I am considering buying a real clean 02 500 mountain cat with low miles. I can purchase it for a good price but I know very little about these sleds. I have owned a 96 Polaris 600XCR with a 136x1.75 track, and a95 Modded Storm with a Genisis motor. I liked the XCR the storm was too heavy and kept breaking down. I am still pretty new to sleds. I am looking for a sled to boondock and ride trails, some powder and mild climbing. Does the 500 have enough power to haul a guy 6'00 and 215 and still have fun. I know a 600 would be better but funds are limited. I am not going to be racing but I don't want a slug either. i might pipe this sled if i buy it I don't know how much of a increase a pipe will give on a 500. Please tell me what you think. I might purchase this week.

:( Anyone any experience with these sleds.

ttt

I know a lot of trappers who bought those sleds because of their ability to boondock and they could get them unstuck more easily because of their lightwieght. I think it would be a fun sled for low land swamp running but I would stay off the mountain given your size. "It's all power to weight ratio up there" At least your getting a reliable fan cooled that you can trust not to let you down provided you don't try and squeeze too much out with jetting........ Good luck, I ride an 02 MC 800 EFI LE. (there's no replacement for displacement) :thumbsup:

ALASKANASSASAN is mistaken, he's talking about the 570 Mountain Cat which is fan cooled. The 500 is liquid cooled.
The 500 MC is a nice sled, and I think A/C made a mistake when they dropped it. I would much prefer the 500 over the 570. It puts out very good power (95hp I believe) and has a decent power to weight ratio. It's maximum power output will be very close to what you had with the XCR, and though it would lose in a race, it wouldn't be by much.
If you can get a good deal on one I'd go for it.

If the 500 Mountain cat has close to the horse power my stock XCR600 had then I could be pretty happy with it. I was thinking that in a few weeks I could try and save enough for a pipe and cclutch it to try and get a little more from it. Anyone have any experience with modding a Cat 500. How much can I expect from a pipe and proper clutch set up on it.

ttt

If the right go for it. You can get a little more out of it with a pipe and clutch. I am by no means a mountain expert but I am sure that as long as you are not trying anything to extreme with it you should be OK. Good luck and let us know if you get it.

I have owned an 02 500 mtn. cat since new and love it. The first year I ran it stock and had no problems the begining of last year I installed a D&D can, V-force reeds and a D&D power breather amazing what this did to an allready great performer. I weigh 170 and had no problems climbing in last years 3+ foot of powder. One interesting thing I did for this year was switched to a 2" paddle track feeling strongly that this sled wil spin it. I'm yet to try it out due to lack of the white stuff, but it's no longer my primary sled so I can wait for powder only conditions. take my advice and buy one you'll love it. One other note a 136" track trails better in the tight stuff than longer tracks
GOOD LUCK

Thanks for the info guys. I have asked on some other forums but most of them won't talk to you unless you ride a modded 800 or bigger. I owned a Storm that had a genisis 950 way done up. Thing was fast can be but most the time never got to use that much power and it liked to break things never wanted to be too far from the truck with it. Had way more fun with the stock motored XCR600 that had a 136 track. I just want something that will do 75 or 80 and has the syspension to land a cornice drop or a jump off the trail burms into a open field. And that won't break down every other trip. I ride with my 7 year old son on the sled sometimes and don't get as crazy as I used to.

Yup, sorry.... I was thinking 570 all the way. Glad your thinking 500 liquid. My wifes powder special is a 500 and that thing is bullet proof. As a matter of fact, we drag raced once and she had me worried for the first bit. I wasn't leaving her until we got up on my top end. Man, I would never have heard the end of that! :ohmy: