The Future of Arctic Cat Shines Brightly –
We’ve just returned from riding several pre-production pilot build versions of the new Catalyst platform up at the Arctic Cat factory in Thief River Falls and wanted to give you a quick update and our first ride reactions to the latest and greatest sleds from Arctic Cat.
Anyone and everyone familiar with snowmobiling should be aware of what the Catalyst platform is after their reveal and introduction at Haydays this past September. Showing the public a new model that early was highly unusually but Arctic Cat wanted their brand faithful to see and know they have been working long and hard on a next-generation platform that would take them into the future. The reveal was limited and did not show all of the secrets of the new technology hardware but it gave all of us enough of an indication that they were not only dedicated to the snowmobile industry but to delivering an exciting high-performance platform that would build upon their heritage and history of being innovators and willingness to be different from the rest.
Like with most brand new platforms, Arctic Cat built a handful of pre-production models for engineering and marketing purposes, furthering their development but also to give us a taste of the capabilities of what they have been working on. These machines are all hand-tuned by factory engineers and technicians but are the closest thing that exists to what will be built and delivered this fall.
We were able to ride many variations of the Catalyst, from the 129” ZR to the 137” ZR and the race-spec ZR R-XC to the 146” Riot models. Each model variation and shock package was represented, from monotube high pressure gas shocks to the ATAC electronic shocks to the QS3s on the R-XC. All units were fitted with the revised and enhanced 600 C-TEC, now sporting a new crankshaft and fuel delivery system.
Needless to say there was great anticipation and high expectations when we finally strapped on our helmets and blasted off across the frozen tundra on these new machines. I’ve been doing this as a professional for over 35 years now, having ridden most every new snowmobile ever built in that time, so this wasn’t my first rodeo. Each year I ride anywhere from 5,000 to 12,000 miles testing new sleds of all brands so it doesn’t take me long to know if we have a dud or a winner. Even so, I was really excited to learn for myself if they were truly ready to have us ride these things or if they were backed into a corner and were putting on a happy face.
My first mount was a ZR 137” with the ATAC shock package set at medium. You instantly notice things like the riding position and seat, the open footwells and the overall ergonomics. It felt neutral, not too far forward, not too small, seat wasn’t tacky, bars were acceptable height, controls all where they belonged. The revised 600 engine was throaty, not really quiet by any means but with more of a growl, typical Arctic Cat. Within the first mile or so you already realize it is super light and responsive, crack the throttle and it lights up super quick. You begin to get a feel for how light it really is and how it responds to your body inputs. I’m a big guy, 250 pounds and 6-foot 3”, and I was the master of this machine. It was eager to respond to my commands, almost like an extension of my body. The first adjectives that came to mind were lightweight, agile, responsive, flickable.
Soon we were out of town and heading out into open country, and away we go. Arctic Cat always takes us on hell-bent-for election test rides, just like they do when developing their machines. We had the 600s cranked up and screaming, getting deep into the throttle far more often that you would on an 850 but it came up to speed quickly and easily. When you’d cut the throttle you could detect how easily it rolled and how efficient the drive line was. The rolling resistance was noticeably improved. It was still a 600, but a fast one. You’d wrap it up above 8,000 RPMs and it would instantly scream up to shift RPM and pull hard. Like, this is really fun! This 600 is truly a spinner and not a grunter like a big twin feels. But at this weight it was really responsive.
After several miles of high speed open sections we got into some tighter woods sections, and this is where you discover the magic of the new progressive steering system with its light steering effort and ability to mount big 4-bolt carbides to the skis. It handled the corners with ease, light steering effort but precision response and tracking, VERY flat cornering. Damn, we really have something here!
After maybe an hour we all swap sleds. I was bummed, as I figured there was no way my next selection would work as good as the first one. Much to my delight my next sled, a Riot 146”, was pretty much the same. The longer track and lower gearing did suck some of the response and hard acceleration from the 600, as expected, and the longer rail did cause more push in tight hard cornering, but I spend a ton of miles on this length of crossover sleds in the U.P. so I was able to quickly and easily compensate by leaning slightly more forward and out to get it around the corners and keep up with the pack.
After the next stop to swap sleds I get my chance on the ZR R-XC. This was the premium high performance model of the pack. Here we find the best shock calibration and greatest capability, pretty much the sled that would line up against the likes of a Polaris XCR or Ski-Doo X-RS. We’re told this will also be the machine that the race teams start with and turn into their cross country competition units. This was truly the best representative, but it was amazingly similar to the first ZR 137” ATAC sled I started out on. Being fitted with almost no windshield I was able to ride this for an extended period as nobody else asked to ride it for the entire way to our lunch destination.
The whole day went like this, riding a sled hard and fast for a while and then trying another. There were two versions of Riot 146” models with different shock packages, the 129” and then the 137” ZR variations. Across the board each one was a screaming 600 engine package. I’ve put tons of miles on the new Ski-Doo 600R and have had three of the Polaris 650s and of course have had many of the Arctic Cat 600 C-TEC sleds through the years. The Catalyst is a 600, it does not feel like a 650 or 700, it is a strong and efficient 600. Considering the lightweight of the Catalyst platform it is quite fast but it is a 600. The “bigger” CC engine should be ready for 2025 (next year) and we’re told it will not weigh any more than the 600, so figure 40+ HP with no weight penalty. I can hardly wait!
Some of the sleds were fitted with an exceptionally functional tall windshield that didn’t look stupid like so many do. It can be nasty up on the tundra so Arctic Cat knows how riders need protection on long rides in cold windy conditions. This was a treat while riding in the 3-4” snowfall that occurred during our ride on trails, ditches, road shoulders, on the river, though the woods, across the prairie and over to Roger Skime’s ranch for lunch (a truly epic experience).
Those of you who know us know how we take pride in trying to be as accurate as possible. Some will think we’re saying all of these kind things simply because we get advertising money from Arctic Cat. Fact is we make far more money selling magazines than we do in selling ads to Arctic Cat. We have a far greater obligation to tell the truth to our magazine readers than we do to bend the truth to satisfy an advertiser. We haven’t been successful selling magazines for the past 55 years by misleading our readers.
I can say this with confidence because I know most every one of you will have the same reactions when you get to ride the Catalyst for the very first time. It’s a screaming 600. The sled is super light, like 50 pounds lighter, and you feel that right away. It is super efficient and gets the power to the ground, quickly and effectively. It is extremely agile and responsive with uncanny handling – this will be what they hang their hats on is the handling. The mass is further centralized and lowered and you truly benefit from this. The steering is light yet the sled rails, flat and precise. The riding position is perfect. But past all of the features and specs, adjectives and smart talk, this sled is fun to ride. You can’t help but grin from ear to ear because you are maxing out your fun meter and think you are such a great rider, but then you realize maybe it’s not you but the machine. This sled brings out the kid in you again, simply because it is so much FUN to ride!
Overall our initial rides on the Catalyst met or exceeded our expectations. What didn’t? We were surprised the seat didn’t feel too short, even at my height. The seat was actually quite firm, more like a KTM dirt bike than I expected, but seats are heavy and expensive. This is a high performance snowmobile, not a comfy cruiser. If you want to just sit there and go left and right you can do that but this isn’t going to be the smoothest machine out there. Most responsive maybe, flattest cornering maybe, but the suspension is tuned for the high performance crowd. The rear suspension compliance wasn’t what we had hoped for. Don’t get me wrong, it works quite well, but it’s no rMotion out on the trail. That wasn’t their target, and Ski-Doo riders will instantly notice this. Part of this is from the seat, granted, but we had expected even more. There’s no fancy gauge in the dash, not yet, but you can see the big space in the dash where it goes so it is coming. As is the bigger CC engine. One step at a time, Arctic Cat will check these items off the list.
We believe the Catalyst will not only put Arctic Cat back into the game in a big way but will ensure their survival and newly deserved success. Year by year it will progress and evolve. Yes, it’s been a long time coming, but there are a lot of unique technologies and features in here that we will talk about in detail in the coming weeks. It’s still a gas-powered 2-stroke with two skis and a track, but every now and then you realize you’ve just been given the opportunity to get a glimpse into the future. This future now looks very bright, indeed.
Look for a complete in-depth run down on the 2024 Arctic Catalyst in the Spring issue of SnowTech Magazine.
