08 Artic Cat 700 EFI

[Scott K]

I just bought a used 08 Artic Cat 700 with 783 miles on it. Everything looks in good shape, can anyone tell me about it? Good, bad? Things that go wrong, should I have ran away, and not bought it? I feel I got a decent deal. But I ended up buying it before having any chance to research it.

[Ryan_V]

I have an '07 cat 700 and love it! mine has around 1500 hard working zero problem miles.

[CaptainMusky]

That is the suzuki motor in there and its tough as nails. If it still has the stock Good Year Rawhide tires they are not very good. Lots of different options out there that are better all around tires. AC would be wise to put a better tire on from the factory because that hurts the handling big time. Having said that, i have the same tires on mine. :-) Not that big of a deal to me.

There really isnt much that goes wrong with them. My dad has 49,500 miles on his 2007 AC 650 TRV. yes, 49,000, not 4,000.

Things to watch for are suspension and shock bushings. Sand and dirt get in there and wear them out. If you dont catch it it will eventually wear out the shock eyes or A arm eyes, but this happens over time.

My dad changes oil every 1000 miles religiously and cleans the clutches. This is pretty much monthly due to the amount of miles he puts on.

There really isnt much to look out for, they are tough as nails. I have 1500 miles on mine and havent done a thing to it, but thats not many miles.

Where things would start to wear prematurely is if the previous owner mudded with it big time, swamped it (water in intake/motor) or has VERY aggressive aftermarket tires. The more aggressive the tire then you may have issues with the axles clicking. Even at that they go for a LONG time before being a problem, but they could get noisy just when turning sharp (rear axles).

One thing to watch for is the 4x4 switch. I believe the 2008 is the same as mine and the rubber boot around the switch would crack and could let water get in. Watch for that because it would short out that switch. Simple fix if its cracked, but just keep an eye on it.

If you ever crack a CV boot, you can save yourself considerable coin by getting an automotive one. I forget the year, but one off a Geo Metro works perfectly believe it or not. I would have to look up the P/N again to verify.

[ARROW 1]

That 700 single is hard to crank over in the winter. Make sure you keep a

battery tender on it. I have a 06 700 love it. Its a wheelie popper.

[Scott K]

Here it is, with my son and girl friend all ready on it.

[Scott K]

It doesnt have any mud piled up in the frame, or scratches on the camo, like it has been mudding much. In fact, all the plastis there isnt even a tiny scratch on any of it. There isnt any scratches on any of the racks, handle bars, or anywhere that I could see. The only thing I see, is the rear tires seem to be worn pretty good for only 781 miles on it. I also see the winch rope is kinda worn, I was thinking they used it to plow a driveway in the winters, and it looks like it say inside most of its life.

[Ryan_V]

That 700 single is hard to crank over in the winter. Make sure you keep a

battery tender on it. I have a 06 700 love it. Its a wheelie popper.

I run amsoil and never had a problem starting in cold weather.... like sitting out on mille lacs in -25 weather all night. efi does wonders

[CaptainMusky]

Sounds a good one 4wandering. It wouldn't be a bad idea to invest in a good battery agm style for the reasons mentioned. Also a synthetic which rope is a must if you intend to plow or just be safer. Assuming the previous owner didn't replace that already.