Ask the Editors: Arctic Cat/ Suzuki Compatibility
Kawasaki-powered but is it 100% compatible?
This is an excellent question – as so often our favorite machines happen to actually be rebranded versions of other ATVs.
You are correct – the 2004 Arctic Cat V-2 650 4×4 makes use of an OEM Kawasaki 650 V-TWIN (04-06) that powered many of Kawasaki’s own models, we can’t say with certainty that the exhaust systems are 100% compatible. The reason for this? Transplanting an engine into a different chassis is commonplace in the industry but the very specific bends and mounting points are always going to be model-specific and are dictated by things like chassis clearance, proximity to the plastic etc.
The reason we come to this conclusion is that the exhaust pipes do not share a common part # – in this case the Arctic Cat unit comes back as part # 0512-152 while the OEM Kawasaki pipe comes back as 18088-1140.
There is some hope, however, as searching not by the name of your machine but rather “Exhaust 0512-152” as we did below yields dozens upon dozens of results in every condition and price point fathomable and even some brand new aftermarket offerings.
With a little drilling and pressing, you may be able to get the Kawasaki unit to work but we typically err to the side of caution when the part numbers don’t match up and would definitely advise sticking with the part # above that is Arctic Cat V-2 650 specific.
