Hope is all we have because economics does not support it.IMO.
Yes you are so true, but hopefully someday arctic cat will be totally self sufficent. I think they are great quads now,exp for mudding, but to eventually not have to depend on any other manufacture for their motors will be benificial in the end. Hopefully they are perfecting their motor concepts now for the future.[/quote]

When you wish upon a star. You may get the “Chinese Curse” You get what you wish for.

The largest single owner of Arctic Cat is Suzuki. The argument can be made that their support is the key to AC’s stellar performance this year.

Shonk[/quote]


Yes that maybe be true, but wouldn't you like to see arctic cat be totally independent??? If suzuki stopped supplying them with motors (other than kawie v-twin 650), arctic cat would be in trouble. Yes, contracts should be binding, however, if you can make your own motors, why not??? And I am not wishing upon a star. I just believe that they would eventually be better off branching out totally on their own. But, then again, there are those who like their quads and vehicles to have parts from all over the world from different manufactures, which makes for delays in getting quality parts.

 

[
{{{{{Yes that maybe be true, but wouldn't you like to see arctic cat be totally independent??? }}}}

I don’t think AC would be in business to day if it weren’t for Suzuki’s ownership. I would like it if all US manufactures but that’s way over our heads. Those days are long gone.

{{{{If suzuki stopped supplying them with motors (other than kawie v-twin 650), arctic cat would be in trouble. Yes, contracts should be binding, however, if you can make your own motors, why not???}}}}

Think about all the different motor AC uses in their product lines. A medium size company such as AC could not cash flow the required capital to develop an entire line of motors. The H1 was a huge endeavor for AC and they all ready need to step it up.

{{{But, then again, there are those who like their quads and vehicles to have parts from all over the world from different manufactures, which makes for delays in getting quality parts.}}}}

Sadly many US companies tried to manufacture all their parts are memories. That model is no longer viable I wish it wasn’t true but it is.

Hey nice chatting my V2 650 is up for the winter the focus is on snowmobiling.

Love my Cats

Shonk








And I am not wishing upon a star. I just believe that they would eventually be better off branching out totally on their own. But, then again, there are those who like their quads and vehicles to have parts from all over the world from different manufactures, which makes for delays in getting quality parts.[/quote]


I don’t think AC would be in business to day if it weren’t for Suzuki’s ownership. I would like it if all US manufactures but that’s way over our heads. Those days are long gone.

 

I don’t think AC would be in business to day if it weren’t for Suzuki’s ownership. I would like it if all US manufactures but that’s way over our heads. Those days are long gone.[/quote]

 

[/quote]Very good point, but it would be nice if they became big enough to be independent like polaris. [/quote]


Polaris’s is struggling with their current strategic plan. Expect to see Polaris sales decline in 2006 due to rising inventory, weakening consumer spending, increasing competition, and a maturing industry. Dealers are carrying high inventory, and having difficulties selling 2005 models.
That being said the challenge for Polaris is to keep all their capital working at a profit during bad times. It’s much easier to go to suppliers and renegotiate than to go to the investors or banks for cash to keep the doors open.
Unfortunately for us in the US globalization is eating our lunch.
I wish I were smart enough to keep this business at home.

I give you the last word

Shonk

 

You Artic Cat guys are in for a real treat...the KQ's engine is great and very smooth power for a single cylinder and the EFI is great as well.

 

From what i gather, AC is expanding their engine facility to increase their engine line beyond the H1. So they are most likely doing some R&D on future engines as we speak. AC was a pretty large company in the snowmobile business before jumping into the ATV market. They're a young company in this business, but are growing nicely and making some damn impressive ATVs, IMO. The H1 trans is the best and most versatile on the market.

I don't think Suzuki ever "owned" Arctic Cat, they just formed a partnership to get AC in the ATV business. Suzuki really needed AC's level of development in CVT-type transmissions in the ATV market, since the CVTs in AC snowmobiles were so successful. And AC was looking to expand their horizons, and what better way to do it than with a company that invented the 4 wheeled ATV.

Suzuki is making a lot of friends in the ATV world... they were working with Kawasaki for a number of years (not sure if that partnership still exists though). I'm interested in seeing what other machines come of this 700 Cat. Maybe a few years down the road, AC will use that experience to make a 700 engine (or larger) of their own and combine that with the H1's trans. AC showed with the H1 that they're committed to making the toughest ATV out there... in its infancy, it says a lot that the "little" 650 H1 can churn 29.5 outlaws in almost any type of mud, completely stock, and not have any belt problems. No other manufacturer can lay that claim that i'm aware of.

 

Dug up some articles.... seems like Arctic Cat is doing quite well for themselves...

2004


2005

Intersting to know, in the second article, that total employees increased almost 20% in that fiscal year. AC is up to something good here. Also, Suzuki owns about 34% of AC... which is quite large, but i doubt either is complaining since AC is doing so well. Partnerships can sometimes have great results for all parties involved.

 

well shonk the way it sounds is that most of the polaris employees are going down to 4 day weeks here soon which really hurts specially in winter and around christmas. i make the average amount of money around here and my buddy that works at polaris informed me that he grossed less then 20,000 dollars this year due to being laid off all the time and getting sent home early. i feel sorry for him and really didn't wanna tell him what i grossed so far even though he insisted i tell him. arctic cat has jumped into the atv world and made vast improvements where others lacked and they made jumps and leaps to develope a very good atv. i take my hat off the the arctic cat engineers cause they keep raising the bar.

 

I pray for our fellow Americas whose jobs have vanished or in peril. What we lack is leadership in this country. Instant gratification is what drives our North America culture. I must admit I have my doubts about AC at the end of last years closing.
But I was wrong (again) and I do agree AC has have excellent engineering.

Shonk

 

Hey guys there is no question that arctic cat wouldn't be around if it weren't for suzuki. Suzuki was the invester that made the current arctic cat way back in 1982. At the time they held 49% of the company. That it why their snowmobiles have had suzuki engines and why there atvs did also. And i thought the new 700 efi was an arctic built motor based off the 650 H1 so what are you guys talking about anyways. And the whole merger with kawi was actually more on the suzuki side cause those two wanted to improve their dirt bikes, but to make it happen zuki wanted some atv stuff including motors and frames.