The moment you've been waiting for
- Thread starter RiotCountry
- Start date
A
Just making a point, wasnt trying offend anyone.
After reading through all this thread and valued different opinions. I wanted to view my opinion or feel for the direction Arctic Cat is going with there mountain sleds.
First off I wanted to say that mountain riding is not all about tree riding, even though everybody will benefit from light and response chassie. I am personally from Iceland and we ride mountain sleds here. But we don´t have one single tree in the mountains, so it is more about hill climbing and just simply finding tricky or hard ways up the hill or carve in between rocks. We do sidehilling as much for fun as there is necessity.
Although is it all part of overall ability to handle the machine as we all know.
I know this is SNOWEST and know that most riding in the rockies is about carving through the trees. I rode in Wyoming and Colorado last winter. after that experience I saw how different the riding in the trees and dry powder snow was from what I am used to and in many ways it was simply a different game.
After that I really saw that in many ways even though we ride mountain sleds in Iceland. Our needs or setup needs are very different from what is ideal for riding in the rocky mountains.
Anyway back to topic. I have always rode Arctic Cats and currently have a 2011 M8 153. I have only once had a short test ride on a 2013 proclimb. I can´t value the machine from that test. But all though I think that the proclimb could suit Icelandic terrain being a "long-track trial sled" (as many guys called it on here). for high speed stability and good climbing ability for the open mountain riding for us the "uphill trail riders" as BCIl so nicely put it. I simply can´t ignore the feeling I have that in many ways Arctic Cat, (even though manufacturers all have do make some big compromise to suit a wide range of users), have lost the cool factor or that feeling that "Bad Boys" ride the mean green machine "factor".in the mountain division. I think the main reason is they don´t want to make a committed mountain machine.
I guess the main reason is like we all know, to save money in the production line. But that cost them also the biggest names in the backcountry mountain snowmobiling( Burandt and Rasmussen ) and they didn´t realize how much market value these guys had on mountain market. All the way through 2011 they had it easy with the M8, both because Burandt and Rasmussen where showing on film how good these sleds where and also because there really wasn´t any real competitor in the tree carving game.
Now AC has realized how much market value Burandt and Rasmussen have on the market. They are in the last place. I am not sure on the numbers, but I am sure that Ski-doo adding Rasmussen to there group of pro riders( even thought he is really quiet in social media) and maybe had not so much input on the 2013 XM . It help hugely regarding sales. That really is the reality. even though it doesn´t effect so much the more experianced riders when they choose a new machine, but it really is a big factor specially for less experienced riders. The same story is on the Burandt/Polaris partnership. Remember Rasmussen was on the AC in 2012 and that included with the excitement for the first all-new machine since 2005 made that year a big sale year for AC. The reality hit them hard in 2013. But the reason AC has lost the cool factor for me and I guess many other is the lack of interest or ambition to turn this around.
For starters even though they sailed a calm seas with the m-series they made some big changes over the years. 3 different engines(700-800-800ho) different skids, diamound drives and many other things that made it the sled to have for many years even though they really didn´t have any real competitor in the hardcore backcountry scene.
What have they done to the proclimb over 4 model years, even though they are in last place regarding sales( I think) and are facing real competition these days in the "backcountry mountain segment. They only do really minor changes and more of refinements then anything else. nothing to really excite the hardcore mountain crowed.
Even though the 800 HO motor is very strong stock and mod-friendly. 2015 will be the 6 year of this motor. 6 YEARS of no changes to the motor devision and the motor is always what really excites any powersport enthusiast.
Arctic Cat either have no ambition regarding the mountain market are don´t think the market is big enough to spend big money on it. Even though these machines are very expensive if you think about the simplicity of 2-stroke engine and the lack of r & d that these machines really get over a long period of time. The aftermarket industry leads they way in many ways in this industry, and in some ways that makes in interesting for gearheads.
WOW, this is a long post.
But I have to tough on one thing in the end. Coming out with a special edition that doesn´t have one thing( not one, other then custom graphics that represent some up and coming hillclimb racers that I think really not so many know( they have a long way to go, to get to the spot Burandt and Rasmussen are on) and to think that some serious backcountry riders would want to ride with these graphics just shows how fair Arctic Cat are off . Regarding listening to the people that really influence that mountain crowd. These "special edition" sleds are not even HCR models and these guys are best know for being hillclimb racers.
I really think that simply says more than anything.
thanks for reading
Einar
First off I wanted to say that mountain riding is not all about tree riding, even though everybody will benefit from light and response chassie. I am personally from Iceland and we ride mountain sleds here. But we don´t have one single tree in the mountains, so it is more about hill climbing and just simply finding tricky or hard ways up the hill or carve in between rocks. We do sidehilling as much for fun as there is necessity.
Although is it all part of overall ability to handle the machine as we all know.
I know this is SNOWEST and know that most riding in the rockies is about carving through the trees. I rode in Wyoming and Colorado last winter. after that experience I saw how different the riding in the trees and dry powder snow was from what I am used to and in many ways it was simply a different game.
After that I really saw that in many ways even though we ride mountain sleds in Iceland. Our needs or setup needs are very different from what is ideal for riding in the rocky mountains.
Anyway back to topic. I have always rode Arctic Cats and currently have a 2011 M8 153. I have only once had a short test ride on a 2013 proclimb. I can´t value the machine from that test. But all though I think that the proclimb could suit Icelandic terrain being a "long-track trial sled" (as many guys called it on here). for high speed stability and good climbing ability for the open mountain riding for us the "uphill trail riders" as BCIl so nicely put it. I simply can´t ignore the feeling I have that in many ways Arctic Cat, (even though manufacturers all have do make some big compromise to suit a wide range of users), have lost the cool factor or that feeling that "Bad Boys" ride the mean green machine "factor".in the mountain division. I think the main reason is they don´t want to make a committed mountain machine.
I guess the main reason is like we all know, to save money in the production line. But that cost them also the biggest names in the backcountry mountain snowmobiling( Burandt and Rasmussen ) and they didn´t realize how much market value these guys had on mountain market. All the way through 2011 they had it easy with the M8, both because Burandt and Rasmussen where showing on film how good these sleds where and also because there really wasn´t any real competitor in the tree carving game.
Now AC has realized how much market value Burandt and Rasmussen have on the market. They are in the last place. I am not sure on the numbers, but I am sure that Ski-doo adding Rasmussen to there group of pro riders( even thought he is really quiet in social media) and maybe had not so much input on the 2013 XM . It help hugely regarding sales. That really is the reality. even though it doesn´t effect so much the more experianced riders when they choose a new machine, but it really is a big factor specially for less experienced riders. The same story is on the Burandt/Polaris partnership. Remember Rasmussen was on the AC in 2012 and that included with the excitement for the first all-new machine since 2005 made that year a big sale year for AC. The reality hit them hard in 2013. But the reason AC has lost the cool factor for me and I guess many other is the lack of interest or ambition to turn this around.
For starters even though they sailed a calm seas with the m-series they made some big changes over the years. 3 different engines(700-800-800ho) different skids, diamound drives and many other things that made it the sled to have for many years even though they really didn´t have any real competitor in the hardcore backcountry scene.
What have they done to the proclimb over 4 model years, even though they are in last place regarding sales( I think) and are facing real competition these days in the "backcountry mountain segment. They only do really minor changes and more of refinements then anything else. nothing to really excite the hardcore mountain crowed.
Even though the 800 HO motor is very strong stock and mod-friendly. 2015 will be the 6 year of this motor. 6 YEARS of no changes to the motor devision and the motor is always what really excites any powersport enthusiast.
Arctic Cat either have no ambition regarding the mountain market are don´t think the market is big enough to spend big money on it. Even though these machines are very expensive if you think about the simplicity of 2-stroke engine and the lack of r & d that these machines really get over a long period of time. The aftermarket industry leads they way in many ways in this industry, and in some ways that makes in interesting for gearheads.
WOW, this is a long post.
But I have to tough on one thing in the end. Coming out with a special edition that doesn´t have one thing( not one, other then custom graphics that represent some up and coming hillclimb racers that I think really not so many know( they have a long way to go, to get to the spot Burandt and Rasmussen are on) and to think that some serious backcountry riders would want to ride with these graphics just shows how fair Arctic Cat are off . Regarding listening to the people that really influence that mountain crowd. These "special edition" sleds are not even HCR models and these guys are best know for being hillclimb racers.
I really think that simply says more than anything.
thanks for reading
Einar
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I'm not flaming away but cat wasn't rising to the top. The 07 and 08 we're turds. My 09 wasn't anything special without a turbo.
I honestly can't beilve the "value" everyone is putting on all these career snowmobilers ( Bret, Chris, and whoever rides for cat now). Who the hell cares who rides what? I won't for a second let 4 guys that I've only heard of on this site or seen them in a sled movie sway my opinion on what sled i ride. And I honestly can't beilve you boys would either.
This years Cat release is beyond a doubt......
beyond a doubt....
beyond a doubt....
To me the riders on the "team" have more to do with the direction the company is going & who they're trying to please than anything else.
Having two guys that are known for hillclimbing (YES, I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE GOOD RIDERS...) and not emphasizing ANYONE else, to me shows what THEY think is important. That is what this whole thing is about.
To me, they think that Tucker, Rob & Dave's racing "represents" sledding... and to me, that is not even close to reality.
it's not about someone being "good" or a nice dude or not... it's about the image they're trying to portray... and that is that RACING is what sledding is.
It's not.
G
Nice post Einar. World wide opinion from the trenches. True or not it is the perception I have too.
Yea, gahhh... These guys never ride anything but hillclimb circuits:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwDiuPmpavQ
I'm pretty positive that both Burandt and Rasmussen were big in the hillclimb scene for a long time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwDiuPmpavQ
I'm pretty positive that both Burandt and Rasmussen were big in the hillclimb scene for a long time.
