1997 powder extreme

Surprised, surprised! That's what we were when we got back to our flatland offices and discovered that our test riders ranked Cat's mountain-going Powder Extreme third highest of all 1997 sleds tested this past spring.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best), the Cat rated an 8.2 overallscore. To achieve such a score meant that our test riders gave it a solidranking of "9s" in key categories. Noted veteran test rider SteveIngram, "This is the only powder sled that actually handles well ontrails."

When you take the basic drivetrain from last year's American Snowmobiler Shoot-Out winner, the ZRT 600, and drop it into a chassis primed for powder,you know you're starting with something that should be hot. It is. Our testriders gave all nines in the underhood and drivetrain categories such asthrottle response, engine and clutch response, and backshift response.

Cat has addressed the problem of ill-fitting pipes that tended to plaguesome of last year's ZRT 600s, including our Shoot-Out sled. The pipes arepressure-tested before leaving the factory, and a better-fitting pipe withredesigned flanges should virtually eliminate exhaust leakage.

The 594cc case-reed inducted triple is the heart and soul of the highlyrated Powder Extreme. The extra length (136 inches)1.6-inch deep-lug patterntrack is designed to give this Cat ample bite when the throttle is pushedin.

Cat says it wasn't worried about finding a market for such a sled. Basedon last year's orders for ZRT 600s with the Mountain Cat long-track option,Cat marketeers knew they had a ready market for a hot powder triple.

Introduced in volume last season, the liquid-cooled, three-cylinder Suzuki-builtengine is a seven-port design that adds durability via nicasil-impregnatedcylinder walls. You'll find three individually tuned pipes on the exhaustside of the engine. Three altitude-adjusting 38mm Mikuni carbs control fueland air flow on the intake side. Designed to have more power at usable revsthan the 700cc big twins from other sled makers, the Powder Extreme's triplefeatures a short stroke to rev quickly for maximum acceleration. Cat engineersplaced the motor low in the chassis to create a low center of gravity foroverall stability. This is what Test Rider Ingram felt stood out on thisdeep snow sled when maneuvering from trails to play areas.

The long-travel FasTrack suspension has a claimed 13.3 inches of travelat the rear axle thanks to a suspension redesign. Cat folks claim that itslong-travel suspension does not impact overall top speed and that normalrider weight results in "setting in" the suspension for maximumhandling. The suspension can be set by adjusting the tension of the torsionsprings. Unlike the higher performance ZRT 600, which uses more expensivehigh performance Fox shocks, you'll find durable Ryde FX gas shocks standardon the Powder Extreme.

Up front, you'll discover that Cat engineers haven't followed the leaderby going to a trailing arm independent front suspension. Cat chooses itsown Arctic Wishbone Suspension. This double "A" arm design isa little more complex and, perhaps, a little heavier than the competitors'trailing arm styles, but it also offers more precise location and controlledtravel of the front skis than the basic trailing arm setup. If you couldcut one of the competitors' engineers from the herd and supply him withenough "social ambiance," he might have to agree that double-Aarms offer advantages. The trade-off is added components and, hence, addedweight. However, for controlled ride and handling, Cat's AWS wishbone frontsuspension is top notch. To keep weight to a minimum, Cat opts for chromolyA-arms in the Extreme's AWS-IV unit. Shock control is handled by Ryde FXgas shocks and enhanced with load adjustable coil springs.

Cat's engineers have also added wide composite skis for lighter weightand reduced friction in powder snow. These plasticized shoes also offerflex characteristics that improve ride quality over rough stutter bumpsand add to steering control on hardpack surfaces.

Ski stance is 41 inches, up from the Powder Special 580 EFI's narrower37-inch center-to-center ski stance. This directly contributes to our testriders telling us how well the Extreme handled the trails. Hey, it's essentiallya ZRT 600 with deep-snow capability, so it should handle the turns.

Cat also has learned very well how to handle power. With about 120 horsepowerunder your thumb, you want to know that the Arctco drive clutch can handlethe load. Designed by Cat engineers and built in Thief River Falls, Minnesota,the Cat clutch features wide rollers for improved durability as well ascloser tolerances to maximize overall performance. The bottom line withCat's primary drive clutch is simply that it's more durable, more consistent,longer lasting and increases overall belt life. Nothing wrong with thatbottom line. And it gets power to the snow, quickly and consistently.

Stopping the Powder Extreme will be as easy as getting it up to speed.Extend your left hand and grab a handful of Wilwood hydraulic disc brakingpower. Over the past few seasons Cat engineers have refined the brakingsystem. Where it was grabby in the first model year, it is now smootherand modulated nicely to better suit trail riders. But don't be fooled, itstill has all the stopping power of the race-developed Wilwood brake. WithYamaha adding hydraulic disc braking to its line for 1997, now all foursled makers are on a par - in theory, at least - for braking performance.Perhaps Cat pushed the competition to upgrade in this area. One thing thatwe'd like to see more of is the "dog leg" style brake lever usedby Yamaha. Being able to lightly tap the brake lever in a turn is a niftylittle concept that suits the power of today's hydraulic disc brake systems,especially ones with the quick action of the Wilwood.

In overall impressions, our test crew found the Powder Extreme to offerexcellent engine response and rated it highly for rear suspension, rideand comfort. Out of a possible 10 points, the Powder Extreme earned a overallrating of 8.2, which was third best of the more than 40 sleds tested thispast spring. Impressive? You bet it is.

1997 Arctic Cat Powder Extreme

Overall Height: 37 inches
Overall Length: 118.5 inches
Ski Stance: 41 inches
Engine: Suzuki 594cc, oil injected, liquid-cooled triple
Exhaust: 3 Tuned pipes
Clutch:
Drive: Arctco (rpm sensing)
 Driven: Arctco (torque sensing)
Suspension Travel:
 Front: AWS IV, double wishbone, Ryde FX gas shocks, 7.2 inches
 Rear: FasTrac Long Travel System slide-rail, gas shocks, 13.3 inches
Fuel Capacity: 10 gallons
Key Features: Wilwood hydraulic disc brake, tach, speedo, trip, gas gauge, low oil light,hand and thumb warmers standard. Optional: electric start, reverse, rack,hitch.
Retail Price: $7,199.00
Riding Impressions:
"This is the only powder sled that actually handles well on the trails."
-Steve ingram, Test rider