Arctic Cat Mountain Cat 600 to Yamaha Phazer MTX???

[SteadFast]

Steadfast I've ridden an 08 skidoo summit. I've not ridden any Arctic Cat mountain sleds. But I imagine the Cat will be similar to the skidoo.

Here is the deal with the phazer. It is tippy and top heavy. Period. Don't let anyone tell you that skis and shocks will change that. There are adjustments and upgrades in skis and shocks that will improve the handling and make it more stable on some level. But the phazer is the fun sled it is because it is tippy and top heavy. It is designed that way. It has a high center of gravity. That is why it is an effortless boondocker/powder play sled. It wants to tip. That means that when you are standing up on it (which is how it feels like it should be ridden) and just think about rocking into a carve, it suddenly happens, then back the other way and without even really trying you are dipping and dodging and throwing the sled all over the place and having a blast.

The phazer is underpowered. Period. It is a heavy sled for the power it has. Arctic cats and ski doos are light. You are going to be shocked the first time this sled ends up on its side in the bottom of a ditch at how hard it is to tip it back up. It's going to feel like 1000 cc's not 500. That top heaviness that was so great when you were tossing around in the powder field is now showing its ugly side.

I like my phazer. I didn't buy it for big mountains with neck deep snow. I didn't buy it to race my buddies on the trail. I bought it for playing around in powder fields and hills and ditches and drops and fun bits of terrain wherever I can find them. I like not having to add oil. I like the reliability. I like the good gas mileage. It was also well priced.

The phazer can be ridden fast on the trail but it is a big adjustment. I enjoy trail riding with it. But you have to be very alert, very awake and very proactive at speed or the sled and yourself will be needing repairs.

The 600 2 strokes are going to go more places than the phazer. The power to weight ratio, track and approach angle of the phazer just aren't suitable for serious climbing or deep. But because I like the other aspects of the phazer I still prefer it to the others. In the off season I lengthened the phazer to a 151 and put a better track on in hopes of increasing the deep snow and climbing performance. Other guys have said this modification will enable the phazer to do what the 600's do. I'm looking forward to seeing if that's the case.

This was a great write up and thank you for taking the time to do so.

 

[Amo]

Pros: 4 stoke durability, great bottom end torque, 12k miles before major service. Awesome platform to start from, easy to customize/upgrade where you want to. Value for the dollar is tough to beat. Best riding position in the business.

Cons: Make sure if you buy used you get the update done (2-3 critical ones). Yes it could use more power, but you can get another 5-10 outof it with Dynajet and an exhaust, and with a good clutch kit, the sled changes attitude ALOT

I've ridden two season now on mine, and I'm much like yourself, 6' 220. I ride very hard and have built mine to take alot of punishment. While I tend to ditch bang and look for bumps rather than boondock, I like the fact that I can really do both easily.

Other things to know. Learn to do your own oil-change, otherwise $140 will do it at the dealer. Also, expect 15-17mpg if you use alot of throttle. I've taken it easy too and only gotten 19mpg. Read alot of the key threads on here on setup and parts. If you want to go deep, look at the rear skid setback and tracks folks have done on here.

Most of all, have fun, cause that's what it was designed for