AmSnow.com is now SnoWest.com
Think about why you like a sled to begin with.
Chances are you get stoked when your sled has some major grunt, handles like a sports car and feels light under your buns so it'll scoot over the snow in a hurry.
I wouldn't argue with any of those points and after riding hundreds of miles at a time on the Arctic Cat F7 during the past season, I'm here to tell you this one delivers on all three fronts.
Our test sled was an orange F7 Sno Pro with the new 700 EFI engine. It ran well all winter and required no maintenance other than the usual re-supply of oil, which seemed to need replenishing about every 100 miles. No belts broke, no electronics went blewy - this was as close to bulletproof as any sled we've had.
The fun starts with the laydown 700 EFI twin that fires easily and runs hard and strong. After the initial warm-up, even on many negative Fahrenheit mornings in Ontario, the F7 ran smoothly and never faltered. The Cat's engine delivers 140 horses with a throaty roar that lets you know it means business.
The F7 hooks into the power quickly too, which makes it jump away from a standing start, say when you're challenging your buddies on a lake run. In our Real World Shoot-Out tests on snow last January the F7 Sno Pro registered the second fastest top speed in a run-off with three other high-perf sleds. It hit 103.85 mph and nabbed the second best quarter-mile time at 13.29 seconds. It was best during the burst from 30 to 50 mph, managing that in just 1.4 seconds.
So this is a quick sled that pulls well through the quarter mile and beyond. The price you pay is at the pump. We managed just 10.2 mpg in our trail runs during the Real World event.
Some of the F7's performance is due to its ACT Diamond Drive that replaces the old jackshaft and chaincase system. This planetary gearbox drive system cuts 11 pounds from the F7, boosting its power-to-weight ratio. And since it's mounted lower in the chassis, the sled's center of gravity is improved.
What's that mean to the rider? Well, as we all know, lower weight usually makes you quicker. And as mentioned earlier, the F7 feels light and manageable on trails and quick as you jam on the throttle coming out of turns. The Sno Pro model weighs in at just 468 pounds and that's hard to beat in this class of sled.
Helping give the sled some additional bite is its 1.375-inch lugged track, up from the standard 1-inch lug. The deeper lug really helps in the deeper snow when you jump off the groomed trail or zip across a snow-covered lake.
That better bite and lighter weight also contribute to the sled's easy handling. I'm a smaller guy, just 5-5, and wrangling the Sno Pro was never a problem in powder or on hard pack.
Also contributing to that were the new Fox Float shocks up front that save an additional five pounds and help soak up the trail's tougher bumps. These pressurized air shocks help the sled respond better in stutter bumps and keep the sled from bottoming out nearly all the time.
In a 200+ mile run on the sweeping trails near Cochrane, Ont., the F7 was a worthy performer as I swept through the turns like Tony Stewart slipping his sprint car around a dirt track. My only complaint was that the throttle pull seems a little stiff.
But overall the sled is comfortable. The seat is new and about an inch taller than previous models, something that surely will help taller riders. Padding was good so those long trail rides weren't too tough on the derriere!
Cat's hooked handlebars also are tops, especially when tossing the sled around in twisty corners. Several of our test riders praised the ergonomics here, with special note of those bars. Only fit and finish scored below average on our rating charts for the winter. Sometimes the hood was particularly tough to latch and hook properly.
One other thing I'd like, a lighted gas gauge. Finishing a long ride at night I found it disturbing to not be able to check the gauge occasionally to see if walking was in my immediate future. Luckily it wasn't!
Arctic Cat F7 Sno ProEngine: Suzuki twin, liquid-cooled, 46 mm throttle body EFI, 698cc
Exhaust: APV with tuned pipe & canister
Ski stance: 43 in.
Front suspension: AWS-VI double wishbone A-arms
Rear suspension: FasTrack Long Travel slide-rail
Track: 13.5x128x1.375
Fuel tank: 12.6 gal.
Dry weight: 468 lbs.
'06 Price: $11,349 US/12,349 CA
REAL WORLD STATS:*MPG: 10.2
Top speed: 103.85 mph
1/4-mile time: 13.29 sec.
*AmSnow Real World Shoot-Out results.