Can Arctic Cat Build Enough?

First of all, Arctic Cat is building 2026 snowmobile models and has already completed an early-order program. The goal is to fulfill all the early orders, then the stocking orders, and finally build enough units to satisfy a substantial number of returning and new dealers.

Will Arctic Cat be able to produce this many sleds and get them into showrooms this fall? The answer is yes…with a caveat. This plan’s success will be determined by Arctic Cat’s suppliers and vendors. Vendors are very happy that Cat is back, but because of supply chain logistics, the goal for 2026 might be a bit lofty.

For instance, traditionally snowmobile OEMs nail down the number of engines needed for the next model year to give engine suppliers almost a year to produce the ordered engines. This year the timeline is tight. However, the domestic engines Arctic Cat builds may not be as much of a challenge.

Here’s what we believe is happening and will continue over the next year. Obviously Arctic Cat will be building Arctic Cat snowmobile still powered by Yamaha engines and Cat’s proprietary domestic engines. We think it’s safe to say that alongside its 2-stroke-powered models, Arctic Cat will continue to offer Thundercats powered by Yamaha’s 998 Genesis turbocharged triple. Also look for at least one model – but maybe more – powered by Yamaha’s 1049cc naturally aspirated 4-stroke triple. To be clear – Cat is not building sleds for Yamaha.

Strong Leadership

One thing that cannot be underestimated is the skill, talent and raw determination of Brad Darling – now CEO and President of both Arctic Cat and Argo. By the sheer power of will and intensely focused direction, Darling has done what many said was impossible and if Darling says there will be enough 2026 sleds to cover orders, we would be hard pressed to question his word.

There are others at the Thief River Falls production facility who are not only incredibly talented but are just as deeply dedicated to seeing Arctic Cat’s successful return. These players bleed green.

Rationalizing Products and Brands

In offroad, look for Argo to do what it has been doing for 50 years – continuing to be the world leader in amphibious Xtreme Terrain Vehicles (XTVs), which include Argo’s 6- and 8-wheel XTVs and the amazing Sasquatch amphibious vehicle. A growing line-up of Arctic Cat ATVs and side-x-side vehicles will be offered immediately.

A looming question revolves around the relationship with Bass Pro Shops and what that will look like moving forward. Bass Pro Shops carries Tracker offroad vehicles in many of its consumer stores across North America and Tracker ATVs and side-x-sides are manufactured by Arctic Cat.

The actual number of Tracker units sold by Bass Pro Shops is not public knowledge at this time. Suffice it to say Arctic Cat will be or may already be in deep discussions with Bass Pro Shops.

Furthermore, with an increasing number of Argo dealers also becoming Arctic Cat dealers and an increasing number of Arctic Cat dealers also becoming Argo dealers, we think it is unlikely there will continue to be Argo-branded ATVs and side-x-sides in the future as it would needlessly create brand confusion.

Cat Is Back

As you can imagine, things are moving fast at Arctic Cat these days and credit goes to the top-level leadership and acquisition team led by Brad Darling that has revived one of the powersports industry’s most iconic brands. We look forward to reporting on new products, a growing dealer network, Arctic Cat’s future racing plans, and more.

Stay tuned!

Snowmobiling relies on a self-funded, interconnected network of trails crisscrossing the North American snowbelt, which costs millions and millions of dollars to open and maintain every winter and provide billions of dollars of economic impact in thousands of places across North America. The contributions made to the industry branded snowmobile dealers and their OEMs cannot be understated. Simply put – we need Arctic Cat and its dealer network to be fully involved.

The good news is this; Arctic Cat was purchased by an investment group led by CEO and President of ODG Argo, Brad Darling. The writing was on the wall last fall when Textron, owner of Arctic Cat up until this past Tuesday, announced a pause in production of Arctic Cat products. There’s no way that was going to work. This time in history was absolutely pivotal for Arctic Cat. Thankfully, the team of visionaries Brad Darling put together had both the savvy and the finances to make this deal happen and bring the iconic Arctic Cat brand back to life.

I want to make something crystal clear here. Brad Darling is a man of integrity whose word is his bond. He bleeds green and has done so since his early teenage years. I can tell you with 100% boiler plate assurance Darling’s leadership of this week’s acquisition was driven by his passion for Arctic Cat.

Unfortunately, a somewhat unexplainable deal made about four years ago saw Textron cancel an enormous number of lifelong, exceptional Arctic Cat snowmobile, ATV and side-x-side dealers. We expect some of them to come back on board and that Arctic Cat will mobilize its sales force and likely leverage Argo’s sales team to get its dealer network shored up and ready for the next sales season.

Consider what this means for a jillion Arctic Cat owners who have tens of thousands invested in their Arctic Cats. Owners need not fear they will be able to get parts and service for their beloved sleds. Snowmobile clubs will welcome back Arctic Cat dealers with open arms as these volunteers depend on dealers to help with fundraisers and equipment to support local trail systems.

No doubt a legion of greenies wants to hear what the future of the CATALYST platform will look like in the short and long term. We got an overview of the 2026 snowmobile model line-up this week complete with some innovative updates to current models alongside a few new models that will get Cat enthusiasts fired up and excited for the snow to start flying.

We also expect to see the development of a domestic-built 650-class 2-stroke and an updated rear suspension alongside continued refinements to the CATALYST platform using the new 858 2-stroke.

We also anticipate hearing from Roger Skime, the man behind Arctic Cat snowmobiles going back to the late 50’s and 60’s and who was, for years, its Vice President of Engineering. Roger is a genuine icon and an unwavering proponent of Arctic Cat. He’s a straight shooter and one of the most important people in the snowmobile business because he’s done it all, seen it all and knows the sport of snowmobiling and specifically Arctic Cat snowmobiles better than anyone I know.

Over the next days and weeks, we anticipate much more information becoming available and we’ll continue to get you the straight goods on everything going forward. Stay tuned!

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Arctic Cat’s pre-order event for model-year 2023 sleds will run from April 19 through May 3. Arctic Cat also plans to have a limited number of MY23 sleds available in-season at dealerships.

The company today previewed its MY23 lineup, which includes several new models and product updates that provide options for all skill levels — welcoming even more riders into the Arctic Cat family.

“The supply chain continues to be an issue for all manufacturers, and we are taking an approach to ensure we can deliver on our current commitments to customers,” said Heidi McNary, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Powersports for Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. “Our focus is to put our customers first by delivering our current models, and also offering them 2023 sleds that give them more options and new products for their different riding styles.”

Trail and crossover enthusiasts now have more options to pair engine packages and suspensions on ZR and RIOT models with no upcharge on colors. Engine packages include 6000 and 8000 for ZR models, 9000 for Thundercat, and 8000 and 9000 engines for RIOT — with standard EPS on all 9000 models. Suspension packages include IFP shocks, FOX QS3 or Arctic Cat’s revolutionary, adjust-on-the-fly ATAC suspension system.

For mountain riders the Mountain Cat ALPHA ONE will have three available track lengths, electric or manual start, and will feature an ATAC suspension. The Hardcore will have the same track lengths and start options with FOX QS3 shocks.

Industry-leading turbo power comes to the crossover segment with the introduction of the new RIOT 9000. The RIOT 9000 combines a C-TEC 4 998cc, 4-stroke 9000 Series DOHC Turbo Triple churning 200-plus horsepower with the ARS II front suspension and CROSS-ACTION Rear Suspension for an adrenaline-inducing on- or off-trail ride. Standard EPS makes the sled more nimble and creates less rider fatigue for a more enjoyable, exhilarating experience.

Also new for 2023:

The ZR 6000 R-XC is available as part of the pre-order program only. BLAST models offer customized graphics, improved ride with rear shock and high/low setting on handlebar heaters. BLAST M Limited model with 36-inch ski stance, FOX FLOAT® 3 ski and rear shocks, and IFP front rear shock, lightweight mountain seat, and special color and graphics. Youth sleds have new graphics with black hood.

All 2023 Arctic Cat snowmobiles will be available for pre-order during April 19 – May 3. For more information once the program launches on April 19, visit a local Arctic Cat dealer, or go to ArcticCat.com and use the new buyer’s guide to find the perfect sled for you, and check out the updated sled builder to visualize different track lengths, colors and accessory choices. Join the conversation on Arctic Cat Snowmobiles’ Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram accounts.

About Arctic Cat – The Arctic Cat brand is iconic in the powersports industry, representing 60 years of snowmobiles, side-by-sides and ATVs that are renowned the world over for their power and performance. Arctic Cat snowmobiles, side-by-sides, ATVs and affiliated products are designed and manufactured in Thief River Falls, Minn. by Arctic Cat Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company that operates as part of the Textron Specialized Vehicles business.

For more information, visit: ArcticCat.com

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We’ve been giving this a lot of thought – and so have you, apparently. There’s been a ton of commentary on our social media sites on this subject from readers and viewers – so much so that we’ve barely been able to publish any article about Arctic Cat without you raising the question.

FIRST OFF

In our opinion there is very little wrong with Cat’s current ProCross platform. Could it be lighter? Probably, but it isn’t really much heavier than its competition. In some applications it’s actually lighter.

Could it handle better? Maybe, but it’s still one of the best handling platforms in the biz. Is it comfortable? Yes and no. However, its basic ergonomic layout is extremely good and any improvements in comfort could be accomplished with mere cosmetic changes – nothing radical – certainly nothing requiring a complete chassis dump.

So, why should AC consider a new chassis? There are a number of issues surrounding this question and none of them are even remotely involved with the proficiency or lack of it with the current ProCross platform.

IT’S TIME

Arctic Cat has been building this platform for over a decade and customers – particularly snowmobile consumers – really like new, shiny stuff. We’ve always said, you need to give customers a reason to buy a new sled. The best way for an OEM to do this is to obsolete the old one by bringing out something completely new and perceptibly better. “Better” may mean lighter – or more convenient, or more stylish, or more comfortable, or with a better ride – whatever. The point is, it’s new. And that’s what sells snowmobiles!

PATENTS

It’s no secret Cat and Ski-Doo have been in an extended battle over whether or not the ProCross chassis infringes on Ski-Doo’s triangulated, pyramidal chassis design. At this point, details of the lawsuits and their settlement have been so complicated and secretive, we don’t know for sure what’s going on. For a while Ski-Doo had an injunction preventing Cat from selling any ProCross sleds in Canada. That has since been lifted.

Our estimate however, is that any new Arctic Cat platform would not use the current triangulated backbone of the past. This would likely mean something similar, either to the current one or more like Polaris’ chassis – but in no way completely the same as either so as not to get into legal trouble.

This is a problem in several ways: Would a new design be as rigid? Would it be lighter or even the same weight? Would handling and ride be compromised? Would it be economical enough to build so it doesn’t drive prices up?

Certainly, design targets, since they’re throwing out all the bathwater, would be focused on radical lightness, different and perceptibly better ergonomics and improvements in ride and handling – if possible. There could also be exclusive adaptability for Cat’s current range of snowmobile engines and how to improve accessibility and routing of turbo plumbing, as well as exhaust and intake.

ADAPTABILITY

We briefly touched on this, but since the ProCross platform was introduced before Cat’s current use of a Yamaha 4-stroke triple, there may be an opportunity to improve that engine’s fitment in a new chassis. This also brings up the point we discussed in our former diatribe about the possibility of Cat coming with something narrower (we had asserted in our earlier story the narrower clutches introduced for 2022 maybe hint at this).

Although we doubt a new chassis would stray from the existing wide-spaced A-arm setup up front, there may be a new long-front-arm-skid on the agenda.

Also, depending on how Arctic Cat’s marketing department views the off-trail market, a new chassis may provide the opportunity for Cat to bring a new mountain sled that exceeds the competitions’ offerings in the weight and traction departments. No small task there.

FINALLY

There are many directions Arctic Cat can go here. It’s our firm opinion, the worst place it could go would be to remain static and do nothing. At this point, the Arctic Cat name and reputation are still strong – wait a half a decade and who knows if that same brand identity will still be at play.

Arctic Cat is a savvy company with good people on board. It would be foolish to try to convince ourselves these conversations haven’t been ongoing in the boardrooms and engineering labs of the company for quite some time. We’re waiting with anticipation to see what happens!

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