Ok guys, I just picked up my new 500i auto on Friday. I traded in my 2000 400 a/c act manual and have pretty high expectations with the new machine. The "old" 400 did everything I needed, ie. haul treestands and dead deer, transport bear bait, pull friends from mud holes etc. It just did not do some things I wanted, like keeping the rpm's in the powerband when needed, like hill climbing and mud holes., plus now my wife likes to drive because of the Auto tranny (she says she now needs her own machine)

Anyway, I have been watching these posts for a long time and a couple things concern me that I have read. 1. are many people really breaking rear drive shafts? 2. everyone is talking about front lockers, I did not think I really needed one even with my old machine. It seemed to get through what they in Northern Minnesota call "Loon Sh$t", pretty nasty gumbo. and 3rd. How are the Stock Dunlop tires A/C is putting on them? I was surprised by the change from Titans.

Have to say I am impressed with the ground clearance,yet surpised by the width of the machine, how is snaking through the woods, does the extra width create more backing up to get around trees and tight trails?

 

You have graduated to another level getting the 500i

You dont need a locker if you do not mud ride and are not in competition with others. if you use your bike to trail ride and hunt, dont worry about it.

Your bike will handle just fine in the woods

Breaking axels is starting to seem like a hit and miss type of deal!
As long as you keep going to the dealership and having it fixed if you break them. they will continue to fix them long after the warrany is gone!!!!

You really dont know it but you just bought the best warranty ever know to ATVs!

Arctic Cat is aware of the axel problem and is comming to the rescue. They are in the middle of comming up with some alternatives! But may be awile!

Most of us in this forum ride really hard!

Hope this helps!

 

Catkrazy is dead on Shooter. For the type of riding you do you'll love it. Most of the people breaking axles (including me) are running big tires, lift kits, etc. You also dont need a locker unless your doing competitive mud riding. Limited slip is all youll need. Good luck with the new ride.

 

what these guys are saying is right own.

 

the stock dunlops are ok for logging roads and trail rideing and work on the farm. but a good set of tires will be like night and day. your new cat can handle bigger tires easy. catcrazy has new mud lites and he says he loves them i got gators and i think there great but a little bit heavy also itp makes the 589 and there also a good tire, any of these tires will wake up the cat and show you what it can realy do. plus with 28 inch tires youl have at least 14 inches of ground clearence but if you go that big go mud lites there a good all round tire and a great price just ask catcrazy what he thinks of the new mud lites.

 

The Dunlops are fair at best. Mine appear to be wearing down fast. Knowing what I know now I would have gotten new tires right from the start.

 

me to. i would have got new tires rite away the differance with new tires is like night and day. my dunlops were ok but my gators are awsom.

 

Mudblaster, I here conflicting data here. I here about everyone talk about how wonderful the new big tires are, like zillas, mudbusters, gators, mudlites etc. But then I here guys like Catkrazy say that it contributes to broken rear axles and CVs? So what makes that so great and is it a real problem or is it a few specific guys just beating the holy crap out of their machines?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

I guess no one explained the weight difference between the mudlites and say the....mudzillas, thats what really kills the axles and cv-joints. Dead weight is murder on a quad and plus the 2" lugs don't help much either, grab a root or rock spinning your tires and POP! hehe

The mudlites are very light compared to the aggressive mud tires people are running on here, get the 28" mudlites on aluminum rims or 26" mudlites on stock rims, have fun.

 

Shooter

I have both The Zillas and the Mudlites!!

I ride in the same places easier than i did with the zillas. There will come a time where I would have needed the zillas deep lugs to get me through a situation,but very very rare. Where I ride is some pretty BAD shiznit. ITS VERY THICK and deep. not being able to turn your tires when you want will get you stuck or slow you up enough that you have to hammer down on the throttle. Doing this with my zillas poses a great risk for poping a cv. Here the mud changes in the hole you are in. It could go fron sloppy and water to deep and thick. So you have to be able to gas on it and turn your tires to clean them in the hole you are in!! You can run the big 2 inch cleats all day long on your CAT. I just bought the mudlites to test them out and see what they can do. I was the laughing stock of the ride when i got them. Needles to say I was the last one to laugh!!!! The tires did wonderful