How powerful is a particular snowmobile? The dyno knows. How much power
did those extensive, expensive mods really add in power? The dyno knows.
All good (and not-so-good) natured teasing aside, a sled can't hide its flaws from this end-all engine diagnostic. We put the Arctic Cat ZRT 800 through its paces at the AMERICAN SNOWMOBILER Battle of Old Forge Shoot-Out V. Jim Czekala, editor of DYNOTECH was on hand with his dynamic SuperFlow dynamometer to capture the pure power picture. The results are based on a fresh, just-out-of-the-box ZRT 800.
We were especially interested in debunking some unfounded rumor that Arctic Cat was said to have made only 200 ZRT 800s with more than 145 horsepower.
The rest, so the rumor goes, were in the 130 range. Regardless, after checking
around to performance shops and running an independent dyno, we were confident that we had the genuine "average" article.
Czekala found that our Cat was about three horsepower healthier than others he had previously dynoed. At 151.1 horsepower, this cc Cat roared in just 10.4 horsepower shy of a tested 1994 Thundercat (the ZR also ran better quarter-mile runs than the T-Cat at 11.928 and 11.811 seconds).
Backed with this power, the ZR 800 held its own in the 800 class shoot-out, coming in second behind the Mach Z (ahead of the Vmax-4 and Storm), with
two stock runs at over 105 mph. The ZR led the 800cc class with a best run
(330 feet) of 4.627 seconds and a miles per hour gain (from the eighth to the quarter) of 19.96.
The dyno sheet shows you that the 800cc Cat delivers maximum power at 8500 rpm and holds it past peak.
1995 ARCTIC CAT 800 ZRT
Weight: 614 lbs.
Data for 29.92 inches Hg, 60 F dry air
Test: 100 RPM/Sec Acceleration
Fuel Specific Gravity: .745
Vapor Pressure: .30 Barometer: 30.01
| RPM | CBT | CBHP | FUEL | BSFC | CAT |
| 7000 | 81.5 | 108.6 | 86.8 | .80 | 50 |
| 7250 | 87.2 | 120.4 | 90.9 | .75 | 49 |
| 7500 | 90.1 | 128.7 | 93.5 | .72 | 50 |
| 7750 | 97.9 | 144.5 | 96.1 | .66 | 51 |
| 7400 | 90.8 | 127.9 | .638 | 79.1 | 89.5 |
| 7500 | 90.9 | 129.7 | .617 | 77.7 | 89.5 |
| 8000 | 99.2 | 151.1 | 96.4 | .64 | 51 |
| 8250 | 94.2 | 148.0 | 99.0 | .67 | 51 |
| 8750 | 52.0 | 86.6 | 104.4 | 1.20 | 50 |
RPM: Engine crankshaft speed. CBT: Corrected Brake Torque.
CBHP: Corrected Brake Horsepower. FUEL: Actual fuel flow
pounds per hour.
BSFC: Brake Specific Fuel Consumption. CAT: Carb Air
Temperature.