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He wouldn't want that though. He can't swap it on the fly to other machines. Also, he doesn't need an 8" screen because at the speeds he rides there is no trouble seeing single digits.

Got one! New valve design looks very coo! I imagine it will provide a responsive experience with broad power delivery. Cat says: Push & Pull design 250% greater port height change auxiliary port can grow 33% taller roof of port remains smooth valve remains tight to piston at all times

Yup Real hater here. Currently 4 Cats in the stable, never owned anything but Cats, Cat banner on the garage wall flanked by signed posters from Tucker, Burandt and Tapio. I've had plenty of praise for the Catalyst. Not that you would notice in your green kool-aid induced rage at any fair criticism of the brand. Absolutely

Interesting that holding Cat/Textron to a high standard makes you a hater. No wonder they're digging themselves out of a huge hole with customers that have that mindset. "In our conversation, Beavis points to the Torque Control Link (TCL) as an example of one of the systems that uses a composite material. The long-fibre composite technology was championed largely by one of Arctic Cat’s managers, Ben Langaas, who wrote his Master’s degree on composite technology and its application for this very part. The composite TCL was developed for use in Catalyst, but since the carbon-nylon part was tested and validated early on, the team decided to use it ahead of schedule in the Ascender platform in 2021. The actualized success of the composite TCL through testing, validation, production and real world use proved to Arctic Cat the value of finding other ways to use the technology on a wider basis." https://sleddermag.com/arctic-cat-catalyst-design-insight-engineering/

This specific part and it's material was promoted and championed by the brand during the rollout of the Catalyst, but scrapped in the 25th hour. AND the material was already in use on the analogous part on the Procross. Maybe the new Textron corporate transplant/bean counter will be able to confirm (after referencing their iPAD) they did it to save $20 a sled.

Sounds like you got stuck behind some terrible riders. I am every bit as fast in the twisties, if not more so, on my buddy's Matryx XCs vs my Procross R-XC. Those XCs are way more fun to goon ride though.

Some of is like to have a sled that responds to your input, whether it's carving corners or yanking the skis up. The Polaris sleds do this amazingly well...

Fixed it for you

Heidi says all you need is a 400 single that no one asked for and a 600 twin!

Our skier pal Gunnar has left Textron. https://investors.albint.com/news-releases/news-release-details/albany-international-appoints-gunnar-kleveland-president-and

Ahhh the revolving door of corporate transplants continues to spin.

Whatever displacement it is I'm hoping for 170+hp in NA form with exceptional responsiveness. Cat needs to be a class leader if they're hoping to take back marketshare.

A buddy of mine broke a tab used for motor mounting on his assault....whole thing had to be torn apart and chassis replaced. Fortunately for him it was under warranty.

There were a lot of Cat guys that either never bought one or left the brand completely due to the pig that was the Twin Spar.

I believe the protos had 3D printed panels...could be a weight difference there for a production model.

So for kicks I weighed a spare sled battery, just under 15lbs. So I figure for the whole e-start setup including starter ring gear it is probably around 20lbs. A gallon of coolant and 3 quarts of oil are around 17lbs combined. Based on that, 499 - (17+20) = 462 lbs for the hardcore R-XC 137. Heavier than I would have liked to see, but possibly still the lightest on the market for 600 trail sleds.

Nothing in the rider forward era has ever been as light as the Doo XPs when they arrived, but they also folded up like popcans and then gained weight over the rest of the life cycle. I think 450lbs dry is light enough to still be strong. Whether the Catalyst actually achieves that is another story.

At this rate the "bigger than 800cc" big bore that's coming is going to be 801cc.

OK that's fair. It is also possible that the production units are actually lighter too.

Exactly. Belt drive, uni-frame, composite boards, no more couch of a seat, smaller body panels, etc, and still about the same as a Procross!? WTF

Personally I was hoping for more weight loss, but it seems like it might squeak by as the class leader. Experience tells me sleds tend to get heavier, not lighter by the time of production. We shall see!

Oh boy some old school names getting thrown around When I was just a wee lad I recall seeing many regulars on HCS. I mostly just lurked at the time.... at the risk of derailing this thread, whatever happened to Big Fuse?!?!?

What's the word on Cat as far as pro teams?

It's literally the only form of sled racing you can actually watch reliably and regularly. Is seeing the race results posted on FB hours later more exciting for you? Something tells me if Cat were dominating snoX like Doo is (or Cat even present at all), your attitude about the sport wouldn't be so callous.

The idea that snocross should just die because the sleds aren't what a consumer can buy is ridiculous. Why would anyone watch NASCAR, Formula 1, Moto GP, etc? Snocross has a unique advantage of being extremely package-able for televised consumption, hence Fortune's insight that since the move to Flo racing, viewership is through the roof. So while USXC sleds give a much better indicator of a sled's capability in the hands of an average consumer, sled racing is sled racing.