Any Gen 5 riders demo a Catalyst?

[turboless terry]

So adding the t-motion arm to a Summit Expert will make it handle pretty much like a Summit X. The flex edge track isn't a major factor. I ask because Ive found a used expert for sale. but really wanted the summit X. ITs cheap to buy the t-motion link. Not cheap to buy a new track. thanks

I never asked. I wanted to ask because i never knew what made the biggest difference because I had both. I wil have to call. Not sure he will know because he came off one before they went 34. He obviously thinks his 36 inch x was easier with both than the 34 expert. I only rode the experts in deep snow and thought they were easy.

 

[hansenmac]

for me its backwards, i am a catalyst owner who rode a gen 5. I have owned a 10 11 14 18 and now a 24 arctic cat so i guess thats my preference, but i like to try everything. the rest of my group is usually polaris guys pro's axy's and one 9r matryx. the last two weeks there were two gen5 NA sleds and one gen 4 NA. Our group consensus was that the ski doo felt like it fought us through the bars when trying to keep it on edge. i thought it felt like you were either deep into a sidehill or it wanted to tip back downhill. I also feel that the axys and even moreso the pro chassis polaris does the same thing. I am not big and or strong so thats not good for me. The catalyst is the easiest sled ive ever ridden, feels like others have said that its 7/8ths size of sled. The 600 does not have the hit of the 800 or 850 on the bottom it likes to be quarter throttle or more, but when in the upper range it pulls real nice. i think its feels much closer to an 800 on the top end than a 600. I liked the power and shot start and quality of the doo's that i rode, but the riding style is not for me. I think all the new sleds can do whatevery you want them to and its up to riding style and preference, but the poo and doo riders in my group than rode my catalyst all said if they were going to get a new one the cat would be probably what they got.

 

[summ8rmk]

The planted feel is due to 600 power.

I believe the planted feel is due to cats suspension setup. They want very low front track pressure. I think they are trying to stabilize the sled by putting all the weight on the skis and rear track shock. Increase pressure on the front track shock and sled will no longer feel planted.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

 

[go-on-two]

for me its backwards, i am a catalyst owner who rode a gen 5. I have owned a 10 11 14 18 and now a 24 arctic cat so i guess thats my preference, but i like to try everything. the rest of my group is usually polaris guys pro's axy's and one 9r matryx. the last two weeks there were two gen5 NA sleds and one gen 4 NA. Our group consensus was that the ski doo felt like it fought us through the bars when trying to keep it on edge. i thought it felt like you were either deep into a sidehill or it wanted to tip back downhill. I also feel that the axys and even moreso the pro chassis polaris does the same thing. I am not big and or strong so thats not good for me. The catalyst is the easiest sled ive ever ridden, feels like others have said that its 7/8ths size of sled. The 600 does not have the hit of the 800 or 850 on the bottom it likes to be quarter throttle or more, but when in the upper range it pulls real nice. i think its feels much closer to an 800 on the top end than a 600. I liked the power and shot start and quality of the doo's that i rode, but the riding style is not for me. I think all the new sleds can do whatevery you want them to and its up to riding style and preference, but the poo and doo riders in my group than rode my catalyst all said if they were going to get a new one the cat would be probably what they got.

This is how i felt somewhat, the 22 Matryx had to go because of all the stop ride BS and the Polaris business attitude!! Not the local dealer (M&M) they were great, just the company itself has lost there way. Then onto a 2024 G5 NA, i was surprised with this sled, motor was great and shot start and thats about it, the handling was terrible in poor snow so it had to go. Hoping for good things with the new Catalyst coming!!

 

[rkm]

I believe the planted feel is due to cats suspension setup. They want very low front track pressure. I think they are trying to stabilize the sled by putting all the weight on the skis and rear track shock. Increase pressure on the front track shock and sled will no longer feel planted.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

Well I have a 165 800 Catalyst and I had to go from a 175 to a 210 rear spring to keep the front end somewhat manageable.
I rode my 600 Catalyst this weekend and will definitely agree it feels a bit planted when stock.

 

[Pinchecharlie]

Man I guess my idea of “planted” is different than most cause I’d say the ski foo was way more “planted” in a general sense. I feel like my catalyst is pretty light on the skis under throttle. Of course I don’t have enough experience to know , just what it feels like. I think the catalyst is better for me and a beginner and it’s way way prettier than a ski foo lol!!

 

[sno*jet]

I had a chance to demo a stock Catalyst 600 154" yesterday. Last year I was on a '22 Matryx na 163, this year a '23 Expert na 165. My favorite sled so far is the Expert. I have my Expert set up with an iBackshift clutch, finger throttle, shocks done by a local suspension shop, post forward, Salazz King ski rubbers, 34" ski stance and obviously I'm used to riding it. I'm 6'1" 205lbs. Snow conditions were mediocre with about a foot of fresh snow on a hard layer of crust and old tracks. The Catalyst looks small, the whole package is compact and it looks like a different class of sled size-wise. The first thing I noticed riding was how sluggish the Catalyst was off the bottom, it was an obvious delay, slow and weak to engage. I suppose this was due to a combination of the the small bore not having the torque of the 850 and the OEM cluching compared to iBackshift...sure made me appreiate the iBackshift clutch. I have no doubt that the stock 858 would be better and further improved with some clutching. The Catalyst 36" ski stance made the sled feel planted on the front end at slower speeds, heavier than the Expert although this could be due to the suspension setup too. I'd never ridden an Alpha rail before and you can imagine how much I over rode the sled, I felt like I was drunk at first. It took much less rider input to initiate. Sidehilling was not as precise or directed as the expert, no surprise there given the track length and skid differences. I rode the sled twice for about 30 minutes total and it was enough to make it clear that I'm not going to get an 858 until I've had a chance to ride the larger motor and longer track. Keeping in mind the Catalyst was a bone stock 600 and I only rode it for a short time never having ridden an Alpha rail before, I would not describe the Catalyst as a game changer and I much preferred the handling characteristics of the Skidoo. I'm not brand loyal and would like to try an 858 165. I'd be even more interested if Cat offered it in a dual rail setup as the Alpha rail would definitely take some getting used to. I have no doubt that I could get used to the Catalyst and probably come to like it, however there was nothing in my short demo that would make me want to buy an 858 for next year.

Great review.
I don’t know anyone who switched to doo for better tree riding so there’s that, but cool that you got to your own conclusion from trying one.