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[3TV]

Here are a few impressions after the first 45 mile ride:

Remember the first time you ever rode a Kawi 650 V-twin? And all you had ever ridden before were single cylinder 400cc and 500cc ATVs. And from the very first moment on that 650 V-twin you were in love with the smooth torquey power that was so good it was almost sexual. Well fast forward a few years until everyone has gotten used to how good the 650, 700, and even 800 v-twins feel, and we all think that is normal at this point. Then get on a 950 v-twin. Its that same oh my god this is good feeling all over again.

For my first ride on the Tcat I did the crazy trail our local group has built. This is the trail that climbs the mountain in back of the house, starting at 6,000 ft altitude, and ending at 10,000 ft altitude a few miles later. It is the trail that causes all the rollovers, and that most people just avoid.

This Tcat is going to be the easiest quad to break in that I have ever owned. Generally I try to keep it at less than half throttle for the first two tanks of gas, and then call it good for break in. Less that half throttle on a Tcat? That was easy, because at anything more than 1/4 throttle on a trail like this you couldn't stay on the trail. I can't see where you would ever need more than half throttle with this ATV.

The Tcat did good on the tough trail. It is one tall ATV though, and after the first mile I stopped and dialed the shock preload as soft as it would go to drop it down to the ground a bit. That really helped on the offcambers. Even with the suspension as low as it would go the Tcat only drug its frame one time in ten miles. My Renegade drags its frame every ten feet. Maybe thats why the Renegade feels lower on sidehills, because it is.

The Tcat climbs really really good. Arctic Cat extended the wheelbase on the Tcat by two inches. And they did it by moving the rear axle two inches farther back, like an extended swingarm would do on a sport quad. The Tcat feels like it will climb a wall, and keeps the front end planted easier than the Renegade or the Grizzly does.

The locker works just fine. And despite no power steering the ATV is no harder to steer with the locker engaged than the Grizzly was. Mud may be different, but in the rocks on a vertical mountain side the Tcat is fine without power steering.

After the tight technical crazy trail part of my ride I went to an area where developers have cut ATV trails all through a new development for cabins. The trails are cut by ATV width dozers, but are very steep, and go straight up and down the mountains. Whoever cut in these trails either had no idea what an ATV could do, or was themselves a very good ATVer. Many of the climbs are a make it or break it kind of affair. The Tcat climbs these long ultra steep hills easier than any ATV I've ever owned. Its like riding a freight train to the top of the mountain, and it doesn't even need to work to do it (remember, I was keeping the ATV at less than 1/2 throttle).

After these trails I took a ten mile section of pavement back to a gravel frontage road, and followed the frontage road for another 6 miles. At half throttle this ATV will cruise at 70 mph, not even turning significant engine RPM. It feels like it is just loping along. Top speed must be 80+.

The shift linkage is amazing. I have never owned an ATV that is so smooth and easy to shift. The lever just glides from one gear to the next, instead of the stiff notchy shifing I am used to. The other manufacturers need to buy an Arctic Cat and take apart the shift linkage to see why it works so much better.

Single lever braking is dumb. Come on manufacturers, if you build a performance machine put separate front and rear braking on it. Single lever braking is not a safety feature, it is a hazard.

No swaybars means lots of body roll in turns. It takes some getting used to.

The stock tires are light weight, but provide only marginal traction, and contribute to body roll in turns.

Overall I think its a good ATV. The engine is perfect for a sport ute ATV, and it is the ATVs best feature (obviously).

3TV