Difference Between Mountain Chassis and Trail Chassis?

[Dartos]

I have seen a lot of discussion that Cat uses a trail chassis for the mountain sleds and how it would be better if they had a mountain specific chassis. I don't see Yamaha, Ski-Doo or Polaris getting hammered on this subject.

So what is the difference on the other manufactures chassis that make them different from what Cat is doing?

 

[hatchers]

trails sleds make more RPMs....

 

[geo]

It's just where you put the holes. If you move them around enough times and get off your seat it will become "mountain chassis".

 

[Dartos]

I just read through this entire thread, what an education.

 

[polarisfornow]

I just read through this entire thread, what an education.

Lol. I'll add a little tidbit. Cat gets mentioned on this a lot because for a while there cat actually had 3 specific chassis. The F series trail sleds, sno pro race chassis and the M series mountain sleds. One thing very unique to cat also is that all 3 chassis were almost 100% unique and shared almost no parts with each other except engines and clutches and a few other odds and ends.

Well the consumer was very spoiled by all of this. For a short period (10-11) the cat faithful had the best (IMO) mountain sled, best riding trail sleds, and the best race chassis.

Well the problem with all of that is that having all the tooling available to build 3 unique sled chassis is that its very expensive. So to make stock holders happy and boost profits cat decided to make 1 chassis to replace the 3 they currently were using. And unfortunately for the cat faithful cat kinda whiffed on all 3. So that is partially why you hear about it so much. Even though doo has been on one chassis since the rev and poo has been using one chassis really since the fusion days.

The funny thing to me though about everyone beloved M series is that as a mountain chassis it was really a hand me down of sorts from cat. The M essentially started out as the 02 sno pro race sled which morphed into the 03f7 which eventually was tweaked into the 05 M series. So really even though everyone loved the "mountain specific" M series chassis it was really no more than an extended 02 snopro race sled. Go figure.

 

[ullose272]

rush came out in '10- became poo pro in '11 with new tunnel. i think FTX? made a poo pro (basically) out of a rush in 2010.

 

[Reeb]

The funny thing to me though about everyone beloved M series is that as a mountain chassis it was really a hand me down of sorts from cat. The M essentially started out as the 02 sno pro race sled which morphed into the 03f7 which eventually was tweaked into the 05 M series. So really even though everyone loved the "mountain specific" M series chassis it was really no more than an extended 02 snopro race sled. Go figure.

My 02 Snopro ran a 13.5" track. A 15 definitely would not fit. It was also a POS that broke every race weekend. Don't compare the two.

 

[polarisfornow]

My 02 Snopro ran a 13.5" track. A 15 definitely would not fit. It was also a POS that broke every race weekend. Don't compare the two.

I never said they were a 15 wide track. Anyone that's been around cats would know that the 02 sno pro and early f sleds were all skinny minis. But denying that the m series heritage is directly from those original race sleds is gonna be a tough argument to win.

Sent from my MB886 using Tapatalk

 

[geo]

About the only similarities between the snowpro-F7 chassis and the M7 chassis and beyond is the lay-down engine, airbox layout.

All pick-up trucks have box, cab, and 4 wheels since the beginning too.

 

[polarisfornow]

About the only similarities between the snowpro-F7 chassis and the M7 chassis and beyond is the lay-down engine, airbox layout.

All pick-up trucks have box, cab, and 4 wheels since the beginning too.

Oh yeah what was I thinking, you certainly can't take the whole front end (a-arms, spindles, tie rods, etc) off an f7 and bolt it on an m series.... Oh wait... YES you can. But I'm sure the engineers were both locked in separate rooms and just by chance they came up with nearly the same thing.

You're a smart guy Geo and I respect your opinion on a lot of things but you aren't even in the ball park on this one. To say that the m didn't evolve from the sno pro is crazy. They can share parts.

Sent from my MB886 using Tapatalk

 

[Reeb]

The argument is the difference between mountain and trail. And there is little except for cosmetics that make the two similar, let alone talked about in the same breathe. That's all.

 

[Reeb]

And to further everyone's "Skinny Mini" education. Here ya go.

1996 Arctic Cat "Skinny Mini" ZR 440 prototype
This is the first prototype of the sled that would become the Firecat.

1998 Arctic Cat "Skinny Mini" round tunnel prototype
This is one the second generation prototypes of the sled that would become the Firecat.

 

[ullose272]

damn those those things are ugly