Hi. I am not an avid rider but purchased (new) a 2008 Arctic Cat 2up about a year ago. Have not had the time to get it out since purchase and actually only have 7 miles on the odometer. In the last week or so I have taken it out twice in my neighborhood for a short cruise. I find it VERY difficult to turn. After riding for about 10 minutes my arms are extremely sore. I am not a weight lifter but I am also not a weakling so this very much puzzles me. I do believe that this model does not have power steering but I can't believe that it is that difficult to turn. Am I missing something? Should I check something?
Thanks in advance.

 

Turn off the 4x4/diff locker. These things are incredibly capable without 4x anyways. Most are only using it when needed. Also, quads in general aren't the best on paved surfaces. Not sure if that is what you mean by cruise around the neighborhood though. You will also need to use proper body english when turning. Try leaning into the turns vs riding upright if you aren't already.

 

Asphalt makes steering harder on a quad, so if your neighborhood is paved, that could be part of the problem. Find some dirt and try it again.

also, higher speeds can make steeing easier. if you are going to slow, it can be hard to turn.

plus, check to make sure you are not in 4wd, that makes a huge difference in steering effort.

 

Haha! we posted at the same time and gave the same advice!

 

Thanks for responding. I was riding on a bit of asphalt but mainly grass on my property. I do have the 4x4 diff locker off and 4wd off. It does respond better with increased gas or speed but even when I go on You Tube and look at vids of other 2008 2ups I notice a huge difference with the ease that they put into turning at minimal speed. I pretty much have to use 75% strength to force the handle bars in a certain direction. Tires look like they have proper inflation. Engine and everything appears to be running fine. I don't believe that this ATV has power steering - so no need to check for low fluid. I am stumped.

 

check your tires with a gauge! I run 5psi in my 700, the wifes I run 9-10 makes it ez to turn. I don't have stocks on

 

The TRV by it's nature is a more difficult machine to handle. It's heavier - it's longer.

I found that with my TRV tire pressure makes a huge difference especially if your still running stock tires.
If they are - GOODYR RAWHIDES - I found running about 7psi front and 5.5 psi rear. Shock pre-load is important too. If you have the shocks set "soft" it makes handling more difficult as well.

I've found that "body english" helps alot when riding. Lean like your on a snowmobile. Get in the habit of hang'in your butt out. If your just sitting up straight and only using your arms......it's going to give you the fatigue your experiencing.

 

Just to add to the body lean idea. Move your upper body closer to the steering stem. This will allow you to get a little more of the chest muscles involved. I use this with my Sportsman X2 when on pavement.

 

Make sure the diff lock is actually off. The steering shouldn't be that hard.
Jack up the front wheels and with the ATV in two wheel drive rotate one front front tire by hand. If it's in diff lock, both wheels will rotate in the same direction.
The tire pressure does make a big difference.

 

i heard this a few years back on this forum and you can give it a try. if i was you try adjusting your handlebars, i talked to a guy that loosened up the bolts and pushed the handlebars forward to a more of an aggressive location. this in theory will change the leverage you are applying and make it easier.