I'm in the Market for a new Machine, looking for a manual and the AC is the only manual right now that has everything. The only thing I worry about is, will the 500i squash with heavy loads on it and pulling, will the wheels turn inward, will it last 10 years without problems. I am also looking very hard at the Traxter XT, because it is so tough but I also like the Cat alot. I'm a yamaha guy at heart but I want something in the 500 range, no bigger no smaller as they are alot better on fuel for 1 thing. I miss changing gears manually also.
Anyone have some miles on there 500i's, how is the suspension, will it be bullet proof seeing it does not have a sway bar in the back which means it will probably squash with heavy loads right! or not.
I'd like to know, thanks.

 

hey dude I ani't got a 500i , but I have a 400i same rear end , same shocks, the only weight I Have had is me and my son both, him 150 pounds me 280 , 430 pound's I couldn't see , but my friend said it didnt move at all , he has a 2001-500-ho-sp , and he was very impressed by this , The ride with two up is very stable , and that with the shocks in the bottom slots as for the transmission, I had 01 and the 02 shifts twice as good , also very pleased with this , steering is so light it's scary , The only diff between the two is the engine, had i had the money I'd got the 500i to , I am building a trailer for it 4x8 with 1 foot side's an 13" car wheel's, I have all confidence in my quad it has been great so for 70 miles , I had 800 mile's on the 01 , one broke speedo cable, and a electic board in the dash that it , they are very depenable machines, good luck ' CHUNKY

 

Hey yam,
We had this same discussion on another forum (will try to find for later and copy/paste to here).

but basically, an anti-sway bar, is to help with cornering, and to correct for a suspension that is not balanced enough when doing turns (thus the name anti-sway bar). I have my 500i on the default suspension settings, and don't have any problems with it. IMHO, a sway bar is only needed to correct for a suspension design that allows more sway than the rider wants. The i model is setup such that it doesn't need a sway bar.

A sway bar does not help with towing limits or rack limits, it only limits articulation, not adds suspension. Rack capacity and towing are directly related to the type of shock used, it's travel, and it's placement in the suspension system (the angle it is attached and where it attaches). The AC has the highest rack capacity (300 pounds - 100 front, 200 rear).

From my experiences with my 500i, my brother and I 450 pounds total plus gear/addon bumper, lets say 500 pounds. We still had lots of suspension travel left, and played all day on VERY technical trails. The ATV still performed with balance and excellent articulation. When we were both on the ATV going through the trails, I watched the motion of the suspension travel, and the tires were always kept perpendicular to the ground (no toe or camber issues). I've towed over 1,000 pounds on it, and it still was articulating when going through ruff stuff. All I can say is go to a dealer, and request to "load test" it yourself. Hook a heavy trailer to it, load up the racks. I am in the same boat as you, I don't plan on buying another ATV for at least 10 years, so I wanted a rock solid work horse that I could play with. So I would definately TAKE YOUR TIME and test these kind of things for yourself. I can honestly tell you, that you'll get 10 years out of it. The suzuki 500 and tranny that are on it, have been around since 87/88. My mechanic has never even seen the inside of one, except for 2 clutches over the years. The design is "time tested", and refined. The AC chasis is pretty much the same for several years, just the suspension has been enhanced. I've become very familiar with my suspension lately, (close inspection, and curiosity), they have a really BEAFY suspension. The C/V and Ball joints are huge, the A-Arms and shafts are huge. As for the suspension being bullet proof, see my accident thread, and you be the judge, but I say yes. If that accident didn't hurt the main suspension pieces (CV's, *****, shafts, A-Arms, shock, etc) then nothing would.

One of the things that sold me on the 500i was the fact that I could beat the crap out of it, when using for work and utility. But have a blast on the trails, when I wanted to go trail riding. Most everything on it is mechanical, which to me is a positive for long time ownership and heavy utilization. And the solid reputation of that 500 and tranny. Oh yeh lo and high subtranny, also start in gear, but I'm sure you knew that.

 

Rides4fun~

Excellent answer, the only thing I would add is the sway bar likely becomes important if your going to be taking corners on a quad at 65mph. I took the sway bar off my Grizz, and for the type of riding I do, I'll never put it back on, but, I won't be corning at fast speeds either. (I did try the above mentioned speed just to see how the Grizz handled)

Have a Great New Year!

Silverbear

 

Actually, Rides4Fun, you are confuseing the 493 cc Suzuki motors with the 246/280cc motors in the King Quads and Quadrunners. The 493cc motor did not come out untill about mid 97 at the earliest. But the 246cc motor of the LT250-f came out around the same time range you stated.