| Arctic
Cat Thundercat 1000 Links |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Arctic
Cat Thundercat 1000 H2 |
Grand Rapids, MN - In recent years,
the utility ATV market has seen many manufacturers
consistently introducing machines with increased
engine size ranging anywhere from a 700cc to 800cc
engine. Refusing to be just another competitor
in the 800cc market, Arctic Cat decided to raise
the bar in the performance utility market. The
introduction of their new Thundercat 1000 boasts
a whopping 950cc engine, the largest engine displacement
of any stock ATV on the market.
Development of the Arctic Cat V-Twin 950 H2
EFI power plant for the Thunder Cat began about
three years ago and was actually manufactured
in the United States at Arctic Cat’s new
factory. The facility, located in St. Cloud,
MN opened about 1.5 years ago and is a big part
of the companies new philosophy of, as Arctic
Cat’s Product Manager, Craig Kennedy puts
it, “taking control of our own destiny.”
The company plans to eventually make all of
their engines there instead of outsourcing them
and relying on other manufacturers.
When ATVriders.com was invited out to the Jig
Rock Ranch in northern Minnesota to test ride
the Thundercat, we were very excited to see
what this new beast of a quad had to offer,
especially after hearing how much time and thought
had gone into the design of this performance
utility ATV. We were also very curious about
the location chosen to put this quad to the
test, but as soon as we arrived at our destination,
the reason for the location became very clear.
| |
|
| The
Jig Rock Ranch test ride location provided
a perfect mixture of terrain for testing
the Thundercat 1000, and the breath taking
views and trails leading to local restaurants
for lunch were just an added bonus
|
The Jig Rock Ranch is 450 acres of rolling
hills, woods, creeks, ponds and mowed trails
that are nestled in the Mesabi Iron Range. The
scenic trail system winds past old abandoned
iron mines, ponds, and mountains of jig rock.
“Jig rock” is a slang mining term
that is used to describe taconite or “lean
ore” that has been crushed into small
rocks. There are piles of jig rock throughout
the area that are left over from the extensive
mining efforts of the past, hence the name,
“Jig Rock Ranch”.
 |
Yamaha
50th Anniversary Banshee ATV mounted on
the wall |
The facility is owned and operated by ATV enthusiast,
Randy Vannet. Upon entering the main building
at the ranch, Mr. Vannet’s love of ATV’s
really shows, in fact, it’s quite hard
to miss, especially since Randy’s décor
consists of a real Yamaha Banshee mounted right
on the wall. Despite the interesting sites that
were indoors, we decided it was time to suit
up and take the Thundercat 1000 out for a spin.
We were anxious to see how much more powerful
this monster quad was compared to its 700cc sibling,
and the difference was huge. The power of this
machine is simply incredible. With that said,
we also have to say that this ATV is not for the
novice rider, nor the faint of heart. Even our
test rider Adam Stultz was a little intimidated
by all the power. “The initial ride was
a little scary at first. There’s an enormous
amount of power behind the bike and until you
learn how to handle it, it’s a bit intimidating.”
He said.
| |
|
| The
Thundercat 1000 is right at home on wide
open trails where you can unleash the
beast and grab a handful of throttle |
