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We knew it was only a matter of time. It had to come eventually. Arctic Cat has finally rewarded its patient, loyal consumer base with a sled that could very easily be the best of its class. That sled is the ZR 800 APV.
We had an afternoon to get to know the quiet, smooth new powerplant in January. While we would have liked to have ridden it on the trail, we were content to take it blasting on down the frozen Thief River.
Of course our first concern on the big twin was its relative vibration factor. We were pleasantly surprised to feel our fingers after we rode it. It does buzz a little, but not like we expected it to. Cat engineers seemed to have effectively tamed the beast.
Our next concern was noise. With Cat's prior track record, we planned to be somewhat deaf at the end of the day. We were not. Just as with the 600 APV, the variable exhaust valves muffle the exhaust noise nicely up until they pop open at about 7 grand. It gets a little noisier then, but in normal, twisty trail applications, you won't be up in those rpms for very long.
The ZR's engagement is set for a very docile 4200 rpm (the ZL 800 is set even lower at 3500). This should be an indication of just how much snort the mill cranks out. In our testing, we observed that we were actually speeding with the throttle only 1/4 open. This is good in one respect, but if you do most of your riding in a state where the speed limit is strictly enforced at 50 mph, maybe the ZR 8 is not a good choice.
We got a peek at a dyno sheet for about three seconds while we were in the factory. It showed torque figures up near T-Cat levels: hovering around 100 ft/lbs! Cat rates the engine at 140 factory ponies. If we can duplicate those numbers on a production sled, that will make the Suzuki 785cc twin the strongest OEM production twin we've ever tested.
Everything else about the ZR 800 APV is basic Cat- AWS V double wishbone front suspension, FasTrack rear suspension, nicely designed handlebars and a windshield that works. New on the Cats this year will be a guy-friendly, resculpted 12-gallon tank and new hand grips that aren't quite as aggressive and shouldn't tear up your hands as much as the older design.
If you want a ZR 800 or another big twin model (ZL esr, Mountain Cat), you better pack up the kids and head to the dealer ASAP. We expect these sleds to be in very short supply on sales floors this fall. In other words, put your down payment in now to be certain you'll get one for next winter.