Your thoughts on the new Arctic Cat Blast Mountain
- Thread starter Frostbite
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Are you talking about your new blue sled, or did you pick up a Blast??
I'm too cheap for a lithium battery, but I put a smaller AGM in the wife's M6000 and it works just fine. Not sure why Cat thought it needed a 15lb battery. Easy 5lb weight reduction.
confusion: I know the factory muffler on the newer cats is a bit heavier but my experience with my M8 was that going to a "lightweight" SLP can only saved me a couple pounds. I'll take quiet over light for the can. Seems like the Blast sounds like an angry chainsaw already... A louder can is probably going to make that even more obvious.
FWIW, I no longer believe that weight is everything... We had a brief ownership of a 2014 Polaris 600 RMK that rode and handled like a TANK. It was supposed to be 412lbs or something like that. The M6000 that replaced it is far easier to ride, and a much better sled overall, IMO...
I really hope someone has a Blast we can try out this winter. Hard to justify $8500 for a snowmobile that we can't see or touch or hopefully even ride before we go for it. I'm not much of a buy new kinda guy, but I don't think used Blast sleds are going to be very plentiful, and I doubt the Blast will even last more than a few production years at the price point they have set for it...
I was lucky and they had the trail version at my dealer's open house. I had already put my order in but was still nice to see and ride one. It was very nostalgic to me. Sounds like the old sleds I grew up with at an idle. I'm a fan of loud(er) exhaust on my kids toys, helps me locate them better and can ease my mind if they are out of sight. My buddy has an mbrp he took off his mtn cat so I plan to just throw it on. Of course it felt gutless compared to what I'm used to but I was laughing the whole time. When I got off of it my comment was that they named it correctly, it truly is a blast to ride.
My thoughts on price... sure 6800 would be a better # but at 8500 its still worth it to me to get fuel injection, reverse, electric start and mtn capable all in a package that isn't overwhelming to my 9yo and wife! Yeah, actually Im happy to pay 8500 for that. IMO it is a way better value than the rmk evo (and I'm a polaris guy) or mtn converted trail sled. Plus if it's like the rest of young people friendly toys, it's not going to depreciate terribly by the time he outgrows it.
I and my riding group are all excited to ride it as well. Think 'pit bike' experience. There is no way I'd want it as my main ride obviously but as a sled for my kid, wife or non confident new guy that tags along, almost perfect.
As for weight, meh its not everything but sure helps, especially junior.
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My thoughts on price... sure 6800 would be a better # but at 8500 its still worth it to me to get fuel injection, reverse, electric start and mtn capable all in a package that isn't overwhelming to my 9yo and wife! Yeah, actually Im happy to pay 8500 for that. IMO it is a way better value than the rmk evo (and I'm a polaris guy) or mtn converted trail sled. Plus if it's like the rest of young people friendly toys, it's not going to depreciate terribly by the time he outgrows it.
I and my riding group are all excited to ride it as well. Think 'pit bike' experience. There is no way I'd want it as my main ride obviously but as a sled for my kid, wife or non confident new guy that tags along, almost perfect.
As for weight, meh its not everything but sure helps, especially junior.
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I got a Venom coming. The battery is an easy one for me, I get dealer cost for most anything powersports/automotive related so it’s an easier pill to swallow.
The can, SLP has always been in the heavier side of things so weight is not really the concern when people go SLP. I’m not a big fan of Speedwerx exhaust either tho since they are quite loud most of the time. I actually like MBRP trail cans since they sound almost stock until you get on the pipe, and they are light enough to warrant the price. I stay away from GGB with a passion.(Did you know brothers own MBRP and GGB. Each runs their own)
Other than that it’s about chassis and suspension. I’ll beef up the Alpha rail with TKI or ZRP parts, add a steering bushing etc etc.
I’m also interested in the clutching, I know the Blast has the powerbloc but I’m getting conflicting answers about the Venom. I’ll have to see it with my eyes I guess.
Oh and I’m eventually going to take the top end off and blueprint the engine. Maybe try to sneak a 450 cylinder on there from a used top end I have from a trade in. You never know. Lol. I’d like to upgrade shocks but I can’t afford another couple grand on Exits or quality Floats so I’ll dig around and find some Zero Pro’s or the like down the line.
But first things first, hang it off the rafters and get a RTR weight.
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The can, SLP has always been in the heavier side of things so weight is not really the concern when people go SLP. I’m not a big fan of Speedwerx exhaust either tho since they are quite loud most of the time. I actually like MBRP trail cans since they sound almost stock until you get on the pipe, and they are light enough to warrant the price. I stay away from GGB with a passion.(Did you know brothers own MBRP and GGB. Each runs their own)
Other than that it’s about chassis and suspension. I’ll beef up the Alpha rail with TKI or ZRP parts, add a steering bushing etc etc.
I’m also interested in the clutching, I know the Blast has the powerbloc but I’m getting conflicting answers about the Venom. I’ll have to see it with my eyes I guess.
Oh and I’m eventually going to take the top end off and blueprint the engine. Maybe try to sneak a 450 cylinder on there from a used top end I have from a trade in. You never know. Lol. I’d like to upgrade shocks but I can’t afford another couple grand on Exits or quality Floats so I’ll dig around and find some Zero Pro’s or the like down the line.
But first things first, hang it off the rafters and get a RTR weight.
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Just talked to dealer, they changed the build date to 10/22 now. The wait continues.
Weight isn't everything, that is true. The ski-doo xp proved that in 2008 when it was by far the lightest sled out there but still rode like crap and everybody who actually knew how to ride still wanted to ride an M8 in those years.
But weight also isn't a small trivial matter. It is still absolutely one of the most important aspects to a sled, especially one marketed for smaller folk with smaller muscles.
I'm hearing crazy different numbers on how much a lightweight can will save on this sled. I can't wait for somebody to provide some real life number here.
If you are getting a new can for it, please remember also to do a can weight comparison as well. I'm seeing really drastically different reports on this topic also.
I might be more excited for your blast to show up than you are.
Amen, Amen, Amen.
Definitely a good idea to see the actual weight of the stock can before buying a "lightweight" can. The stock can on my recently-acquired Pro weighs 11lbs; a typical "trail" can (ie, anything that won't make your ears bleed) comes in around 9lbs. A Ti can would be the only thing that loses significant weight there without being obnoxiously loud, so I may never bother. On the other hand, the stock AXYS can somehow gained 6lbs, so there's a lot more to gain [lose] there. Probably the lithium battery is a much better deal for weight loss either way though.
By the way, if they're coming with a typical wet cell battery, I would ditch it for either AGM or lithium at the earliest convenience. Maybe I've been buying the wrong wet cell batteries, but my experience is you're lucky to get a couple years out of them, and the cold kills them quick if they're not charged regularly (parking a sled for more than a couple weeks will often ruin the battery). Meanwhile, I finally pulled the AGM battery out of my brother's old EFI Indy thinking it had to be dead after not being charged for a year. It's taken a charge though, and holding voltage, so there's hope. And it's already survived a couple of spells that would have killed a standard battery!
By the way, if they're coming with a typical wet cell battery, I would ditch it for either AGM or lithium at the earliest convenience. Maybe I've been buying the wrong wet cell batteries, but my experience is you're lucky to get a couple years out of them, and the cold kills them quick if they're not charged regularly (parking a sled for more than a couple weeks will often ruin the battery). Meanwhile, I finally pulled the AGM battery out of my brother's old EFI Indy thinking it had to be dead after not being charged for a year. It's taken a charge though, and holding voltage, so there's hope. And it's already survived a couple of spells that would have killed a standard battery!
Ok, so Reeb has a SXVenom Mountain coming. That makes more sense. I guess I'll get a pretty good review of it in time... I'm sure it's exactly the same as the Blast, just a different color. ::
Cornfusion, you have a Blast Mountain coming. (Building today!!) Also hoping for a long term review. I like that you had a "blast" riding what I presume was the ZR version. I think the mountain version would be a blast too, as you say, kind of a "pit bike" experience perhaps. I did like to occasionally take a rip on the wife's Z440 Sno Pro Mountain Lite before we sold it. Was a bit small for my frame, but fun to just poke it around, and see where I could get it to go. And thought I was 20lbs lighter, I had a LOT of fun riding my old 570 fan Mountain Cat, which was comparable in weight and HP to the new Blast... The Blast with a bigger track, deeper lug, better riding position, and EFI/Reverse really should be a GREAT sled.
<Edit> Turns out the 570 was actually about 445lbs dry, which is quite a bit heavier than the Blast forecast... Even better!!
I really wish the dealers could have a few blasts for demos. Or that there was a Cat dealer anywhere near me, for that matter, since they all quit selling Cat when maketing got stupid... Seems Cat could at least promote them a bit with rental places...
I do think louder cans are for the most part pretty stupid. Even the SLP on my old M8 was a bit annoying at times, but I could sneak it around when I needed to. I'd sure like to quiet down the M8 turbo that I'm riding now... the tunnel dump works OK in powder, but on the trail it's a bit loud. I thought about a cone insert, but it runs so good I'd hate to mess that up. A few trails near me are multi-use for the first few miles, and I prefer not to make enemies with noise when possible.
Thought for Cornfusion: Be careful about putting kids on louder sleds. I have hearing damage mostly from when I was a kid. Dad had us shooting .22LR w/o hearing protection, and riding/running stuff like go carts and tractors with rusted or blown out mufflers. We NEVER wore hearing protection... Now my dad has hearing aids, and I have "the ringing" all the time. Not saying that's you, just to be mindful of it.
Cornfusion, you have a Blast Mountain coming. (Building today!!) Also hoping for a long term review. I like that you had a "blast" riding what I presume was the ZR version. I think the mountain version would be a blast too, as you say, kind of a "pit bike" experience perhaps. I did like to occasionally take a rip on the wife's Z440 Sno Pro Mountain Lite before we sold it. Was a bit small for my frame, but fun to just poke it around, and see where I could get it to go. And thought I was 20lbs lighter, I had a LOT of fun riding my old 570 fan Mountain Cat, which was comparable in weight and HP to the new Blast... The Blast with a bigger track, deeper lug, better riding position, and EFI/Reverse really should be a GREAT sled.
<Edit> Turns out the 570 was actually about 445lbs dry, which is quite a bit heavier than the Blast forecast... Even better!!
I really wish the dealers could have a few blasts for demos. Or that there was a Cat dealer anywhere near me, for that matter, since they all quit selling Cat when maketing got stupid... Seems Cat could at least promote them a bit with rental places...
I do think louder cans are for the most part pretty stupid. Even the SLP on my old M8 was a bit annoying at times, but I could sneak it around when I needed to. I'd sure like to quiet down the M8 turbo that I'm riding now... the tunnel dump works OK in powder, but on the trail it's a bit loud. I thought about a cone insert, but it runs so good I'd hate to mess that up. A few trails near me are multi-use for the first few miles, and I prefer not to make enemies with noise when possible.
Thought for Cornfusion: Be careful about putting kids on louder sleds. I have hearing damage mostly from when I was a kid. Dad had us shooting .22LR w/o hearing protection, and riding/running stuff like go carts and tractors with rusted or blown out mufflers. We NEVER wore hearing protection... Now my dad has hearing aids, and I have "the ringing" all the time. Not saying that's you, just to be mindful of it.
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^ Totally agree on using caution with a loud can on a kid's sled. My Grandpa always had a harder time hearing out his right ear, he said because of a tractor he used to run as a teen with a loud exhaust on the right side. Fortunately, I don't have any significant hearing loss; years of flying with ear plugs has made me pretty conscientious regarding noise. On packed snow, I find even my SLP can to be borderline. Louder cans definitely push into the hearing loss threshold; deeper snow helps, but I wouldn't count on that. With ear plugs, you're probably always safe, but how many kids are going to wear them all the time? Loud cans will always (and rightly) invite criticism, but it's yet another thing when it's someone else's hearing. I don't think anyone here would intentionally put their kid on a sled they know could cause hearing loss, but I could see putting the same can on the kid's sled as Dad's without considering how loud it is. An adult who's lost some hearing already will have a hard time recognizing damaging noise unless it's well into the danger zone, and a moderately loud can may do no further damage to them, but could for a fresh set of ears.
Well...sometimes you just gotta chalk it up to personal experience. My kids have grown up at the race track with open headers and straight pipes....they have hearing protection at all times but it is what it is. My dad didn’t have me in ear muffs and buds, I’m half deaf. My dad is even worse off. I’m trying to protect them but they love the races!
I do appreciate the sentiment tho. Thank you.
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I do appreciate the sentiment tho. Thank you.
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Definitely different strokes for different parents. I have no problem with someone who says "you want the loud pipes, you wear the ear plugs!" and enforces it, other than the usual caveats about loud cans. I'm more concerned with the thought MI1M600EFI expressed. Few, if any parents are going to deliberately make their kid's sled loud enough to get into hearing damage territory, but plenty of cans are loud enough for that, and I don't know of any that warn about potential hearing damage.
The Blast is awesome! I rode it extensively last year. To everyone saying this is a kids only sled you are totally wrong I went everywhere on the blast. Mclure was riding the blast a ton instead of his alpha also last year. Its an insanely fun sled that rips even with a 200+ pound person on it. takes a second to rev up but hold the rpms great
This is an awesome kids sled also, it works great for everything! I wouldnt change a thing about it, rips for a kids sled and rips with an adult on it.
Standard forum rules. Pics/Vids or it didn't happen. I would love nothing more than for you to be absolutely correct. But until I see some vid of a small kid or two shredding on it, I'll maintain my reasons to doubt.
We are hoping to get our hands on one here shortly. Its a cool looking buggy in stock trim but a few little tweaks and this should be a VERY capable sled for small or young riders.
I Can't wait to see what you guys have in store for it!!
I’ve been eyeing some ZRP stuff, even the Cat reinforcement for the rail is said to be better than TKI’s billet piece? Can’t wait to phone you with an order! Need some PC rails braces this year!
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