Rode the 2012 Arctic Cat 1100T and 800 today

[Evolution Powersports]

We got to ride the new ProClimbs today. Here are my thoughts as unbiased as they can be:

Proclimb 8: Absolute home run. Much lighter feeling than previous, more maneuverable and far better ride. Power delivery is outstanding. There is not one negative thing for me to say about this sled.

Proclimb 1100T: Rode after the 8. I was a little disappointed with the weight and lack easy control. Part of the reason it feels so much more difficult to lay over and control is because of the steering position and height. If the handlebars were 3" taller and vertical like the 8, the handling and control would be better. Power delivery on the 1100 was deceptive. It does not feel that quick, but there is no doubt about the power when climbing. Turbo lag is present. It is going to be difficult to control the front end when jumping. The turbo sound is awesome.

Snow conditions were fair to poor. The 1100 will be better and lighter feeling as the snow gets deeper.

I have an 1100T on order. I am still going to take delivery of it, but for part of the day, I was seriously considering the 8 instead. In the end, hp is ruling the decision.

I also want to give a shout out to Madmax. We met up with him and his friend . They showed us some of the beautiful Utah back country and allowed us to switch back and forth between his sleds and ours. He is truly a gentleman.

 

[powder pounder]

I see a nitro in your signiture, how they compare?

 

[Evolution Powersports]

We had our MPI SC Nytro there as well. Nytro throttle response better than the 1100T. Chassis wise, Cat is much better, however, they did feel a little similar. I say this because they are both a little nose heavy and they both have the steering at crappy angles and too low.

We did not drag them side by side up the hill, so I cannot tell you which climbs better.

Seat of the pants says the Cat is faster up the hill and carries its HP better once it is on boost, but the Nytro has instant power which seems to fade a little as it stablilizes.

 

[WyoBoy1000]

The comment, "control the front end" is very easy with a kmod, lol

 

[madness]

once u put a exhaust on the 1100 it spools up better.i have rode lots of rear mount yam and the front mount on the cat is way better.i can't wait to test it next to my friends 240hp nytro.

 

[Evolution Powersports]

once u put a exhaust on the 1100 it spools up better.i have rode lots of rear mount yam and the front mount on the cat is way better.i can't wait to test it next to my friends 240hp nytro.

The 1100T I rode had an exhaust on it. I want to clarify above - it is not that the 1100 doesn't make power right away but compared to the high compression boosted Nytro, it felt laggy. I would compare the low end power delivery to the M8. It makes power right away, just not as impressively as an M1000 or SC Nytro. I still think it will be hard to control the front end when jumping because of the mass of the front end. The M1000 has a similar feeling front end, but because of its instantaneous power, it can be controlled better.

One other thing - part of the reason the M8 is so good is because of the handlebar position. My hope is that once Cat's vertical steering comes out, and if it is done right, it will make a world of difference on this sled.
The way the handlebars "pivot" downward when sidehilling is terrible. I am sure that I would get used to it, but my opinion is it is unacceptable and a huge step backwards for Cat. It must be fixed.

 

[arcticman31]

My opinion.....

Here is my opinion of the new proclimb 8 after riding my 2011 M8 for the last year......FOULBALL..swing and a miss...swing and a miss. The power and suspension in the rough stuff is great. Everything else is horrible compared to last years M. Balance point is VERY small and unforgiving. Will not hold a sidehill in the steeper tree terrain for crap, seat is definatly to high and it feels much heavier then my current sled and WAY heavier then a PRO RMK. I am a die hard cat guy and I am very disappointed with the new Proclimb. Cat took a step in the wrong direction for sure on this one. It handles great on the trail ( which is pointless for the most part with a mountain sled ) and it does seem to hook up good when the snow is settled a bit. My next sled will definatly be a pro rmk unless cat happens to do some serious modification to this sled. A guy I know ditched his proclimb after just 60 miles due to how disappointed he was with it ( RE " proclimb housewife special " in the colo section ) . Guess it all boils down to what your gonna do with it, but for my kinda mountain riding ( and im no pro rider but can ride pretty well ) it sucks. Hope others enjoy it more then I did. Glad I bought my M last year instead of waiting for the 12's......Thanks for that Co. Matt

 

[WyoBoy1000]

Hhmmmm, maybe someone should set it up right, I rode one for 40 miles and there is hardly a balance point it works where ever and very easy. Down fall, running boards are to wide and needs to be narrower, until the the pro rmk and M will sidehill steeper stuff better, I could still do it but a shorter light guy would have a hard time. While riding it felt light, as light as any, when stuck it felt like a tank. We rode 153 & 162 m800 sp's

My dealer set them up and has always had the best running cats around, they go over everything, good dealers count

 

[arcticman31]

I agree that set up makes a big difference...bad thing is this one was set up by a great shop. Just not impressed at all myself.
Oh.....and thanks for the bad rep sledhead13c......feel free to give your honest opinion and ill send some right back at ya. Grow up

 

[aksnopro]

wow, that sled must have had floats with 100 psi in the fronts and 180 in the rear or something cause i found the balance point crazy easy and toe pressure of my 125 pound *** ment more then any sled i have ever ridden.


-Aksnopro

 

[sledhead13c]

I agree that set up makes a big difference...bad thing is this one was set up by a great shop. Just not impressed at all myself.
Oh.....and thanks for the bad rep sledhead13c......feel free to give your honest opinion and ill send some right back at ya. Grow up

Thanks for your opinion and no hard feelings, just rated your post

 

[barry1me]

Here is my opinion of the new proclimb 8 after riding my 2011 M8 for the last year......FOULBALL..swing and a miss...swing and a miss. The power and suspension in the rough stuff is great. Everything else is horrible compared to last years M. Balance point is VERY small and unforgiving. Will not hold a sidehill in the steeper tree terrain for crap, seat is definatly to high and it feels much heavier then my current sled and WAY heavier then a PRO RMK. I am a die hard cat guy and I am very disappointed with the new Proclimb. Cat took a step in the wrong direction for sure on this one. It handles great on the trail ( which is pointless for the most part with a mountain sled ) and it does seem to hook up good when the snow is settled a bit. My next sled will definatly be a pro rmk unless cat happens to do some serious modification to this sled. A guy I know ditched his proclimb after just 60 miles due to how disappointed he was with it ( RE " proclimb housewife special " in the colo section ) . Guess it all boils down to what your gonna do with it, but for my kinda mountain riding ( and im no pro rider but can ride pretty well ) it sucks. Hope others enjoy it more then I did. Glad I bought my M last year instead of waiting for the 12's......Thanks for that Co. Matt

According to a reliable source that makes some outstanding turbos they said on trail this is a great sled, but compared to another sled it doesnt compare offtrail. Thanks for your honest review, and sorry you got a bad rep for giving your honest review.

 

[Evolution Powersports]

It is hard for me to believe that you could have that opinion. I have been on the M series since 2005. I am used to the way they handle and can make them dance. This new sled was so much better. Yes it does roll up easier, but that is a plus. Balance point is smaller, but it is so much easier to maneuver that it only took me two hours in fair conditions to adapt to it. As far as it feeling heavier - that is total BS. Both my brother & I who have rode nothing but M's for years concluded the new 8 may weigh the same, but feels 20-30 lbs lighter in the front and handling.

Here is my opinion of the new proclimb 8 after riding my 2011 M8 for the last year......FOULBALL..swing and a miss...swing and a miss. The power and suspension in the rough stuff is great. Everything else is horrible compared to last years M. Balance point is VERY small and unforgiving. Will not hold a sidehill in the steeper tree terrain for crap, seat is definatly to high and it feels much heavier then my current sled and WAY heavier then a PRO RMK. I am a die hard cat guy and I am very disappointed with the new Proclimb. Cat took a step in the wrong direction for sure on this one. It handles great on the trail ( which is pointless for the most part with a mountain sled ) and it does seem to hook up good when the snow is settled a bit. My next sled will definatly be a pro rmk unless cat happens to do some serious modification to this sled. A guy I know ditched his proclimb after just 60 miles due to how disappointed he was with it ( RE " proclimb housewife special " in the colo section ) . Guess it all boils down to what your gonna do with it, but for my kinda mountain riding ( and im no pro rider but can ride pretty well ) it sucks. Hope others enjoy it more then I did. Glad I bought my M last year instead of waiting for the 12's......Thanks for that Co. Matt

 

[madness]

well we have had over 10customers out on there new sleds aswell as myself and coworkers and everyone is stocked. there some issues but they are all being worked out. everyone should replace the foam on the airbox seal with some good weather stripping and add a screw to the bottom of the airbox ,the hole is in the airbox so u just screw it to the sled so it does not flexout .because when it flexes out it opens up a crack on both sides of the airbox and when snow comes in from the vents on the hood it gets sucked into the airbox.adding the screw stops the flex.

 

[elvis1280]

Here is my opinion of the new proclimb 8 after riding my 2011 M8 for the last year......FOULBALL..swing and a miss...swing and a miss. The power and suspension in the rough stuff is great. Everything else is horrible compared to last years M. Balance point is VERY small and unforgiving. Will not hold a sidehill in the steeper tree terrain for crap, seat is definatly to high and it feels much heavier then my current sled and WAY heavier then a PRO RMK. I am a die hard cat guy and I am very disappointed with the new Proclimb. Cat took a step in the wrong direction for sure on this one. It handles great on the trail ( which is pointless for the most part with a mountain sled ) and it does seem to hook up good when the snow is settled a bit. My next sled will definatly be a pro rmk unless cat happens to do some serious modification to this sled. A guy I know ditched his proclimb after just 60 miles due to how disappointed he was with it ( RE " proclimb housewife special " in the colo section ) . Guess it all boils down to what your gonna do with it, but for my kinda mountain riding ( and im no pro rider but can ride pretty well ) it sucks. Hope others enjoy it more then I did. Glad I bought my M last year instead of waiting for the 12's......Thanks for that Co. Matt

The only way anything you said is honest, is if you have never rode an M series or you dont ride "pretty well"? I sorry i am being an ***, but I have had a 05' m7 and an 10' M8 and I am not pro but i ride pretty well also. I cant speak for the weight of it when your stuck! I know its heavier than my 10', but while riding (even if it was set up like crap) is 10 x lighter feeling than an M series. Period. having the gas tank between your legs as opposed to up front is a dead give away alone! I had my 10' so dialed in suspension wise i couldnt make the ski pressure any less! and with no adjustments at all on my 12' it was at least 3x lighter on ski pressure.
As for balance point- Yes it is smaller! going to the chaincase put the weight higher so the sled is eaiser to roll but your margin of error is a little smaller. If i acidentlly lost my M downhill for a second I could always, 100% of the time get it back! this sled will push you to make quicker moves and ride with more prescion! JUst need to get better and learn what the sled will do when you do make a mistake.
the steering will hurt losing that extra 10 degrees from the M but someone will make a fix. (sounds like GEO did it already) and with a 15-25lbs diet this sled will be unbeatable and wont krinkle like a prormk. And you cant quote Matt for your decision cause he and burandt are the best. And matt could ride the 12' cat as good as his RMK! So buy an RMK, its a damn fun sled and its light as hell. but the cat with 21 more HP and a litlle diet will not disapoint.

 

[arcticman31]

Settle Down

The only way anything you said is honest, is if you have never rode an M series or you dont ride "pretty well"? I sorry i am being an ***, but I have had a 05' m7 and an 10' M8 and I am not pro but i ride pretty well also. I cant speak for the weight of it when your stuck! I know its heavier than my 10', but while riding (even if it was set up like crap) is 10 x lighter feeling than an M series. Period. having the gas tank between your legs as opposed to up front is a dead give away alone! I had my 10' so dialed in suspension wise i couldnt make the ski pressure any less! and with no adjustments at all on my 12' it was at least 3x lighter on ski pressure.
As for balance point- Yes it is smaller! going to the chaincase put the weight higher so the sled is eaiser to roll but your margin of error is a little smaller. If i acidentlly lost my M downhill for a second I could always, 100% of the time get it back! this sled will push you to make quicker moves and ride with more prescion! JUst need to get better and learn what the sled will do when you do make a mistake.
the steering will hurt losing that extra 10 degrees from the M but someone will make a fix. (sounds like GEO did it already) and with a 15-25lbs diet this sled will be unbeatable and wont krinkle like a prormk. And you cant quote Matt for your decision cause he and burandt are the best. And matt could ride the 12' cat as good as his RMK! So buy an RMK, its a damn fun sled and its light as hell. but the cat with 21 more HP and a litlle diet will not disapoint.

Wow glad you got that off your chest! I have been riding M's since 06 and this is my 3rd one. I guess we will just have to agree to disagree on the new sled. I will agree that the steering is very light, hell it almost feels like it has power steering! But I found the sled much harder to control sidehilling and very difficult to keep it on edge when sidehilling the more steep tecnical terrain. I think the steering fix will definatly help with controlled decents. My riding skills are not the problem. I can feel the extra weight and to me it just feels like a boat anchor. Granted I think the sled will be very durable and hold up better then the pro if you hit something or send it down the hill solo after making a mistake. Oh and by the way, Matt is my brother in law and I have been riding with him longer then most people have even known him. Last Sunday my buddy let him take the new proclimb up so he could try and see if he would be able to hold the same lines in the trees that he had done with his Pro. I watched that sled work the hell out of him and he really struggled to do most of the things that he generally makes look pretty easy. Matt is as objective as anyone could be and he said it was literally 10x harder to ride in that terrain. I am not trying to start a pissing contest here but I rearry feel that the sled I am on now is far better then the new proclimb for how I ride. If I rode the trails, charged through the meadows and stayed out of the steeper terrain littered with trees it might be fine. And I dont doubt that with the proper set up and a pretty fair amount of modifications, not to mention a diet, that the new proclimb will be a great sled. Motor is DEFINATLY not an issue. I hope this sled will undergo some serious changes since I have always rode cats and dont really want to jump ship. However the Pro RMK just flat feels like the better sled to me. Everyone will have there opinions.....And thats what they are..OPINIONS.

 

[high time]

It's good that you found an excuse not to buy another new sled this year.

I tried too, but I didn't just get a new sled last year. Have fun with what you've got.

Owen

 

[Jimb]

I'm thinking 5 minutes on a 2012 and not being happy vs a 2011 is no surprise, I remember going from my king cat to a m chassis and thinking I made a huge mistake until I got to about day 3.

Will be intersting to see how the comments progess from people who actually own 2012's not the test pilots, so far my take is 90%+ love the new chassis.

 

[elvis1280]

I watched that sled work the hell out of him and he really struggled to do most of the things that he generally makes look pretty easy. Matt is as objective as anyone could be and he said it was literally 10x harder to ride in that terrain. I am not trying to start a pissing contest here but I rearry feel that the sled I am on now is far better then the new proclimb for how I ride.

Now thats a good write up. Matt is a professional and can ride a sled like burandt, so if he says that, then i worry. I was breaking my motor in so i did get to go into the good stuff where matt and I went once on buff! I was riding around like a dumba@@ going through the throttle range in the field and up and down the trail and was so impressed with the feeling. But i didnt do anything like I normally do and reading that makes me wonder, I am sure its the lack of steering.
When you said matt said it was harder 10x, was that harder then his rmk or his M's. And lets leave his turbo out of this answer
sorry i freaked out, i just new what i had felt on the trail and feel of the new sled, if you want to talk about steep trees and performance, I dont know yet so i am all ears.
thanks chris

 

[arcticman31]

I'm thinking 5 minutes on a 2012 and not being happy vs a 2011 is no surprise, I remember going from my king cat to a m chassis and thinking I made a huge mistake until I got to about day 3.

Will be intersting to see how the comments progess from people who actually own 2012's not the test pilots, so far my take is 90%+ love the new chassis.

If I had spent 5 Minutes on the sled I would agree. However I have rode 2 of them a 153 and a 162 for more then enough time to form my opinion. Im glad you are happy with yours.