With Hay Days within the evaluation, we might be remiss if we didn’t point out the brand new 858cc Arctic Cat engine that was first proven to the snowmobile media at its manufacturing facility in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the place it will likely be constructed.
The low-slung 858cc twin-cylinder two-stroke engine that Arctic Cat snowmobile followers had been awaiting for the Catalyst chassis was lastly revealed on the recent Hay Day occasion in North Branch, Minnesota, on September 9.
Equally vital, the Cat engineers pressured, the laydown structure and the way in which it mounts in place is particularly designed for the Catalyst chassis. That will allow riders to take full benefit of the light-weight chassis and its centered lots that made first-year 2024 600-class Catalyst sleds so enjoyable to check experience final spring.
The excellent news
The engine will probably be available in path, crossover, and mountain sleds within the Catalyst chassis. And the unhealthy? You’ll have to attend till mannequin yr 2025 machines to expertise it.
Arctic Cat additionally unveiled a brand new high-tech gauge that’ll be available on 2025 fashions. Dubbed the Arctic Cat G8 Powered by Garmin, it options the type of on-screen mapping, telephone connectivity, group experience capabilities, and extra which were available from aggressive manufacturers in recent years however not Arctic Cat.
Cat made a monstrous splash on the 2022 Hay Days occasion when it unveiled its long-awaited new chassis platform. The Catalyst has been an enormous attraction, however the 600-class powerplant it was unveiled with was a little bit of a disappointment to many. Right on the chassis’ launch, although, Cat officers pledged publicly {that a} bigger displacement two-stroke was in improvement.
Now unveiled, it makes use of the identical 85mm cylinder bore however an extended 75.6mm stroke than the engine it replaces. That permits it to achieve its 858cc displacement.
Like the 600 and different fashionable Arctic Cat two-strokes, it encompasses a lay-down design with each consumption and exhaust pointed towards the driving force/heart of the chassis. Cat engineers have lengthy stated this design permits the model to higher heart lots in a chassis.
This new 858, although, additionally mounts 3/8 of an inch decrease within the chassis than the 600. The secret’s a brand new crankcase with built-in engine mounts. The reed cage was additionally moved 12mm nearer to the cylinders. That improves airflow whereas additionally permitting room for the centerline steering system, which is one key to the Catalyst design.
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Arctic Cat reeds
The new Arctic Cat 858 engine will make the most of VForce reeds that may mount nearer to the cylinders for higher airflow and likewise on account of house constraints.
Also distinctive is a brand new variable exhaust system with a push-pull actuator that’s managed by a servo that will get its instructions from the sled’s ECM. That allowed it to be totally tunable for each efficiency and emissions, in accordance with Troy Halvorson, Arctic Cat’s director of snowmobile product technique. He stated it supplies 250 p.c extra exhaust port peak change than the earlier design, permitting it to be good and tight on the underside finish but very free-flowing on the highest finish.
Cat officers wouldn’t launch a horsepower quantity on the engine in discussions with the snowmobile media. Instead, they went again to their pledge of an 11 p.c enhance. That 11 p.c is discovered all through the powerband, they stated.
Updated Garmin touch-screen
The Arctic Cat G8 Powered by Garmin will get the model proper in the course of the motion in relation to high-tech touch-screen shows, connectivity and usefulness. It’s an growing buyer demand.
“This has been something that we’ve been striving to get,” Halvorson stated. “We wanted to work with Garmin because they are a very reputable brand and are one of the top companies with it comes to GPS technology.”
The gauge works particularly with Arctic Cat’s CAN bus (Controller Area Network) system, Halvorson stated, to present riders info on the snowmobile at a look. Beyond that, on-screen path maps, route planning and cellular phone connectivity are included.
Read the total scoop on Snow Goer’s web site.
