Why I'd Buy it: Alpha One 600

Why on snow would I choose a sled that is not really available to the snowmobile community?

Dang good question. Technically, at least according to Arctic Cat officials, there are M 6000 Alpha One models around—you just have to look for them. In other words, scour around in several dealerships.

This sled was never really marketed by Cat or even made widely available from the day it was introduced (Hay Days 2018). And you won’t find it on Cat’s website.

But the idea behind the M 6000 Alpha One is a good one. All the reasons I like the single beam Alpha One M 8000s are the same reasons I like the M 6000. And it appears the only way I’m going to get a chance to ride one is to plunk down money for it.

I’m actually surprised Steve Janes didn’t beat me to this model. He has bee the biggest cheerleader for the 600cc mountain sleds for as long as I can remember. I too like the 600s—at certain times of the year and in certain conditions. I like the bigger sleds when the snow is really deep because I need that extra horsepower to get me through the sticky situations.

Here are three specific reasons I would buy the M 6000 Alpha One.

1. Pairing. As revolutionary and fun as the Alpha One is, it wouldn’t be nearly as good if that single beam rail wasn’t a part of a good suspension. The Alpha One Rear Suspension with Arctic Cat IFP 1.5 shocks in both spots offers up 15.5 inches of rear travel, plenty enough for most everything you’ll experience with the M 6000. No, this suspension is not the high-end shock package (Fox 1.5 Zero QS3 Coil-Over) that you find on the Hardcore Alpha One but then I’m not going to ride these sleds the same way. The Hardcore is for aggressive riding where you attack the terrain. The M 6000 Alpha One is a sled where you enjoy the terrain. The entire package of the Alpha One Rear Suspension is well suited for the M 6000. Add to that package the well-designed and extremely functional 154-inch Power Claw track that is wrapped around the rear suspension and this is one tough little mountain machine. 
2. 6000 Series C-Tec2. This is a good engine with a claimed (and believable) 125 hp (both the Polaris 600 and Ski-Doo 600 are in that horsepower neighborhood) and a broad powerband that delivers that horsepower smoothly rather than a hard hit. Cat’s new 600 C-Tec2 (not the 600 the C-Tec2 replaced) was introduced in 2013 and is the first engine Cat designed and built in its St. Cloud, MN-facility. It has also been one of my favorite small powerplants because it’s so user friendly. It’s this engine that laid the groundwork for Cat’s 800 engine, which replaced the Suzuki powerplant the company used to use in its sleds. It’s cleaner, more efficient and lighter than the previous engine by about 10 lbs. There’s enough power in the C-Tec2 to easily spin the 154-inch track and power through deep ish snow. For the real deep snow and nasty hillclimbs/creek bottoms, you may want the bigger engine/sled but overall, this is a fun engine that works well in the chassis.
3. Light Is Right. You can’t usually go wrong with a lightweight sled. The M 6000 Alpha One ditched 11 lbs. compared to the previous iteration of Cat’s 600 mountain sled. Of course, that weight loss can be attributed to the Alpha One single beam rear suspension but when you consider the lack of snow that will get trapped in the rear suspension, not only is sled lighter, it will ride lighter on those deeper powder days because you’re not carrying around additional snow baggage. And without that additional snow tagging along, the sled is more playful and nimble and that ramps up the fun factor.