My friend just got his new 500i 5-speed last night. When we were walking up to the dealer's door, it was sitting outside all ready to go, and I immediately noticed something. The Hi-Lo selector for the transmission is on left side of the motor down at floorboard level. The actual Trans selector on the left front fender only has Forward and Reverse.

Is this how all the 500's are? My 400i has L/H/R on that lever (just as the autos have L/H/N/R). I've never seen the lever mounted to the side of the engine. It's in a bad place and is hard to use, in my opinion.

Also... his 5-speed has a 1-2-3-4-5 gear position indicator, where as my 400i 5-speed does not. The 300's and 250's also have the indicator. They had a 400i 5sp in-stock that also did not have the indicator. I'm wondering what the deal is.

Rob

 

You've hit one of my few peeves with the Cat, the hi/lo shifter. Yes, that's how the manual transmission 500i Cats are done. It's about the only flaw I can find in the machine. That shifter is a stiff little mother, and your hand gets kinda warm while working it if the machine has been running for any amount of time. Get some mud on it, and it's going to be even harder to use.

500 autos have a proper shifter, and when I looked one over, it appeared to have the same shifter on the transmission case, that round ring, it just used a long rod to run up to the big shift handle. I can't imagine why they didn't do that with the manual. I'd heard the 03 manual Cats would get a proper shifter, and was even dreaming of a retrofit, but I guess only the 400's got it. At least make that shift lever a bit longer, it's a real fingernail buster.

The only saving grace in all of this is that the 500 is a pretty torquey engine, so low range doesn't get used very often anyway. Still, it's a lousy design in an otherwise well thought out machine.

 

That's a shame. I had thought maybe there was a midyear change or something that caused it to happen. In fact, it's enough for me that I would avoid buying a 500i 5-speed. 'Course that opinion might change once I ride his machine.

Still, my plan is to pump up the motor in my 400i to a 450 or somewhere around there and get it making quite a bit more power than even the 500 (and hopefully get the torque up too), so it won't be an issue.

Otherwise, I'll be waiting to trade it on the new 650 due next year (if it really happens), even if it only comes in an auto.

Now if I can just figure out how to get the gear-position indicator on mine...

Rob

 

Rob, can you compare the Hi-Low shifter location (on the actual tranny) on both your 400 and your friends 500? My guess is that since the 500 is basically the same engine and tranny it's been for years (and the same as last year's 400 - mine is in the same spot as your friends) that AC simply didn't upgrade the design. The new 400's are based on the '02 375's engine and since they had to design a new tranny, they went the extra mile and changed the shifter too.

I sure hope they DO upgrade the 500's as this will likely retrofit to my '02 400 as well. As it is, though, the location hasn't bothered me, but then, I hardly ever find the need for it.

 

I have a 400i and now wish I had the 500. What will you do to beef up the 400?

 

I have the 500i and the highl low shifter is on the motor and the reason why is that you have a high and low range in reverse with the 500 where as with the 400 you only have one range and that is high. Arctic Cat realized they had a problem when they changed the 400 shifter to the fender so they left the 500 alone where you would have a high and low in reverse.

 

If that's the only reason they left the 500i shifter down on the case, perhaps a 400i shifter could be adapted? I'd gladly trade dual range reverse for a shifter I can get to.

 

Good point bigjames. But I have to agree, the shifter is in a difficult spot. Not hard to shift but when you fine yourself in water and mud, tire high, like I did a few times and you want to reach down and shift into high/low range, remember to pull your glove off and wipe your hands before you put them back into your glove. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]
I wouldn't like to see the shifter design change so that it comes through the fender but I would like to see electric high/low shifting. That way it could be mounted in an area easy to reach.
The other thing I don't like is the speedo housing. Yesterday while riding Bull Gap, in Michigan, with friends, I had to duck beneath several tree branches that had lots of snow on them. One of the limbs hit my speedo and the cover came off. Later, after I got home and under closer inspection I saw that the cover is gluded onto the base. The glue gave way (that was a good thing) and the snow was all over the inside of the unit (not so good). I think AC could do a better job of protecting this inexspensive piece of equipment. My first speedo broke at around 300 miles ( mechanical problem). This one has 500 plus miles. At this pace, I'll be replacing speedo's faster than tires. Other then that, I do love my CAT...
Chuck