impressions arctic cat 4 stroke

Give Arctic Cat credit for going public with four-stroke technology when many others considered it premature. Give Cat credit for doing a superior job in advancing this new engine concept for snowmobiling. Give Cat engineering an A+ for years of hard work and dedication to making a very trailable four-cycle snowmobile that is low on noise, emissions and fuel consumption.

When we got our Arctic Cat 4-Stroke snowmobile in mid-January, it came with about 400 miles on the odometer. Since delivery, AmSnow staffers have added another 1,000-plus miles.

Executive editor Wade West used it for commuting during Eagle River Derby week. He rode roundtrip from St. Germaine to Eagle River, averaging about 50 miles a day. Then there was test rider Les who added 260 miles roundtrip from the "big lake" in central Minnesota to western Wisconsin. He followed that up with a number of daily "commuter" trips of a 100 miles or so. This past weekend our vintage editor rang up another round of triple digit mileage in his quest to see what the hubbub was all about amongst the staff.

That hubbub is about a trail sled that neither belches two-stroke fumes nor an offensive odor to non-snowmobilers. In fact the engine is so quiet that the rider encounters a new series of sounds that he'd only hear if his sled seized and rolled to a stop from high speed. Those sounds include the rotating of the disc brake assembly, the track rolling over the drive sprockets and support wheels, the final drive and myriad other sounds heretofore unknown by most snowmobilers.

There are about 100 of Cat's 4-Stroke snowmobiles around North America right now. Designed as a trail sled, the 660cc Suzuki-derived triple cylinder motor has been refined by Cat engineers to provide a very workmanlike and unobtrusive performance level. If the 4-Stroke logo were not emblazoned along the flanks of this sled, you'd be very curious about its demeanor, which is calm and quiet. Under full throttle the engine pulls strongly right up to Minnesota's mandated maximum trail speed of 50 miles per hour. It is surprisingly adept at taking this 610-pound cruiser from 20-plus mph to 55. It can sing along all day at a constant 50-plus. Ask it to stretch much beyond 65 in any slow snow and it may balk, but it will register 70-plus on the Cat speed counter.

A most pleasant surprise is the powertrain's performance in twisting trails. As with any cruiser equipped with a 440cc or smaller engine, you need to be smooth in and out of turns to maintain a good pace. But the 660 4-stroke demonstrated a most forgiving nature as its torque was solid and rebounded well even when you would scrub off speed and fed its injectors a full venturi of straight fuel. Let's not pretend that this engine is a 600cc ZR, but its performance is readily as strong as any other 400 to 500cc fan-cooled sled. And this is the baseline for performance when you look at this two-upper.

Cat rates the 660cc four-stroke motor at a moderate 45 horsepower. That seems like a lot to ask of a motor that is expected to haul a sled that weighs more than a Pantera 580 EFI. It would seem as though 45 horses aren't enough. On paper. On the trail the 45 horsepower you get in the 4-Stroke is more than adequate for anyone who would buy this type of trail sled.

In fact, test rider Steve and our esteemed editor bashed the Cat 4-Stroke over especially rough trails just to see how much it could handle. Keep in mind that a full dressed Panther two-up is not meant for ZR-style treatment. But the lads discovered to their amazement that the powertrain was better than the chassis/suspension setup in handling the nasties. In fact, the lads were curious if Cat would consider a one-up sport version of this powertrain with ZR rear end and top line AWS front? That, they felt, would be a most interesting sports machine that would be economical to own; remember, low fuel consumption, no 2-stroke oil consumption, and environmentally responsible. And it would be an absolute hoot to ride for many years, we'd bet.

As it is, our "beta-test" Cat 4-Stroke, except for the powertrain, is straightforward Panther-type chassis and suspension. That means a softly sprung, cruiser setup of AWS-V up front and 13.3 inches of travel from the base FasTrack rear end. Cat acknowledges that this limited build group of 4-Strokes has some better answers to come in the way of spring and shock choices for the suspensions. The baseline model tends to dart a bit, but fixes are already underway for the full production series to come next season. Look for different springs and shocks on the full production 4-Stroke models.

Given the exceptional job Cat has done with the 4-Stroke to date, we expect the full production versions to be another level better than what we have been riding lately. And what we've been riding is excellent for a new concept. The sled's curb appeal is strong. The power delivery stellar, consistent and fascinatingly different.

Given that our editor has experienced other 4-strokes from snowmobiling's past, he was amazed at how well the Cat powertrain responded more like a snowmobile than a clunking 4-stroke ATV or Briggs&Stratton-equipped go-cart. Power delivery is very similar--maybe even smoother--to a standard snowmobile drivetrain.

Overall impressions from all AmSnow staffers to date has been one of being very impressed. It is obvious that Cat is serious about this new concept, has done its homework, worked hard on the engineering and working of the new sled. Now comes the hard part of waiting for the public's response to this new product.

Based on our brief "on trail" episodes with the 4-Stroke, we've seen an immense amount of interest wherever we've stopped. And the places we've stopped haven't been gas stations, as this sled seems to get an easy 20-plus miles per gallon, no matter how hard you try to abuse it!

People we've talked with like the idea of the sled's quiet and clean behavior. If the sled can be priced within acceptable limits, we expect that Cat has a winner with the public. Those of us who ride for "free," think that Cat is really on to something with the 4-Stroke. Now if Cat engineers can be convinced to move into the sports realm with this powertrain, we'll be happier yet. In the meantime, Kudos to Cat for a job well done!