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If we were judging strictly clutch performance between these two sleds, the Yamaha has a slight edge. However, in our straightline testing, we saw a consistent 116mph on top end for both Thundercat and Sidewinder, and that was across several riders of varying height, weight, etc. That being said, the Yamaha clutch calibration showed more smoothness and quickness in shift-out when we were on and off the gas in the trails.
As far as shocks go, the Thundercat and the Sidewinder L-TX LE both have FOX QS3 setups. However, there are some big differences in the packages between these two. Over the skis, the Sidewinder has the upgraded R version of the 1.5 QS3 Zero shocks, which have genuine Kashima-coated 6061-T6 aluminum bodies, and dual air spring allowing you to adjust the EVOL and main air chambers independently controlling ride height, roll control and bottom-out. there is adjustable velocity-sensitive damping with Hi-flow damping piston and a wide range rebound. The L-TX LE also has the R version as the rear shock in the skid, while the Cat just has the standard 2.0 QS3. Finally, the center shock on the Thundercat is a Cat IFP 1.5 gas shock, while the Sidewinder L-TX LE has the upgraded Fox 1.5 QS3R Zero, again with all the R version upgrades.
Finally, the skis are significantly different on these two sleds. The Thundercat has the ProCross 6 single keel ski with a dual deep split runner and 4-inch carbide. The Sidewinder comes with Yamaha’s dual keel Tuner III ski with four inches of carbide on the runner on the inside keel, and a round bar runner on the outside. The Tuner III is Yamaha’s best attempt at pairing a dual keel/double carbide ski with a high-performance, big power engine. The split runner/carbide system on the Cat also works well. However, many consumers will be putting studs in the track for these big power sleds, and that is when picking the right ski and carbide combination really comes into play. We will have our own in-season demo versions of these sleds in our upcoming Real World Shootout, so look for info from that soon!
If we had to choose after our initial testing, we would again pick the Yamaha Sidewinder over the Cat at this point. The Cat might dig a bit better in mid-corner with the deep single keel ski, but otherwise, the Yamaha is smoother, quicker out of the hole, more predictable, more precise and responsive. Both topped out at 116mph on the speedo, but how you get along between 30mph and 80mph is where most of the really fun trail riding occurs.