p51mstg

I've been curious about the S4, mainly because I think it's an attractive option for entry level riders and anyone who prefers a smooth, quiet, smokeless machine. I really wanted to test ride one this season, and actually got a coupon code from Polaris to ride one at any Polaris Adventures outfitter for an hour. Unfortunately, that doesn't look like it will happen now, even if we do recover from this warmup. Never say never, at least until April 1st, but I'm kinda bummed about that. I'll be watching the snow totals in Bemidji to see if their trails get groomed before the end of the season. It's never really struck me that Polaris was trying to compete with anyone when they introduced the S4. If they said so, I missed it. Instead, the vibe I get about the S4 is that it's there to fill a gap in their own lineup. While it's disappointing to hear that the Ski Doo outperforms it, is lighter and gets better fuel economy, I'm not entirely surprised. If Polaris wanted to compete against them, they would've been more focused on the 900 Ace numbers. The way it is, nothing matches up, and that's what makes me think their focus is elsewhere. That said, I do think we see an expansion of 4-strokes in the Polaris 2026 lineup. They don't actually need to turbo the S4, either. On the dirt side, they seem to be able to pull whatever hp they want to out of that engine, depending on what machine it's in.

That's a good video and Tom's a great guy. I keep wanting to ask him for a tour of his old sleds, but haven't gotten the chance.

Small business owners bank on having the trails open, and as much as I don't think he should've said that, I can't blame him, either. We're in that same boat here - trails are bare minimum rideable and small businesses are desperate (especially since last year's disaster of a season). Fortunately for us, the trails are open and people are riding on them. I'm actually surprised how good they are, considering how thin the snow cover is.

Learned a lot from his books. A real legend.

Tariffs are a negotiating tool. Unlike most political posturing, however, a Trump Administration threatening to actually implement tariffs isn't an empty threat. Nobody knows if Trump means it. That, in itself, is leverage that not too many people have. Other countries know that a Biden Administration can be reasoned with, but they're not sure about Trump. So, that gives us a great deal more leverage than we'd normally have. What that does is cause foreign businesses and countries to do things they wouldn't normally do. As an example, it might cause a company that might not want to buy Arctic Cat to take another look - having a US-based factory to build snowmobiles and ATV's that would otherwise need to be imported allows them to avoid tariffs and still send profits back to the motherland. Worst-case (for us) is a foreign investor who buys one or both of the factory(ies) makes something else and lets the actual Arctic Cat brand die.

You're right, I apologize for misreading your statement.

I would avoid the hardware store for stuff like that, because I'm never sure the hardness is correct from what I need. There is a fair amount of pressure on those 4 bolts, and tolerance/hardness is important. Expensive bolts holding spinny things together are often worth every penny.

Are the screws different than the previous Team secondary? I have both, but it never actually occurred to me that they could be different. I'm in the Rochester area about every other month now and it'd be fun to stop in Cannon Falls to see the BDX guys. Or, maybe I need to put together an order... better go check out their web site...

Yeah, and every time I've driven by there it's unsettling. First of all, I remember Bob's Small Engine in PI and miss those small dealerships who didn't have to look on a parts diagram when you came in with a question. But, I was also in the floorplanning business and developed an involuntary reflex any time I saw way too much inventory for the size of the dealership - I don't see an asset, I see money owed to a finance company.

And, it was the dirt side that Textron actually wanted, right? Now that they ran the dirt side into the ground, I sincerely hope Textron sells the entire thing to someone who will appreciate it more and actually commit to the brand.

This doesn't feel like they're tightening up the financials to get ready for a sale. It feels more radical than that. Cutting technical people also makes it feel like they aren't planning to be around much longer. Maybe I'm wrong, because I can imagine that Textron is riffing people to make the sale more attractive to a prospective buyer, but it doesn't feel that way to me. Things aren't looking much better at Polaris, but at least they're committed to the industry, where Textron isn't.

On my bucket list is to be at Split Rock Lighthouse when they light it up.

Call Thunder Products Clutching. Everyone else was stuck at higher elevations last year and needs a good season to get their flatland kits right. But, Thunder Products have a setup that's pretty dialed in - they did a lot of work with the racers last year and are well ahead of the aftermarket. Before you decide to wait, give them a call and actually talk to them in person to see what they can do right now. I don't have a relationship with them and have nothing to gain by recommending them, other than just trying to help you. 906-484-1650 sales@thunderproductsclutching.com

Can everyone please go out and buy a new Polaris out of dealer inventory? The share price of my Polaris stock is slipping......

$3,000 rebate on a T-cat is really tempting! I still kick myself for not buying a 2020 during the Snowmageddon, they were practically giving them away.

True - might not be anything more than bad luck followed by more bad luck. One the other side of the coin, it could be an overall decline in business, maybe one business siphoning money from the other one (very common, even if businesses are separate LLC's but still owned by the same person). Then, a mystery fire started to get insurance money to cover the losses of the other business.... The Coen Brothers could make a great movie with that story. I wouldn't assume the worst, but don't be surprised. It's sad either way.

I spoke with Terry from Thunder Products Clutching at Hay Days and was very impressed. They did probably more flatland testing than anyone else. I would recommend giving them a call. Don’t even bother with their web site, calling them is much better. @EBEAR - I agree on your assessment of the other vendors. I have no doubt they will give customers their best effort, but all except TPC have been hurt by lack of snow for testing.

I'm kinda surprised that people like that don't realize bankruptcy protection might be an option. Seems like that dealership location has struggled to make a profit for a long time - nobody burns down a business when it's profitable (unless connected to organized crime). Small business owners are a unique bunch of people - willing to take risks and bet their lives, and probably for that reason also often unwilling to admit when the jig is up. I think it's a requirement for small business owners to face long odds and keep going, same with farmers. On the other hand, it's a weakness when they can't tell the difference between long odds and impossible odds. I have repossessed a lot of independent dealers, and saw this a lot.

Back in the day, when was in floorplanning, most dealers were mechanics that bought the business when the original owner retired. It never took too long to separate the ones who were good at working on machines and the ones who were good at running a business. I watched one guy dump a full days-worth of cash sales on strippers before going home to his wife and kids. That didn't last very long. 2019-21 was a great time to be in sales when they could sell everything they could get their hands on. With dealerships loaded with carryovers again, now we see who the smart ones are.

I missed them. Looks like they were at the Bikeman display and I didn't spend much time there.

First time going on Sunday this year. I liked the lighter crowds but it was an overall subdued atmosphere. The calendar models at the Bikeman display were attractive.

I don't have a ton of time on the 998's, but have considered them much smoother than the 800 C-Tech2 - was that vibration damper just preemptive, or have you had problems with the turbos? EPS on the Tcat and Riot9000 is well done, really enjoy those sleds.

A good friend recommended I try Fast-Tac studs, and I'm going with this kit for my Catalyst: https://fasttractraction.com/pages/1-25-137-1-375-96-144 96 studs on a 137 and we'll see how it goes - basic, entry level stuff. I don't know what I'm going to do about carbides up front yet.

I was looking for hints of what you guys are talking about in the below interview (which is new), but am not finding anything interesting. https://snowgoer.com/latest-news/arctic-cat-insiders-share-insights-behind-the-catalyst-chassis/32619/ Here's Troy H trying to figure out how to use words that the Swedes can understand:

Not referring to anyone in particular, but rather as a reaction to a general observation across every forum and social media group I'm a part of: The one thing that absolutely boggles my mind is how few people have experience working for large corporations. People love to complain about Textron, and I'm not saying the corporate culture there doesn't suck, but work for any similarly-sized organization and you'll see exactly the same environment. There's nothing unique about them. I have serious concerns about the survival of the brand, but I really don't expect that in the short term, I think we're looking at 5 years out for any concern over its survival, probably closer to 10. Textron saved Arctic Cat and made them profitable. However, there's only one thing Textron cares about - same as thousands of other corporations - and that's money. Corporations are generally only loyal to their employees when it makes financial sense. They gladly let people go, even when they're planning to grow and expand, because they need to show a profit. It doesn't matter who they let go, either - often the most experienced people cost the most money and it's easier to show a short term profit even at the expense of quality. That's how it is. IBM learned a long time ago how to avoid the subject of layoffs while simultaneously riffing people on a large scale at fairly regular intervals. They do it three ways: 1-A high percentage of "employees" are contractors and don't count, 2-If you get laid off, you have to promise not to say how you left the company in order to get any benefits, and 3-All official spokespeople deny it ever happened. IBM is publicly held, but do a search for layoffs and the story gets vague and unverifiable. I'm surprised Textron doesn't do that.