First you try to see how far under water you can go, now your trying to see how big a ditch you can jump! Whats up with that? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] Good luck on your repairs, I hope they go quickly for you. Oh yea, behave yourself so you can get better also! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Rick

 

Dang it Mike, glad to hear you and your sister are mostly ok. Geeeez thats gotta hurt. (You and the Cat) Another incident to add to your recent run of luck. I just cant seem to figure out if its good or bad luck. Depends on your point of view. Better keep that sister of yours off the Cat or off the beer, OK? They just dont mix well at all. I'm just glad you had the quick sense to stop her (at the risk of yourself) Thats a pretty good example of what a big brother is for.
Anyway, I think you are on to something with this weightlifting. If you could bump that bench weight up just a little more you will be able to combine your 2 favorite things...and save time. No sense having to go to a gym when you can go riding and then just slide under the Cat and lift that a few times. It would also be beneficial in a rollover or pinned situation. Just lift it off! All kidding aside, congrats on passing the 500 mark. I know you have been striving for it. It always feels good to reach a goal no matter what it is.
Take it easy and heal up!
Later.....

 

Mike- I like that camo, but I just put up a security deposit via credit card on a green one that would be in next week. Damn 280 mile drive one way to get this thing too. I wanted that camo, but the lady said she had one green one scheduled in, and they were only getting like 10 in the coming months, and some of those have already been and gone. I thought about how much I wanted camo, and then decided if I was impatient and didn't want to wait, I would still get my second choice color and save $200. I'm going to get it out the door for $6399, and Yamaha has the winch promo going for another $70 so I'm not going to gripe about that. I have to call the bank and set up a loan now (not a problem), and it looks like I'll probably have 3 quads for a while until I can move my AC.

I will hate to see that beast go too. Its been a dang good bike for the last 3 years for me. I figure the Grizz will be a lot more fun to ride, but there is no way anyone could ever convince me that it could ever be as solid as this AC has been. I don't think anyone else makes as good a work quad as Arctic Cat. Not even Honda. Problem is that I just don't use it for that purpose.

***Here is what I think I'm sacrificing.***
*Stability- never been on anything as stable as my AC, even with the lift on. It seems like the safest quad available in ultra slow technical terrain. Sidehills, and all else.

*Construction- steel floorboards, plastic fenders that just don't tear off. Probably the most rugged frame built. Arctic Cats are tough. Thats the bottom line.

*Transmission- I'll take the manual over auto any day. (personal preference)

*Racks- AC has the best racks, bar none. Thicker, stronger, wide and proportional to the body. Some say ugly, I say effective.

***Here is what I'll gain I think.***
*Ride comfort- probably better, but who cares. I can stand up over bumpy stuff, and the AC rides good anyway. (this wasn't even important I don't guess)

*Speed- No. 1 contributing factor for me.

*Power- Who cares again. The AC had enough power for anything too.

*IRS- simply stated, I won't bash a rock again with the pumpkin cause its not there.

*Turning- Yamahas turn good. Always have. Our old 85 200 would turn circles inside all the honda 250's that everyone else had.

*Diff-lock- No. 2 contributing factor. Limited slip didn't ever sit well with my limited patience.

*Digital Display- Neat. If it shorts out and breaks, then tough dookie for me then.

*2wd option- No. 3 factor. I had all that power with my AC, but couldn't play with it like I could on the old 300 honda.

Its been 16 years since we got our first Yamaha. I guess maybe its time to revisit my four wheeling roots. Won't be a mistake, because if you have a good time on what you ride, then thats what counts. I won't be using this thing to make a living anyway. I like Yamaha anyway. Back in the day, our deer camps and four wheeler camps consisted of a bakers dozen Honda 250's, an 84 Honda 200, and our two Yamaha's. The only ones in the bunch. Hell, maybe I just liked to be different.

I'll let you know whats up as it progresses though. I was pretty jacked up and just had to post something though. I guess I should start trying to sell the AC a little harder now. I'm thinking that I may just keep the Claws, drop down the price on the AC, and sell off my chrome ITP's to my cousin or something. That would move it quicker, and I don't have any use for 3 bikes.

 

A security deposit-uh oh, sounds like you've gone and done it now! Congrats and best of luck with the new Grizz! I really hope it works out great for you, and does everything you expect of it. I hate to say it, but I don't see how you would regret the trade, unless it turns out to be a complete problem child. Though, with the warranty, I just don't see that happening. I entirely forgot about the 2wd option, that you don't have it with your '99-didn't even think about it actually. So, aside from gaining the 2wd option, in my opinion like you said, you'll be gaining the speed you want, the diff. lock that you need, and the IRS to keep from banging on the rocks. I think your lists of sacrifices is right on, no matter how you look at it.

Like you said about the manual tranny-that's one thing I think AC does a good job of-they have a decent selection of either manual or auto's, and now with either strait axle or IRS. Kind of try to fit the bill for everybody, rather than the majority-I like that. I'm curious to see how fast the new 'Cats will go, with the new gearing, and the supposed milling on the auto's. Though, I still don't see how it could ever compete with either the Grizz or Kawi in that department-unless they did something amazing that nobody knows about, though I highly doubt it. For guys like me though, it's really irrelevant, I don't need to go that fast, so I don't need a quad that will go that fast. You're right, AC builds about the toughest, strongest work quad out there, I hope they don't change that.

I'm really curious to hear how you like your Grizz-both first impressions, and after you get it good and broke in. You're one of the few who tells it like it is, without sugar coating anything-either good or bad, I like that. Like I said, in gaining 2wd, the speed, diff. lock and IRS, I really don't see how you would end up regretting the machine. Again, best of luck with it, and hope everything works out great with it.

Keep me posted!

Mike

 

COWBOY,

good god!!! man you could have gotten seriously fubar. this forum would suck if we lost one of our seasoned veterans. just rest and lick your wounds for a while then get your a$$ out of bed, fix your cat, and go ridin'. i'm sure that will make you feel better.

best o'luck

texascat

 

Hey Cowboy!

First off, glad everything will eventually be OK. I have a feeling keeping yourself in good shape /strength training did a LOT to keep you from looking like a bug on a windshield. I am also glad your sister is OK and will go about learning how to drive an ATV the PROPER way.

Only one thing though, Cats have 9 lives, so it should have a few left, but from my experience, Cowboys only get 3 or 4 (the ones I know, anyway)

All kidding aside, I am glad your previous charges were dropped, and hope you heal well.

Take care

Farmr

 

Mike, Aside from Arctic Cat's or ATV's in generl we all seem to have a lot in common. My self I dont lift however I do have over 25 years experence in the martial arts. I tought JKA Shotokan Karate for over 20 years at my dojo and for Commuity ed. I retired from teaching two years ago and turned my dojo over to my students and now just train for my self. The travel got to be to much I was away from home every night teaching and gone most weekends. I needed to spend more time with my kids before thay grew up.

 

Andy,
Congratulations on your up comming purchase. There is a Yamaha shop just down the road from me and I went over to have a look and was vary inpressed. I shure did not like any of the Yamaha utility ATV's in the past but this new 660 Grizzly is different story all together.. Even tho I am a die hard Arctic Cat fan if I was in the market for a new bike I think this beast would be the next WarPony.
Good Luck

 

Man, small world isn't it! Over 20 years teaching, 25 training, that's pretty impressive! I was asked to open a school up in Pullman while I was going to college, but turned it down. My instructors had asked if I'd open my own dojo and teach up there, but I didn't feel I was good enough to teach others. I only had 12 years experience, and granted, there were a lot of people teaching with a lot less experience than I, and yes, I had beat them all in tournaments and such out here, but none the less, I didn't feel I was able to instruct others "well enough" to suit my instructor. I had a lot of respect for him, still do for that matter, and was more affraid of letting him down, than somebody not learning something. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted, but like you said, it soon became more of a "job" than fun, and that's when I pulled out. I have to say though, when my boy is old enough, I will definately enroll him in a good school as well. Martial Arts training has taught me more about myself, as well as life in general than I would have ever learned in any other school, books, or anything else for that matter. I believe respect, self discipline and determination are among the most beneficial things I gained from it, as well as how to take care of myself of course, but that is far less important than the previous items mentioned. Anybody can go out and defend themselves, stand up against somebody else, or whatever, but it's how you act and your mannerism's in a public setting that effect your own personal outlook to others. Not that it should matter what others think about you, but it does become important for things like getting a job, etc. The better you "carry" yourself, the better chances you have. Without martial arts, I wouldn't have that confidence today I don't think.

Of course, then again, it does have it's down side as well. Trust was/is the biggest thing. I have a really bad habit of not trusting anybody that I ever meet, until I really feel that I know them very well and feel I can trust them. Martial arts has a funny way of teaching you how to "read" people, you can almost know instantly whether or not you'll like somebody or not. And, unfortunately because of that, I've never been wrong yet on my first judgment. I hate to say that because a person really should give somebody the benefit of the doubt at first meeting, but hey, I've been taught, and learned otherwise. In the schools I came from, it was your family first, then yourself, nothing else matters-trust nobody until you are sure you can trust them. I guess in a way though that is a good thing. The friends I do have are among the closest you could ever hope to have. They know me, trust me, and I have complete trust in them. I will always be there if they need me, and I know they'll do the same for me. Trust is a funny thing in that respect, has it's good views and bad, it's all in how you look at it I guess.

That's another thing about this AC forum, kind of makes you feel like the AC guys or the ones who post in here most often are kind of one big family, all a bunch of good friends. While I haven't met most of the guys on here personaly, I would love the opportunity to do so, and especially to ride with you all sometime, I think that would be awesome to say the least. Like you said, it's funny when you put the ATV's aside, I think we all have a lot more in common than we really realize.

Well, I better shut up before I go and say something "totally off the wall". I really hope I haven't offended anybody here, or scared anybody. I sure didn't mean too. Ever hear that ***** Nelson song, (or even the Gibson Miller band for that matter-the re-make) "Mamma's Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be Cowboy's" ?

Cowboy's ain't easy to love and they're harder to hold. They'd rather give you a song than diamonds or gold. Lonestar belt buckles and old faded levi's (wranglers) and each night begins a new day. ... Them that don't know him won't like him and them that do sometimes won't know how to take him. He ain't wrong he's just different and his pride won't let him do things to make you think he's right. Mamma's don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys. Don't let 'em pick guitars and drive them old trucks, make 'em be doctors and lawyers and such...

Best of Luck and Happy Trails,

Mike

 

Hey Cowboy, I just remembered you were at one time talking about taking a cross-country trip. Are you still planning that, or is the new job and all the other activities going to keep you from it. If you are not sure, all I can say is go now before you are tied down from work & marriage. Actually, I should say more tied down from work. My wife would gladly go on a long trip. Anyway, here I am, 31 years old, and haven't seen a lot of what I want to yet, and the way things look I guess I might have to wait until retirement. Anyway, best of luck, and I hope you are healing well & get the Cat going.
Take care
Farmr