I've always wondered what is better or mud running? A Honda or a Arctic Cat? By how much. I like the Foreman 450Es and the Arctic Cat 500I. Which one is better, serioucly. Also, which one is better for climbing, water running, trail riding etc.

 

500I manual if deep water is envolved, if not the 500I auto is also an option. The Honda doesn't even compare in my opinion, except in reliability, but the AC is strong there as well.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I replied in the Honda forum but here it is again:

Personally I'd go with the Cat. It has a better front diff, more ground clearance, disc brakes (with a single lever); high/low range 2/4wd shifting, more power and the choice of a standard or auto tranny. My little cat has kept on with the big boys and even impressed a few of them. Buy whatever you like the most after test driving both but money is on Cat every time.

I've never had any trouble with my cat, partly due to the fact I take care of it and partly due to the fact it’s built like a tank. Now that Blackmagic is going to start producing performance parts it will only get better. Once again it's my opinion and I'm bias.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

* Ground Clearence is better*
BETTER MORE LIKE WAY WAY WAY BETTER!!!!!! The cat, honda isn't even an option!!!!!!!More power with the cat,(never ever in my life have i got stuck in mud with our cat.period.)I get stuck in snow like every day in the winter though, but the honda would get stuck every two seconds in mud and snow.

 

Much would depend upon your expected needs and type of riding, but for most applications, the Cat would be not just better, but much better.

I'm a 500i owner for a couple of months now, so I have a personal bias. But...

The big Cat is probably the best rough terrain quad on the market. Best ground clearance, best wheel travel, no sway bar on the back so a whack on one wheel stays on that wheel. Discs all around, and a comfortable, but not mushy, ride. Carries a very heavy load on its racks. If comments on the forums are any indication, reliability on cats is excellent. Mine has been flawless. Terrific pulling power - I bought mine partially for farm work, and it will drag a fairly large tree. Climbs like, well, a cat. That long suspension travel keeps all four paws on the ground where they can grip.

Honda has an excellent and well deserved reputation for reliability and longevity. Beyond that, though, the Foreman is last decade's quad, dressed up a bit. Live axle in the back, drum brakes, not good ground clearance. An average performer, with some hey-look-at-me electronics for the shifter if you get the ES model.

I don't know what Honda's fascination with drum brakes is, even their high end models have them. I've had bad experiences with wet drum brakes, they just don't work at all until friction can dry the shoes off. The shoes may not wear as quickly as disc pads, but they're a stone bitch to replace.

 

So, with disc brakes, what if you use them in the mud? Won't the mud be ground on the rotors? And with the sealed drums wouldn't the mud stay out and away from moving parts?

 

Or are the disc brakes somehow sealed?

 

The seals on the honda aren't that great, fine mud and water do get in and the shoes do get wet and it is hard to stop. When disc brakes get wet or muddy, they dry and clean out right away and you have brakes!!!!!!!!!!
And why does honda put a plug on the outside of the drums???? So you can drain out the water. Each wheel has a plug.

Disc brakes are a must![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

I have a 500i, its a great quad. It has limited power for my needs. Its not that fast but neither is the Honda. The brakes work flawlessly, the differential is the same piece of crap found on the honda's. I don't care what everyone says, it sucks, I hate 3 wheel drive. The ride is so so so so so good!!! My friend on his Honda Rancher goes over the same terrain as me but at less than half the speed, he is just bouncing all over place getting beat up. I just sit down on my seat and cruise, very nice ride. The ground clearance is the best you can buy.

The fit and finish is not on par with the Honda, the 500i vibrates, its loud and looks out dated(the instrument panel anyways.) I would give Honda the nod when it comes to reliability but not by much. The 500i is built heavier but it is also way heavier.

What else...hmmm.....oh, the price. From where I am the price is night and day, the Honda costs much much more. The rancher is close to the same price as my 500i. When it comes to water I would say the Cat is much better, because it sits alot higher and thus the air breather is higher. I have yet to drown out my Cat while my Honda friend with the rancher has drown his out alot. Just to **** him off I drive through the spot where he drowns out his quad. Also what if the Honda had a electrical problem, the ES would be severly screwed up in the shifting department. Yes you have a back up lever but that thing sucks. If the cat had a electrical problem the only thing that wouldn't work would be the dash lights, maybe electric start and the lights, oh and the fan. The Honda would have no shifting, no display, no 4x4(maybe), no lights and no fan. What would you rather be driving? I would pick the Cat, it would still work while the Honda might make it home.

Off camper rock crawling, no contest. IRS can not be beat. Look in my photos in my signature's link and you will see. I have lots of proof of IRS vs solid axle.

I gave you a truthfull comparison. The 500i is not the best, it has its flaws but what quad doesn't?

 

Maybe Honda did better than Yamaha with the drums. What I know is that when my bear's front brakes get wet, you grab a handful of brake, and it's 2 seconds before they burn off the water and start to bite. A lot can happen in 2 seconds, like hitting a tree. Usually, when you need brakes, you need them right now. After a while, you learn to ride the brakes for a bit after coming out of water so you don't get an unpleasant surprise, but discs don't do this at all. Personal opinion, but I'd take reliable brakes that you repad once a year over drums that might let you down in a painful way. I cross a lot of water on my trails, so it's particularly noticable to me.

The cat, on the other hand, has terrific brakes that work regardless of what you just came out of.