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After what may have been the most disappointing lineup in Arctic Cat history in 2000, the flying green meanies have finally given us what we've been asking for: big twin power without rattling.
In our preliminary test ride of the new 785cc ZR 800, we found the power we knew Suzuki could build. What we didn't find was a lot of windshield-blurring, arm-numbing vibration. "Our dealers told us that we shouldn't bring an 800 twin if it was going to shake, rattle and roll," said Cat's snowmobile product manager, Joel Hallstrom. "We listened."
The new twin is built on a new bottom end to handle the reported 140 horsepower and nearly 100 foot pounds of torque produced by the mill. Making it strong at all engine speeds is a servo-actuated variable exhaust valve system, known as the Arctic Power Valve (APV). The valves pop open at 6950 rpm and close when the engine drops to 6850.
Not only does the APV system make more power, it also reduces sound and exhaust emissions. An additional benefit is increased fuel economy. Since the engine is cranking out more power at lower rpms, it takes less gas to get around at speed.
Cat will offer the 800 twin in three different packages- the afore-mentioned ZR 800, a ZL 800 with electric start and reverse and a Mountain Cat 800, packing a 144-inch track with two-inch deep lugs.
But the 800 twin is not the only new engine in Cat's stable for '01. We will see the first trickle-down of Team Arctic's latest racing gadget: the exhaust gas temperature sensor. Next year this will only be available on the ZR 500 carb model. It will work in conjunction with the 3-D ignition timing system to shift the whole map up or down five to seven degrees, based on the pipe temperature. The new APV system is also found on the carb version of the ZR 500. "We anticipate the APV coming fully on-line for the 2002 500 sleds," said Hallstrom. "But with so many new engine packages coming out this year, we just ran out of testing time to make sure it is right."
Cat rolled out its ZR 600 with the APV system as a mid-season release last January. The full lineup of Cat's 600 twins will sport the new technology, both carbed and EFI: ZR 600, ZR 600 EFI, Mountain Cat 600 EFI, ZL 600 EFI and ZL 600 EFI esr.
The final new engine surprised us. Cat and Suzuki added the APV system to the ZRT 600 engine. "There's still a triple market out there," said Hallstrom. "We certainly do not want to leave those guys without anything new to ride."
In addition to all of the new engines and exhaust temperature sensor, Cat showed us more unique features on its 2001 sleds. The mountain guys will find new parabolic skis on their Mountain Cats this year. Hallstrom explained that they work similarly to parabolic downhill skis. "The front and rear of the ski is wide for flotation in the powder. The middle of the ski is narrower for added bite when cornering. We think it will be a hit with the mountain market."
The Mountain Cat 800 and 1000 will also have a 144-inch by 2-inch track as standard equipment. The Mountain Cat 600 EFI and 500 EFI will both carry a 136-inch by 2-inch track.
The high-class touring segment has been spiffed up to accommodate the person who spends time riding solo and with a passenger. The queen seat on the Panteras is removable, and becomes an enormous storage rack. "We saw a lot of people in Quebec riding solo on a two-up sled loaded with saddlebags on the sides," explained Hallstrom. We thought we could come up with something better and we have." The seat will come off with the pull of a spring latch, located in the trunk compartment. Cat will offer an accessory bag that fits exactly in the new cargo bay. The prototype we saw was equipped with hook and loop straps to attach easily to the racks. It was even expandable/collapsible to fit in the cargo rack even if the queen seat was in place.
Another hot gadget Arctic showed us was its new Flex-Drive electric start system. Instead of a solid drive shaft running from the starter motor to the starter ring, Cat has incorporated a flexible shaft which is encased in a tough composite sheath. This will allow a starter to be installed on virtually any engine package because it does not require a straight line between starter and clutch.
Finally, Cat listened. We whined and complained about the often painful 13-gallon fuel tank it rolled out last year. That is gone! In its place is a more refined, better tapered 12-gallon tank. We saw a prototype and it appears to be more in line with the old 10-gallon shape, with the extra volume coming somewhere besides at the back of the tank, where short guys end up riding in aggressive situations. Not only is it more ergonomically-friendly, but it also has a fill hole and a separate location for a fuel gauge, so you won't drip gas all over the seat when you take the cap off.
Overall, we are impressed with the work Cat has done to its lineup. It has answered many of our objections, and even thrown in some things we didn't expect. The Cat is back for 2001 and we're glad to see it.