Arctic Cat expanded its relationship with the performance-suspension industry for 2015 by selecting JRi Shocks as an original-equipment supplier for several models in the Wildcat sport UTV lineup.
The partnership brought JRi’s shaft-adjustable ECX-1 shock technology to select two- and four-seat Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 models, including the Wildcat X EPS. JRi shocks were also fitted to the newly introduced Arctic Cat Wildcat Sport and Wildcat Sport XT.
The 2015 Arctic Cat Wildcat Sport was among the models equipped with JRi suspension.
JRi Becomes an Arctic Cat OEM Shock Supplier
Arctic Cat revealed its 2015 side-by-side lineup to its dealer network in Las Vegas during September 2014. The announcement identified JRi as one of the company’s OEM shock suppliers for the new model year.
For JRi, the agreement represented an important expansion into original-equipment UTV suspension. The company had introduced its first UTV-specific products less than two years earlier and had already spent more than a year testing with Arctic Cat.
“We’re incredibly excited about the opportunity to work with Arctic Cat at the OE level,” said Jeff Ryan, then technical director for JRi Shocks.
JRi ECX-1 Shaft-Adjustable Shock
JRi ECX-1 shock with its shaft-mounted compression adjuster.
The ECX-1 was a single-adjustable UTV shock with its compression-damping adjuster positioned in the shock shaft. Instead of routing oil through a conventional crossover-style adjuster, the design placed the adjustment closer to the main piston’s operating flow. Learn more about its construction, adjustment system and original applications in our JRi ECX-1 2.5-inch UTV shock guide.
JRi said this arrangement improved response and enabled more precise compression-damping adjustments. The production Wildcat application used 2.5-inch piggyback shocks intended to provide consistent suspension performance in demanding terrain.
For details specific to Arctic Cat’s factory installation, see the 2015 Arctic Cat Wildcat with JRi ECX-1 shocks.
A Significant 2015 Wildcat Upgrade
The JRi partnership was part of Arctic Cat’s effort to improve suspension control across its 2015 performance lineup. Pairing the ECX-1 with the Wildcat’s long-travel chassis gave owners external compression adjustment and rebuildable performance-oriented suspension directly from the factory.
The agreement also placed JRi technology on both sides of Arctic Cat’s sport lineup: the original full-size Wildcat 1000 family and the more compact 60-inch Wildcat Sport platform.
JRi Shocks subsequently became part of Cedar Suspension Company, commonly known as CSC. The JRi name nevertheless remains an important part of the history of factory-equipped UTV suspension.
