A couple of weeks ago Supertrax had the opportunity to ride all the new 2014 models in Montana. Just so you know, the elevation was about 6,600 feet above sea level, so some of our engine evaluations are tempered by the high altitude. However, we did get a good chance to check out suspensions, clutching and handling on the key new sleds you’ve been waiting to hear about. Over the next days we’ll be filling you in on our riding experiences with these new sleds.
Cat’s youngest family member, the 6000 Series El Tigre, with the all-new 600 DSI 2-stroke is a rocket. This was one of the fastest sleds we tested at high altitude and it really impressed.
Cat has been working diligently on calibration, particularly suspension settings, on all its ProCross sleds and this one is the whole package.
It’s fast, it rides incredibly well (yes, incredibly) and it makes the best 2-stroke exhaust sound we’ve heard in years. Just idling around the pits in West Yellowstone, this thing got our blood boiling.
Although it’s not overly loud, it sounds like a race engine and frankly, it rocks like one, too. We noticed no smoke at idle or spool-up and the engine accelerates very crisply – maybe slightly soft at engagement and then it hits like an 800 – Wowee!
Although it’s tough to be sure when we’re making appraisals based on mountain altitude riding, we think this will be the fastest 600 next year.
It really is the whole package – the minimalist graphics and retro look of the 1970-era El Tigre planted in a modern ProCross chassis combined with the way this motor delivers, should make it one of next winter’s biggest hits.
We love this thing!
