Textron UTV Product Reviews

Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 Long-Term Review

Arctic Cat Wildcat Long-Term Review

Arctic Cat Wildcat at DuneFest
Wildcat at DuneFest – Winchester Bay Oregon

Be sure to check out our full build of this Wildcat at:Arctic Cat Wildcat Buildup

Turbo charged Arctic Cat Wildcat
Arctic Cat Wildcat Buildup – Turbocharged Kitty

Glamis UTV Industry Ride – February/March 2013

Arctic Cat WildcatArctic Cat WildcatArctic Cat WildcatArctic Cat Wildcat

Some fast rides and hard duning in Glamis for our Wildcat.  It ran strong and never missed a beat.

2nd Annual Glamis UTV Industry Ride

Prairie City SVRA – August 2012

Rock crawling with our Arctic Cat Wildcat Rock crawling with our Arctic Cat Wildcat Rock crawling with our Arctic Cat Wildcat Rock crawling with our Arctic Cat Wildcat

Rock crawling with our Arctic Cat Wildcat at Prairie City SVRA – We installed a set of 31×11.50-R15 Put Bull Growler LT tires on OMF Performance beadlock wheels. In addition, we installed Factory UTV UHMW skid plate and a-arm guards, Arctic Cat Rock Sliders and Rear Shock Guard. Read more:Arctic Cat Wildcat Rock Crawling Review

DuneFest 2012 – August 2012

Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 at DuneFest 2012

Our Arctic Cat Wildcat was big fun at DuneFest. Paddle tires from Fullerton Sand Sports, new dual exhaust installed at DuneFest by Muzzys, Pro Armor doors and graphics and Rigid Industries SR LED light added some personality and punch to this sport UTV! More coverage:DuneFest 2012

Pine Nut Mountains – May 2012

Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000

Day trip into the Pine Nuts from Smith Valley, Nevada.  We drove up Red Canyon (Google Maps) up to Oreana Peak at 9,346 feet (Google Maps). Then towards Gardnerville before heading south and then down Rickey Canyon (Google Maps). Total of about 50 miles with widely varied terrain.

HumboldtToiyabe National Forest near Bridgeport, CA – May 2012

Humboldt-Toiyabe National ForestArctic Cat Wildcat near Lower Town - Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

Arctic Cat Wildcat on Masonic MountainArctic Cat Wildcat on Mt. Grant, NevadaLooking at Mt. Grant

We spent two days camped at The Elbow (Google Maps) on the East Walker River. From there, we rode to Masonic Mountain at 9,200 feet (Google Maps), Lower Town, Bodie CA (Google Maps), Aurora NV, Mt. Grant at over 11,000 feet (Google Maps).

Prairie City SVRA – April 2012

Took the Wildcat out to Prairie City SVRA and played on VORRA short course track as well as in the rocks.

 Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000
On the short course, we really liked how stable and predictable the Wildcat handled.  The wide stance and long wheel base made it easy to pitch in into the corners.  The stock tires do well on the track in dry conditions.  The Wildcat jumps well, but does have a rear-end kick similar to what you see with a RZR XP.  With a few tweaks to the suspension and some clutch work, the Wildcat could be a contender on this track.

Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000Arctic Cat Wildcat trailing arm in the rocks
After we finished playing on the short course track, we headed over to the rocks.  The huge amount of wheel travel is a big plus, especially for the front end.  We did not try disconnecting the rear sway bar, but in all reality, with the wide vehicle stance and front-end that flexes so much I don’t see a huge need. I like the bar under the rocker panel, but I do not like how the plastic sticks out farther.  Just asking to get smacked by a rock. The other issue is the trailing arm dragging on a rock before the tire starts to climb. This can be somewhat addressed by a larger tire choice, which we would recommend in general for rock crawling.

Sand Mountain – March 2012:

Arctic Cat Wildcat at Sand Mountain, NevadaArctic Cat Wildcat at Sand Mountain, NevadaArctic Cat Wildcat at Project Shoal Atomic Bomb Site
The Wildcat is real fun to jump and blasts through the whoops like no other.  Big fun!

Brand New – March 2012:

Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000

Just got our new 2012 Arctic Cat Wildcat home and ran it out to the pasture for a few pics.

For those of you not familiar with the Wildcat, here are a few specs that put some things into perspective:

  • The Wildcat’s wheelbase is 4″ LONGER than the Kawasaki Teryx4.
  • The Wildcat is also 12″ longer overall than a RZR XP.
  • Teryx4 is just 5 inches longer overall.
  • RZR XP’s wheelbase is 8.5″ shorter than the Wildcat, but the width is the same at 64″.
  • Seat height in the Wildcat is lower than the RZR XP because the fuel tank is not under the passenger seat, but rather behind the seats above the rear differential/engine.
  • The Wildcat is the current “King” of wheel travel with 17″ front and 18″ rear.
  • Overall length of the Wildcat is 120″.  That is 10 feet boys & girls!      

October 2011:

I was fortunate enough to be invited by Arctic Cat to drive the new 2012 Arctic Cat Wildcat at the media introduction in Barstow, CA. After spending two days behind the wheel and as passenger, I can honestly say that Arctic Cat has stepped up the Sport UTV market. If you have been off-roading in Barstow, you know that it is an unforgiving place.  If you haven’t been there, then imagine deep, uneven whoops created by every sort of off-road vehicle imaginable.  In most UTVs, the only way to traverse the area is going slow. But not for the new Wildcat. As a passenger, I saw terrain ahead and thought “Uh Oh”.  But then we blasted right through it. Truly impressive. And what we all experienced is based on shocks that were valved for all types of terrain across the United States.  If you want something tuned for big whoops and g-outs, I can only imagine the nirvana that could be obtained with the Wildcat!

Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 ROVArctic Cat Wildcat 1000 ROVArctic Cat Wildcat 1000 ROVArctic Cat Wildcat 1000 ROV

Here are a few things that stuck out in my mind:

Suspension, Suspension, Suspension.  The 5-link rear suspension works real well, but I think the front is what really shines.  If you have never been to Barstow (Stoddard Valley OHV Area), it is full of whoops of all sizes.  Several race courses crisscross the area so this place gets use from every type of off-road vehicle – motorcycle to trophy truck. I was amazed at how well the Wildcat could float through the rough stuff.  With two people in the car, we had to adjust the Walker Evans Racing 2″ shocks to a more firm setting to keep it from bottoming out in the rear. But after that we could bomb through terrain that other UTVs would not be able to handle at half the speed. Wildcat shocks have been setup for a sweet spot that meets all sorts of customers and terrain.  If you want to haul ass in the desert, Walker Evans Racing can revalve specifically to handing this stuff even better. I can see Walker Evans Racing offering a 2.5″ shock in the rear of the Wildcat as an option. I would also like to see how a set ofFox Racing Shox Position Sensitive Shocks perform in the rear.

In addition to the 5-link rear suspension, and gobs of wheel travel, another thing that really helps the Wildcat perform in the rough stuff is wheelbase. The Wildcat’s 95 inch wheelbase is 13.5 inches longer than the Polaris RZR XP.

Aftermarket Parts Installed:

2-Way Portable Radio

2-Way Motorcycle VHF Desert/Woods Radio Kit2-Way Motorcycle VHF Desert/Woods Radio Kit

I already had already purchased a HX370 VHF Handheld Radio and factory-wired Stilo helmet from Rugged Radios.  I added their harness which allows you to connect up to a helmet and push-to-talk.  This setup worked great on our May 2012 trip in Nevada.

Website: www.ruggedradios.com

LED Light

Arctic Cat Wildcat with 30" Rigid Industries LED Light

Rigid Industries “SR Series” Single Row Light Bars. Measuring only 1.5″ tall, the SR is set to change the face of LED light systems. By using thermally managed 3w technology, and an updated version of its Patented Hybrid optics, Rigid continues to offer the brightest furthest projecting LED light bars available. Producing over 16000+ lumens in the 50″ version, while drawing only 173 watts, the SR continues the trend that Rigid Industries is known for, Efficiency and Superior Illumination.

Website: www.rigidindustries.com

Mounting brackets from Axia Alloys: www.axiaalloys.com

Seats & Harnesses

Coming Soon!

Website: www.proarmor.com

Doors & Graphics

Arctic Cat Wildcat Doors

Website: www.proarmor.com

Dual Exhaust

Muzzy WILDCAT 1000 Exhaust System

Legendary Muzzy quality and a proven race winning design combine with an unmistakable exhaust note to make this system the number one choice in Wildcat exhaust systems. This system is available in three muffler finishes, brushed, mirror polished or black coated.

Website:  www.Muzzys.com

Sand Tires

Arctic Cat Wildcat paddle tires

Website:  www.FullertonSandSports.com

Rock Sliders

Arctic Cat Wildcat Rock Sliders

Steel Rock Sliders are available from your Arctic Cat dealer. 1¾” steel pipe construction that helps protect side of the vehicle.

Website:  www.arcticcat.com

Rock Crawling Tires & Wheels

31-11.50-R15 Pit Bull Growler LT tires mounted on 15″ OMF Performance billet center beadlock wheels.

UHMW Skid Plates and A-Arm Guards

UHMW Skid Plates and A-Arm Guards

Website:  www.factoryutv.net

More Wildcat 1000 Resources:

Manufacturer Info:

Arctic Cat Inc.
601 Brooks Avenue South
Thief River Falls, MN 56701

Website:  www.arcticcat.com

Phone: 218-681-8558

About Arctic Cat:
Arctic Cat Inc., based in Thief River Falls, Minn., designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and snowmobiles under the Arctic Cat® brand name, as well as related parts, garments and accessories. Its common stock is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the ticker symbol “ACAT.” More information about Arctic Cat and its products is available on the Internet atwww.arctic-cat.com

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