I already own a 400 Suzuki Eiger but the only problem is my son is always riding on it. The new 500 Arctic Cat caught my eye. It looks like a very well built atv and Iam thinking about buying one. I have some questions . Does the gear shift slector work real good? And does the 4 wheel drive system work real good? And what is the top speed out of the 500 ? if it can run with my 400 eiger that is fast and good enough for me. Any responces from you Arctic Cat owners would greatly be appreciated. And by the way to all you Arctic Cat 4 wheelers have merry xmas and a happy new year.




THANK YOU EIGERMAN

 

I have a 400i, but a friend has a 500i on order. I can tell you my 400i is good for 50 mph and I haven't even piped it yet. The 500i should do 55 mph no problem.

The shifter is good, but it starts out kinda stiff. It's a heel-shifter rather than a toe shifter like the other quads have, though you can get a toe shifter lever for it from Arctic Cat for about $25.

I think you'll love the 500. It has lots more torque than the 400i or the Eiger (which share the same motor).

Rob

 

Hey Snarfblat thanks for the info. But maybe i asked the question the wrong way. I was trying to ask about the automatic tranny. My brother in law has a Suzuki 500 vinson and sometimes when you want to shift from park to hi or lo or reverse it seems to get stuck and you have a hard time to select the gear you want. Thats what i wannted to know if the Arctic Cat 500 had that problem too? and also how does the four wheel drive system seem to be?But i must say this i like the looks of the cat and ther new lime green paint scheme. I really belive iam leaning toward buying the cat. thanks once again snarfblat for your help.



THANK YOU EIGERMAN

 

Hey eigerman,

I have the 500i auto. It does 55 or so. Plenty of torque and pulling power. I think it shifts real easy between R and F. Sometimes to get it into forward from reverse it gets kinda hung up but a little touch to the throttle and it always slides in. Havn't had any problems yet. I hope that bit of info helps.

 

Hey thanks turfguy take all the info i can get but as i do more researching this big cat is looking better and impressing me more all the time.


THANKS EIGERMAN

 

Imagine an Eiger with bags of low end engine torque, and that's the 500i. It will at least run with the Eiger, if not faster, until the ground gets really rough, at which time the Cat will really shine. You sit a lot higher - that takes some getting used to, but after a while it spoils you. Not less stable, as the Cat is also wider than most quads. The ride is very comfortable, doesn't rattle you around on rough ground. Top speed is low to mid 50's, but the engine seems a bit strained at that speed. Over rough ground, the Cat runs about 2 gears higher than my old Big Bear, it handles the rough stuff that much better. Pulling power is great - the extra weight gives you great traction. I use my Cat to drag trees around on my farm and haul firewood, it's a real workhorse.

My Cat is a manual transmission, so I can't speak for the auto. I like the harley style shifter, especially with big boots on, some people don't. Personally, I think the Cat handles better with 4wd. It doesn't stiffen the steering up any, and the front end seems a bit more responsive than in 2wd.


--John


My Cat photos

 

Thanks John O you been very helpful in giving more info. I know now that I will be buying a 500 Arctic Cat in the near future.I like what I see and I think I will be investing my money wisely by buying the cat. It sure pays to ask questions and to do research before spending that amount of money. Once again thanks from the Eigerman.

 

I am going thru dealer servicing issues with my Arctic Cat. The dealer is more important than the machine, unless you do your own work. The phoenix area has a kooky dealer/mx. Make a call to the BBB before you buy. I'v e nothing against 'cat but service is all inportant.
backfiring dusty

 

My brother has an arctic cat and loves it....but his gripe and mine is that they are a little slower. the thing is a tank. well built but slow. Rumor has it that you might find a kawi 650/700 v twin in the Arctic Cat in the not so distant future. That would be one helluva a machine

 

what kind of riding do you do eigerman??

if you are looking for speed you might want to look into a sport utility like the warriors or a sport quad like the z-400, raptor, predator, or the new v-force 700. My brother has a warrior and he made it thru places that some 4x4's got stuck. They are very fun, but since i started riding without a clutch to riding using a clutch, there's no way i would go back to anything similar to auto, its just not as fun to me, personally. 400ex, z-400, kfx400, and raptors are all fun quads that many people ride trails on. and im sure the new predators would be a blast on trails. But if u like to leisure ride, pull things, plow snow, or just like 4x4's better, just stick with them. The only recent experience on a 4x4 i have is on my g/f's rancher, it was fun, but totally different than my raptor. Also, the new 700cc v-force quad might interest you, im sure it would be faster than your current quad. I personally know nothing about ac quads, besides they are at the top in areas of pulling or hauling, because there are no ac quad dealers near my town.