Did you guys see the new Cat Catalyst?

[KnappAttack]

The Cat chassis is lacking in the tunnel area.....
The suspension is good.
And the Yamaha engine is awesome!

What does that mean? I'd much rather have that one-piece tunnel over the two-piece ProCross tunnel any day.

I'd love to see the 998 in the Catalyst style of chassis. The 17 and up ProCross has been fine, but its hi-time they go to the next generation and fix the nagging little issues the ProCross has had, along with reducing some of the extra weight its carrying. Just dont mess up the ride and handling the ProCross has offered.

 

[1nc 2000]

What does that mean? I'd much rather have that one-piece tunnel over the two-piece ProCross tunnel any day.

I'd love to see the 998 in the Catalyst style of chassis. The 17 and up ProCross has been fine, but its hi-time they go to the next generation and fix the nagging little issues the ProCross has had, along with reducing some of the extra weight its carrying. Just dont mess up the ride and handling the ProCross has offered.

Yes

 

[1nc 2000]

The horsepower house on the procross chassis has a ton of flex. That why it designed with a floating driveshaft.
Beef that sucker up and put more power to the ground would be awesome.
Hopefully the new chassis will handle this.
I dont see a light chassis handling the hp of the 998.
If they go the carbon fiber route it's game on.
Hopefully Textron can transfer that technology over to the sled chassis.

 

[20/80]

I sure hope you are right. Some of Yamahas moves the last 8 years have been downright shifty. I never expected that out of them but my Loyalty and conviction to Yamaha still is there. Maybe I am a idiot.

I'm just wondering what Yamaha is up to, they got rid of their R&D and Cat built the new Cat chassis on their own so they claim, the pro cross has been around for a while now, there's not a hint of what they are doing in regards to new sleds or direction for there loyal costumers, Yamaha are paying big salary's to their staff to work on this stuff not even a teaser from Jaret, the other three OEM's are moving forward with new stuff it seems, would be nice to get some hope from Yamaha for their Loyal, Your not an Idiot

 

[jonlafon1]

Right. Agreed. I don't think there's anything wrong with what they've done. Problem is, Cat is not going to continue to build both chassis. They will cease production of the Pro Cross chassis to build the Catalyst. No manufacturer continues the old chassis production in parallel with a new chassis forever and therefore will not have the Pro Cross for Yamaha to use.

They (cat) has built two chassis several times in years past. Typically a year or two after a new one. Agree they won’t do both for long. Cat has never built motors worth much of anything. Yes the 600 is a cat motor that’s decent, but when I think cat it’s always chassis. Never motors. They have used other motors for ever. I sure hope they get a new 800 motor. But if it’s anything like years past when it was built by them. It’s been junk to say it nicely. Will see. Maybe Yamaha is building this new 880 smoker??

 

[earthling]

The horsepower house on the procross chassis has a ton of flex. That why it designed with a floating driveshaft.
Beef that sucker up and put more power to the ground would be awesome.
Hopefully the new chassis will handle this.
I dont see a light chassis handling the hp of the 998.
If they go the carbon fiber route it's game on.
Hopefully Textron can transfer that technology over to the sled chassis.

There is no reason that the catalyst cannot handle the horsepower of the 998. Its just that back when the procross was designed the weight and HP of the 998 was never the target. Look at modern motorcycles with the engine as a structural member, those main frames weigh literally nothing once you pull out the swingarm. Knowing what they know, and even if they are just designing for a big bore 2s turbo, the strength has to be there from the start, that is just the age we live in. One hopes that having profited from the 998 as the powerplant for half a decade and the 1100 (15lbs heavier) prior that they would appreciate the need to address some design issues. Carbon fiber need not apply to meet manufacturing targets although it sounds like they already have plans to use it in key areas.

 

[RAMSOMAIR]

aaaaaand the price will skyrocket with CF.

 

[stgdz]

There is no reason that the catalyst cannot handle the horsepower of the 998. Its just that back when the procross was designed the weight and HP of the 998 was never the target. Look at modern motorcycles with the engine as a structural member, those main frames weigh literally nothing once you pull out the swingarm. Knowing what they know, and even if they are just designing for a big bore 2s turbo, the strength has to be there from the start, that is just the age we live in. One hopes that having profited from the 998 as the powerplant for half a decade and the 1100 (15lbs heavier) prior that they would appreciate the need to address some design issues. Carbon fiber need not apply to meet manufacturing targets although it sounds like they already have plans to use it in key areas.

Sled engines are on rubber isolation mounts for a reason. No way you can make the engine a structural member of the sled chassis on a belt drive.

 

[earthling]

Sled engines are on rubber isolation mounts for a reason. No way you can make the engine a structural member of the sled chassis on a belt drive.

Not my point (moving to a stressed member design) but point taken. My point is simply that you can build a strong lightweight frame with existing (non-exotic) materials, and it will handle the 998 just fine and provided a stressed member configuration as an example.

 

[Sevey]

Sled engines are on rubber isolation mounts for a reason. No way you can make the engine a structural member of the sled chassis on a belt drive.

Thats how they designed the nytro. That 1049 was mounted right into the bulkhead of the tunnel. It was a great idea if you ask me. Nice and strong.
MS

 

[stevewithOCD]

What does that mean? I'd much rather have that one-piece tunnel over the two-piece ProCross tunnel any day.

I'd love to see the 998 in the Catalyst style of chassis. The 17 and up ProCross has been fine, but its hi-time they go to the next generation and fix the nagging little issues the ProCross has had, along with reducing some of the extra weight its carrying. Just dont mess up the ride and handling the ProCross has offered.

HE HATH SPOKEN

 

[stevewithOCD]

What’s so wrong with what Yamaha is doing and has done?? Sorry guys I think the relationship is just fine. Cat HAS the chassis always has. YAMAHA has the engines always has. Just saying.

I agree with this, but EVENTUALLY they WILL need to upgrade.
Although I still love the Apex, it is outdated & EVENTUALLY the Cat chassis will be also.
So plans should be at least on paper by now.

I've ridden the others & will be testing the new Boost so I'm being as honest as I can be here, the CAT chassis is getting passed
It's good for now, but again I hope some plans are at least in pencil on a napkin somewhere

P.S: I bought an'06 Apex for second sled. The sound still makes me giggle

 

[jonlafon1]

in pencil on a napkin somewhere

Indeed

 

[sailor joe]

I never gave thought to where the limit is on sled frames until today...I was in Rumford Me. In the parking lot of the Polar Bears sled club I saw an amazing blue sled, it was a mountain sled produced by Yamaha. The young man was nice enough to talk about what he has into it. He started with "it has 400hp" I couldn't believe it, I thought tunes ended at 300hp...my thought was 2 things, how can the frame handle all the hp and torque and how crazy fast is this sled!! He told me it uses 116 octane, showed me the Tapp clutch and how it worked and how he could get an extra 1k rpm by moving the belt to another part of the clutch and the inner workings of the clutch...way over my head kinda stuff. He pointed out he changed the skid and extended it to a 164...even the muffler was over the top, this young man was very proud of his creation and I don't blame him lol.
I hope the new Catalyst frame is ready for the mods that are out there and handle 400+ hp. Joe

 

[cannondale27]

What’s so wrong with what Yamaha is doing and has done?? Sorry guys I think the relationship is just fine. Cat HAS the chassis always has. YAMAHA has the engines always has. Just saying.

I am looking at it from a Viper and Grizzly point of view. Meaning changing the engine in Viper and failing miserably and also Putting a Subaru Engine in the Grizzly and failing miserably. Both moves were done without telling the dealers or consumers until they were in hands of customers and failing. If that isnt shifty. What is?