Review of the AC500i
#1
12-10-2001, 08:35 PM
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Well, I went on my first ride with my new quad,the 2002 Arctic Cat 2002 500i Manual 4 wheeler. I tried to perform as many tests as I could think of and incorporate comments on things I liked finding out about in review I've read. The "maiden voyage" was at Oakey Mountain near Clayton, GA on a beautiful day with only Tim, Rick, and myself on the trails. Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to be as accurate and unbiased as possible.
Positives about the 500i:
* The ground clearance was awesome, really gave me a lot of confidence over just about anything.
* Very stable, due to wide stance the quad seemed to be very sure footed. I wasn't having to fight to keep it level. (however see negatives for more on the width)
* Excellent articulation, due to the combination of GC, suspension travel, and suspension characteristics.
* The suspension was a dream. I have ridden them all and this quad in my opinion, soaked up the rutts and bounces like no other. They have really done a good job on absorbing the trail, yet keeping the quad stable.
* Lots of torque. Though I didn't get into it too hard, since I'm still breaking it in, I could tell by how easilly it muscled up hills not forcing me to downshift as much.
* Excellent stopping power. It has always been my opinion that besides good tires and brakes, good suspension helps in braking. Well this quad has them all, and shows it when doing hard braking (whether straight line or turning while going over bumps).
* Easy to use 2w/4w. Granted not as easy as an electronic, but very easy non the less (without the added electronics that is just another thing that could break down the road).
* Instrumentation was always easy to read and the gear indicator was very helpful.
* This quad is very smooth and quiet, for those of us who appreciate quiet :-)
* Very comfortable seat for absorbing some of the energy that some how slipped by the suspension.
* No problem with large boots and the shifter. Due to the fact that I didn't have to wedge my foot under the shifter, my large boots weren't an issue.(however see negatives below for more on the shifter)
* Price was excellent. Don't tell Arctic Cat this, but I would have paid a lot more for this quad. Price after destination charges, taxes, 2500 lb warn winch, and the quad itself was only $6599.00. I didn't dicker with the dealer at all on this price, as I was very happy with it.
* The manual transmission operated flawlessly on command. Did everything I asked of it smoothly and fast. Having a manual on a big bore is just fun.
* Starting in gear was awesome. You can just turn it on and press the gas. (all though, remember to have break on, or it will not crank - for safety. And yes this is from experience :-)
* Large gas tank was handy. Almost 5 gallons main capacity and 1 gallon reserve, meant that I still had well over a half a tank at the end of a good hard day. Makes me feel like I could get lost somewhere, and not have to worry about finding gas.
Negatives about the 500i:
* The shifter is hard to get used to. I know you have heard this before, but it is the truth. I found myself missing upshifts, and sometimes going up a hill my heal would partially push the shifter disengaging the clutch, thus taking away momentum from the hillclimb. Downshifting was never a problem, but I think it will take me a while to get used to it.
* The width may keep you off of some trails. Not being able to go on a ride, is never a good thing. And a narrow trail may do just that. However, I agree 100% with Arctic Cat on making the quad this wide. It's a give-take relationship you have to do when designing anything. In order to get 12" of ground clearance, you almost have to gain more width to maintain stability.
* Top speed isn't as high as other quads in it's class. To me this is not at all a problem, but it is an issue where male testosterone is envolved. If it isn't an 800cc motor that can go 80 miles an hour, the quad looses credibility by some. To me a utility quad is just that, and if this quad goes 50 or so mph that should be adequate. Especially on the types of trails that I would prefer to ride on (I don't remember going above 30 mph yesterday at Oakley Mountain)
* The mud flaps may not be adequate enough. The quad does have some mud flaps, but they don't completely cover the tires. My only theory (which I was unable to prove due to lack of mud holes yesterday) is that the mud flaps are wider than most quads, but because it is so wide it just isn't wide enough. And that the amount that it does cover is sufficient to keep mud away from driver. I'll update you when I get to prove/disprove that.
* Doesn't have differential lock. This is the one thing that I compromised on when buying the 500i. I have always believed in the option to fully lock the front differentials, and was almost a deal breaker for me. I'm glad that I didn't though, because I was very
impressed with Arctic Cats limited slip. I am going to do research on this, because it is clear to me that this quad does not have a typical limited slip. Besides, I am sure a locking kit will come out that I can install. From what I can tell though, there will be few times that this quad will be in positions where it will "3 wheel", and for those few times, I will use the brake trick to lock it up, until the lock kit comes out. This
problem was never an issue yesterday during 22 miles of fun.
* I don't like the forward/reverse being on the left side. I found myself using my right hand to go over to the left side to forward/reverse. This is because you want to keep the brake on with your left hand. Yes, I know I could have put the parking brake on, but that would have hade me using my right hand as well.
* Due to the excellent gripping tires and wide stance, I was unable to have much donut fun. Once I got it into a grove I could get it going, but it just wanted to stick most of the time. Also when I tried to force it, I hit a rutt, and lost my balance. But it was my fault.
* The left inside part of my knee was bruised. It may have been my riding style, but it kept getting banged against the left side of the quad? I am getting a pad for the next trail ride.
Future things that I see with the 500i:
* A long life of fun riding, due to what I believe to be a rock solid engine/drive tran.
* Reliability. I strongly believe that through good maintenance and good design, I will always be able to count on this quad to take me into the woods and back out again.
* Well built. Just closely inspecting the frame, suspension, and other engineering feats, makes me feel confident that this quad is going to last. The rear CV Joints and suspension are awesome, they look over-built and were worth the wait.
Overall, I am thoroughly pleased with the 500i. It far exceeded all of my expectations. Months ago when I started researching which quad I was going to buy, I was fortunate enough to have a friend who sold quads. I was able to try every model out that I was considering (except the 500i, since it wasn't out yet). And I don't just mean ride them
around the parking lot, this guy had a decent little test track. I jumped, cornered, went over bumps, stopped fast,excelerated hard, etc. And almost didn't want to wait for the 500i. But I am so glad that I waited, it was worth it! This thing soaks up the trail like a sponge (as my good friend Rick says). Since I did so much research on this before purchasing, and made my decision on this quad, you should expect some biasy. But, I made an honest attempt at reviewing the positives and negatives that I found with the quad.
Thanks to Arctic Cat for an excellent machine, thanks to my dealer for putting up with me, thanks to Rick and Tim for an excellent ride yesterday, and thanks to mother nature for the beautiful views yesterday. (oh yeh thanks to my wife for letting me get this in the first place :-)
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
Positives about the 500i:
* The ground clearance was awesome, really gave me a lot of confidence over just about anything.
* Very stable, due to wide stance the quad seemed to be very sure footed. I wasn't having to fight to keep it level. (however see negatives for more on the width)
* Excellent articulation, due to the combination of GC, suspension travel, and suspension characteristics.
* The suspension was a dream. I have ridden them all and this quad in my opinion, soaked up the rutts and bounces like no other. They have really done a good job on absorbing the trail, yet keeping the quad stable.
* Lots of torque. Though I didn't get into it too hard, since I'm still breaking it in, I could tell by how easilly it muscled up hills not forcing me to downshift as much.
* Excellent stopping power. It has always been my opinion that besides good tires and brakes, good suspension helps in braking. Well this quad has them all, and shows it when doing hard braking (whether straight line or turning while going over bumps).
* Easy to use 2w/4w. Granted not as easy as an electronic, but very easy non the less (without the added electronics that is just another thing that could break down the road).
* Instrumentation was always easy to read and the gear indicator was very helpful.
* This quad is very smooth and quiet, for those of us who appreciate quiet :-)
* Very comfortable seat for absorbing some of the energy that some how slipped by the suspension.
* No problem with large boots and the shifter. Due to the fact that I didn't have to wedge my foot under the shifter, my large boots weren't an issue.(however see negatives below for more on the shifter)
* Price was excellent. Don't tell Arctic Cat this, but I would have paid a lot more for this quad. Price after destination charges, taxes, 2500 lb warn winch, and the quad itself was only $6599.00. I didn't dicker with the dealer at all on this price, as I was very happy with it.
* The manual transmission operated flawlessly on command. Did everything I asked of it smoothly and fast. Having a manual on a big bore is just fun.
* Starting in gear was awesome. You can just turn it on and press the gas. (all though, remember to have break on, or it will not crank - for safety. And yes this is from experience :-)
* Large gas tank was handy. Almost 5 gallons main capacity and 1 gallon reserve, meant that I still had well over a half a tank at the end of a good hard day. Makes me feel like I could get lost somewhere, and not have to worry about finding gas.
Negatives about the 500i:
* The shifter is hard to get used to. I know you have heard this before, but it is the truth. I found myself missing upshifts, and sometimes going up a hill my heal would partially push the shifter disengaging the clutch, thus taking away momentum from the hillclimb. Downshifting was never a problem, but I think it will take me a while to get used to it.
* The width may keep you off of some trails. Not being able to go on a ride, is never a good thing. And a narrow trail may do just that. However, I agree 100% with Arctic Cat on making the quad this wide. It's a give-take relationship you have to do when designing anything. In order to get 12" of ground clearance, you almost have to gain more width to maintain stability.
* Top speed isn't as high as other quads in it's class. To me this is not at all a problem, but it is an issue where male testosterone is envolved. If it isn't an 800cc motor that can go 80 miles an hour, the quad looses credibility by some. To me a utility quad is just that, and if this quad goes 50 or so mph that should be adequate. Especially on the types of trails that I would prefer to ride on (I don't remember going above 30 mph yesterday at Oakley Mountain)
* The mud flaps may not be adequate enough. The quad does have some mud flaps, but they don't completely cover the tires. My only theory (which I was unable to prove due to lack of mud holes yesterday) is that the mud flaps are wider than most quads, but because it is so wide it just isn't wide enough. And that the amount that it does cover is sufficient to keep mud away from driver. I'll update you when I get to prove/disprove that.
* Doesn't have differential lock. This is the one thing that I compromised on when buying the 500i. I have always believed in the option to fully lock the front differentials, and was almost a deal breaker for me. I'm glad that I didn't though, because I was very
impressed with Arctic Cats limited slip. I am going to do research on this, because it is clear to me that this quad does not have a typical limited slip. Besides, I am sure a locking kit will come out that I can install. From what I can tell though, there will be few times that this quad will be in positions where it will "3 wheel", and for those few times, I will use the brake trick to lock it up, until the lock kit comes out. This
problem was never an issue yesterday during 22 miles of fun.
* I don't like the forward/reverse being on the left side. I found myself using my right hand to go over to the left side to forward/reverse. This is because you want to keep the brake on with your left hand. Yes, I know I could have put the parking brake on, but that would have hade me using my right hand as well.
* Due to the excellent gripping tires and wide stance, I was unable to have much donut fun. Once I got it into a grove I could get it going, but it just wanted to stick most of the time. Also when I tried to force it, I hit a rutt, and lost my balance. But it was my fault.
* The left inside part of my knee was bruised. It may have been my riding style, but it kept getting banged against the left side of the quad? I am getting a pad for the next trail ride.
Future things that I see with the 500i:
* A long life of fun riding, due to what I believe to be a rock solid engine/drive tran.
* Reliability. I strongly believe that through good maintenance and good design, I will always be able to count on this quad to take me into the woods and back out again.
* Well built. Just closely inspecting the frame, suspension, and other engineering feats, makes me feel confident that this quad is going to last. The rear CV Joints and suspension are awesome, they look over-built and were worth the wait.
Overall, I am thoroughly pleased with the 500i. It far exceeded all of my expectations. Months ago when I started researching which quad I was going to buy, I was fortunate enough to have a friend who sold quads. I was able to try every model out that I was considering (except the 500i, since it wasn't out yet). And I don't just mean ride them
around the parking lot, this guy had a decent little test track. I jumped, cornered, went over bumps, stopped fast,excelerated hard, etc. And almost didn't want to wait for the 500i. But I am so glad that I waited, it was worth it! This thing soaks up the trail like a sponge (as my good friend Rick says). Since I did so much research on this before purchasing, and made my decision on this quad, you should expect some biasy. But, I made an honest attempt at reviewing the positives and negatives that I found with the quad.
Thanks to Arctic Cat for an excellent machine, thanks to my dealer for putting up with me, thanks to Rick and Tim for an excellent ride yesterday, and thanks to mother nature for the beautiful views yesterday. (oh yeh thanks to my wife for letting me get this in the first place :-)
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
#2
12-10-2001, 10:42 PM
hey dude , I like the way you did the reveiw nice very professional, honesty , the best policy , But you are killing me , I cant wait till saturday , this is going to be great , I dont like the shifter on the left either , I like the old one on the right , I saw that on the act model at the dealership , ididnt think it would work good , but i will find out saturday , nice pictures on the ride , keep the info coming .
#3
12-11-2001, 10:16 PM
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I did leave out 2 things (I can't believe I forgot them either).[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img]
2 more positives that I forgot about:
* Engine braking was phenominal. Usually down the hills I just had it in 4x4, Hi, 2nd gear. That seemed to keep it at the speed I liked. But just for grins, and on ATVgirls request, I put it in 4x4 LOW, 1st gear once. Lord have mercy, that thing literally crawled down the hill, speed wasn't registering.
* Jumping was very balanced and predictable. Following Tim back to the parking lot (end of the day, boo hoo), we got to go over the newly shaped jumps at the beginning of Oakey. For such a heavy ATV, that quad was always landing on 4 and never bottomed out on me. It felt very natural to go over the jumps, and it seemed to level out in air before landing with the ground. I guess it's true that a cat will always land on all 4's.
2 more positives that I forgot about:
* Engine braking was phenominal. Usually down the hills I just had it in 4x4, Hi, 2nd gear. That seemed to keep it at the speed I liked. But just for grins, and on ATVgirls request, I put it in 4x4 LOW, 1st gear once. Lord have mercy, that thing literally crawled down the hill, speed wasn't registering.
* Jumping was very balanced and predictable. Following Tim back to the parking lot (end of the day, boo hoo), we got to go over the newly shaped jumps at the beginning of Oakey. For such a heavy ATV, that quad was always landing on 4 and never bottomed out on me. It felt very natural to go over the jumps, and it seemed to level out in air before landing with the ground. I guess it's true that a cat will always land on all 4's.
#5
12-23-2001, 02:36 PM
Hey,
Great review. I'm going to be getting a 500 manual in March and I'm torn between the ACT and the i. However, I must say, since it's recent release, I have heard nothing but positives about this machine. This plus the fact it has greater travel, ground clearance and pre-load adjustable shocks are pushing me towards the i model. One question for you though... how does the suspension hold up to weight? I ask because I will be carrying a passenger and sometimes some heavy luggage and I'm concerned that the suspension might "squat out". I noticed this on some of the original independant machines (namely Polaris bikes) which flatten out considerably under weight. It looks bad, it reduces the travel/clearance, and the wheels spread far past the edge of the mudflaps. I'm confident Artic Cat machines will not have the same problem since AC doesn't bastardize the term "utility quad" by designing a machine that cannot work, but I just wanted someone else's opinion on this to reassure me.
Regards, and happy riding
Great review. I'm going to be getting a 500 manual in March and I'm torn between the ACT and the i. However, I must say, since it's recent release, I have heard nothing but positives about this machine. This plus the fact it has greater travel, ground clearance and pre-load adjustable shocks are pushing me towards the i model. One question for you though... how does the suspension hold up to weight? I ask because I will be carrying a passenger and sometimes some heavy luggage and I'm concerned that the suspension might "squat out". I noticed this on some of the original independant machines (namely Polaris bikes) which flatten out considerably under weight. It looks bad, it reduces the travel/clearance, and the wheels spread far past the edge of the mudflaps. I'm confident Artic Cat machines will not have the same problem since AC doesn't bastardize the term "utility quad" by designing a machine that cannot work, but I just wanted someone else's opinion on this to reassure me.
Regards, and happy riding
#6
12-23-2001, 07:45 PM
Hey dude's , icecat , me and my son both got on my 400i and buddy said wow it didn't move at all, that's 430 pound's and the shock's were on the 2 notch, made me happy , my buddy's has a 500,sp ho and it will sqaud with less weight alot , I have owned both a act & irs , I think the irs is better , but thats my thoughts , you will have to make your own decision , you know what i mean 2002-400-I-4x4
#7
12-23-2001, 11:42 PM
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Hey IceCat. When it comes to ACT vs IRS, at least with Arctic Cats implementation of IRS, I would have to say that the IRS wins. I say that for a few reasons.
First, you get better traction with IRS, due to the tires always being kept perpendicular throughout the suspension travel (the below link is a crude drawing to show the difference). I'm not knocking a straight axle, but I am merely pointing out the physics and mechanics of it compared to IRS.
IRS vs Straight Axle
Second, the MOST GC you can ever expect to have with a solid axle is a formula that envolves the size of the tires and thickness of the shaft. For example with 26" tires and a 4" shaft, the best you could ever hope to have is (1/2 26" - 1/2 4"
, which is 11" (and that is really stretching it). With IRS, you're not limited to by the same constraints that a solid axle is, and your GC can get very high, I've heard of a lifted 500i and 28" tires having 14 1/2" of GC, WOW!
13 inches GC and 10 inches of Travel on my 500i
This whole theory I keep hearing that people have, about When a straight axle is better, is flawed. Because most newer ATV's I've seen with IRS, DON'T allow the articulation to go further than perpendicular to the rear diff (which is the same as a straight axle). Look at a picture of my articulation on my new 2002 Arctic Cat 500i manual You'll see that at full articulation it is still perpendicular to the rear diff, still giving me as good GC as a solid axle at least.
FULL Rear Flex of the 500i
If less articulation is needed, then most newer IRS models are fully adjustable. Besides, look at any mudding/hill climbing/Baha Racing/etc competitions out there, what are they using.....IRS of course.
When it comes to weight that can be handled, it comes down to the suspension and its travel. Both the i models and the upper ACT models can handle the same. They both can have 300lbs on the racks and tow 1050lbs. On mine, I have the rear bumper accessory, a packed to the brim rear bag, and between my brother and I (about 450lbs together), we had about 500lbs on it. I was still able to go through the technical trails, with excellent articulation, and never bottomed. I have towed with it too, about 1,000 pounds, and there was still plenty of articulation left. What impressed me most, was that the independent suspension was still doing it's magic, in keeping the tires perpendicular to the ground while going over obstacles with that load.
The only advantages I can think of for straight axle are: cost, less power loss, less prone to breakage and less parts. The whole design about straight axles is just cheaper (that's a good thing). Everytime you add a link into the equation and add a joint, you loose mechanical torque. Straight axles, have less parts and are less proned to breaking. C/V joints have an Achiles heal (the boots). If the boots are compromiced, and water/grit gets in, the joint will fail. This is less likely to happen with straight axle. I will say though, that the i models have the most heavy duty C/V joints I've seen in an ATV, and have excellent protection around the boots.
I love the ACT suspension, don't get me wrong, but I'm a logical man, and usually look for scientific and common sense explanation for things. IRS hands down (on the new i model Arctic Cats at least, can't vouch for other manufacturers).
First, you get better traction with IRS, due to the tires always being kept perpendicular throughout the suspension travel (the below link is a crude drawing to show the difference). I'm not knocking a straight axle, but I am merely pointing out the physics and mechanics of it compared to IRS.
IRS vs Straight Axle
Second, the MOST GC you can ever expect to have with a solid axle is a formula that envolves the size of the tires and thickness of the shaft. For example with 26" tires and a 4" shaft, the best you could ever hope to have is (1/2 26" - 1/2 4"
, which is 11" (and that is really stretching it). With IRS, you're not limited to by the same constraints that a solid axle is, and your GC can get very high, I've heard of a lifted 500i and 28" tires having 14 1/2" of GC, WOW!13 inches GC and 10 inches of Travel on my 500i
This whole theory I keep hearing that people have, about When a straight axle is better, is flawed. Because most newer ATV's I've seen with IRS, DON'T allow the articulation to go further than perpendicular to the rear diff (which is the same as a straight axle). Look at a picture of my articulation on my new 2002 Arctic Cat 500i manual You'll see that at full articulation it is still perpendicular to the rear diff, still giving me as good GC as a solid axle at least.
FULL Rear Flex of the 500i
If less articulation is needed, then most newer IRS models are fully adjustable. Besides, look at any mudding/hill climbing/Baha Racing/etc competitions out there, what are they using.....IRS of course.
When it comes to weight that can be handled, it comes down to the suspension and its travel. Both the i models and the upper ACT models can handle the same. They both can have 300lbs on the racks and tow 1050lbs. On mine, I have the rear bumper accessory, a packed to the brim rear bag, and between my brother and I (about 450lbs together), we had about 500lbs on it. I was still able to go through the technical trails, with excellent articulation, and never bottomed. I have towed with it too, about 1,000 pounds, and there was still plenty of articulation left. What impressed me most, was that the independent suspension was still doing it's magic, in keeping the tires perpendicular to the ground while going over obstacles with that load.
The only advantages I can think of for straight axle are: cost, less power loss, less prone to breakage and less parts. The whole design about straight axles is just cheaper (that's a good thing). Everytime you add a link into the equation and add a joint, you loose mechanical torque. Straight axles, have less parts and are less proned to breaking. C/V joints have an Achiles heal (the boots). If the boots are compromiced, and water/grit gets in, the joint will fail. This is less likely to happen with straight axle. I will say though, that the i models have the most heavy duty C/V joints I've seen in an ATV, and have excellent protection around the boots.
I love the ACT suspension, don't get me wrong, but I'm a logical man, and usually look for scientific and common sense explanation for things. IRS hands down (on the new i model Arctic Cats at least, can't vouch for other manufacturers).
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#8
12-27-2001, 07:11 PM
Alright fella's you've got me convinced... I'm gonna spring for the 500i instead of the ACT this March. Thanks for all of the input. Oh and Rides4Fun... I damn near cried when I saw your machine scattered all over your garage floor. Hope all went well with the repairs. Happy riding and for godsake, drive carefully [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]
#9
12-27-2001, 08:33 PM
Hi IceCat, I had the same choice to make, IRS or ACT. Went with the ACT for two reasons. First I wanted my bike for deer season, and would have to wait for the IRS. Guess that doesn't matter now. Second and most important is the IRS is 2 1/2 inches wider. Now I know to some folks that doesn't sound like much, but add bigger tires, say 26-12-12's and now it's 3 to 3 1/2 inches wider. The trails that I have been on so far, my bike just fits through some of the rocks, trees, pallets for bridges etc. Everyone I ride with, mostly Honda's comment on how the Cat keeps all four wheels on the ground. The other comment is how rough the trails are this time of the year and how everyone is waiting for snow so the trails will smooth out. I find them smooth now. I am very happy with the ACT and hope I never get to ride IRS. If I did I might trade and have to carry a chainsaw with me at all times. Good luck with your choice, maybe we will meet on the trails sometime. Jeepersmitty
PS Is NewF looking at the IRS or ACT?
PS Is NewF looking at the IRS or ACT?
#10
12-27-2001, 08:33 PM
Hi Rides4fun, well I really like your cat and now that you have some hours on it I have a couple of questions for you 1- with it being very tall does it feel tippy at all 2- are the mud flaps good enough to keep off the mud of of you 3-do you see any real disadvantage of having no sway bar 4-you also talk about the width, is it that much wider than other quads 5- and last but not least do you drive a sp before you bought the 500i sorry for all the questions but I would like to know because i may get one thanks!!![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]