I am thinking about a new ATV this spring.

The new AC 500i costs me the same money as the Yamaha 660 and the Kawa 650 up here in Alaska.

Have any of you AC riders ever wished for locking differentials in the front-end? Has the lack of it gotten you stuck?

 

Yes I would like the locking differential. But I would rather have something like the differential on the Traxter. Kind of like a Detroit locker, that has been run in trucks and jeeps for years. I do not want an electrical unit like on the Grizz. The unit on the 650 would be my second choice.
The diff on the AC is probably the best working limited slip type out there right now. It really works good, but it doesn't give positive lock up. It 3 wheels less than any of the other non locker equipped quads that I ride with. We all get stuck and when we do it is most likely a ground clearance problem.

 

I find this quite interesting. I have rode with just one cat, and it would 3wheel worse than any other machine in our group. Not trying to bash!!! But also from what I've read on other forums, new cats seem to be the same way. Despite what some people think, my Wolverine does not 3 wheel very often. It is getting worse as time goes by, but I REALLY have to have 1 front tire planted and the other in the air before it will do it. If both tires are on the ground at all, it will spin them both. I've been looking for a new ride for awhile now, but this issue is what has scared me away from the cats. If they were to put a locker in the i's, I would probably have one tomorrow!

 

My son has the 01 250 4x4 and it will 3 wheel very easy. But It also has the ability to lock all 4 wheels. I don't think that the 01 and earlier 250 and 300 had the same differential as the 400 & 500. Could it have maybe been a 250 or 300 that you were with? It seems to me that the AC dif. on the 400 & 500 works better than the other limited slip type quads.

 

ratman i am in alaska too. Right now i have a 01 500 Auto and a 98 300 with the locker mod. where are you going to get your ATV from? i got my 300 from northern power sports and my 500 from the AC dealer in Wasilla. i have ridden the 500 all over and i havent missed the locker once in a great while i will have the 3 wheel thing happen but not often. when i get the 500 stuck it is because i hit hole and the bike went all the way to the frame and sat there spinning its tires (26 X 12 X 12 Titan 589 ms) a locker would not have helped me at all because there was nothing solid for the tires to grab. right now i am looking at selling the 300 and getting a 500i manual. i think with the frame as far from the ground as it is the i model will hold its own even against an ATV with a locker. if you are around the fairbanks area and want to ride let me know once breakup is done. good luck on your choice

Dan

 

Racnooc,

Thanks for the info. It is good to hear from someone that has actual experience. All the salesmen give you a pitch to buy their machine.

Here in Anchorage there is an Arctic Cat/Suzuki dealership on Commercial Drive. Though I live in the Mat Valley they offer the best prices. If I decide to get an AC I will probably go there.

I noticed that you have a 500 Auto, and are thinking on getting the 500i Manual. I am curious . . . are you thinking of the Manual to compare them, or is there a reason you don't want the Auto?

 

when i got the 500 auto it was for my wife to drive so she would not have to worry about shifting gears. But in july my 300 was in an accident and i couldnt use untill it was fixed so i kinda took over the 500. as far as auto vs manual, i think it is a personal preference. i will say that the auto in mud is very easy to drive. you dont have to worry about finding the right gear or trying to shift when you are in the mud. the auto delivers the right amount of power all the time. i took the 500 moose hunting and it did good when pulling a trailer full of moose but i think the manual would be better for pulling the trailer because you have drive slow. have you ever ridden up off the Denali hwy? there are some good riding/fishing spots there. if you have any more questions let me know, and how much is the dealer there selling the 500 i's for? good luck on which ever machie you get.

 

Racnooc,

Yes, I have done some moose hunting off of the Denali Hwy in the past. I forget the small stream we hunted near. I do remember that it is very close to the Camp Ground that is on the North side of the road. About 2-5 miles? (its been a long time) before the campground the road crosses over a small stream where a lot of people park/camp during hunting season. Do you know about the Moose population there? Is it still down because of the hunting pressure and the Grizzly population?

Isn't there an awesome spot near there for Grayling fishing? I seem to remember a short trail somewhere near the camp ground, it's also on the North side of the road. If I remember correctly, it goes just a couple of miles north towards the river and stops on a small stream. I caught some nice sized Grayling there a few years ago. Do you know of the spot? Do you know if it has been fished out or not?

The last time I checked with Anchorage Suzuki/Arctic Cat (272-2412), they were asking $6995 for the basic 500i Auto with no promo's. That was around the beginning of the month.

 

Hey you Alaska guys! Good to see some fellow Alaskans here. I live in Fairbanks. Been lurking on these forums for a while. I'm looking at buying a new 500i man in the spring. We go down to the Tangle lakes area every summer. Awesome Grayling fishing if you hit it right. We (wifey and me) want to checkout some of the lakes that you can ATV to. Hiked in to Landmark Gap lake a couple years ago. Nice place.
My buddy bought a new 2001 Griz from Northern Power Sports last summer. We took it up off the Steese and got a couple Caribou in August. What a pain with only one ATV! I'll tell you what though. That thing is a beast! Two guys, two Caribou, gear trailer and gear, bone stock machine and it handled it all no problem. Rocks, mud, ruts, etc. Can't wait until this year with my onw machine. We go Mosse hunting up off the Elliot. Lots of good spots there too. Heck, this is Alaska! Lots of good spots all over if you just go find em.

Later...

 

ratman i have been told that the griz population in that area is realy high. in fact i hope to go up there with some friends this spring and hunt for griz. where we went riding and fishing it was about 30 miles on the denali hiway from cantwell. it is about a 5 mile ridefrom the road into a Butte lake (it is on a map) we caught some grayling but i put on a spoon and started catching arctic char, allot more fun to catch. we went moose hunting across the tanannaw and 20 miles up the little delta. there were 6 in the party and 3 of us took moose it was a really good hunt.

snyd, i went caribou/sheep hunting up to the white mt. area in aug and didnt see a thing. the weather sucked big time. the clouds were low, it was rainy and we were lucky to see 300 yards in any direction. it was good 4 wheeling i guess. if either of you want someone to ride with let me and we can make plans.