AmSnow.com is now SnoWest.com
There is no getting over the fact that the front end is heavy on this sled. Our independent wet weight testing had it at 683 lbs., which was a full 53 lbs. heavier than our next heaviest 2016 demo sled – the Yamaha SR Viper L-TX SE with an MPI turbo on it.
That said, whatever ground you might lose to your riding buddies twisting through the forest, you quickly make up, even on short straightaways. That kind of insane power puts a smile under anyone’s helmet! However, you will use plenty of fuel to do it. The big Cat turbo averaged right around 11mpg for the season. That’s not horrible, but remember: this is a 4-stroke, and it got the worst fuel mileage out of our demo fleet this year. Still, you can’t put a price on crazy-fast fun!
Fast sleds are often cold sleds, so adding some Rox Speed FX handguards on the bars went a long way toward comfortable trail riding in subzero temps.
We absolutely LOVED the heated seat, and we are OK with an extra pound or two if our bums are toasty warm on a dark ride home in howling winds.
What’s next?
Cat has already made it clear that they will not be using Suzuki engines much longer, but the exact phasing out of Suzuki engines and what will replace them is not 100% known. So, no more Suzuki turbo 4-strokes, 1100 naturally aspirated 4-strokes, 800cc 2-strokes, 570 fans, etc. That is A LOT of engines to replace in one model year! Yamaha is certainly going to step in somehow, but either way, consumers will be driving these 4-stroke turbos well into the future, as they are long-lasting engines. We hope that there will be support for them and the transition is smooth for AC.