Dear Motorhead:
In reference to your articles about the Arctic Cat 1100 4-stroke, how does the engine braking compare to a 2-stroke?
Jon
Reply:
Jon:
That’s a very good question and to be honest with you I never thought about it until I read your email. The answer absolutely has to be that the new ProCross 1100 has a built in engine braking release setup similar to what last year’s Z1 had.
Very little was said about this feature in the AC tech sessions but when riding the sled it freewheels just like a 2-stroke. There’s no “fetch-up” or “over-the-bars” feeling when you let off the throttle – a common reaction with early 4-stroke snowmobiles.
Some of this may be related to or made better by Cat’s new Torq Control Link system that ties the primary and secondary clutches and jackshaft together so the center to center is always constant.
This new feature is really important in making the sled decelerate smoother and particularly when you’re accelerating out of a corner with the clutches partially shifted up. It’s very smooth.
Kent Lester
