In 96 I was 14 and already oozing green out of my pores. I remember a couple kids had their dad's new sleds in the field, a 96zrt600 and a 96xcr 600. There was also a Yamaha srv540. Anyway they raced a few times and the zrt completely destroyed the xcr, we're talking bus lengths. The 540 also beat the xcr. That was such a memorable moment for me, I put the zrt up on a pedestal that day and it's no wonder that the first sled I ever bought with my own money, almost ten years later was a 96zrt 600. There was nothing I could have got before getting that sled. Mine got the full black magic treatment and those pipes run at 9400 rpm she was a screamer!!!
I was 16 in1996 and my Dad got a 1996 ZRT mountain Cat with the 136 inch track. That is when I fell in love with Arctic Cat and have been oozing green ever since lol. I still love Arctic Cat and between my Dad and I we have 9 sleds.
I absolutely love your channel, i grew up in this era of sleds. My best friend had the powder extreme and I was riding a 2000 Powder Special 600 EFI. My dad still has this sled and it runs great
Remember the XLT was the volume leader. More comparable to a 580 cat . ZRT motor would have compared to the case reed XCR600sp. Great video love to see the old sleds running!!
Love those old school cats, they are so fun, I don't need a fancy looking new one. Not to mention I'd love to get my hands on a powder extreme. Great videos Rocky, keep them coming.
That was a great match up, Super good drag race! I'd love to see that race at double the track length... you could see that cat starting to really pull at 3/4 track
ZRT should be faster its in a different class 600 triple triple class. The polaris 600 sp was actually the sled from Polaris that rivaled the ZRT. But the SP was actually lot heavier than the XLT a piped XLT was close to the same speed as the 600sp.
@@SkidderMan the XLT wasn’t in the same class as the ZRT 600. Polaris has the 600sp triple tripe that was the ZRT’s rival. Ski doo had the formula 3 doo actually started the 600 triple triple class. The XLT was out years before the ZRT 600 was. So the XLT was a king of its class with triple pipes nothing could compare to it. The XLT was much lighter than the Polaris sp 600 formula 3 and the ZRT. Was a mono block piston port sled not reed caged. On a race track it was very competitive back in the day. Was never meant to run with a ZRT 600 stock was made to compete against the 580zr and the 583 doo.
Was just ripping up the fields on my powder extreme today…lots of fun in a straight line! Had to thaw the frozen carbs for a couple days after 30 minutes of powder riding.
that powder extreme is heavyer and i think you might of had a few pounds on your buddy ridding the xlt heheh so all in all that powder extreme goes pretty damn good
I still ride my 99 XLT touring. She runs like a top and starts second pull every time. Unfortunately this season was trash and it never left the garage. Fingers crossed for a decent next season 🤞
Let’s just stop all the BS ! That XLT was modded out….. If someone spent the money on putting 136 inch, 2 inch track on it then you know they change the gearing and they recalibrated the clutches. And then they added triple pipes, which are not cheap and most likely rejected the carbs. The powder extreme was completely stock out of the box and there is no way that XLT could come close to he powder extreme. I know this, because I own a powder extreme, and I’ve come up against these sleds many times, I know I can beat them off the line and I can know I can beat them in the mid range to top end. At the end of the day it was great Video ! I was very surprised at the weight differences. Thank You !
@@clintbruderer2278 I know. Everyone thinks Yamaha is so heavy. But there are sleds out there are the same or more then Yamaha. But everyone makes fun of Yamaha.
Surprised how close race was. The weight of the powder special is the factory pipes they weigh a lot more than aftermarket pipes do. The XLT ran very well for a piston port engine vs reed cage ZRT 600. Like I mentioned before the XLT 600 isn’t really the rival model from Polaris it would be the 600sp with reed cage and factory triple pipes. But that sled was heavy so actually a piped XLT vs the powder special is a good comparison. My father had a SP 600 in 96 i had the XCR 600 bigger carbs than 600 XLT think only difference. Anyway i had triple pipes milled heads on radar 115mph. With dads SP600 same day i ran 116 mph so id say pretty equal. Polaris messed up by using the aggresser chassis the duck bill i call them lol!! If polaris put the 600sp engine in the indy chassis been faster for sure. The 680 ultra piped was a very fast sled in the Indy chassis. Our buddy dave had one with pipes my father did all tuning back then on his mine and daves. Same day i ran 119mph on daves 680 ultra. I have a 97 ZRT given to me few years ago with aftermarket pipes Vforce reeds. The sleds a animal idk could be a big bore its fast really fast. Really enjoyed watching this video keep doing what ur doing think its awesome. My advice is keep comparing models from all the manufacturers and race like u did in this video. Thanks for the excellent fun entertainment.
That XLT came out when I was in high school and ohh how I lusted after those things. It really kicked off the 580 - 600 class wars that soon followed. I was an Arctic Cat fan in those days, with a soft spot for Polaris, and I really disliked that ZR chassis because it looked so bloated......like a whale. I know they ran great but man I hated that design. Even the styling and decals became so cartoonish in my opinion and I really lost my taste for Arctic Cat. Great video though! Keep up the great work!
If that clutching was really stock like you said then there is alot left on the table since you need to reclutch for those pipes. Also im sure you know mountain sleds arent for speed, theyre for torque
I’m looking at the third race and I see the Polaris get the win by a ski tip. But that’s me and I only see it through the cameras but other than that those are two beautiful sleds!!!
These old school Cat videos are just what RUclips needed!
Thanks for watching! Appreciate the comment!
A better comparison would be the xcr 600 se as it was a factory triple triple with case reed induction same as the powder extreme,
Agreed. The ultra/storm/xcr engine was amazing. Just they were all tanks.
In 96 I was 14 and already oozing green out of my pores. I remember a couple kids had their dad's new sleds in the field, a 96zrt600 and a 96xcr 600. There was also a Yamaha srv540. Anyway they raced a few times and the zrt completely destroyed the xcr, we're talking bus lengths. The 540 also beat the xcr. That was such a memorable moment for me, I put the zrt up on a pedestal that day and it's no wonder that the first sled I ever bought with my own money, almost ten years later was a 96zrt 600. There was nothing I could have got before getting that sled. Mine got the full black magic treatment and those pipes run at 9400 rpm she was a screamer!!!
I was 16 in1996 and my Dad got a 1996 ZRT mountain Cat with the 136 inch track. That is when I fell in love with Arctic Cat and have been oozing green ever since lol. I still love Arctic Cat and between my Dad and I we have 9 sleds.
96 xcr 600s were dogs in oem form. Completely fat jetted and lazy clutching
Loving this. Cant wait for the 900s! I have a 1997 thundercat 900 myself. With a matching vintage suit as well. Nothing beats 90s snowmobiling!!
I absolutely love your channel, i grew up in this era of sleds. My best friend had the powder extreme and I was riding a 2000 Powder Special 600 EFI. My dad still has this sled and it runs great
Picked up a nice shape 97 580 efi powder special and man the old girl just rips. The old iron is still fun all day out there 🤟🏻😎
Remember the XLT was the volume leader. More comparable to a 580 cat . ZRT motor would have compared to the case reed XCR600sp. Great video love to see the old sleds running!!
I have had both, cool video !
And damn were they competitive!
Yes they were! Thanks for watching!
Love those old school cats, they are so fun, I don't need a fancy looking new one. Not to mention I'd love to get my hands on a powder extreme. Great videos Rocky, keep them coming.
Thanks for watching. I love the powder extremes!
Love the videos. Keep them coming. Your powder extreme is the coolest
Nice! Just got 2 feet of snow and am about to play with my 95 xcr 600 and 02 thundercat
What a race! That XLT rips! Keep up the content Rocky! Can’t wait for the next one.
You are doing everything I always wanted to do on a RUclips channel to the T, This is one video I would have loved to have made. #TEAMARCTIC
That was a great match up, Super good drag race! I'd love to see that race at double the track length... you could see that cat starting to really pull at 3/4 track
I personally had a powder extreme and absolutely loved that thing!
I have a 1994 Prowler 440 2up long track. It’s in near mint condition and I couldn’t be happier with it
Back in the day the ZRT 600 sounded soooooooooo much better then the XLT. And it was faster.
Well it should. Triple triple vs 3 in to 1.
ZRT should be faster its in a different class 600 triple triple class. The polaris 600 sp was actually the sled from Polaris that rivaled the ZRT. But the SP was actually lot heavier than the XLT a piped XLT was close to the same speed as the 600sp.
Could you imagine having to go buy aftermarket pipes, jetting, and clutching just to get edged out by another 600 that's completely stock🤣🤣
@@SkidderMan I guess that's to be expected since they aren't even in the same class of sled.
@@SkidderMan the XLT wasn’t in the same class as the ZRT 600. Polaris has the 600sp triple tripe that was the ZRT’s rival. Ski doo had the formula 3 doo actually started the 600 triple triple class. The XLT was out years before the ZRT 600 was. So the XLT was a king of its class with triple pipes nothing could compare to it. The XLT was much lighter than the Polaris sp 600 formula 3 and the ZRT. Was a mono block piston port sled not reed caged. On a race track it was very competitive back in the day. Was never meant to run with a ZRT 600 stock was made to compete against the 580zr and the 583 doo.
Was just ripping up the fields on my powder extreme today…lots of fun in a straight line! Had to thaw the frozen carbs for a couple days after 30 minutes of powder riding.
Cool video! I love the outtakes at the end of these videos. Keep them coming!
I’d be super curious to see a old school triple 600 vs a new style twin 600. Awesome video as always 🤟🏻
That would be cool! Thanks for watching!
The 600 twin would also need twin pipes if it were to race a tripple with tripple pipes
@@edwardabrahamiii3742now this is the mentality I can get behind
that powder extreme is heavyer and i think you might of had a few pounds on your buddy ridding the xlt heheh so all in all that powder extreme goes pretty damn good
Pick up a yamaha triple 600 or better yet the 700 srx that would be cool to see running with your arctic cats awesome videos man
The xlts were the bottom of the barrel in the 90s yet they were so loved by many.
That’s fun. Very jealous. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
I still ride my 99 XLT touring. She runs like a top and starts second pull every time. Unfortunately this season was trash and it never left the garage. Fingers crossed for a decent next season 🤞
Next year will be great for snow this trend will not continue mostly all of the US was disappointed this season besides out west
Let’s just stop all the BS ! That XLT was modded out….. If someone spent the money on putting 136 inch, 2 inch track on it then you know they change the gearing and they recalibrated the clutches. And then they added triple pipes, which are not cheap and most likely rejected the carbs. The powder extreme was completely stock out of the box and there is no way that XLT could come close
to he powder extreme. I know this, because I own a powder extreme, and I’ve come up against these sleds many times, I know I can beat them off the line and I can know I can beat them in the mid range to top end. At the end of the day it was great Video ! I was very surprised at the weight differences. Thank You !
Awesome stuff man, sure do love these old sleds.
So do I! Best Era of sleds. Thanks for watching!!
Awesome video
Great video ! Lets get a Yamaha triple haha
Rocky next time you do this let me bring my 600 ski do triple 600 over I’m just in tremonton
Let’s do it!!
The xtra lettuce tomato was aight but extreme all the way
That arctic cat weighs the same as my Yamaha apex. 136. My apex is 575 dry
Surprising how heavy some of the sleds they weigh really are.
@@clintbruderer2278 I know. Everyone thinks Yamaha is so heavy. But there are sleds out there are the same or more then Yamaha. But everyone makes fun of Yamaha.
Surprised how close race was.
The weight of the powder special is the factory pipes they weigh a lot more than aftermarket pipes do. The XLT ran very well for a piston port engine vs reed cage ZRT 600.
Like I mentioned before the XLT 600 isn’t really the rival model from Polaris it would be the 600sp with reed cage and factory triple pipes. But that sled was heavy so actually a piped XLT vs the powder special is a good comparison.
My father had a SP 600 in 96 i had the XCR 600 bigger carbs than 600 XLT think only difference. Anyway i had triple pipes milled heads on radar 115mph. With dads SP600 same day i ran 116 mph so id say pretty equal. Polaris messed up by using the aggresser chassis the duck bill i call them lol!! If polaris put the 600sp engine in the indy chassis been faster for sure. The 680 ultra piped was a very fast sled in the Indy chassis. Our buddy dave had one with pipes my father did all tuning back then on his mine and daves. Same day i ran 119mph on daves 680 ultra.
I have a 97 ZRT given to me few years ago with aftermarket pipes Vforce reeds. The sleds a animal idk could be a big bore its fast really fast.
Really enjoyed watching this video keep doing what ur doing think its awesome.
My advice is keep comparing models from all the manufacturers and race like u did in this video.
Thanks for the excellent fun entertainment.
Thanks for watching!
You need a Yamaha
That XLT came out when I was in high school and ohh how I lusted after those things. It really kicked off the 580 - 600 class wars that soon followed. I was an Arctic Cat fan in those days, with a soft spot for Polaris, and I really disliked that ZR chassis because it looked so bloated......like a whale. I know they ran great but man I hated that design. Even the styling and decals became so cartoonish in my opinion and I really lost my taste for Arctic Cat. Great video though! Keep up the great work!
XLTs are cool! Thanks for watching!
If that clutching was really stock like you said then there is alot left on the table since you need to reclutch for those pipes. Also im sure you know mountain sleds arent for speed, theyre for torque
I would love to see the 700 triples race xcr700 vs srx700 vs zr700
I’m looking at the third race and I see the Polaris get the win by a ski tip. But that’s me and I only see it through the cameras but other than that those are two beautiful sleds!!!
5:04 Not exactly a perpendicular finish line
Get a mach z 800 to race your zrt 800
That would be fun
Still rather have Polaris
Stock xlt would have gotten crushed. Aftermarket pipe and silencer added 15 hp. Lost 20 pounds
Would be interesting to see someone that weighs 50 lbs lighter than you riding the cat , 50 lbs is a huge difference IMO
Cats always for the win. We were just cheering like school girls 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Drivers should have switched sleds instead of leaving the same driver on the same sled for every race.
Should of use 600 ZRT and put pipes on it to make it fair
Chevy vs Ford
Arctic Cat vs Polaris
Obviously something wrong with the XLT. Had a 93 XLT and there wasn't a 600 cat of any kind that was even close to me! I'm calling BS!
But the Artic Cat makes a lot more power than the XLT
People
Oughtta
Learn
Arcticcat
Rules
In
Snow
Everyone trashes in XLT's... guess they aren't as slow as everyone though eh? 😎
It has psi pipes vs factory cat pipes throw some d+d pipes on the cat and the polaris won't win 1 race😅
@Bignardo18 right. The XLT is coming off of a single pipe though... pretty even match up the way they are, as you can see by the video.
U need a Yamaha srx 600
Black money 24
Get a f3 in there
that old xlt did really good considering your powder extreme is in way nicer shape and looked after cool vid