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With its twin 1056cc 4-stroke motor putting out roughly 120 horses in Cat's Twin Spar chassis, the Jaguar - Cat's first 4-stroke aimed mid-market - delivers a nice, smooth ride on the trails.
Our Jaguar Z1 gave us 1,140 solid miles this past winter, starting off with some good early season runs to break it in, but darned if the Jag didn't foul a plug on the first run of our Real World Shoot-Out in January in the Upper Peninsula. So, we didn't get any accurate radar runs with this one.
That fouled plug pointed out another problem too: replacing a plug is not easy. So, the Jaguar had to go to the shop for a half-day repair that also showed a piece on the throttle positioning sensor had come loose, something Cat says was part of a supplier problem.
Once that glitch was straightened out, the Jag was a joy to ride.
Smooth powerThe power pull is prominent; the Jag will get up and run across a lake, outpacing even its brother, the F6. However, it would be super cool if this one had a more throaty exhaust sound.
Unlike Yamaha 4-strokes (except the new Nytro), the Suzuki-built engine in the Jaguar has an anti-engine braking control system that allows the sled to coast once you're off the throttle. There's a little slowdown when you release the throttle, but it's not as abrupt as many 4-stroke riders have come to expect. This system takes some getting used to, even if you're a seasoned 2-stroke fan.
Starting was easy, even at -20° F in north central Minnesota.
New motor mounts keep vibration to a minimum here too, so you're comfortable on long rides. Of course, the more rigid Twin Spar chassis and refined suspension help too. The slide-action frame with coupling blocks in back helps the Jaguar in both small stutters and bigger humps too. Pretty much the sled will take all the rough stuff in stride.
Remember this is a trail rider, for the most part. The 1-inch track lugs don't give you quite as much traction in deeper snow, but zipping through a tree-lined Midwest trail is loads of fun. There's no ski dart, little lean in turns and while the sled can push a bit in the turns, it's not as heavy feeling as you'd think, being a 4-stroke.
Plus, I should note that revised swaybars and mounting points on the '08 Jaguars lessen the push and give the sled even more bite entering turns. A progressive front arm spring also adds pressure to the skis for better turning.
Note that the '07 Jaguar checked in at 575 lbs. dry. By comparison, Yamaha's '07 Vector GT was listed at 545 lbs. last season, but now it's in the Apex chassis and weighs in at 557 lbs.
Comfy CatRide is comfortable for all sizes, thanks especially to Cat's IRP, Infinite Rider Positioning. This allows you to raise and lower the seat, plus rotate the handlebars and position the riser to the angle that's best for you. The whole process is easy, and I had no trouble with anything slipping or needing to be readjusted during the season.
I prefer a somewhat middle riding position, or slightly toward the front, but you could adjust it back to give yourself more legroom, if needed. That's the beauty of this system.
We like the big hooks on the handlebars and there's a nice instrument cluster that's easy to read too. The storage compartment in the rear of the sled is a virtual cavern compared with other sleds these days. I like that, a lot!
However, you should be aware that your right foot can get a bit hot due to its close proximity to the muffler.
Then there are the added benefits of 4-stroke power; no smoke and less oil use are up there of course. But, with gas at $3+ a gallon and Cat recommending just using 87-octane fuel here, you'll be happy not running up to the gas pump as often. We hear a lot about 4-strokes getting 20 mpg, but we didn't see that on this model. We managed 14.5 mpg during our season-long test. That puts it among our top couple sleds this winter.
Overall, I was pleased with Cat's new innovations for the Jaguar and especially liked its fit and finish. I think the styling is much improved too with its shorter nose. This was a fun, pleasant, low-maintenance sled for the season, and that's what a lot of us want!
2007 Arctic Cat Jaguar Z1Engine: Suzuki 1056cc, liquid twin, 4-stroke, 120 hp
Exhaust: Stainless steel
Front Susp.: AWS-VII double-wishbone A-arms
Rear Susp.: Slide Action frame w/coupling blocks
Ski Stance: 43 in.
Track: 15x121x1.0 Gas
Tank: 9.4 gal.
Dry Weight: 575 lbs.
Wet Weight: 659 lbs.
MSRP: $10,499 US/$13,499 CA