new cat racer 440 for pros

It's hard to start any discussion about Arctic Cat sleds without mentioning power-to-weight ratios. The consumer Firecat line and the former racer 440 sleds have built a fan base that loves light and torquey machines. You could say it is Cat's stock-in-trade.

This year Cat gave us an early overview spec sheet of its slightly beefed up prototype 440 Sno Pro, which hasn't yet been unveiled. This sled will carry top pro Arctic riders and comes with plenty of new additions for the 2006 season.

A new 3-position adjustable steering post will give riders more options for their stance and the sled stands taller with new Fox Float front shocks that have a bigger air chamber and new valving code. Also in the front, spindles have been strengthened with a more heavy-duty extrusion and steering support has been firmed to curb flexing. To further cut down on flexing, the upper A-arms have a new cross brace and a center link also has been added to prevent flex in the steering tubes.

Under the hood, the 440 gets new V-Force reeds, intake flanges, and a boost bottle to increase all around performance from idle to full-throttle. TEAM Industries added a new slip gear and a lighter driven. Engine movement and clutch alignment have been improved with a new plate brace, which holds the engine steady.

Also look for an improved muffler exhaust outlet that keeps exit flow constant to eliminate engine bogging in big holes and moguls.

Finally a new front-arm shock was added to the rear suspension. Compression and rebound can be adjusted in the back as well. With all these new additions and stronger chassis changes let's hope Cat kept the weight down as well!

Additional information and photos should be available in our January racing issue.