Arctic Cat's wheeler motors have always been and are currently suzuki. Arctic Cat has never made their own engines.

 

It seemed as if I read that Arctic Cat designed the 454 and suzuki built them for AC. This was back when I was looking at the old junky *** Bearcat 454, about a year before I bought my 99. Perhaps late 1997.

As far as the topic goes. They have a lot in common and the swinging point would have to be the buyers preference. You would just have to drive both and see which felt best, because they both have good transmissions and lots of power.

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Andy Bassham *(1999 Arctic Cat 500 4x4, 1989 Honda 300)*

 

Well, I just read the facts. Suzuki owns 30% of Arctic Cat on a supplier/vender basis. Arctic Cat will not produce any engines or tranny's for their machines. Suzuki will be, and has been, the exclusive supplier. Suzuki has a seat on the Board on Directors, although, they have no say on the R&D of the Arctic Cat line of Quads.
This is a direct quotation from Arctic Cat.