🏁 Quick Facts:
- 530cc liquid-cooled with single Tuned pipe
- One of the first sleds built for snocross and cross-country racing
- First production sled with Fox shocks
- Lightweight and balanced with forward mass centralization
- Came in Arctic Cat’s black/purple with unique decals
Before there was a ZR, there was the EXT Special and it was anything but ordinary. Designed for racers but also sold to the public, this sled delivered race-winning tech in a consumer package.
The long-travel suspension was a game-changer, and its geometry set the stage for Arctic Cat’s 1990s performance sleds. It carved corners, soaked up hits, and could run bar-to-bar with full-on mod sleds right off the showroom floor.
Did you race an EXT Special? Or get smoked by one? Let us hear your story.
In its day, it was a rocket ship.
Traded my ‘89 EXT in on a new ‘90 EXT Special. Put on a tall windshield and trail rode it. Cornered like it was on rails. Great sled, until about the 900 mile mark IIRC. Was cruising down trail #2 in the U.P. One Friday evening, my wife on her ‘89 Jag, when all of a sudden my headlight got really bright for a second…and then there was silence. Motor locked up. Used the jag to pull it back to Bruce Crossing. Called the dealer the next morning, said drop it off on my way home. By Thursday he had new motor from Cat installed. Seamed some of them had issues with the shot peen crank letting loose. New motor went flawlessly the rest of the season and the ‘91 season. Traded it in on a new ‘92 EXT. Kind of wish I would have kept that sled.
Had 2 of them back in the day. Trail road the crap out of the 1st one. 2nd one I bought was ice dragged and I dragged it on the grass. Till ISR re-classify the sled that it wouldn’t compete anymore so I sold it as a trail sled. My dad liked my 1st sled, he ended up buy Gerald Dyrdahl’s sled. His kids were Kitty Cat Champs back then. I wish I had 1 of the 3 sitting in my garage. Maybe someday I’ll track one down and bring it home.