<< Brent,
I took a look at some of your pics from May. Man that water looks cold.
Have you managed to get your cat fixed yet.
How much lift have you got?
It looks like a sweet ride.
I have to agree with you after talking to my buddy that let me borrow his cat. He is hard on them and when the 03 line up came out he was disappionted tha the 500 was only IRS. He was looking to buy a lime green 500. >>



My cat is totally stock except for the tires and rims. No lift kit needed for any tire size on the cats, unless you have ACT. I got it fixed while I was on vacation, the dealership bused me the parts the next day and I bused them the broken parts. I installed the new part in like 5 minutes and was riding again in no time. The cats are really easy to work on, they give you lots of room and everything is simple.

The water is cold if you get wet, I try to stay dry with rubbers and skipants. Its a blast in the winter, I can't wait to try my Z on the snow now!

 

Wanaberider, I hope now that you have had time to think and have heard from a few other riders, that you will &quot;be a rider&quot;.

I am a Cat Man!! Not because it is &quot;Spam wordSpam word Spam wordSpam word Spam wordSpam word Spam wordSpam word Spam wordSpam word &quot; &quot;in style&quot; &quot;FAST&quot; or any of that other crap. I do own an Arctic Cat sled that is true, but I chose the AC quad because of the way I ride. I like the low end power, the reliability, and the feel of the machine.

I don't like to knock the other machines because there are things I like about Polaris, Honda, Yamaha, Kawi, and others. The bottom line is that the machine I have fits me and I like it. I may not be the fastest thru a mud bog, but I make it thru more than not.

It's great that you got to test a machine out like you did and even a bonus to ride with machines that you were considering. I can only tell you what I know and that is I love my AC 500...[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

So good luck in your choice!! Don't just be a &quot;wanabe&quot; dude. Be a real rider!!!! Whatever you choose will be right for you!! One thing is for sure, whichever you buy, you will have a friend on the forum someplace that can help you if you run into trouble or just want to show off!![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

From what I have seen, reliability between the two is too close to call.
The Cat is more sutited to a slower riding style, and has stiffer suspension, better for carrying heavy loads.
The Polaris seems more suited for medium work, with a faster top speed &amp; better acceleration.

About the only other comment not already mentioned, is the Sportsman HO has far better tires than the Cats seem to.

Farmr

 

I would choose the Polaris 500 HO over the Artic Cat 500i for my riding style. I like to ride fast in the mud with enough power to turn big tires. But I would never buy a Polaris because of the many years of bashing I have done to them, it would be to embarassing to be seen me with one of those in my truck.

 

take my 500 sp where you take your cat and you will need the cat to get the polaris out ,mine stops ever time you get in deep water like that , belt gets wet , then you stop ,ive had to push my polaris out deep water 2 times with the cat , I will agree it got a lot power but its a dry land machine ,I call it a stv some terrain vehicle . makes my boy mad as fire ,but tell a man the truth and it will make him mad ever time ,

 

The belt housing needs to be sealed up right and you may have to revent the housing as well. This seems to be a common problem with Polaris quads.

 

there is nothing wrong with the polaris ,its just the way they are , belt drives got to love them , I know how to seal it and it is , it stock just like the cat , cats a manual , polaris no longer offers the manual trans anymore , i wish i bought a expedistion 425 , never get me to belive they are better and i got one setting in the barn right beside my trusty cat , just my opinion ,