Hey im taking advantage of this 50$ a month deal and a free winch but cant decide which is better to get.. a 450, or 500. What do you guys think?

 

now that they have the issues solved on the 500efi, I'd say go for that one. I'm tickled pink with mine aside from an issue with my fender chafing on the left footwell ..

turn the key, let the injector prime, turn it a little more, and it starts. No choking or such to get it to stay running .. it's beautiful ..

 

How bout "tipsy-ness" we have an arctic cat 500 and its really tipsy on hills. we usually go up real steep hills, rough rocky areas, and mud. I kind of want to stay in the 450 because of limited money hahaha. Is the 450, or even 500 (same thing practically) tipsy on hills?

 

They are both on the same chassis. In regards of being tippy, do you mean side to side or front to back?

I haven't really gone up any truly steep hills. I have gone transverse with my 5 year old on back, and I guess that makes me more nervous than anything. When riding on my own I've yet to have it feel tippy .. Keep in mind that the Polaris has a stabilizing bar on the rear suspension which would probably eliminate most of the tippiness you've experienced on the Cat ..

I'm not sure on the power differences of each. The 500 has plenty of pep for accelleration, but top speed is not stellar .. mine tops around 55 on the flat, 60 if I have enough room or steep enough hill ..

 

I recently test rode both bikes back to back. I could tell very little power difference during the limited test ride. However, the 500 EFI felt smoother. Both are on the same chassis. The 500 comes with radial tires as a bonus. My suggestion would be test ride both, and compare the features with the difference in price. Personally, I chose the 450 over the 500 EFI. The 450 was $1200 cheaper. Plus, I'm still a little leary of the EFI.

 

We have 2 500 EFI's, early models. We have had some issues with the melting plastics and stalling etc. but for the most part it has been taken care of. We love the bikes. The 500EFI comes with the same clutch as the 800, 26" PXT tires, and EBS. It was well worth the extra money in my opinion. Oh I have had both of ours almost vertical and not tipsy at all, Horizontally is not tipsy either. A guy we ride with has 2 cats and they are both tipsy.

 

My 500 is not tippy, and I've done some steep hills and rock climbing.

 

well we go up some "rutty" stuff if you will.. its pretty steep almost a 12 degree angle and its rutted to the side, so we kind of have to travel up, and horizontal.. So what is this stabilizing bar do and where is it?

 

It's on the rear suspension. It basically holds the rear of the quad firm and in a straight line. I guess the proper name on it is an Anti-sway bar, but it helps make the quad more stable.

 

anything else worth saying about the 450?