I was at the manufacture show yesterday and spoke with a Canadian dealer his price for the kit was $3200. CAD. That comes to $2500. USD. Could be that is just the list price, 1500 each for the track and skid 200 for the drivers. Yes its new but also mass produced, I think everyone is still making a buck. Could it be the first numbers we heard were incorrect or a Dealer doing some fishing to see who will bite. A/C may have changed the MSRP due to higher demand, we will never know for sure. 3200 CAD is comparable to what is listed for the current rear skid and track.
ALPHA REAR SUSPENSION AND TRACK UPGRADE KITS
- Thread starter BD-Xtreme
- Start date
1. Unless you get lucky (which does happen), don't ride more than a few hundred miles a year, or are willing to not ride the first half of the season so you can buy your new sled in Jan/Feb, you are looking at a $2-3K depreciation per year no matter how you slice it to run a new or holdover sled. Only way to get around that is buy a sled that is 2 or more years behind or ride the same sled for more than 3 years. It's expensive to ride brand new, period. If you want to ride for less, a '16 LTD will do more than most people can ride and you can go buy one of them for $5K-$6K right now. Ride it for 3 years, put $1K into it during that time, and sell it for $3.5K-$4K in 3 years.
2. Coming from a manufacturers standpoint, I would promise there is more behind the stopping of selling these kits than "not wanting to upset the people who snowchecked". Think about it, brand new track, brand new skid, brand new other components. Suppliers can't build an unlimited number of components in a limited amount of time. Arctic Cat has to take into account parts availability for production of the sleds AND for replacement parts. In the industry I'm in, we require our dealer's to stock a certain number of certain parts before we will ship them products. The dealer's are 100% part of the decision on which parts are included in that list, but it ensures we are able to support customers that buy a new machine and have some kind of issue with it. We also require WE have certain parts in our warehouses in certain quantities too. If Camso can only push out 1,500 of the new tracks by Nov 1, well, you have to have enough for production, dealer parts supply, and manufactures parts supply. Can't build 1,000 sleds and 500 aftermarket kits.... that would leave 0 for parts.
2. Coming from a manufacturers standpoint, I would promise there is more behind the stopping of selling these kits than "not wanting to upset the people who snowchecked". Think about it, brand new track, brand new skid, brand new other components. Suppliers can't build an unlimited number of components in a limited amount of time. Arctic Cat has to take into account parts availability for production of the sleds AND for replacement parts. In the industry I'm in, we require our dealer's to stock a certain number of certain parts before we will ship them products. The dealer's are 100% part of the decision on which parts are included in that list, but it ensures we are able to support customers that buy a new machine and have some kind of issue with it. We also require WE have certain parts in our warehouses in certain quantities too. If Camso can only push out 1,500 of the new tracks by Nov 1, well, you have to have enough for production, dealer parts supply, and manufactures parts supply. Can't build 1,000 sleds and 500 aftermarket kits.... that would leave 0 for parts.
S
snowmobiler
Well-known member
or they were getting 1000s of kit orders and only a couple sled orders.bam.no more kit orders.LOL
Actually I buy all my sleds new. I was riding a '16 Axys 11/15. I just do not think it should buy you any protection, price or otherwise. Mostly I think it is funny to read your whining about it not being fair. Maybe get over yourself?
Can't wait to see the first pics of one mounted on a Poo or DooHope they don't forget to take off the Alpha name and put Beta on it
I would be willing to bet that there will be a kit available and will be called the omega kit. I would also bet BDX will build it but lighter than the cat version probably for around the same money. I would also bet that they will have one for the Polaris and the Yamaha. Cat burned their own bridge by pulling this kit stunt BS. It shouldn't have even been available for the first year. To keep Alpha sales up. But they did offer now they have to deal with the aftermath. I hope BDX takes this and runs with it and makes cat wish they had not offered the kit. BDX has smart people and the machines and means to build this kit probably lighter and better than cat anyways, All I can say is sign me up for the BDX omega kit for my 18 and maybe even one for my Axis.
Not really whining so I don't have to get over myself. I ordered the sled because I wanted one and that is all I really care about. If you want one buy it. If you want the kit then buy it that way. I don't care. All I am saying is they should have waited a year to do it. Sells more sleds for them because there is people that will just do the kits now that would've bought a new alpha and yes, it will ultimately keep the price of my sled up for 1 year. I'm not in this to make money but if they want snowchecks then you should get something for doing it or people will wait. If you can't see that then you must have voted for Hillary Clinton.
i don't see this happening without cat's approval given the patents that are in involved.
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All I am saying terry is that snow checks have been a rip off as long as I have been aware of them. They offer buyer protections right up until the snow gets decent after the first of the year, then everything gets incentivized.
Thinking that has, or will change, was your mistake.
Hillary? seriously, that is your insult?
J
jim
Well-known member
I don't understand why people are upset that CC and BDX came forward with a very competitively priced kit. Aren't they the little guy we are talking about? Who innovate for our sport?
With CC and BDX not being allowed to sell these kits for a good deal, everyone is forced to purchase from the big guy (AC) and anyone with a year-old sled who wants to upgrade won't be able to (forcing that owner to take a hit on resale of their mountain cat).
This is capitalism folks. You either adapt or get out of the game. Lots of shops offer great services and products that BDX and CC don't.
At the end of the day, this is a great innovation that will drive a lot of money to everyone, including the small guy. Nothing bad about it.
And, once again, it's the time of year where people complain about value and being ripped off. Folks, if you want value for your money, buy bonds and let it sit there for 20 years. If you want fun...buy the new sleds each year and worry about money another day.
With CC and BDX not being allowed to sell these kits for a good deal, everyone is forced to purchase from the big guy (AC) and anyone with a year-old sled who wants to upgrade won't be able to (forcing that owner to take a hit on resale of their mountain cat).
This is capitalism folks. You either adapt or get out of the game. Lots of shops offer great services and products that BDX and CC don't.
At the end of the day, this is a great innovation that will drive a lot of money to everyone, including the small guy. Nothing bad about it.
And, once again, it's the time of year where people complain about value and being ripped off. Folks, if you want value for your money, buy bonds and let it sit there for 20 years. If you want fun...buy the new sleds each year and worry about money another day.
Not from what I heard. Spoke with Cat rep that was totting around and alpha in Colorado for show n tell. Sounds like cat isn't happy with the discounted kits and is going to use most for production and warranty work. So if it is still available could be hard to come by.....
Cat dealer that my dad ordered a kit through called and told him this week that they got official word from Cat that there would be no kits this season. He ordered his pretty early too so I don't think it's a limited amount available thing where only a few folks will get them.
I went out to Clem’s yesterday to look at the new Alpha. Rep was there, said Cat pulled the sale of Alpha kits because of a large Minn dealer selling them for cost. That’s probably CC right?
He also said the large dealer dropped the price of the kits to their own cost in response to another dealer close to the large dealer who had under cut their initial low price. He was pretty sure their plan was to sell them for cost, ship them for free and do it all at a loss.
At $3000-3500 I’d have to think about dumping my 18(if I had one) and buying a 19 Alpha one. At $2500 it’s obvious to upgrade.
Btw, snowchecks of ALL 3 brands are WAY down. Nothing new at Doo but colors and some bandaids for clutch heat, looks like VERY FEW people want to gamble on a first year new motor from Poo, and even the Alpha isn’t selling that great here in WA (WA hasn’t been Cat country since the M8 days).
If I can get any kind of a trade I can stomach on my 14 Pro Lite I’m going to snow check one.
He also said the large dealer dropped the price of the kits to their own cost in response to another dealer close to the large dealer who had under cut their initial low price. He was pretty sure their plan was to sell them for cost, ship them for free and do it all at a loss. At $3000-3500 I’d have to think about dumping my 18(if I had one) and buying a 19 Alpha one. At $2500 it’s obvious to upgrade.
Btw, snowchecks of ALL 3 brands are WAY down. Nothing new at Doo but colors and some bandaids for clutch heat, looks like VERY FEW people want to gamble on a first year new motor from Poo, and even the Alpha isn’t selling that great here in WA (WA hasn’t been Cat country since the M8 days).
If I can get any kind of a trade I can stomach on my 14 Pro Lite I’m going to snow check one.
Manufactures only have themselves to blame if sales are slow. Barely any test rides to be found anywhere, factory rider opinions mean nothing
