Hi all, I have a chance to buy a 2000 TCat at a very good price. Most of my riding is done on trails and seasonal roads with some lake riding. I'm curious what TCat owners have experienced with their sleds on the trails. Do they handle well just like any other heavy sled (I ride a ZRT 800 and am a big guy - 230 lbs.) or are they more at home on the lake doing 120 mph? Thanks!
Tcat on the trails
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atyszka,
i can't wait for what you just started. it is going to be as big as my aunt louises butt.
i can't wait for what you just started. it is going to be as big as my aunt louises butt.
If you like your ZRT on the trails you'll love the T-Cat. I had a new 95 ZRT and loved it on the trails and that was before the aluminum bulkhead, and AWS 5.
The great thing about the triples is they can motor down the trails at 50 mph and are so smooth, and if you want to run her up to 120+ you can......
The great thing about the triples is they can motor down the trails at 50 mph and are so smooth, and if you want to run her up to 120+ you can......
You will find that the T-Cat is a point and shoot kind of ride. Very fun but 300 mile day rides end up placing you on the couch for the day after. Light weight twins seem to be much more forgiving on sunday morning when I decide if I'm going out for another day of riding. Not to much different that the ZRT except for the new suspension.
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snowblow, I agree that the T-cat may be desrcibed as point and shoot, although it is still definetely capable on the trails. However I disagree that it it harder on you on the rough stuff. I believe that the mass of the triples absorbers more of the blows from the bumps and saves the body some. The lighter twins transfer more to your body. Given that the suspension is equal. I am seriously considering a 02 T-cat with the smart ride if I can find one left over or slightly used. Know where I can find one?
I did a poor job explaining what I meant by saying hard on the body. I'm 35 years old and still try to ride like I'm 18. I have owned the T-Cat, Wildcat, and the older ZR'S. All of them are machines that demand alot of driver input when riding them down a rough twisty trail. The newer light weight machines require far less muscle expendature to ride at the same or even harder pace. The ZR 500 is a great trail machine for the simple fact that it is light in weight and is not super powerful so it can be ridden wide open much of the time and it isn't always trying to remove your arms from your shoulder like the T-Cat or the 800's.
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MACH 69, what are you talking about?
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? For power, speed and drags don't waste your money?
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Are you drunk?
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130 mph I guess isn't real fast uh? I've seen more T-Cats blast Machs then the other way around.
The 2000 T-Cat weights in at 565 dry, according to cat.
I have ridden them for years with guys that have ZR's and I don't seem any more fatigue then they do. They are heavy but you don't plan on carrying it around on your back do you?
Jayjaysin theres a 02 for sale on Ebay in Penn I think......
The 2000 T-Cat weights in at 565 dry, according to cat.
I have ridden them for years with guys that have ZR's and I don't seem any more fatigue then they do. They are heavy but you don't plan on carrying it around on your back do you?
Jayjaysin theres a 02 for sale on Ebay in Penn I think......
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I rode my buddies 99' T-Cat 1000 this past weekend with a fresh M-10 suspension in it at Tugg Hill and I loved it!! He also has it trail ported and clutched up a bit also. Man that sled has some serious power! I agree that a heavier sled helps soak up the bumps a bit. It was like riding a Cadillac! Very nice machine.....
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. I own a 97' ZRT 600 and I am thinking about taking a different approach for the trails next year. Seeing that for the most part I ride in tighter bumpy trails, I am concidering a 03' F5 Firecat with a Sno Pro suspension. It sounds kinda crazy going from a 600cc back down to a 500cc, but where I ride your top speed about 80-90 miles an hour. Its all about suspenison. Getting back to the actual T-Cat topic, They are an awesome sled, If where I rode was more open like Tugg Hill or Canada, I would definetly own one myself...
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I have only seen a t-cat take a mach twice. both times diffrent machines.
Stock for stock the mach z goes faster period. It accels faster period. But it is harder to master in the trails.
The T-cat or any triple for that matter is %50 better then any twin on the trails. You feel like your cheating someone having all that power and paying the same gas as a 600 twin. They are silk smooth and have tons of power.
I drive my mach all day and dont have a problem. It has such a good ride. My favorite speed to cruise is about 90km because that is when the engine is just reved up past idle and slowly entering the powerband. It is so smooth and you can hardly hear it on the sled. You only hear it when you touch the gas.
I let to guys on mxz 700 try it out last weekend and there all hooked on triples. Get them well you can.
Stock for stock the mach z goes faster period. It accels faster period. But it is harder to master in the trails.
The T-cat or any triple for that matter is %50 better then any twin on the trails. You feel like your cheating someone having all that power and paying the same gas as a 600 twin. They are silk smooth and have tons of power.
I drive my mach all day and dont have a problem. It has such a good ride. My favorite speed to cruise is about 90km because that is when the engine is just reved up past idle and slowly entering the powerband. It is so smooth and you can hardly hear it on the sled. You only hear it when you touch the gas.
I let to guys on mxz 700 try it out last weekend and there all hooked on triples. Get them well you can.
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do you sleep with that thing?
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Man you guys have some weird ideas sometimes!
I ride a ZRT600, I have ridden a 1998 Thundercat. It had picks galore. Hook up and run like HE.. well you know the rest (scary fast).
I have also ridden a 2000 ZR500 (among many other sleds). Lighter is better in all circumstances. This is why the manufacturers are making the sleds lighter.
I like the TTTrrriiipppllleee TTTrrriiipppllleee TTTrrriiipppllleee alot.
You have a ZRT800, it is the same thing with more power, riding the Thundercat to me did not seem much different than the ZRT600 except the throttle requires a bit more care.
As for soaking up the bumps more, The lighter 500 I noticed less of the trail and the bumps than my ZRT. Granted, the ACT shocks that come on the 2000 make a world of difference.
Also the heavier sleds do require more driver input and they are more stable as a result, but I don't feel that this qualifies as saying that it will absorb the impact of bumps better.
Personally, as for handling, I like the AWS 4 better.
As for the MachZ 800, The 1999 that I rode for a day I was able to master that machine in about an hour.
I ran heads up against that same Mach when we went to the UP and beat him up to 100mph with my 600. Granted mine is geared (and tops out at 100 at which time he vanished) and tuned and his is stock but.......
The same stock Mach800 when my ZRT 600 was stock, raced fairly even, but the snow conditions only let both of us spinnnnnnnnnnnnn the tracks.
The Mach is faster than my 600 but not faster than a Thundercat. Read the numbers. They weigh the same, 150 HP against 172 HP, in a stock sled race the Mach may actually win the SPINNING TRACK contest, LOL
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The ACT shocks that come on the 2000 make a world of difference.
I ride a ZRT600, I have ridden a 1998 Thundercat. It had picks galore. Hook up and run like HE.. well you know the rest (scary fast).
I have also ridden a 2000 ZR500 (among many other sleds). Lighter is better in all circumstances. This is why the manufacturers are making the sleds lighter.
I like the TTTrrriiipppllleee TTTrrriiipppllleee TTTrrriiipppllleee alot.
You have a ZRT800, it is the same thing with more power, riding the Thundercat to me did not seem much different than the ZRT600 except the throttle requires a bit more care.
As for soaking up the bumps more, The lighter 500 I noticed less of the trail and the bumps than my ZRT. Granted, the ACT shocks that come on the 2000 make a world of difference.
Also the heavier sleds do require more driver input and they are more stable as a result, but I don't feel that this qualifies as saying that it will absorb the impact of bumps better.
Personally, as for handling, I like the AWS 4 better.
As for the MachZ 800, The 1999 that I rode for a day I was able to master that machine in about an hour.
I ran heads up against that same Mach when we went to the UP and beat him up to 100mph with my 600. Granted mine is geared (and tops out at 100 at which time he vanished) and tuned and his is stock but.......
The same stock Mach800 when my ZRT 600 was stock, raced fairly even, but the snow conditions only let both of us spinnnnnnnnnnnnn the tracks.
The Mach is faster than my 600 but not faster than a Thundercat. Read the numbers. They weigh the same, 150 HP against 172 HP, in a stock sled race the Mach may actually win the SPINNING TRACK contest, LOL
The ACT shocks that come on the 2000 make a world of difference.
I have dont this about 5 times. Me and a buddy with a SRX and a Buddy with a thundercat go flat out down a runway with hardpack. The SRX is only good in the begining but the Mach will pull on the T-cat and remain 2 to 3 mph faster. Meanwhile the SRX is left behind.
Thundercatzr. Once after a lake crossing I was so far ahead of the group that i was lying down and fell asleep. Does that qualify.
Thundercatzr. Once after a lake crossing I was so far ahead of the group that i was lying down and fell asleep. Does that qualify.
I'll add my .02.
It all comes down to rider preference. I don't own a T-Cat (would love to) but I do own a 500ZR and a 600ZRT. I prefer my ZRT if I had to make a choice. It rides smoother and runs much, much smoother. The powerband on my ZRT is more suited for cruising than the point-and-shoot ZR500. This is my experience.
As far as weight goes, I agree with the guy that says he doesn't plan on carrying his sled, neither do I. Just don't get it stuck...
I've talked to guys that have ridden the T-Cat and their first comments were how smooth the power was. Whether they were running 20mph or 100mph, the motor ran like silk and the power was just a thumb-twitch away. These were Polaris guys and far from Cat-loyal.
It all comes down to rider preference. I don't own a T-Cat (would love to) but I do own a 500ZR and a 600ZRT. I prefer my ZRT if I had to make a choice. It rides smoother and runs much, much smoother. The powerband on my ZRT is more suited for cruising than the point-and-shoot ZR500. This is my experience.
As far as weight goes, I agree with the guy that says he doesn't plan on carrying his sled, neither do I. Just don't get it stuck...
I've talked to guys that have ridden the T-Cat and their first comments were how smooth the power was. Whether they were running 20mph or 100mph, the motor ran like silk and the power was just a thumb-twitch away. These were Polaris guys and far from Cat-loyal.
Well regardless which sled is faster, the Mach and the T-Cat are both awesome machines. It doesn't matter how many ponies you have if you cant get the power to the snow.
There are tricks to getting a T-Cat to hook-up and with the addition of studs they are unbeatable. But then even with a 15 pitch chain you can snap them like a twig.
There are tricks to getting a T-Cat to hook-up and with the addition of studs they are unbeatable. But then even with a 15 pitch chain you can snap them like a twig.
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (AKCAT @ Feb. 20, 2002, 8:54pm)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">But then even with a 15 pitch chain you can snap them like a twig.[/b][/quote]
AKCAT can you elaborate on this a little. It might just be my ignorance but I'm not sure what you mean. Thanks.
AKCAT can you elaborate on this a little. It might just be my ignorance but I'm not sure what you mean. Thanks.
I think what hes saying is. Once you eliminate all track spin buy having studs and great suspention set up, all the engine power can snap a drive chain.
Snaping a drive chain is not fun. It can destroy the chain case, Cause a loss of control when the track locks up, or have a loss of brakes.
Snaping a drive chain is not fun. It can destroy the chain case, Cause a loss of control when the track locks up, or have a loss of brakes.
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