New wold man. Sad truth is the “feed” is king and you either get on the train or left at the station. Cat will re bound and some kids will rip them! There’s allways someone who wants to show up the cool kids! Only thing that would cement the death would be a lemon. Come on cat get it right I like the way your sleds look and I like mine hasn’t broke ever. Uh-oh just asked for it didn’t I?
AC marketing opinion
- Thread starter crossrider
- Start date
What I have learned over the years is money buys branding. Cat has lost out to some big names for sure. But Tucker and Kirk stayed with them through thick and thin. Where cat is losing out is the amount of dealers they have or lack of having. There is not really any dealers for parts in the Snowies at all. The closest would be Fort Collens and they do have parts but are closed Sundays and Mondays. And your into essentially you have 4 hours driving to just get parts that's if you can fix it yourself. I have been on Cat most of my life, I have also had Polaris and Skidoos. But cat is way behind the 8 ball as far as technology goes, They still don't have bigger than an 800 and no turbo. Skidoos and Polaris offer factory Turbos, Also both have more than capable 850s. The Alpha rail was a game changer for me and made it so much easier for me to be able to ride. But, That being said You can get a K mod skinny to fit any brand and be a better suspension on top of it. The new Catalyst might also be a game changer for new sleds but not to offer at least an 800 in the new chassis only continues to put you farther behind the other brands. All brands have issues of some sort. Textron has essentially ruined Arctic cat as a company. I have 6 people in my group that used to be cat loyal and now they are on Polaris or Skidoo. All of which purchase multiple sleds per year. I am the only one still riding cats. But I am unsure on how long I can continue to support a company that is running a lien inventory or you have to purchase parts from Yamaha to keep your sled going. If cat wants to regain their market share, They better get out their check book and start paying people to ride their sleds and also have better dealer support and customer service. There seems to be Polaris dealers every 3 miles it seems. Most rental companys offer Polaris and Skidoo, People buy what is available to them. There are many reputable companies out there that they could team up with. Speedwerx Super charged sled. Offer it from the factory as an option. There are also other companies that make big bore kits and light weight parts that will help the sled. BDX used to make pro lites and people would buy them. Just hopeing that cat is not so far behind they can't catch back up.
Sometimes perception becomes reality. Probably less then 10% of the mtn snowmo public needs a turbo sled, and may have more fun with a 600, but the perception is you need the biggest and baddest sled. Social media has really amplified that as you see the pro riders doing amazing things with modern sleds, when in the past you really only knew what was going on in your region. Nothing wrong with that but I think that is reflective to the point your making.
I agree with the dealer problem. Not so much with partnering with aftermarket to help drive your tech. There's just too much of a gap between what the aftermarket can do and get away with currently and what the OEM manufacturers have to do to get EPA certification and provide a reliable product with warranty.
I would put money down that less than 1 percent can outride the power in a stock 850 .
Which is a big reason why I watch him.
If you said out ride the sled you're right. Apparently you've never rode deep snow. You could ride your sled to a spot one day and not make it the next because of a storm. A turbo brings that back. Also, elevation is a horsepower killer.
It's alright if you don't want a turbo but not a reason to knock people that do. Just because you don't want something or don't have something or can't afford something doesn't mean it sucks.
Must have struck a nerve
I think I've already beat it to death, but to put it shortly, social media is the carefully curated opiate of the sheeple, and the Meta/Google/Tiktoks of the world need to burn in hell yesterday. That said, I understand why you'd "have to" use it. If I were Cat, I'd have accounts and keep content flowing there to make sure all the Gen Z riders know I'm not dead, but wouldn't count on that to save me. They'd probably just bleed money trying to wrestle that game away from Poo, or even Doo.
I think the smart money would be getting the brand out where people actually ride. Give sleds away to guys like TRS, and make it really easy for companies like TKI to sell parts and/or service Cat sleds. Cat's dealer network is FUBAR anyway, so why not replace most of the functionality with something that costs you little or nothing? A friend bent the handlebars on his new Doo, and the two closest dealers didn't even have them anyway. That's the kind of thing that'll sour buyers pretty quick, and will probably happen a lot if Cat doesn't find some way to address it.
It's easy to point to social media, but that's far from the only place Cat is dropping the ball. I don't even know where the closest Cat dealer is; I just know there isn't one in Billings. Another big thing (especially in the ramp-up to '25) is getting demos out there. I'm not switching brands without a demo, and I'm not driving 6-8 hours to get one either. Make an appearance at Cooke, and I'll be there - probably along with a line of other riders.
I think the smart money would be getting the brand out where people actually ride. Give sleds away to guys like TRS, and make it really easy for companies like TKI to sell parts and/or service Cat sleds. Cat's dealer network is FUBAR anyway, so why not replace most of the functionality with something that costs you little or nothing? A friend bent the handlebars on his new Doo, and the two closest dealers didn't even have them anyway. That's the kind of thing that'll sour buyers pretty quick, and will probably happen a lot if Cat doesn't find some way to address it.
It's easy to point to social media, but that's far from the only place Cat is dropping the ball. I don't even know where the closest Cat dealer is; I just know there isn't one in Billings. Another big thing (especially in the ramp-up to '25) is getting demos out there. I'm not switching brands without a demo, and I'm not driving 6-8 hours to get one either. Make an appearance at Cooke, and I'll be there - probably along with a line of other riders.
Not Butte anymore? Libby? [emoji38]
I’m in WA and drove to MT 3x to get a Cat, that’s how the Cat dealers are here. I’m from there though so it’s been a good excuse.
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My take- I can count on one hand the times during a season where I wish I had the power of a turbo. Simply put, the elevation and type of snow we have, a good running 800-850 will do the job 95% of the time. When it is real deep and powdery (not often), my Alpha track has no issues. It is the best track out there for the real deep.
Here in the Sierras, even the guys with turbos know my first sentence is true. I'd rather work for it, nothing sweeter than man and machine vs. Mother Nature, especially someone who knows how to get the most out of his n/a 800.
Lot of days turbos are overkill. Have 9r also. Had a day 9r was struggling. Glad i had my turbo. We also have drier powder than you. Even have a lot of sugar snow. Big difference.
Great Falls and Missoula both have Cat dealerships. Missoula handles both cat & poo.
Hahaha I would rather fly up a hill with 60 mph track speed and my skis 3' in the air blasting some ac/dc going hell yeah. Then criss cross my way up the hill barely making it to the top, but that's what's great about merica you have the freedom to choose. I'll live my dream you live yours.
There's one in 4 Corners, used to be the Belgrade dealer, they moved a few years ago
They did demos in Cooke before with Chris Burandt when the M-series first came out, and they have been testing there in the spring last couple years so they still know where it is! No dealer in Billings sucks for sure. Cody, Cooke City, and Bozeman are the closest.
I drive by Four Corners now and then and didn't even know they were there. They do seem to do a good job of staying anonymous. Working with a dealer in Billings would be a lot easier for me. That said, I've found Polaris dealers tremendously unhelpful more often than not, so it's not like I'd be seeing a difference if I were riding a used Cat. If/when I have something with a warranty, that gets more murky. I'd just about rather they send me the parts if something breaks under warranty. Anyway, I hope they do have something in Cooke next year.
