AmSnow.com is now SnoWest.com
Getting back to the top spot in the mountains is no easy task. Becoming the leader, the Alpha, takes years of right decisions. Also, finding the compromise between handling and ride quality is a timeless crusade for suspension systems engineers. Arctic Cat has met this challenge by raising the industry bar for their 2019 lineup. Cat engineers with the full backing now of Textron levied automotive technology to transform both the trail and mountain experience, finding the balance between maneuverability and comfort.
¦ Mountain Maneuverability: Alpha One Suspension
Cat didn’t stop with trail sleds, or ergonomics, or basically anything else when innovating for 2019. Possibly the biggest news is that the mountain sleds received a major suspension makeover called the Alpha One. This is the coolest mountain innovation we have seen in some time.
The Alpha One has a patented single beam design and it boasts an 11-pound weight loss, reduces snow accumulation, and requires less rider input for cornering and boondocking. Essentially, it makes the beginner rider feel like an intermediate, and takes the experienced rider to a new level. It does take some getting used to though, and it is NOT for trails.
In addition, a 3.5-inch pitch x 3-inch Power Claw track was developed to increase traction (it comes in a 154-inch and 165-inch option). This track was developed to flex and conform to the snow giving the long tracks more finesse and shorter tracks more peppiness in deep snow.
This may sound similar to Ski-Doo’s tMotion and flex-edge track, but just imagine all of that opportunity but with only a single rail down the center. It will be interesting to see how those riders out there that do not like tMotion or the flex-edge tracks receive the new Alpha One. I can certainly see it being a potential deep powder “game-changer” (that’s OEM marketing speak). We are also interested to see how it reacts in harder spring snow.