2002 panther 570 esr

Ski-Doo and Polaris have been building 500cc+ fan-cooled economy touring sleds with zero competition from Arctic Cat. Not any more. "The other guys have been eating our lunch in this market segment long enough," explained Product Manager Joel Hallstrom at the 570 engine's intro. "We needed to offer something to the consumer who wanted good performance with a reasonable price tag. We can do that with our new 570 fan engine."

In our test session, the Panther 570 esr set the pace with its competitors, the Grand Touring 500 Fan and the Trail Touring. "I wasn't expecting a fan-cooled snowmobile engine to perform like Cat's new 570," commented Test Rider Doug Erickson. "It did extremely well."
The Panther 570's AWS V is outfitted with twin-tubed hydraulic shocks.

Arctic's blow molded plastic skis sit at a 41-inch stance. Our crew is mixed about the skis' effectiveness. Test Rider Les Pinz noted that they tended to follow the ruts left by the sled in front of it. Others felt they handled well and performed their cornering duties reasonably well.

The stretched FasTrack rear uses the same RydeFX shocks and fiberglass overload springs found on the top shelf Panteras. Our crew really liked the skid's performance on all trail types. "We pushed it in some pretty hard conditions and it did all right," commented Doug.

The Panther 570 esr comes standard with Cat's Flex-Drive electric starter system. Mechanical reverse is also part of the package. Passengers will find the basic adjustable backrest at the tail end of the seat. The handholds, however, are not adjustable and have no heat or wind protection. Cat put a deep, steel cargo rack out back for luggage and the day's necessities.

We would anticipate seeing a lot of Panther 570 esr units in rental fleets this winter. They offer the basic touring amenities with what seems to be a very promising power package. At $5,649, the Panther 570 esr is priced even with Polaris' Trail Touring and a little higher than 'Doo's GT 500 F.