With dealers and riders starting to take delivery of the 858 Catalyst (BTW let’s give a round of applause to Arctic Cat on getting these sleds built and delivered before the snow flies) I’ve received emails and messages asking about the “changed” ADAPT clutch found on the big bore buggy. For starters the praises of the ADAPT clutch are many and deserving, and Kale did a great job highlighting those changes and also providing details on how to upgrade your older sled to the new ADAPT clutch. Now the 858 is coming with more changes to this ultra durable system…here’s an inside look.
Thanks, Pat – very good information! Did the clutch on the 600 engines remain the same as last year, or did some of this new tech find its way into the 2025 600 sleds, too? I know the steel spider is only for the big bore, and my guess is that the 600 sleds get last year’s clutch without any changes.
Is it safe to assume that no new parts can be found in the 2025 600 Adapt clutch? Seems like these changes were likely only possible by redesigning the spider. Just wondering the weights and rollers on the 600 clutch are the same as previous years.
I just looked up the part numbers. 2025 600 are the same as 2024. Which is probably a good thing. Adding 3lbs to the end of the 600 crank would probably kill that 118hp motor. Would like to know the performance loss on the 858 with this clutch. Every aftermarket company is probably working on a billet aluminum spider.
UPDATE: My 858 was one of the last ones built. I just picked it up and uncrated it. My 858 primary is 3.1LBS more then my 600 clutch. So my info I got last summer was right. WHERE DO YOU COME UP WITH 1LBS ?
118.7HP its been on a engine & track Dyno. You can go to DynoTech Research and see there results are the same. Peak HP is 77-7800rpm after 7900rpm HP falls off fast. At 8100 your at 101HP.
Not fired, played off. Bad times. Poo and Doo caused this with over building. Back in March, poo and Doo had 37,000 carry overs on sleds alone. Drive by any poo/ doo dealer today and nothing but wheelers and ATV’s. Cats inventory is manageable. The others? Not so much.
Wrong as usual. The official statement says “we are offering severance benefits to effected employee’s including outplacement to help them find new opportunities”
You can try to call it “played off” but their positions are gone. That is not the same as laying off line workers when its slow, or construction workers who get laid off for the winter.
They laid off 65 employees (presumably salary) and furloughed most of the hourly employees out on the production line.
Furloughed employees will be called back in early 2025 to resume production of dirt and snow products.
It doesn’t bode well for the development of future snow and dirt products if the majority of the 65 employees who were laid off were engineers and technicians.
Wonder if these newer clutches will retrofit to the 998?
Love this tech info!
Great write up! Question. It’s clear the Adapt drive clutch is a Cat design. What about the driven clutch? Also Cat??
Thanks, Pat – very good information! Did the clutch on the 600 engines remain the same as last year, or did some of this new tech find its way into the 2025 600 sleds, too? I know the steel spider is only for the big bore, and my guess is that the 600 sleds get last year’s clutch without any changes.
The demo ride I did in Munising MI. The young engineer said it was going to be on all models. But the sounds of this article it mite only be the 858.
Love this tech too. Wish there was more and would come out sooner.
Very Interesting!
Is it safe to assume that no new parts can be found in the 2025 600 Adapt clutch? Seems like these changes were likely only possible by redesigning the spider. Just wondering the weights and rollers on the 600 clutch are the same as previous years.
I just looked up the part numbers. 2025 600 are the same as 2024. Which is probably a good thing. Adding 3lbs to the end of the 600 crank would probably kill that 118hp motor. Would like to know the performance loss on the 858 with this clutch. Every aftermarket company is probably working on a billet aluminum spider.
It is not 3 lbs. I is around 1.
Wrong
Nope. lb. Where do you come up with 3?
UPDATE: My 858 was one of the last ones built. I just picked it up and uncrated it. My 858 primary is 3.1LBS more then my 600 clutch. So my info I got last summer was right. WHERE DO YOU COME UP WITH 1LBS ?
Did the 600 loose HP? Thought it was around 130 HP?
It’s around 124-26.
It’s at 125, 126, tight there with the other brands.
Wrong as usual
118.7HP its been on a engine & track Dyno. You can go to DynoTech Research and see there results are the same. Peak HP is 77-7800rpm after 7900rpm HP falls off fast. At 8100 your at 101HP.
But Krom said they do not have any Engineers left? Just kidding. The more durable, the better. Great work team Cat!
How many engineers are left now?? Seems like textron fired at least half of them today…
Not fired, played off. Bad times. Poo and Doo caused this with over building. Back in March, poo and Doo had 37,000 carry overs on sleds alone. Drive by any poo/ doo dealer today and nothing but wheelers and ATV’s. Cats inventory is manageable. The others? Not so much.
Wrong as usual. The official statement says “we are offering severance benefits to effected employee’s including outplacement to help them find new opportunities”
You can try to call it “played off” but their positions are gone. That is not the same as laying off line workers when its slow, or construction workers who get laid off for the winter.
They laid off 65 employees (presumably salary) and furloughed most of the hourly employees out on the production line.
Furloughed employees will be called back in early 2025 to resume production of dirt and snow products.
It doesn’t bode well for the development of future snow and dirt products if the majority of the 65 employees who were laid off were engineers and technicians.
Wonder if these newer clutches will retrofit to the 998?