well i am getting an around 500cc new quad in the end of may or when the snow melts. I was looking at the 2005 arctic cat 500 4X4 autos but ive heard that ehy are hard to steer and i want somethign thats easy to steer.lol. I was sold on the -04-05 vinny because of all the great reviews that its won and i love the way the yellow ones look when they get big 26" tires on them lol. But i was just wondering if id really need a locker or not becuase if i dont need one or wouldnt use one alot id get a vinny. Id have a 3.0 warn winch on it and id go through like 2ft of mud or water in a creek at the most prolly. 2 in a half at the very most. So my question is what atv shoudl i get? the 05 ac 500 or 04-05 vinny500?

 

The option of being able to lockyou differential (like the old King Quad) is awesome. Gives you the best of both worlds. Lock it when needed, leave it open for easy steering the rest of the time. I believe you can get an aftermarket locker for the Vinson that locks up 100% when needed automatically. I'm sure there are some compromises with it, but I wouldn't let the lack of an OEM locker prevent you from buying a Vinson. The articles I've read about the Arctic Cats say they don't handle. I did a bunch of research recently before putting money down on an Eiger.

 

yeah id get the ac 500 if the vinson didnt get such great reviews lol. Im just a little hesitant on teh vonyn becasue of the no locker deal. i Just think it would be nice to know when your riding that you know you wont get stuck very easily and lknow you can make ti through most stuff.

 

Sure the locker makes it more likely to get out of a mudhole easier, but if you are planning on a winch too then you know you are going to get out. Unless you are doing lots and lots of mudding, you've got getting out of a mudhole covered. Go for the ATV that you like best for the other 95% of the stuff that you will ride in.

Jaybee

 

could the vinson make it through 2ft of mud/water?

 

Hey FastestBlaster. Another thing to consider is that even if it doesn't have a locker, you can apply the front brakes slightly with an open differential and it will transfer some of the torque to the front wheel with traction.
I hope this helps [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
BryceGTX

 

I've made it through muck holes that were up to the racks on my Eiger, I'm sure that the Vinson would do as well or better. At the same time, I've gotten stuck when the mud has been half as deep, if I've picked the wrong track and gotten high centered.

Any quad can bog down in a deep mud hole, even those with a locker. As long as one bike in your group has a winch, you're going to get out. that's the fun of it anyway.

Jaybee

 

Here is a twist to consider.
How fast are you going to be traveling through said mudhole? Some ATV's with lockers only let you use the locker in low range. I would suggest a preview of the owners manuals before you buy. You might find undesirable limitations not advertised elsewhere.

 

Well, I can go wherever I have to go with my new Vinson [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] I've gone thru alot of snow and deep-cold mud here, like 2-3 feet sometimes. No problems yet, you just gotta know how to handle the bike in these situations, and of course never try a hole if you're not sure and dont have a buddy with a winch nearby! I love my new vinson! The 4x4 mode is cool, sicne its an auto-blocking (read: limited slip) differential, both front wheels will always turn together until one gets loose and you rev up. THEN, a full time front lock would be cool, but since its auto-blocking on the vinson, just align the tires straight ahead, hit the brake, then step on the gas, your front diff will be locked for a few seconds, jsut the few seconds you might need to get out of the hole ... or just go deeper in it, depending on the situation.

My 2 cents

 

yeha i forgot about that lol. Yeha that does help alot lol thanxs. Would you say that the vinson is better than the 05 AC 500 in anyway? If so what?