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Posted by: Tree Farmer
Fortunately, Harley, either choice is good.
Since you're new to ATVing, I think conveying the concept of the significance of the value of a locking front differential, maybe even an EXPLANATION of what we're talking about, difficult.
Unless you've "been there, done that," been in sticky situations, suffered the tyranny of an ineffective front "limited-slip" differential that leaves you with one wheel on the ground and the other spinning helplessly, I hardly see how you could appreciate the King Quad's front differential locking capablity.
Nevertheless, as other posters say, ride 'em! You can't go wrong, whichever you choose.
Tree Farmer
Posted by: Andy Bassham
I don't think you can go wrong with either as well. I like the differential lock on the Suzuki and I also prefer the levers that engage both the 4wd system and the range selector. They are mounted front and center and are in a much better place than the AC as well as a better design. I like the strong frame and suspension components used on the AC better. They really look as if they will hold up well. I don't know for sure, but I think the AC has a little better suspension. I also like the racks and plastic design of the Arctic Cat 10 times better than the racks on the king quad. Very strong and well supported. The engines are the same. It comes down to the actual buyer's preference I think, because both are great bikes. If AC had the differential lock, I would go with it. I have heard that you can rig the AC to where it locks, but you lose the 2wd option and it wouldn't be worth it for me, so that isn't really a deciding factor.
Posted by: Andy Bassham
Another thing to this. No Arctic Cats other than the 1999 model 500 have the 26" tires. They have the 25" Titan 489's which are probably about the best stock tire available from any manufacturer. Far better than the Dunlops a lot of bikes come with.
The 300 like all AC's (excluding the Automatic) have the same size frame and wheelbase. All have a 4.25 gal. fuel tank. All have the disc brakes. The 300 AC is a bigger bike than the KQ and sits up higher as well. Basically, the only attributes the KQ has over the AC is the locking differential and a lot better range/drive selector setup. Its plastic may not rattle as much also. The AC's tend to get that "buzz" after about 500 miles.
Posted by: ecbaatz
Just one comment based on your list.
6.rear suspension is better and allows full rear tire contact as the suzuki rear supension has the rear tires piched inward.
They are only pinched inward under no load (similar to a volkswagen bug) as the load increases they straighten up and then will even pitch out.
Good luck with your machine, no matter what we ride, the most important thing is that we ride.
Posted by: Rob_Ervin
Before I decided on my 99 AC500, I rode my best
riding buddy's 95 King Quad for about 50 miles or
so. I really liked the low center of gravity the KQ has, but at 6'2" tall, I felt very cramped. I had a hard time changing gears comfortably, even though my last quad was a Yamaha Timberwolf. The AC (300 and 500 have basically the same ergos)felt much better for someone of my size.
If you can't ride both the machines, at least spend some time sitting on both the machines to help decide which machine fits you the best. They both do share the same engine and 3-range trans
setup, but the AC has a larger carb and different exhaust to help even out the extra weight of the AC 300.
I have ridden many miles with my friend with the KQ and have only seen him put it in diff lock 3 times. It is really only useful if you are stuck in horrible mud because you really can't steer very well. If the AC has the free winch offer I would think the the winch would be more useful overall than diff lock.
Lastly, don't forget about the customer service you may or may not get after the sale. I would go with the dealer that has the best service dept and a good reputation for standing behind what they sell. A few hundred dollars saved on purchase price is chump change if you can't get the dealer to follow through with factory warranty work after the sale.
BTW, if a few hundred dollars doesn't bother you
much, I would STRONGLY recommend that you don't limit yourself to only a 300cc quad, depending on your needs. I bought a 95 Timberwolf 2wd because it was $1000 cheaper than a Honda 300c 4wd and really regreted it when I was out the woods with my buddies on the 4wd quads....they rode in the nasty stuff while I watched! The KQ or AC300 are
great quads and will do most anything you ask of them. However, if you plan on installing larger or really aggressive tires in the future, you should take a look at the larger CC quads. My friend with the 95 KQ installed a set of Kenda bearclaws (stock sizes, not bigfoot) and it really
sapped the power. He has to run in low range almost all the time now to keep a steady speed.
I got my AC500 for $5800, only $800 more that what
you were quoted for the AC300. Although I am not recommending it, think twice about your engine size if you ride double much.
Good luck!! Any quad is better than no quad!!
Posted by: Rob_Ervin
TIM1, All the Arctic Cats so far have the same plastic, handlebars, and basically the same wheelbase from the 250 up to the 500. I think the WB on the Auto is a couple of inches longer to accomodate the auto tranny. I have driven both a 300 and my 500, the only difference being the 500 is a bit higher due to the taller tires.
HarleyJake, I was at my AC dealer today to get another AC manual, seems I lost mine. Anyway, they had a 2000 AC400 advertised for $4600. I would say with some dickering, at least a couple hundred could come off that. If you could buy out of state (avoid that pesky sales tax thing), you could save enough to buy the larger 400cc!. There is little difference in the acceleration of the 400 and 500, but the 500 does have more torque.
BTW, I really do not like the tires the 2000 models come with stock. I guess I am attached to the titans that came on my 99!
Posted by: Bill.Ciliberti
I cant speak on behalf of the AC,but I've had a 87 KQ,and a 97 KQ.Nice little quads,both of them.Very reliable engines.The steering radius is one of the worst on todays market though.The drum brakes are also a huge drawback if you do alot of heavy mudding.Stay out of the real bad mud and you'll be just fine.The diff lock is nice to.Best of luck,===BILL
Posted by: xplorer
Just to let you know some of the deciding factors I used between the two
1.the ac has disc brakes all around this is definatly a plus considering suzuki's poor sealed drums.
2.Ac has a longer more cushier seat.
3.Ac has a bigger fuel tank 4.25 gal I believe.
4.Ac 300 has the same fullsized frame as the AC 500.
5.Ac comes stock with awsome 26 inch titan tires and 12 inch titan rims.
6.rear suspension is better and allows full rear tire contact as the suzuki rear supension has the rear tires piched inward.
7.better carb and exhaust.
8.Was cheaper than the KQ.
remember these are just opinions and I think the king quad is a awsome bike and was even considering one for myself thats why I said these were the deciding factors for me ,"not this is why Ac is better than the KQ".
Posted by: BONER
How is the Suzuki's suspension better than the Cats? The Cat has more suspension travel, clearance, and double a-arms that don't let the tires point every which way.
I would never buy a Suzuki. I have nothing against them it's just that I think Arctic Cat is basically a better version of what Suzuki has proven is good.
Posted by: BONER
All Arctic Cat's share the same plastic and wheels(250 has diffent color wheels but basically the same). Only the Cat-o-matic has a different wheel base that is 51.5" compared to the 50" on the rest.
99 model 500s' are the only ones with 26" factory tires.
99 model Arctic Cat's have softer seats than most other quads.
Posted by: veeger
I looked for several months to find the right ATV for me. I narrowed the search to KQ, Kodiak and Honda 450. Each has qualities that make them fine machines. I started looking at the KQ because a co-worker has one. I soon started looking at the larger CC machines when I became concerned about the amount of pulling I wanted to do. By chance I came across an ad in the newspaper the day I was going to deal on the Honda. The Honda dealer was pretty set on all of his prices so I postponed my purchase. The next day I went to the local AC dealer and immediately was impressed by the 2000 AC 500. I liked the racks that were NOT an add on. The full floor boards are excellent, I don't think I would buy another without them. The rocker shifter is a little awkward at first but soon becomes second nature. The most important factor in my decision was how I was treated by the dealer. This guy was great and worked with me on every detail. This was my first quad purchase and he was really GREAT! I purchased the 2000 AC500 with a snow plow and Warn 2000 winch. I paid $5600 for the ATV, the winch and plow cost me $414.00 installed. This quad has delivered for me: from pulling deer out of extreme cover to pulling a 13' snow mobile trailer with ice fishing gear for three plus two passengers. My only complaint to date is the vibration noise that comes from almost every piece of plastic on the thing. I realize that you are looking at smaller CC quads that will probably do all that you ask. These are the reasons I made my purchase. One thought I pondered was: If I can't do it with the 300cc I just purchased, could the 500 do it?
Posted by: scooter
I have tested both the AC 300 and 500, both have their pros and cons. The biggest thing the 280cc motor has is its smoothness. Coming from my Big Bear 350, I couldn't believe the difference. Decent power, but I don't know if I like all that weight in the rear, though (reminds me of my old Tri-moto 175).
The 500 is a very impressive machine, though. On a n incline behind the dealer, I had to nail the 300 in 2nd (high), but on the 500 I just easily torqued my way up in third. The power is always right there.
Two other things; Up here in Eastern Canada we tend to do a lot of winter riding, and I find the rocker shifter is great with snowboots; also very soon AC will be offering a $99Cdn winch kit.
Cheers
Posted by: Smerk
Just to make a note on the used market... a Polaris dealer in Omaha Nebraska still has a used 1999 AC500 with 714miles on it, looks like new for the price of $4500. If you are interested e-mail me and I will give you the name and phone #.
Smerk
2000 Polaris 425 Xpedition, 94 Kaw. Mojave
Posted by: c4drm
Have you riden either one yet?
Riding them should really help you to make-up your mind, it did when I bought mine.
Both are very good quads, I'd prefer the added options on the King myself (i.e. selectable 2,4wd, 4wd lock and I believe a better rear suspension). I know people who have both and have heard nothing negative about either. One of the local dealers in the area who sells a variety of models, really pushes the King, as they believe its the best built quad pound for pound.
Again though, make sure to ride them before making your decision.
Posted by: Tim1
Are these two bikes the same size physically? I seen a 250 Honda Recon ,230 Yamaha Beartracker and a Artic Cat 250 parked beside each other and the AC looled like a much larger and more comfortable bike I could not believe they were all in the same class range.
Posted by: JKB
Hey Harley
For what its worth I made up my mind on the AC 300. As noted in some of the responses you can easily adjust the cable on the Ac to provide diff lock. You can also modify to allow 2wd/4wd/4wd lock. I was able to get the dealer to drop another $300 by completly backing out the winch deal, and using the credit. When I got my prices I did not ask for the winch deal, but all would have given it to me if I wanted it. I found one dealer who said if don't want the winch for sure the would drop $300. I called back 2 other deales and told them that I didn't want the winch and said that I would probably buy elsewhere. They both dropped their prices alot. They told me,if they dropped the price, the winch would be $400-$500 extra because of the way the program works. The 3004x4 should sell for around$4000 US., Hope this helps.
Regards Jim
Posted by: HarleyJake
I have the same situation as JKB! I too am choosing between the AC or the KQ, however in my case the AC-300 is a 99 And the KQ is a 2000. The AC is priced down from $5200 to $4600 and he's willing to deal from there! Probably not to much more but he told me to make him an offer.The KQ dealer also said that he would work with me on the price although I don't know that he'll go as low as the AC dealer. Maybe he will, he told me that since he is the largest dealer in the area he would be willing deal with me. Is this a good price on the AC? What do you guys think? By the way,I'm new to this sport so your input would be greatly appreciated. I,ll be using the machine for ice fishing in the winter and trail riding in the summer.Price isn't really an issue although if it's a few hundred dollars...well then...it could be! I would really rather end up with the better built machine of the two!
Thanks
HarleyJake
Posted by: grizz2k
for what its worth on "on a new quad (bike around hhere) i have had a kawi 300 4x4 since 91 hauled rocks firewood moose(trapper and moose hunter) been sunk rolled and generally hammered for lots and lots of miles been a better than average bike excelant fuel mileage good power and good ride but technology changes....have been looking for another bike for a while ...dont think i am too biased but have rode and ridden with many other bikes...hondas are bullet proof hard on fuel good low cenre of gravity..caveman suspension ...kq real nice ride real good gription when locked up but terible power and carrying capacity know 2 guys with them got rid of them dont like them.....kawi 300 was great but over all they are they are not keeping up with new bike they are ok the new yamahas hard on fuel not great in bad weather starting not impressed.....ac500 know 4 guys with them 2 with the 454 s tons better than the kawi 300 harder to steer but by far a better bike pulls more has better clearance lot less shifting {( cant get used to the rocker shift)seem hard on water pump seals bearings so far are not OME crap therefore buy anywhere $$ big bkes for big jobs the guys i know drive for bragging rights they are happy with them so i bought one im happy so far where i go im alone where no one else usually goes... by far a better bike ...buy the meanest bike you can afford then maintain it like your life depends on it
