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The Arctic Cat brand name has existed since the early '60's
and is among the most widely recognized and respected names in the snowmobile industry.
They sell tons of snowmobiles and have been a consistent leader in technological
innovation. Point in fact--snowmobiles have been AC's bread and butter for more than 30
years. But something strange is happening that even has the Arctic Cat executives taking
notice. Corporate planners expect ATV sales to equal snowmobile sales in five
years. Not bad for a company that launched it's first ATV only five years ago. Engine / Powertrain
Last summer we reviewed Yamaha's Grizzly--inadvertently pronouncing it "King of
the torque monsters." Yikes--was that a mistake! I received e-mails for months from
irate Arctic Cat owners saying their machines offered more torque. With a larger and
longer bore x stroke and a 6mm larger carburetor, I couldn't imagine the 595cc Grizzly
engine losing out in a torque contest to the 493cc engine on the Arctic Cat. Well,
apparently it does. After conferring with the engineers at Arctic Cat, they are sticking
by their guns that the 499cc engine in the AC quad offers more torque (but less
horsepower) than the Grizzly's 600. They could be right. I knew while testing both
machines that the torque numbers would be very close, and indeed they are. The AC 500
offers roughly 31 ft/lbs and the Grizzly roughly 29 ft/lbs. Whether either machine can put
all that torque to the ground is another story. While the numbers confer bragging rights,
in all reality, most normal trail riders won't notice much of a difference between
machines. Both of these machines are sooooo powerful, you lose traction long
before you lose power. But we offer the torque numbers as commentary for the status symbol
that ATV owners place on their quads' power.
The culprit behind all this torque is a 493cc 4-stroke,
single-cylinder, liquid cooled, SOHC developed by Suzuki back in 1998. Some of the
engine's components are taken directly from high-tech motorcycle engines. For instance,
the aluminum cylinder has been plated with silicon carbide providing a better ring seal
and heat dissipation than a heavy iron liner. An oil jet cools the underside of the
piston, providing a longer lifespan. Unlike motorcycle engines however, this motor has
been tuned to produce high torque at low RPM. The abundant torque overshadows virtually
anything else on the machine. Throttle response is outstanding. It pulls hard from every
gear and is what we refer to in the business as having snot to it. The quads'
speedometer read 58 MPH as top speed, but in all reality, you won't be approaching
anywhere near this speed on the trails. At that speed the engine was so torqued out we
thought it might explode.
Engine vibration is non-existent and exhaust tip noise level is low. The motor
transfers its fortified power to the shaft-driven wheels through a 5-speed transmission
with an automatic clutch and reverse gear. An additional low-range sub-transmission
creates a total of ten forward gear combinations. The AC 500 uses a close ratio
gearbox, which explains why it was possible to start out in third gear without straining
the motor. In some cases, we were even able to start out in fifth! This should be a great
benefit to those who wish to run taller heavy mud tires in extreme conditions. Because of
the close gear ratios we found the display panel gear position indicator lamps quite
helpful. Low-maintenance features on the AC 500 include suspension bushings; sealed drive
shafts, front and rear; constant-velocity (CV) joints; and a sealed transmission case. New
for the 2001 model are stick-stoppers on the front CV joints. Feeding the engine is a Keihin CV 34mm
carburetor. For '01, the AC 500 uses a 4.75-gallon gas tank with fuel gauge. That's a
half-gallon larger than last year, and fill-ups should be easier thanks to a large
diameter filler neck The reserve tank selector dial switch has been relocated for easier
access.
There's a short sentence on page 11 of the 2001 Arctic Cat ATV
Brochure that reads: "Automatic torque-sensing front differential for true
four-wheel-drive." After closely looking over the front differential, it appeared
to be an ordinary limited-slip that offers three-wheel drive. But we gave them the benefit
of the doubt and decided on running the quad through our worst mudhole anyway. (Editor's
Note: "It's a damn shame when we have to prove what we think!") "click" for Page of 2 Review |