2020...Good, bad, or ugly?

[wanablaze]

How would the trail manners compare to a skidoo gen 4? I’m seriously thinking of selling my summit 154x3 and buying an alpha hardcore. The only thing being I have to ride a fair amount of trail and un groomed hard pack to get to the powder.

I have not ridden a Gen 4 skidoo so I cannot compare. Guess I was expecting the worst before I took my Alpha down the trail. We rode about 20 trail miles from Bear Lodge Resort Wyoming to High Country Lodge Wyoming the other day. I was pleasantly surprised with the Alpha. No complaints.

The gen 4 just rides better or smoother. The alpha isn't that tippy on the trail if your front shocks are stiffer. If they are softer and narrowed up all the way then it is more tippy. The bumps are just harsher to me. The alpha doesn't just tip over on the trail like everyone, who hasn't rode them, thinks they will. Some things they are actually better at such as banking up along the edge of the trail to hit fresh untracked snow. They don't seem to get sucked over the bank or pulled into a tree like the other sleds can if you are riding lazy. Probably because the track is tilting the other way for a second.
If you pull the trigger and give it a day to get used to, you won't be sorry. If it is the first sled you ride next year the learning curve will be mild. Everyone I let ride it love it except my 2 die hard doo buddies. Easy to jump between poo and cat but the steering throws doo riders for a loop. I still have a gen 4 so it doesn't bother me.
On another note. As tippy as everyone thinks they are. An alpha will stick to a rutted out trench, in deep snow, better than any other sled I've rode.

Well said. I ride mine with compression adjustment on 2. Have noticed sled rides much better/smoother down trail when front track shock pressure is raised (was only 40psi from dealer!).

 

[Freeride6500]

The gen 4 just rides better or smoother. The alpha isn't that tippy on the trail if your front shocks are stiffer. If they are softer and narrowed up all the way then it is more tippy. The bumps are just harsher to me. The alpha doesn't just tip over on the trail like everyone, who hasn't rode them, thinks they will. Some things they are actually better at such as banking up along the edge of the trail to hit fresh untracked snow. They don't seem to get sucked over the bank or pulled into a tree like the other sleds can if you are riding lazy. Probably because the track is tilting the other way for a second.
If you pull the trigger and give it a day to get used to, you won't be sorry. If it is the first sled you ride next year the learning curve will be mild. Everyone I let ride it love it except my 2 die hard doo buddies. Easy to jump between poo and cat but the steering throws doo riders for a loop. I still have a gen 4 so it doesn't bother me.
On another note. As tippy as everyone thinks they are. An alpha will stick to a rutted out trench, in deep snow, better than any other sled I've rode.

Thanks for the info. Does the sled run hot when are you on trails or is the cooling a non issue? I’ve never had cooling issues with my gen 4.

 

[summ8rmk]

Thanks for the info. Does the sled run hot when are you on trails or is the cooling a non issue? I’ve never had cooling issues with my gen 4.

Fill the coolant reservoir to the top and run ~130° on the trail all day.
Leave it at the 'cold fill' and run 150-160° on the trail. Either level will net ~100° in deep snow.

 

[dboivin]

Going out of their way to call the sleds "Arctic Cat" and their ATV/UTVs "Textron" certainly follows that plan of action.




Come on Honda. Where are you? We need you!

little birdy told me this weekend that yamaha wants back into the 2-stroke market...and i know an easy way for that to happen.

they dont/won't design one as it would go against their mantra for the last 15 years....but nothing stopping them from using someone elses they buy/take over

 

[summ8rmk]

When i spring order a Cat, u also get the opportunity to buy shares of Arctic Cat.
We can all own Cat!

 

[Vern]

Looks like cat is still dropping teaser vids on Instagram for the March 5th release. not showing much, but maybe there will be a little more to choose from than 3 different colored alphas.

 

[Turblue]

Don’t think it’s models but offers on new sleds.

 

[summ8rmk]

4 colors for alpha.
Hardcore only gets estart on the 165....

 

[kidwoo]

little birdy told me this weekend that yamaha wants back into the 2-stroke market...and i know an easy way for that to happen.

they dont/won't design one as it would go against their mantra for the last 15 years....but nothing stopping them from using someone elses they buy/take over

for sure

Build quality would probably go up.


When I mentioned honda, I wasn't talking about honda taking over cat. I meant honda starting to build and sell their own snowmobiles.

 

[sno*jet]

...

 

[ak]

little birdy told me this weekend that yamaha wants back into the 2-stroke market...and i know an easy way for that to happen.

they dont/won't design one as it would go against their mantra for the last 15 years....but nothing stopping them from using someone elses they buy/take over

Hope it’s a blue and white alpha 1 named the mtn max!!!!’

 

[turboless terry]

I don't understand what some people's obsession about Yamaha. What have they built that was that stellar from a mountain standpoint? A motor. That's it. Way more to a sled than that and their motor is waay too heavy.

 

[jakey-boy]

I don't understand what some people's obsession about Yamaha. What have they built that was that stellar from a mountain standpoint? A motor. That's it. Way more to a sled than that and their motor is waay too heavy.

In this discussion I think It is because of the two stroke technology they own patents on. The potential is there for them to revolutionize the industry if they utilized that technology to its full potential and put it in a decent chassis... Problem is the market is too small for them to justify.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

In this discussion I think It is because of the two stroke technology they own patents on. The potential is there for them to revolutionize the industry if they utilized that technology to its full potential and put it in a decent chassis... Problem is the market is too small for them to justify.

What patents?

They haven’t ever produced exceptional two stroke anything.
The YZ250 (motor) is unchanged from the early 2000’s.
Outboard motors all went 4t.

You have to remember that Yamaha has always been conservative in regards to performance vs weight vs reliability.

That isn’t going to change overnight.

Potential that isn’t ever going to be realized to its conclusion is just pure fantasy.

 

[kidwoo]

-different air intake that doesn't leak (ones from the m-series worked great)

-more centered motor, or at least counteract the weight bias by putting the pipe bend on the right like polaris

-Higher front end to get the tits out of the snow

-backoff all the random 'safety' shlt in their ECU that makes their sleds not start

-use pipe insulation that doesn't puke sparkles all over your motor



Really, that's all they need to do and they'll have the sickest sled on snow. And people have been saying it since 2012.


The improvements they've made to the skid and front end since 2012 are really really good but we're 7 years deep on most of those same issues above. Until someone cares about that at cat, they're kind of sealing their own fate. The alpha rail is cool but as people are learning, it's not the end all be all in every condition.

Other than the pipe insulation which is easy to fix, I won't be buying another cat until that above list is addressed. I'm also not the only one.

 

[turboless terry]

Air intakes is the biggest issue. Unrideable in deep powder. If you don't think so then you haven't been in deep enough snow.
Raised chassis would be second. Biggest difference between a pro and axys.
Third would be more open boards.
Forth would be integrate oil tank with gas tank. Centers up weight and I never liked their oil tank.
Last is a toolless hood.

 

[sno*jet]

I don't understand what some people's obsession about Yamaha. What have they built that was that stellar from a mountain standpoint? A motor. That's it. Way more to a sled than that and their motor is waay too heavy.

possible their clutches are better than team's. and fit n finish has always been better, they are not the same exact plastics. phazer was genius. their 2 strokes were works of art compared to Polaris' junk.

 

[goridedoo]

Just pulled this from facebook, my current understanding is that the snowmageddon price is what you will pay PLUS a $450 freight charge. Pretty appealing if you ask me.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Big10inch]

CRAZY! You mean you get a deal for committing early instead of paying a premium? This is what snow check should be, a better deal. Under $13k for a top line new mtn sled before dealer discounts is pretty awesome when the competition is closer to $15k and wanting msrp minus dealer concessions, for spring order models.

 

[boondocker97]

Wonder if Doo or Polaris will adjust to be closer priced for a snowcheck?