FIRST RIDE REVIEW - Steve Janes
In a short two years the Mountain Cat has been transformed from a bulky sled that relied on speed and power to bully its way up a mountain to a sleek, nimble snowmobile that can negotiate terrain when necessary yet power its way to the top when required.
It’s no longer just a point-and-shoot snowmobile. It can go with the flow when you need to weave your way through the trees. We can point to two significant improvements that have led to this transformation: First, the move to narrow the profile in 2018. This allowed the Cat to roll farther on its side in deep snow. The second was the Alpha One suspension new for 2019. This increases the Mountain Cat’s ability to perform in deep snow.
The Alpha One is a single rail skid design that centers the balance point of the ride. The outer edge of the track allows the rider to rock from side to side with greater ease, yet maintains incredible traction since the track maintains contact with the terrain.
Not only is the rear suspension lighter since it doesn’t require cross supports, it also is cleaner since there’s no place for the snow to collect. This decrease in weight reduces the normal burden placed on the rear suspension and gives you a smoother ride. The Cat is much better suited to hold a sidehill, especially in packed snow conditions. You can merely lean to roll it up on an edge … although it takes a little getting used to since there isn’t a hard edge to roll to.
The Mountain Cat’s engine is solid. The Power Claw track hooks up well. With the slimmer design and the new rear end, Arctic Cat now has a snowmobile that has raised the bar for mountain riding.
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