you can't compare the HP to HP ratio of ATVs versus sleds or jet skies ...... the latter two machines lose gobs of that HP in their drive systems and point of propulsion..... Just like an ATV loses HP in sand, so too does a sled engine in snow and a jet ski in water ...... even top speeds cannot be compared since ATVs are generally in smaller more confined areas like trails, woods and tracks.... whereas sleds are out in the open a lot and jet-skis are also .....

I'll bet anything that a KTM 525 would out accelerate any sled on the market in a virtual side-by-side comparison..... of course top speed the sled would pull away, but again that is relative to the large open areas sleds are often used..... besides the sand there are not many places an ATV can get up to 100 MPH safely even if it could ....

 

They'll keep making them bigger and bigger, as long as people are buying them.

 

ss97,

I'm not sure where you ride sleds at, but to say that snowmobiles are mainly ridden in open areas is completely wrong. The majority of people ride snowmobiles on the same exact trails that they ride their quads on. I agree totally with desertviper. These machines are far from over powered. Arctic Cat and all the articles of test riders have stated that the T-Cat has been toned way down from its potential. If everyone remembers correctly the hype about dirt bikes, jet skis, and snowmobiles when the horsepower kept going up and up. A bunch of people were all worked up about them being to powerful and dangerous. Well folks we are now over 1000cc on a majority of them and still climbing, and everyone is buying the heck out of them. If us as riders didn't want these machines, then manufacturers wouldn't make them in the first place. There is an obvious demand for them, because almost all of the T-Cats are already sold out on pre order. Yes, I agree with everyone, that people will get hurt and everyone will blame Cat for this, when its actually the idiot pushing the throttle that doesn't deserve the machine, or the right to make the rest of us look like idiots. Unfortunately thats the nature of the beast.

 

Ive got an 08' Brute Force 750. I can't imagine ever needing any more power. Ive had my machine at 68 mph and it's scary...But it pushes snow with a 60" blade like a dream.