New CEO - largest risk is overall market decline as we have seen with Doo and Poo so you cut costs and streamline the product offerings. Largest market potential is dirt so you immediately focus on hiring a key team to build a very capable SXS. Meantime you take an older existing SXS and tailor it for a value offering to try to sell units and attract new people to the sport. Also meantime you focus on the series of small issues with the sleds to make them more reliable and improve reputation for a 2026 release including a twin rail option then you start R&D on forced induction with a target of a mid-season demo tour and have available for 2027 snowcheck season. Do a focused cost reduction on the ZR200 as that is also sold by Doo dealers (MXZ 200) which drastically expands your reach and sales potential. Keep some Ascender chassis models going as a value line for both trail and mountain segments. Mid-term develop a 4 stroke engine to compete with Doo in the trail segment.
Arctic Cat sale
- Thread starter Old & slow
- Start date
Old Black Magic building.
Argo also has laid of people.
Boring!
I don't think you realize how long tooling takes. There is no feasible way to get a boosted 2-stroke for sale in model year 2027 if they don't already have it rather close to production right now. It would have to be a tooled build as changes to the engine cases, pipe, turbo, etc would all change the tunes then you need to adjust the clutching, etc. Then EPA cert which can be the last thing, but can come back to bite you on clutching as that is ordered 4-6 months ahead of time due to how powder metal mfgs have a long line of orders to process through. your order puts you in line for their presses.
ZR200 might need a new engine supplier if Yamaha pulls that engine out. It was made for that sled though.
Before the start of production of the 2025 models, Cat had signed a Contract with Yamaha for their engines for another 3 years. I am pretty confident that the new (Better) owner will honor that.
Echoing what was said above. I manage an R&D machine shop for a large manufacturer. I see how long it take from initial prototype to release. There is a lot of things that have to align to get a new product to production. Prototype, design approval testing phases compliance validation and the list goes on and on.
You're right, I have no idea how long it takes. However, if they don't have forced induction for 2027 then they are done in the mountain segment. Focus on a value offering and quit competing for the top of the line machine with Doo and Poo, they will be way too far behind.
I'm not necessarily buying that mentality.
There's a strong market for NA machines. And while Turbos are the hot ticket item today, I would not make the assumption that the market will continue to drift that direction. We've frequently seen that what is hot today is not tomorrow.
I've been riding turbos since 2017. Rode doo turbos through 22, then switched to poo boost for 3 years and swore I'd never ride an NA again. I rode my buddies 9R for the first time last week and couldn't believe how much I enjoyed it. Got me thinking that's probably going to be my next purchase.
Boost is super fun on the deep days you can use it. I'll take my 900 N/A the rest of the times.
We had 3 or 4 turbos in our group for a few years and now we’re down to one. The guy still on the turbo is 400+ lbs so for him it just puts him on a level playing field with the rest of us. One guy went from his last two sleds being turbo’d to a 450 snow bike.
i think a good sled that MAY be easier to build would be a bored 858. if they could push a 925 to be with or above the 9r. A lot less to do that a than a turbo i would think. I also think i would go supercharger route. easier to tune with linear boost levels i would think and only the weight of the aluminum cold side of the turbo being belt driven.
Seems like Doo riders tend to go with the turbo model more often than Polaris riders. Still a lot of N/A Doos out there. I see tons of Polaris 850s and 9rs around town and out riding. Not nearly as many Boosts.
The Doo turbo is fun for more open terrain and really deep snow, but not something I feel i would like in the areas we ride most often. Haven't even tried a Boost because nobody I know has one.
The Doo turbo is fun for more open terrain and really deep snow, but not something I feel i would like in the areas we ride most often. Haven't even tried a Boost because nobody I know has one.
How to tell everyone you are old without saying you are old......
When I bought my 9r right before last season, it didn't seem like Polaris had gotten the Boost figured out yet. I didn't want another Polaris that was finicky. I'm fully capable of riding one, but I don't want it to handle like a couch (BRP) and I want it to run right. Nothing to do with age or ability. I'm probably one of the younger guys on this forum even.
