Just going to show all of you guys that cat is making there own engine now.



Arctic Cat Inc. today reported that it has designed and will assemble its first ATV engine, called the 650 H1, which will debut on a new Arctic Cat 650 H1 4x4 Automatic ATV later this year. The 650 H1 engine will be assembled near the company's headquarters in Thief River Falls, Minn., at a new, state-of-the-art 24,000 square foot facility.

"The introduction of the H1 is a strategic first step in our new engine program," said Christopher A. Twomey, Arctic Cat's chairman and CEO. "While we enjoy excellent relationships with our current engine suppliers, having the capability to design and build our own ATV engines will enable us to offer customers more choices, provide excellent value and enhance our long-term competitive position."

Arctic Cat Creates ATV Engine Division

The new engine was designed by a highly specialized team of professionals that make-up the all-new ATV Engine Division within Arctic Cat. The Engine Division was conceived in the summer of 2000. To staff the team, Arctic Cat assembled expert engineers acquired from outside companies, well-known German engine design firms and existing Arctic Cat employees with unmatched experience within the disciplines of clutching, quality control and field test.

The H1 was designed and built using the latest manufacturing technology to ensure exact, quality standards. Each new engine will be thoroughly tested before being placed in an ATV. Tests include the ultra-modern Cold Spin Test, employed by manufacturers such as the "Big 3" automakers, which checks a multitude of required specifications including compression, valve and ignition timing, and a leak test, all while the engine is "cold" and not running. A separate "hot test" checks operating conditions, torque and horsepower, among other parameters, to ensure exact tolerances. The combination of both testing methods make Arctic Cat unique in requiring such rigorous quality standards.

"The H1 engine will provide an excellent combination of power, durability and value to our ATV line," Twomey said. "Moving forward, our intent is to build and continue to source the best engines that meet the requirements of our customers."

New H1 Engine

The engine's "H1" name comes from its hemispherical-shaped cylinder head and single-cylinder design. Its single-cylinder design gives the new 650 H1 a broad powerband, with an emphasis on low- and mid-range torque, that provides optimal power for pulling under heavy load or quick acceleration on trail rides.

The liquid-cooled, single-cylinder 641cc four-stroke features the Duramatic automatic transmission (with Hi-Lo range), electronic push-button two-wheel and four-wheel drive, and engine braking. It is fed by a 40mm Keihin carburetor with electric choke. With liquid cooling and a thermostatically controlled auxiliary fan, the H1 engine delivers consistent operation in all conditions.


now that will have some GRUNT!!!

 

Good for them. I thought they'd never stop using the Suzikawi motors.

 

I am assumming that it would be like a wiseco piston sorta deal? except hemispherical.


I wonder what the fuel mileage would be like on that thing.

 

Sounds like a great motor on paper. Id love to see how well it does once it comes out. The "hemi" design is the most effcient combustion chamber design. With the SP700 EFI out now, and Kawasaki and Suzuki both coming out with their own EFI motors, you would think that AC would adapt EFI technology to that motor. Who knows, maybe they will. Would be pretty cool to see "HEMI" plastered on the side of a big ole' Ute[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

There's a LOT of modern motors now with hemispherical head chambers. They just don't call them Hemis.

 

single-cylinder....I dont know if I like the sounds of that...to me I would think it would vibrate too much...but that is just my .02

I am glad to see Arctic cat is comin out with their own stuff now. Do you know if it will be a CVT?

 

Well, look at it this way. The Grizzley, Rincon, DS650, and Raptor are all big bore single cylinder motors. They dont seem to vibrate that much. I would tend to think that once you get much bigger than that though, is when you would be running into problems with vibration.

 

Was it Arctic Cat that had a plan to use a common series of engines in their ATVs and Snowmobiles? Or was it Polaris or Bombardier? I have a hazy memory of this but they even has 1000cc+ engines from snowmobiles or PWCs that could theoretically be used on their ATV. Was it Bombardier with their rotax engines? Seems like it might have been.

My memory is hazy but I remember seeing this on TV or reading it.

I'm all for more choices when I buy my new ATV this fall. To the manufacturers: Get 'em all spiffy and lined up boys I'm coming with a big ol' wad a cash and I want one with all the bells and whistles.

 

I don't think so. Snowmobile are mostly 2-stroke, and the ones that are 4-stroke have triple cylinders, and are big. They also have totally different power bands, as ATV's don't rev much, while my powder special doesn't even engage the clutch until 4000 RPM's. I don't think we will ever see the same engines in both. Maybe someone else can correct me...

Also, Suzuki owns 25% of Arctic Cat and that is why they are the main supplier of engines.

 

Hemi schmemi. Big deal. Hemi was a big deal back in the 60's because that's the best they could come up with then. Nissan used hemispherical combustion chambers in a few of their engines for a long time, who cares? With computer design/calculation it's a lot easier to get proper combustion chamber flow and spark dispersal these days without putting the damn spark plug directly on top of the cylinder. Look at the numbers, it's not like Dodge has significantly more HP or torque out of their engines when you directly compare displacement. I'm not nearly as excited about Hemi anything as I am about what Yamaha's been doing with exotic materials such as titanium valves. Sodium filled valves were the rage through the 80's into the 90's, now with Titanium machining technology getting better, we'll be seeing dramatically reduced reciprocating masses and cheaper, lighter, stronger parts. Exotic materials, in my opinion, is where the largest gains will be made in the near future. Maybe even ceramic cylinder walls, even new research in transparent metals! Just wait, in 10 years we'll have stuff that'll make what we're riding now look like ATC110s.