Would somebody please help me out here?

I am a died in the wool AC Snowmobile lover and have been around the Thundercats, 800s and 500s for years.

What is up with the ATVs that AC is offering?

Do they all have to be utility rock hopping farm utility vehicles?

Who is in charge of their marketing?

14 Horsepower?

This is really disgusting. I would not be seen on a Polaris snowmobile but as far as ATVs go Polaris is in the driver seat.

I do not rock hop, tow farm trailers, and put around in my own private 40 acres. I want a machine to blow away the Sportsman 500 HO. Forget about the Polalaris 700 I would just like to beat an old Polaris 500 Sportsman let alone a current model year Magnum. Arctic Cat is currently right in line behind the Honda 450. What is up with that?

Where is Arctic Cat headed? And do we have the time to wait before even Bombardier (SkiDoo) blows AC away?

 

Victory, I hear you, and I couldn't agree more. I love Arctic Cat Snowmobiles with a passion, and when I went to buy an ATV I really wanted to take Arctic Cat seriously, but I couldn't. THey seem to be making their quads for different people then they make their sleds, and I can't understand why.

I've been asking this question on various forums for over a year now. Undoubtably people will respond that they love their Cats, that they're not sport quads, and that they're tough and will last along time.

They don't understand that people like us would love to buy an AC as soon as AC builds a quad that appeals to us

Personally I've always liked the mid-sized classes (500-600 for snowmobiles, 350-500 for quads) so what I'd like to see is a nice light, powerful 450, liquid cooled, 4x4, with a sporty suspension. If Arctic Cat can make their new Firecat 700 weigh in at 435lbs, they should be able to make a sport 4x4 weigh in at 450. I'd be the first in line.

Or if they really wanted to go all out they could make a 250cc 2-stroke. Imagine if they were the only manufacturer with enough ***** to make a full on race quad.

2001 was the first year that quads outsold snowmobiles in Canada, so the market is still growing.

Come on Arctic Cat, start make quads for the same people that buy your sleds!!!

 

TO EACH HIS OWN!!!! I have seen a lot of problems with Cat snows, but I love my Cat 4wd, The 500i is very close to perfect wheeler for ME, just needs front locker ( mechanical please ) & a little less weight.

 

I am also a 'dyed in the wool' AC snowmobiler - and as of yesterday a proud owner of a new '02 500i auto...I am very impressed with the technology leaps AC has made with their quads...We all know that AC sleds are leaps and bounds ahead of the rest (eg, check out Ski-Doo's 'new' A-arm front suspension for '03-where'd they get THAT idea??)..I am looking forward to the enjoyment of riding very challenging technical trails...I dont need 'speed', and I didnt buy an AC for speed. Everyone rides differently, so there should be different rides for everyone. I feel the AC quads fill a very important niche in the ATV world, and I predict that their market share will only increase in the future, due to quality engineering...

 

Delta, you make a very important point.

"Everyone rides differently, so there should be different rides for everyone"

The problem is, AC doesn't make a quad for the same type of people who like their snowmobiles. They make a bunch of quads that are good at low speed plodding along, and nothing that is even remotely sporty.

Come on A/C, step up to the plate and take a swing!

 

if you are a died in the wool arctic cat fan then as you should know arctic cat sleds are powered by suzuki motors(well any made after 1976) so maybe you should look into the suzuki atv's. if you want a fast sport machine then put in an order for a z400(i know its not been tested yet, but theres no doubt that its going to be fast) or if you want a sporty 4X4 then look into the vinson(as fast as the magnum 500 and handles better) or the eiger 400(very quick for its engine size and great handeling) arctic cat makes great atv's for mudding or rock crawling, but if you want a fun machine for fast trail riding then the new suzukis are def king.

 

Give them some time folks! They haven't been in the quad business long and it takes time and money (and the economy hasn't been that great the last couple years) to build up a full line of quads. I'm sure they're headed in that direction (more sporty quads) but they already make the quad for me so I didn't need to wait and I'm glad they entered the market where they did.

Bob

 

I asked my AC dealer the other day when they were coming out with a sport quad. He said he asks the boys at AC all the time (I don't know who he means by this, but AC's are made here in MN so perhaps he's asking some plant guys). The reply he's gotten is that only 5% of the market is sport ATV's so they're unlikely to produce any soon. My dealer hopes, that since Suzuki owns something like 30% of AC that they will market a z400 clone through the AC line.

AC's concentrated on building durable, tractor like ATV's (Massey Furgeson sells remarked AC quads under their own name in England - Here is a link), so you can see they target an entirely different market than their snowmobile riders.

I echo IowaBob in that they are new to this business and seem intent on building quality equipment and a reputation for reliability first. I suspect they'll venture into the sport, or sport utility market as soon as they're ready.

I'd be surprised to see them produce anything sporty, or larger than the 500 in the next two years, though.