2003 Arctic cat mountain cat 900 1m----- any good?

Spike7ss · Jan 12, 2009

Looking at a 2003 Arctic Cat 900 Mountain Cat 1M with a 159 track. What are these things like? Anything to look out for?

Heres what the owner says:

Both pistons are new with the rebuild.approx. 2 years ago.Lightweight exhaust and can, carbuerated.Comes with an attack pack.With pack 190horse. Without 170horse.Has handlebar warmers, spare belt and a cloth cover.The speedo quit working on my last sled trip 2 weeks ago but it had about 700miles on it then and I put about 70miles more. exhaust and canned.

Stupid question, but WTH is an attack pack?

Any info would be much appriciated!

Thanks Snowest

m_beeson · Jan 12, 2009

Every sled has it's issues.

My dad loves his. That track had him worried about being able to boondock through the trees, but after his first ride he fell in love with it. It handles great, has good traction, and the power is amazing.

Now to the issues with the 900 1M:

1. Since it is an 03 it will have a weak spider gear in the drive clutch. This will, at one point become a problem. It's better to take care of it before it becomes a problem. along with the spider gear being weak it has a secondary effect where it cracks the towers on the fixed sheve. (We just bought a comet clutch and put it on. Problem solved). if you want part #s I'll be happy to help you.

2. I have been reading on here where the 900s break the drive chains. I have ordered a HYVO style chain for my KK900, but my dad isn't as agressive a rider as me, so I'm not as worried about it with his.

3. I have been reading about a lean spot between 5000 and 6000 rpms. I am trying to find out if there is a computer reflash, but most people either vary their rpms while riding down the trail, or add a boondocker box and add fuel in that range.

You asked, you got an answer. I love my KK

m_beeson · Jan 12, 2009

another thing that I overlooked on your post is that the speedo quit working. That's not a good sign. If you don't grease the drive shaft regularly, you may spin that bearing. People say that if your speedo goes, that is a good sign that your bearing is next. Not too bad to replace if your mechanically inclined, but I wouldn't pay top dollar.

76FOMOCO · Jan 12, 2009

if the speedo quit working the drive shaft bearing need to be changed! rock solid sled but has a few weak points. chain as mentioned before, drive shaft and jack shaft bearings about every 1500 miles, replace the clutch springs at the start of every season. do a search for upgrades/mods and there is a ton of stuff. the up side is the power!!

Spike7ss · Jan 12, 2009

THanks guys, yea, i knew about the speedo not worky= bad bearings. Same thing on my powder special. No stranger to changing them.

Ive been on 900 polaris before, it was a tank, but it also had a longer track.

crausch · Jan 12, 2009

I had one for 2yrs and loved it. The attack system is a system to stop having to change your jets when you change elev. I also had it and no trouble. I have a M1000 now with a slp boondoc. sys on it. The 900 had every bit as much power. I ran my 900 to 2600 miles and never had any probs. My riding partner also ran the exact same sled. neither had any trouble. AS far as the speed o meter I have changed them out on about 6 sleds and have only had to do one bearing, that is a mith on that they always are the bearing that takes the speedo out. It can but not always. Flip the sled on it's side and yank on the drive shaft at the front of the track, you will feel it if it is out.

Spike7ss · Jan 12, 2009

So the attack system is like the HAC on the Skidoo, just an altitude/tempature compensator.

Cyle · Jan 12, 2009

Spike7ss said:
So the attack system is like the HAC on the Skidoo, just an altitude/tempature compensator.

Yep, and it works pretty good, got one on my King cat. And I agree about the speedo and the bearings being a myth, when I bought my KK the speedo wasn't working and the bearings weren't to bad, it was the gear into the shaft that was bad. The HP they are saying is BS though, I believe it's 150 stock, and a pipe and can ain't adding 20hp

But other then that they are good sleds.

Ultra · Jan 12, 2009

Have had 3 of them. Stock hp is 150. Add a Y-pipe, pipe, can and Vforce reeds get your jetting right might get max 165hp at 7600-7800rpm. Motor is real reliable. An 03 should sell for around $3000-$3500. Besides the other small problems mentioned above the 03 tunnels have a relief slot on the inside bottom of the tunnel near the foot rests, that relief tends to crack with hard use or high mileage. Overall a dam good sled with tons of power and torque.

griffin · Sep 26, 2010

Cyle said:
Yep, and it works pretty good, got one on my King cat. And I agree about the speedo and the bearings being a myth, when I bought my KK the speedo wasn't working and the bearings weren't to bad, it was the gear into the shaft that was bad. The HP they are saying is BS though, I believe it's 150 stock, and a pipe and can ain't adding 20hp But other then that they are good sleds.

looking at getting a king cat (or whichever 2004 has the 159 track) and was wondering do they have any stock system such as the HAC so you dont have to rejet? like some sort of altitude compensator system?

Idcatman3 · Sep 26, 2010

Yeah, EFI. The King Cats are all 162s. The regular '04 1M 900 came in a 159. Not much difference between that and the King, except (in '04) you could get an EFI 1M, where all the Kings were carbed.

In '05 the King came either way, and in '06 it was EFI only.

Rixster · Sep 27, 2010

m_beeson said:
Every sled has it's issues.

My dad loves his. That track had him worried about being able to boondock through the trees, but after his first ride he fell in love with it. It handles great, has good traction, and the power is amazing.

Now to the issues with the 900 1M:

1. Since it is an 03 it will have a weak spider gear in the drive clutch. This will, at one point become a problem. It's better to take care of it before it becomes a problem. along with the spider gear being weak it has a secondary effect where it cracks the towers on the fixed sheve. (We just bought a comet clutch and put it on. Problem solved). if you want part #s I'll be happy to help you.

2. I have been reading on here where the 900s break the drive chains. I have ordered a HYVO style chain for my KK900, but my dad isn't as agressive a rider as me, so I'm not as worried about it with his.

3. I have been reading about a lean spot between 5000 and 6000 rpms. I am trying to find out if there is a computer reflash, but most people either vary their rpms while riding down the trail, or add a boondocker box and add fuel in that range.

You asked, you got an answer. I love my KK

The lean spot is only on carbed sleds. If you have a EFI (guessing you do if you are looking for a CPU reflash to fix it) you dont have to worry about it.

Rixster · Sep 27, 2010

Spike7ss said:
Looking at a 2003 Arctic Cat 900 Mountain Cat 1M with a 159 track. What are these things like? Anything to look out for?

Heres what the owner says:

Both pistons are new with the rebuild.approx. 2 years ago.Lightweight exhaust and can, carbuerated.Comes with an attack pack.With pack 190horse. Without 170horse.Has handlebar warmers, spare belt and a cloth cover.The speedo quit working on my last sled trip 2 weeks ago but it had about 700miles on it then and I put about 70miles more. exhaust and canned.

Stupid question, but WTH is an attack pack?

Any info would be much appriciated!

Thanks Snowest

Yeah, the HP he is telling you is WAY high. If it has a aftermarket pipe and can you might be pushing 160ish. Twin pips around 170. The HAC system or what ever it has does absolutely nothing to the HP.

Also, something that makes a HUGE difference on how it handles in the DEEP is the drop and roll chaincase. The early build 03s didnt have it. the 03.5 did. Look on the right (throttle) side under the belly pan. Is the chaincase hanging out of the pan or have a guard hanging below the right side pan? If not it is a early build and does not have the drop and roll case.

teddybear26x · Oct 11, 2010

brand new to the sledding world

So I have known how to ride sleds all my life cause of my dad. I don't know a lot about them. As far as what mods do what. Like what an HAC or whatever on a sled. I have the opportunity to by a friends sled and I want to know what you guys can tell me about. I have looked all over the net and can't hardly find any kind of reviews. He has an 2003 Mountain Cat 1m 900 159. I want to know what to look for when I go to check it out. He said he has put about C$2700 into it. So what upgrades are good ones to watch for or ask about?
OP not trying to take over just thought you would get the same responses I would so I am just piggy backing.
Thanx

fishtank · Oct 11, 2010

Ive only owned my 03 mtn cat for 8 months but from my brief experience I would check steering to see if its loose, suspension front and back, track condition (its an expensive repair). Just check for general cracks in the tunnel, suspension parts etc, hood etc, As Rixster said, check the drop and roll chaincase.

I dont know much about mods but it could have had the tunnel modded, exhaust (pipes) single or double with upgraded Can (the stock one is massive and takes up half the engine bay) Steering post upgrade/forward mount.

Find out exactly what he spent the 2700 bucks on. Thats alot of coin to put into one of these things from what I hear.

How much does he want for it?

teddybear26x · Oct 11, 2010

sounds good. Those are great places to start the checking process on. He is a friend so I don't think/hope that he would sell me something if it wasn't great but you never know. He used to ride it a fair bit till he got his M8. It hasn't been used very much that last few years. He rides it a few times just so it's not sitting there. The pictures look like it's great shape. Guess I will wait to see when he comes into town this coming weekend. He just wants it to be ridden and so he told me for me he would let me take it for 3k

1Mike900 · Oct 11, 2010

Hopefully it is a 03.5? The airbox has holes with screens in the back, Along with the drop chaincase. You will see the black plastic outlining the case below. Straight inside there are the tunnel slots on ea. side where it is riveted to the front bulkhead. Take a flashlight and see if there are cracks propagating from the slots. Check for possible rubbed thru wiring under the coolant and oil bottles. Other than than that it should be a good sled if he kept up the maintainance?

Mike

teddybear26x · Oct 11, 2010

All great stuff to look for. Thank you.
So if by some chance it is a 3.0 and NOT a 3.5 what is the big difference or the problem with the first half of the 03 released models?

high time · Oct 12, 2010

I think the '03 1/2 has the only 159'' track ever offered.

All the early ones were 151'' and in '04 the King had the first 162''. I thought the '04 King Cat was the first to have a drop and roll along with the three inch pitch track.

owen

Idcatman3 · Oct 12, 2010

All the 1Ms are the same geometry, from the full production '03s to the '06 King Cat.

You could also get an 800 EFI with a 159 in '04, as well as both carb and EFI 900s. The King Cat was the only 1M to have a 3" pitch track.

The early '03s weren't the 1M geometry. They were the same as the '02s, but with the new graphics, seat, (Front suspension, I believe) and a couple other tweaks. The only thing they are really missing is the drop and roll on the chaincase. But that is probably the biggest selling point also.

However, if the 159" track is stock, I believe that means it is a late build '03. Also, if the graphics are red and orange, rather than just red or green.

2003 Arctic cat mountain cat 900 1m----- any good?

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