The 2012 Cats are available with either an 800 2-stroke or two versions of the Suzuki even firing parallel 4-stroke twin you’ve seen in the Z1 the last few years.
We’ll tell you more about our riding impressions on the 800 tomorrow but right now we’ve gotta get this off our chests.
The new F-Series 1100’s are flat-out excellent 4-strokes and perform like no other 4-stroke snowmobiles we’ve ever ridden.
One of Cat’s design parameters was to build a 4-stroke sled that feels, handles and performs very close to a 600 2-stroke. I know it sounds ridiculous because we’ve all been pre-conditioned to believe no 4-stroke can match a 2-stroke in those departments.
Weight is the issue and all 4-stroke mills carry extra mass. Can’t deny it. However, the new 1100 series Cats have somehow beaten the odds and these sleds feel every bit as light and handle as well as, or even better than, a comparable 2012 F-Cat with a 2-stroke.
Comparing the 4-stroke EFI version of the new Pro-Cross Cat models to yellow and red, we would have to confess the new Cat actually out-handles its 600cc 2-stroke competitors, at least in trail settings.
We’re not arguing the 1100 gives up a bit of top end motor compared to its 2-stroke competitors (maybe 5-8mph), but the bottom end and mid-range power makes up for it.
This is a very impressive achievement and sets the bar high for the rest of the industry.
We didn’t believe it could be done; but now that it has been delivered, there are no excuses from anyone else.
Wait ’til we tell you about riding the new Turbo…
You’ll be able to get a full detailed ride report on all the new Cats when you grab the Online Edition of Supertrax (Vol 22 #5) on Zinio.com tomorrow (Friday). Don’t miss it!
