing to pester y'all with- can ya loft the front end? I know that's a tall order on a 650lb maching. But there is the proverbial ditch that runs across yer path from time to time that needs to be cleared with a goosing of the throttle and a tug on the handle bars........

 

If you are asking if you can ride a wheelie with it, no way. The 400 won't even get the front tires off the ground. However, if you sit right on it and give it gas while lifing the handlebars it will releave a lot of weight on the front end and should be able to make it over whatever. I had to use this trick a lot for some big logs.

 

Yeah yeah- thats what I'm askin. Can ya goose it over a log on the trail. Sorry for all the relentless questions- I'm trying to be ruthlessly honest with myself here.......

 

You might need a 650 to do that, but with the ground clearance the 400 should make it over anyways. They are very reliable, my 01' has 3600 miles and I have only had to replace the front axle, thats it.

 

One last question for you AC400 folk ouit there. Everything about the quad is A1; the ground clearance, the engine, the front diff loc, well- you guys know it all. The big Q is the weight- the quad weighs a good 60- 70lbs more than the Eiger whose engine it borrows. Is living with that additional weight a noticeable burden? I used to think it wouldn't be anything, but last night I carried a 50lb bag of cat litter in from the truck and the realization hit me. I guess what I'm trying to say is; how does that little engine live with all that weight? Oh- and can ya fit the quad in the back of a short bed truck- 6 1/2' and still close the tailgate?
Thanks.............

 

I cant close my tailgate, but its close. if I got creative it might be able to, but I just tie the gate against the tires. Speedwerks makes a kit for $429 that help with clutching, air flow , and an exhaust that helps it move a bit quicker. I liked the mod on mine. I dont know if Yamaha has any performance kits, if you are even interested in that,,,,

 

Well I bought my 400 a month ago - brand new from Bass Pro and love it so far. Went riding with my friend that has a 650 Honda and at times in the creek beds and swamps he had many more "issues" then I had with traction. I have the front locker and its sweet. All the above statements cover bout everything - I had mine on blacktop top out at 52mph. No tailgate won't shut on a short bed - as mentioned its close - by about a foot to latch - give or tacke a little.

One difference I noticed in AC is turning is a bit harder - I would assume due to the rear locker (this is only compared to older Sportsmans and Rincons). The speedrack is pretty cool to with all the different attachments and from what I can see has good skidplating on the bottom.

 

Cool- I'm gonna go check everything out Monday. All the dealers are in Albuquerque, yes we have one here in Santa Fe, but he's the only game in town and doesn't carry AC's..................

 

Ram 01, Im kinda surprised you said the Cat steers harder. My friends have Sportmans and my wife and I both agree the AC steers a LOT easier, thats why we bought one. Oh well, whatever, I actually think they are both good machines.