Product reviews
#1
11-20-2003, 10:52 PM
Join Date: Apr 2003
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Product reviews
I know I’m a little behind times and a lot of this information may be old news, but I wanted to give my opinion on a few products for incase anyone else is looking at them.
I recently installed the following on P650:
RICOCHET FULL SKID PLATES AND A ARM GUARDS: I have an 01 P650. I understand the 02’s have improved skid plates so I can’t speak for those. However, the Ricochet skids are a lot tougher than the 01 stock plates. They are fairly light. I’ve been through some very rocky trails sense installation and not a dint yet. Installation wasn’t as easy as some reports. I had trouble with the rear because the instruction say to add four spacers if you don’t have a hitch. I could only get it to fit by putting only two spacer on. If you stand the bike up it would probably make the installation easier. I’m not a big fan of the stock plates on the 01, but I would at a minimum replace the plastic A Arm guards. There is a hole, so that you can get to the oil filter. Although it seems like it will still be a tight squeeze to get to it. High Lifter Skids have a door to get to the filter, which may be a better option if that’s a concern for you.
QUAD BOSS DAYTONA FRONT TRUNK (RED): One of the best looking trunks I’ve seen. I’ll post pictures if anyone wants to see. I actually put it on the back rack because I don’t carry too much gear with me. It is bigger than it looks on the internet. It’s water tight and has plenty of space for what I carry. Installation was easy by drilling four holes and installing with U bolts. I don’t like that it only open/closes with a key so you have to lock it and pull out your key every time you want to open it. Also I had a problem with the bar that holds the lid on. It kept sliding out. I fixed that by drilling small holes in the ends of the bar and passing some safety wire through it.
ITP HOLESHOT ATR TIRES AND C SERIES RIMS: Great looking combo. I’m not sure of the weight difference, but they seam slightly lighter than stock. I think someone posted the weights if you do a search on here. The real advantage is the handling. WOW, what a difference. Traction is also much improved. I’ve read post about the ATR’s falling off the rim. Apparently the manufactory recommends about 5 pounds of pressure. Less pressure causes the tires to come off the rims on hard jumps. Even with 5 PSI, the ride is only slightly stiffer, but nothing I would complain about given the handling advantage. As far as durability goes, I have about 40 miles on ruff terrain and no problems yet. I guess only time will tell.
TWIN AIR FILTER: A bit messy, but well worth the trouble. Could immediately tell that it was breathing better.
DIAMOND G SNORKEL: Easy install, great mod! I installed after the Twin Air Filter and could tell an immediate difference. This is a must have.
DIAMOND G HOLESHOT MODULE: I have to admit, the holeshot module didn’t make the difference that I thought it would. I only noticed a very slight difference. I checked the connections several times. I’ll have to give Diamond G a call and make sure there is not a problem with it. Anyone else out there fail to notice a big difference?
PBR PRIMARY SPRING: I lost about 10 MPH off the top end! I normally don’t reach top speed very often, so it’s not a huge deal. I think I will get some of that back as the spring softens up. I’ve already noticed some increase in top speed. If not I may put the stocker back on and deal with replacing the belt. I also got the red spring, but didn’t install because I thought it would be too harsh with the Holeshot Module.
PENLAND SERIES BIG GUN PIPE: I would like to give a review with this one, but they sent me the wrong parts. When I installed there was about a 8 inch gap between the pipes and the silencer. Of course Penland is at the Baja 1000, so I have not been able to get a hold of anyone to get the correct parts.
ELKA DUAL RATE FRONT SPRINGS: I saved the best for last! I love these springs! I have the progressive springs, but ordered the elka’s and never installed the progressives, so I can’t really give a comparison. However, I can say that it was well worth the money. With the ATR’s and Elka springs it’s like a whole new machine. I installed the springs on the stiffer setting and the ride seams to be as soft as stock while eliminating the diving in corners and even decreasing bump steer. The transition between the top and bottom spring is very smooth. In my opinion another must have. They also offer a rear shock at over $700. That is pretty steep, but if the rear shock is as good as the front springs it would be a good deal. Anyone get the rear elka shock yet?
On another note, I recently took a trip to Bear Lake, Utah. Its on the Idaho border about 1 ½ hours north of Salt Lake City. Great place to ride! I was kind of disappointed, because I was told that I could ride from the cabin that we rented, but couldn’t. However, it was only a short drive to the national forest. Tons of great trails. Some really technical ones, so if you go, pay attention to the difficulty rating on the signs. The view’s were unbeatable and we saw tons of wild life including two huge bull elk. I did have some trouble with the altitude. Was over 8000 feet, so rejet before you go. My brother has a Artic Cat and he had the same trouble. We both had to rejet on the second day, but still had trouble. I didn’t try taking the air box lid off because it was really dusty and I didn’t want to risk it. It was a new experience for me having to worry about not having enough power! Anyone out there ride above 8000 feet? What are you jetted at?
We also went to Breckenridge, CO. Also some great riding areas. However, at over 11000 feet the jetting problem was even worse. Plus it was really cold so we didn’t do much riding
Sorry for the long post, just wanted to give my thoughts on these products.
Hey I can finally change my signature from STOCK!
I recently installed the following on P650:
RICOCHET FULL SKID PLATES AND A ARM GUARDS: I have an 01 P650. I understand the 02’s have improved skid plates so I can’t speak for those. However, the Ricochet skids are a lot tougher than the 01 stock plates. They are fairly light. I’ve been through some very rocky trails sense installation and not a dint yet. Installation wasn’t as easy as some reports. I had trouble with the rear because the instruction say to add four spacers if you don’t have a hitch. I could only get it to fit by putting only two spacer on. If you stand the bike up it would probably make the installation easier. I’m not a big fan of the stock plates on the 01, but I would at a minimum replace the plastic A Arm guards. There is a hole, so that you can get to the oil filter. Although it seems like it will still be a tight squeeze to get to it. High Lifter Skids have a door to get to the filter, which may be a better option if that’s a concern for you.
QUAD BOSS DAYTONA FRONT TRUNK (RED): One of the best looking trunks I’ve seen. I’ll post pictures if anyone wants to see. I actually put it on the back rack because I don’t carry too much gear with me. It is bigger than it looks on the internet. It’s water tight and has plenty of space for what I carry. Installation was easy by drilling four holes and installing with U bolts. I don’t like that it only open/closes with a key so you have to lock it and pull out your key every time you want to open it. Also I had a problem with the bar that holds the lid on. It kept sliding out. I fixed that by drilling small holes in the ends of the bar and passing some safety wire through it.
ITP HOLESHOT ATR TIRES AND C SERIES RIMS: Great looking combo. I’m not sure of the weight difference, but they seam slightly lighter than stock. I think someone posted the weights if you do a search on here. The real advantage is the handling. WOW, what a difference. Traction is also much improved. I’ve read post about the ATR’s falling off the rim. Apparently the manufactory recommends about 5 pounds of pressure. Less pressure causes the tires to come off the rims on hard jumps. Even with 5 PSI, the ride is only slightly stiffer, but nothing I would complain about given the handling advantage. As far as durability goes, I have about 40 miles on ruff terrain and no problems yet. I guess only time will tell.
TWIN AIR FILTER: A bit messy, but well worth the trouble. Could immediately tell that it was breathing better.
DIAMOND G SNORKEL: Easy install, great mod! I installed after the Twin Air Filter and could tell an immediate difference. This is a must have.
DIAMOND G HOLESHOT MODULE: I have to admit, the holeshot module didn’t make the difference that I thought it would. I only noticed a very slight difference. I checked the connections several times. I’ll have to give Diamond G a call and make sure there is not a problem with it. Anyone else out there fail to notice a big difference?
PBR PRIMARY SPRING: I lost about 10 MPH off the top end! I normally don’t reach top speed very often, so it’s not a huge deal. I think I will get some of that back as the spring softens up. I’ve already noticed some increase in top speed. If not I may put the stocker back on and deal with replacing the belt. I also got the red spring, but didn’t install because I thought it would be too harsh with the Holeshot Module.
PENLAND SERIES BIG GUN PIPE: I would like to give a review with this one, but they sent me the wrong parts. When I installed there was about a 8 inch gap between the pipes and the silencer. Of course Penland is at the Baja 1000, so I have not been able to get a hold of anyone to get the correct parts.
ELKA DUAL RATE FRONT SPRINGS: I saved the best for last! I love these springs! I have the progressive springs, but ordered the elka’s and never installed the progressives, so I can’t really give a comparison. However, I can say that it was well worth the money. With the ATR’s and Elka springs it’s like a whole new machine. I installed the springs on the stiffer setting and the ride seams to be as soft as stock while eliminating the diving in corners and even decreasing bump steer. The transition between the top and bottom spring is very smooth. In my opinion another must have. They also offer a rear shock at over $700. That is pretty steep, but if the rear shock is as good as the front springs it would be a good deal. Anyone get the rear elka shock yet?
On another note, I recently took a trip to Bear Lake, Utah. Its on the Idaho border about 1 ½ hours north of Salt Lake City. Great place to ride! I was kind of disappointed, because I was told that I could ride from the cabin that we rented, but couldn’t. However, it was only a short drive to the national forest. Tons of great trails. Some really technical ones, so if you go, pay attention to the difficulty rating on the signs. The view’s were unbeatable and we saw tons of wild life including two huge bull elk. I did have some trouble with the altitude. Was over 8000 feet, so rejet before you go. My brother has a Artic Cat and he had the same trouble. We both had to rejet on the second day, but still had trouble. I didn’t try taking the air box lid off because it was really dusty and I didn’t want to risk it. It was a new experience for me having to worry about not having enough power! Anyone out there ride above 8000 feet? What are you jetted at?
We also went to Breckenridge, CO. Also some great riding areas. However, at over 11000 feet the jetting problem was even worse. Plus it was really cold so we didn’t do much riding
Sorry for the long post, just wanted to give my thoughts on these products.
Hey I can finally change my signature from STOCK!
#3
11-20-2003, 11:08 PM
Product reviews
Kinda off product review topics, but......
Riding Breckenridge is pretty good. Did you make it onto the continental divide? Even better than on the Breckenridge side. More trails and even more breathtaking views.
We try to ride in Co at least 2x per year. This year we did breckenridge for the first trip and opted to try for more technical riding on the second. If you are into totally technical and slow rock crawling.. I suggest the "Holy Cross City" trail. About 12 miles from trailhead to end of trail and back home. Took us most of the day.. Winch recommended. Vehicle Damage Likely..Plan for skid plate damage. lol.
Ride On.
Riding Breckenridge is pretty good. Did you make it onto the continental divide? Even better than on the Breckenridge side. More trails and even more breathtaking views.
We try to ride in Co at least 2x per year. This year we did breckenridge for the first trip and opted to try for more technical riding on the second. If you are into totally technical and slow rock crawling.. I suggest the "Holy Cross City" trail. About 12 miles from trailhead to end of trail and back home. Took us most of the day.. Winch recommended. Vehicle Damage Likely..Plan for skid plate damage. lol.
Ride On.
#4
11-21-2003, 12:50 AM
Product reviews
Dan650
I too was a bit disappointed with the DG Holeshot, even took it out. After it was out, I only noticed a slight power loss vs with the DG H installed - so it must have been wired in correctly. I did send the Holeshot back to DG, & Scott the tech checked & tested the unit & reported back to me that everything is working correctly. DG sent it back with excellent Detailed instructions on how to wire the Holeshot to my New Arctic Cat 650, which I'll have in about 3 weeks. After I get my Cat, I will install the Holeshot & see if I get the same results as before or the results that I was expecting in the first place.
Jetting: I ride at 8000 & higher all the time. Have found the following the best for jetting on my P650 to be 132F/138R. I too had the DG Snorkel & a Twin-air filter. Went up to the Colorado Rockies last summer with this jetting, P650 ran great, even at 13,200 ft. Check my photo page.
Front Springs: Must-Do-List #1. I installed the Progressive pre-load set, I agree, changing out the spring set-up from the stock struts to a adjustable system is a big improvement & cures all of the front end jitters.
Ricochet Full Skid plates/arm guards: Must-do-list #2. A big improvement over Any Year stock Skid Plates on a P650/700 but I still manage to "ding" that Ricochet skid towards the front, don't want to think what that "Ding" would of done to the cheap stock skid plate. The higher ground clearance on the Cat will be a big + for my riding.
Tires: Must-Do-List 3. I used the Goodyear 27" Mudrunners w/ITP C-series rims.
The Mudrunners are a great tire & have come down in price, shouldn't cost any more for Mudrunners than a set of Mudlites. Would recommend to stay in the 26 inch tire size, the 27 inchers are heavier & steal more power from the P650, along with changing the gearing. At first I like the C-series rims, nice looking & hold up great but afterwards I didn't care for the spacing. Stock rims suck, they are only .160 aluminum.
Clutching: I had the Kawasaki High altitude clutch kit installed, like it but didn't need the black spring because of the clutch kit. Plan on trying the black spring in the Cat 1st if not impressed then I will go to the H/A Clutch kit.
Pipe: I used the stock set-up on the P650. Will be looking for a change on the Cat, as the Cat 650 has a exhaust pipe that is too much restricted.
I too like the power results of the DG Snorkel.
The DG Snorkel is still in the developing stage but should be available soon for the Cat 650s.
I too was a bit disappointed with the DG Holeshot, even took it out. After it was out, I only noticed a slight power loss vs with the DG H installed - so it must have been wired in correctly. I did send the Holeshot back to DG, & Scott the tech checked & tested the unit & reported back to me that everything is working correctly. DG sent it back with excellent Detailed instructions on how to wire the Holeshot to my New Arctic Cat 650, which I'll have in about 3 weeks. After I get my Cat, I will install the Holeshot & see if I get the same results as before or the results that I was expecting in the first place.
Jetting: I ride at 8000 & higher all the time. Have found the following the best for jetting on my P650 to be 132F/138R. I too had the DG Snorkel & a Twin-air filter. Went up to the Colorado Rockies last summer with this jetting, P650 ran great, even at 13,200 ft. Check my photo page.
Front Springs: Must-Do-List #1. I installed the Progressive pre-load set, I agree, changing out the spring set-up from the stock struts to a adjustable system is a big improvement & cures all of the front end jitters.
Ricochet Full Skid plates/arm guards: Must-do-list #2. A big improvement over Any Year stock Skid Plates on a P650/700 but I still manage to "ding" that Ricochet skid towards the front, don't want to think what that "Ding" would of done to the cheap stock skid plate. The higher ground clearance on the Cat will be a big + for my riding.
Tires: Must-Do-List 3. I used the Goodyear 27" Mudrunners w/ITP C-series rims.
The Mudrunners are a great tire & have come down in price, shouldn't cost any more for Mudrunners than a set of Mudlites. Would recommend to stay in the 26 inch tire size, the 27 inchers are heavier & steal more power from the P650, along with changing the gearing. At first I like the C-series rims, nice looking & hold up great but afterwards I didn't care for the spacing. Stock rims suck, they are only .160 aluminum.
Clutching: I had the Kawasaki High altitude clutch kit installed, like it but didn't need the black spring because of the clutch kit. Plan on trying the black spring in the Cat 1st if not impressed then I will go to the H/A Clutch kit.
Pipe: I used the stock set-up on the P650. Will be looking for a change on the Cat, as the Cat 650 has a exhaust pipe that is too much restricted.
I too like the power results of the DG Snorkel.
The DG Snorkel is still in the developing stage but should be available soon for the Cat 650s.
#6
11-21-2003, 12:12 PM
Join Date: Apr 2003
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gtchief,
yeah, I'm 100% sure your right. It is an 02'. I caught that right after I posted, but didn't edit it yet. Guess I was thinking of my 01 Dodge Dakota.
95Wolverine
I didn't get to ride the contenintal devide. I was a little nervouse takeing on the ruff stuff with the bad jetting causing me problems. I will be back though.
yeah, I'm 100% sure your right. It is an 02'. I caught that right after I posted, but didn't edit it yet. Guess I was thinking of my 01 Dodge Dakota.
95Wolverine
I didn't get to ride the contenintal devide. I was a little nervouse takeing on the ruff stuff with the bad jetting causing me problems. I will be back though.
#7
11-21-2003, 05:44 PM
Trending Topics
#8
11-22-2003, 01:21 AM
#9
11-22-2003, 12:10 PM
Product reviews
[quote]
Originally posted by: Dan650
I know I’m a little behind times and a lot of this information may be old news, but I wanted to give my opinion on a few products for incase anyone else is looking at them.
I recently installed the following on P650:
TWIN AIR FILTER: A bit messy, but well worth the trouble. Could immediately tell that it was breathing better.
q]
I saw one of these on Ebay but it sold before I got around to bidding. Do you have a web address where I can find/get them? Also, why do you say they were "messy"? Messy to install? Thanks.
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
Moo,
WheelCow
Originally posted by: Dan650
I know I’m a little behind times and a lot of this information may be old news, but I wanted to give my opinion on a few products for incase anyone else is looking at them.
I recently installed the following on P650:
TWIN AIR FILTER: A bit messy, but well worth the trouble. Could immediately tell that it was breathing better.
q]
I saw one of these on Ebay but it sold before I got around to bidding. Do you have a web address where I can find/get them? Also, why do you say they were "messy"? Messy to install? Thanks.
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
Moo,
WheelCow
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