JohnO,
I have a quote from NovaJack for most of the stuff on the site. E-mail me at crashman@stargate.net if you would like them.
Happy Thanksgiving to All.

 

hi i was looken at the manual 500 cat n i was wondering is it worth doing up for beating atound the trails n going througn bog? i live in newfoundland canada so i hav lots of it!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img] i also would like to know how good do it run n is their n e thing bad about it? i hav a 400 kodiak [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] n 250 beartracker [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] n i kno lots about yamaha n i hear arctic cat is better would u agree?

 

I have only owned my cat for about two weeks but I so far I love it. It has plenty of power and ground clearance, I would recommend it, the only thing I know is that it pweighs more than the yamaha's I don't know about the bogs you go through if you need ground clearance or light weight were you want sink, the cat has the ground clearance the weight on the 500 is around 650 pounds dry weight.

 

hey weight is no problem for me my yamaha is over 615lbs and i will need plenty of ground clearnce. i was wondering is the ride smooth on hard pack?

 

BigG,
are you saying that 400i has a limited slip differentiai omly . Can't lock it???
Joe

 

Yes that is what I am saying. Most of the 4X4's are like that. There is an aftermarket product for some of the more popular bikes like Honda where you replace a gear in the front diff and it is a true four wheel drive. I have a freind that has bought the kit for his older Honda forman. He has not installed it yet though. When I called the maker of the kit they said they had no plans of designing one for the Arctic Cat [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

To prove my point last week a budy and I were racing out of the duck hole and I slid into a tree with my front left tire. It bumped pretty hard but I kept going. The next morning (about 45 minutes of riding later) going into the hole I started hearing a popping sound. The outer CV joint on my front drive axle had broken apart, spilled out all the bearings and I was stuck! Because the front diff thought one of my front tires was spinning my other front tire would not even try to apply any power to the ground.

The front drive axle was $222.00 plus tax (parts only) and I installed it myself. It wasn't hard to install. What worries me is when I got there to pick up the part they had ordered another one for someone else for the same problem (I don't know about the tree). The parts person said it happens all the time.

I still love my cat but a little let down right now!

 

Thanks for your reply. I was going to buy the Cat for my wife eventually. Not any more.......
Actually no manufacturer makes true 4x4 3 or 400cc, auto, IRS quad. Polaris does, it is too big. Maybe new Highlander , from the Bomb.
Joe

 

You wouldn't want to get her a Grizzly 660?

They are a dream to ride. More power than most riders need. A nice sport-type machine, with true on-command 4wd.

I know it is an automatic, with electronic bells and whistles, and that is a no-no for some.

 

Wow your Kodiak must be different from mine!!!

Could someone please tell me the top speed of the AC500i?

 

JohnO:

I am thinking about getting my first ATV and I need it primarily for hauling logs our of the woods on the side of a mountain with lots of small (~1 foot) rocks. I am looking at the Arctic Cat 400 or 500. Since you have used yours for pulling logs too, please help with some questions:

- Would I be better off with the auto clutch manual or automatic transmission for heavy work? Normally I would think the manual, but I don't want my foot to slip and unintensionally shift gears while avoiding a tree or rock. But, I don't want to burn out an automatic either.
- Should I consider fan cooling only?
- Do you think the solid axle ACT or the IRS is better? I know the IRS will give me more ground clearance for the rocks. But, I have some concern if I am trying to pull logs on the hitch with IRS. It would seem that the ACT solid axle hitch mount would keep all of the weight directly on the axle and not distributed to the suspension system. A local dealer has also told me that if I have to traverse a hillside going parallel with it, that the ACT will tend to lean downhill much less, and therefore be safer.

Any feedback or suggestions that you can provide would be behelpful.

Thanks,
Jim