Well today was the first time I took the CAT out to play with the young people. They are mostly Honda folks, since I also own a Rancher I can get by with calling them the Honda cult, a friendly exchnage of BS. I know they wanted to take me to the steep roocks and roots and the deep mud holes to see if that heavy, water cooler, funky shifting strange tank would make it. I don't think I have embellished on their pre-ride views in fact my ride was GREEN not red another bone of contention! Well first off they were very impressed with the 589M/T's and circled the bike with a studied look.

Well folks as the ride started we encountered some 1 ft. mud hole and the 589ed CAT went through on idle. As the holes got tougher and various bikes were tipping and high centering on stumps and rocks the CAT jumped and jerked and motored on through. Then the exposed 3to 4 foot ravine with roots and rocks requiring the bike to move from side to side score 1, 450 and the CAT, others required some form of assistance. Then the mud got to head light depth, crack the throttle and motor on through. Now I am not going to tell you I wasn't worried, this is way over my usual type of trails. As my stock car buddy says when he crashes, the car was perfect I just ran out of talent!. Then I thought the leader went through this deep narrow mud hole but as I sank over the headlights I noticed I was the only one who drove into this sipe hole!! Well by standing in water up to my knees and rocking the bike back and forth the front end clunked and pulled me back out in Reverse. Nobody there was more impressed than me. I am a hunter and outdoorsman and I was able to survive what the kids had cooked up for me because this is one hell of a bike!!!! Flooded roads, clay mud holes, exposed roots and rocks at steep angles and I even got to pull a few people out. They started kidding me at the end about wanting pictures of a CAT pulling out Hondas. They are a great bunch of folks and thanks to them I have just put myself and this bike through more than I would on a hunting trip this fall. I am going to keep the (2) burned fuses from the fan when it was in too much water as a momento. This bike really handles the tough off-road great, power, correct gearing and don't forget those 589M/T's.

 

Better watch it. You might just start a run on the Arctic Cat dealer with a report like that. I have found that of all the riders out there, the Honda crowd seems to be the hardest to impress. The standard line goes something like this "Well you may be able to go through that mud hole (or up that hill) but my Honda will still be around when your Cat is just a memory". I have now put in excess of 2500 miles on my cat in 14 months and it shows no sign of slowing down. They don't seem to be able to grasp that we live in the here and now. I'm at this mud hole today not next year, or I need to get up that hill to my stand today not 3 deer seasons away. i'd better quit spouting off before one of the Honda crowd takes offence.

 

well buck
sounds like you had some fun there, huh? i'll bet you're gonna try and find more difficult things to go up, over and through next time aren't you?
i'll also wager you'll have a fan cutoff switch next time.
these beasts are the best...........

 

These are some fun machines. I love my 500 cat and the 400 is fun too. I've riden with some polaris guys and a few yahmaha friends but never a Honda crowd yet. In fact my usual partner sold his polaris last night and is waiting for an 02 model Cat. He loves the 500 manual I have. I'm trying to talk him into something else like a Honda or another polaris so we can have some friendly competion or if we have quads that can offset one another in different areas. But he's sold on the Cat. can't say that I blame him. I finally found a creek I can't cross today. That darn thing nearly flipped me of my cat. It was 45 degrees in and easily 50+ degree out on the other side and muddy to boot. The cat just stood up and buried itself in the clay and running water with the muffler under water. Texascat and I made it through when it was dry but traction was much better. Enough about me. Enjoy the ride!

Dakota R/T