I now own a 2001 500 manual and I am wondering how good the water proofing on the new autos are.I am looking at getting something new in the fall after the june press realease(750 hopefully),if not then then a 500i.I am leaning towards a auto this time ,just for the ease of winter riding.I will not get one if the water-proofing is no better than the older ones.Just a side note,I have 2600 miles on mine now and still very happy with it,I just want to up-grade.

 

Glad to hear from someone about leaning towards an auto. It seems like everyone is bashing the autos and praising the manuals! I bought my first ATV this spring ('02 500i auto) and I am extremely pleased with the auto. Whenever I need more power, I just press the throttle some more. I have never been without sufficient power on this machine. It is not a dragster by any means, but once you learn to ride the motor the way it was designed to be ridden it is plenty fun. I liken the power of this AC to that of a diesel truck - it's all low end baby, and it will pull anything. I'm sure the manual guys will have their say about this. I did ride a manual before I bought the auto (no auto available to demo ride at the time) and I'm still glad I went for the auto. I have plenty of experience with AC sleds, and I learned that the belt drive setup provides PLENTY of power. Since I have been riding this ATV, I have been up to the muffler in water &amp; mud without even a hint of belt slippage. I have never even bothered to drain the belt housing (there is a removable plug to do this) because the belt is very secure from water/debris due to the new snorkle design. I am still amazed at the places this AC has taken me (and back again) without even being stuck once. (my buddy with the 660 Griz cant say that! I wanted a pic of me pulling him out but he wouldnt allow it!) I can also say that even though I went through all that water I've never blown a fuse or anything like that. Try to ride one (if you can) before deciding-I wouldnt want to have another 'auto basher' on her if you werent <u>completely</u> satisfied.

 

Before I bought the 375 I wondered about the auto tranny. After reading people refer to them as rubber bands and always criticizing their lack of performance I was almost convinced to buy a manual quad again. Well after 150 miles of riding with big bore quads, deep water crossings, mudding, and general trail riding I stand behind auto trannys 100%! No more worrying about gear selection, or worries about quick downshifts on a steep tricky uphill.
Only once did I think the belt got wet, after removing the plug and spinning the belt only a drop of water came out. No problems even today with repeated water crossings by a beaver dam (posing for pictures). Will I buy another auto? Yes! Will it be another Cat? Yes! Happy riding and happy shopping.
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