Minnesota-based Arctic Cat is on the verge of some major changes. It’s no big secret anymore that they were acquired in March by Textron, the same company that owns EZ-Go Golf Carts, Leer Jets and Bell Helicopters. While that might lead to some changes down the trail, for now, Arctic Cat continues to come out with some amazing machinery, especially in the 2017 Wildcat line up.
Wildcat X
The Arctic Cat Wildcat X and Wildcat X Limited run on a 951cc, SOHC, High Output 4-Stroke V-twin engine. It has a bore and stroke of 92mm by 71.6mm. It has Electronic Fuel Injection, through a single, 50mm throttle body and a 2-into-1 ceramic-coated exhaust. Getting that power to the wheels is a CVT transmission with Arctic Cat’s TEAM Rapid Response clutch.
When most experienced drivers think of Arctic Cat, outstanding suspension performance comes immediately to mind. For 2017, Arctic Cat completely revamped the Wildcat X with an entirely new system designed by Robby Gordon Racing. The RG PRO rear suspension has a “wishbone” style, trailing arm that is designed for true tracking throughout the entire 16.5 inches of wheel travel. That travel is now coming via new dual-rate King Racing shocks that have rebound and compression adjustments. Up front, the Wildcat runs King Racing shocks with 17-inches of travel on dual A-arms. They also added larger tie-rods and extra gusseting on the front double A-arm up front for additional strength for those with a competitive streak or who like to go big off road.
Arctic Cat made changes to the chassis, too. The race-inspired ROPS cage was upgraded with extra bracing for additional rigidity and strength. Added chassis bracing handles the abuse of professional-level drivers. The exoskeleton chassis features added bracing and gusseting, plus stronger mounting points for the new RG PRO rear suspension. The A-arm mounting brackets are heavier-gauge steel.
At the corners, Arctic Cat chose to run 6-ply, 27-inch ITP Ultracross tires mounted on custom-built 15-inch KMC cast aluminum wheels. The 2017 X measures out at 128-inches long by 64-inches wide. It is 66.8-inches tall with an overall wheelbase of 95-inches. It has a dry weight of 1,380 lbs. The X comes in orange and green color options. The Wildcat X Limited EPS adds full aluminum doors; a sleek molded roof; and aluminum front and rear bumpers. It comes in dynamic dray.
Wildcat Sport
For 2017, the Arctic Cat Wildcat Sport continues to thrill drivers with a 700cc parallel twin-cylinder four stroke engine with four valves per cylinder, routing power though TEAM Rapid Response clutches. The engine puts out over 60 horsepower. These 60-inch wide Cats are capable trail and dune machines. A closed-loop electronic fuel injection system optimizes fuel efficiency and throttle response.
A performance -engineered chassis handles a wide-range of terrain types, and gets a lot of help from the outstanding suspension options the Sport lineup has. Up front, a double A-Arm setup guides 12.2-inches of travel. On the rear a dual A-Arm, sway bar-equipped design with 12.6 inches of travel handles the rough stuff with 13 in. of rock-clearing ground clearance.
The big news is the different shock options. The XT EPS comes with JRi ECX-1 gas shocks with high-volume 2.5-in. aluminum bodies and remote reservoirs with 70-position compression adjustability and spring preload adjustability. The Limited EPS runs Elka Stage 5 gas shocks with 2.5-in. aluminum bodies and remote reservoirs. They have low and high speed compression and rebound adjustability as well as spring preload. The Sport SE runs on high performance
KING gas shocks delivering compression adjustability and precise rebound damping adjustments.
The Sport also sports a cargo area with 300lbs. of capacity with additional sealed storage under the hood. Need more, there’s a 2-inch receiver hitch and 1,500lbs of towing capacity. The Sports also run on 26-in. Carlisle Trail Pro tires on cast aluminum wheels. The Limited and SE models also get full aluminum half doors. The SE also comes with a 3,000lb Warn winch with synthetic rope in case you get into too much trouble.
The Sport XT EPS comes in black/green. The Sport Limited comes in gray/green and the SE comes in stealth black.
Wildcat Trail
The Arctic Cat Wildcat Trail is 50-inches of trail-blasting fun. They have the same 700cc parallel twin-cylinder engine of the Sport packed into a compact package that is legal for most any trail system with width restrictions. Closed-loop electronic fuel injection aids performance and economy, great for exploring.
The chassis of the Trail is setup with a 60/40 weight distribution front to rear. This helps with high-speed stability to keep you glued to the trail when your right foot just keeps on pressing on the gas. Nitrogen gas-charged FOX shocks on all four corners with 10-inches of travel in the front and 10.5-inches of travel on the rear soak up bumps and ruts on the trail. The dual A-Arm suspension setup front and rear makes for a smooth ride even when the trail isn’t. The Wildcat Trail has 10-inches of ground clearance.
The Trail runs 25-inch Carlisle Trail Pro tires on 12-inch rims. It comes with a 2-inch receiver hitch with 1,500lbs of towing capacity. The cargo bed holds up to 300lbs. of gear.
The base-model Arctic Cat Wildcat Trail comes with 12-inch steel wheels and half doors. It is available in green or red. Stepping up to the Wildcat Trail XT EPS adds electronic power steering (EPS) and machined cast-aluminum 12-inch wheels. It also has color-matched suspension arms and automotive-style paint in vibrant red metallic, or True Timber camo. The Wildcat Trail Limited EPS includes everything from the XT EPS, and adds full aluminum doors and color-matched aluminum wheels. It’s available in white metallic. The Wildcat Trail SE EPS comes with everything from the Limited model and adds a half windshield and a factory-installed 3,000lb. Warn winch. It comes in stealth black.
Learn more about the entire 2017 Arctic Cat Wildcat lineup by going to www.arcticcat.com, or by going to your local Arctic Cat dealer.
For more information on the above mentioned models, please visit the Arctic Cat Website
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Arctic Cat ATV Models – Arctic Cat UTV Models – Arctic Cat ATV Reviews – Arctic Cat UTV Reviews
