The top speed of Arctic Cat snowmobiles ranges from a modest 8 mph up to an incredible 120 mph. The smallest Arctic Cat sled, the ZR 120 offers a moderate top speed of 8 mph. In contrast, the trail-performance ZR 9000 Thundercat tops out at about 120 mph. Compared to competitor models, it’s safe to say that Arctic Cats are some of the fastest production models on the market right now!
If you want to find out more about the average top speed of Arctic Cat snowmobiles, this post is for you.
We at PowerSportsGuide have compiled the top speed numbers of the most popular models into one chart!
How fast Can an Arctic Cat Snowmobile Go?
Factors That Affect the Top Speed
Before we dig deeper into the topic, we need to clarify which factors affect the top speed of a snowmobile. Simply put, the most important factors are:
- Track dimensions
- Load (weight of the rider and the gear)
- Altitude
- Terrain
- Snow/Ice conditions
- Other environmental conditions (wind, humidity, temperature, etc.)
- The settings on the sled (clutch, suspensions, riding modes)
Since these factors may vary from day to day, the available speed on a sled varies slightly with each ride.
Slowest Arctic Cat Snowmobiles
The slowest Arctic Cat snowmobiles are the youth models, and with good reason. These sleds are marketed for children, so their top speed is limited for safety reasons.
For instance, the top speed of the Arctic Cat ZR 120 is only 8 mph thanks to a “speed governor” installed in the throttle cable.
For older children, Arctic Cat markets the slightly bigger ZR 200 snowmobile. As reported by SuperTraxMag, this machine can hit a top speed of 30 mph out of the box.
Average Top Speed of Arctic Cat Snowmobiles
As a rule of thumb, most Arctic Cat snowmobiles top out at about 65-100 mph. For instance, the top speed of the Arctic Cat Blast ZR 4000 is about 65 mph, while the ZR 6000 RR can reach about 83 mph. Regarding the crossover category, the Arctic Cat Riot 8000 can easily hit 95 mph on hard-packed surfaces.
Trail Performance Models
If you are looking for the fastest models, look at the high-performance trail category. These 1000cc Arctic Cat sleds can reach a fantastic top speed of 110-120+ mph on hard-packed surfaces. In addition, Arctic Cat considers the ZR 9000 Thundercat to be one of the fastest production snowmobiles ever built, as it can reach a top speed of 120+ mph under ideal conditions.
Arctic Cat Snowmobile Top Speed Chart
For a better comparison, we’ve compiled these numbers into one Arctic Cat snowmobile top speed chart:
- Arctic Cat ZR 120 top speed: 8 mph
- Arctic Cat RZ 200 top speed: 30 mph
- Arctic Cat Wildcat 700 top speed: 70 mph
- Arctic Cat Blast ZR 4000 top speed: 65 mph
- Arctic Cat ZR 6000 RR top speed: 83 mph
- Arctic Cat Riot 8000 top speed: 95 mph
- Arctic Cat ZR 9000 Thundercat top speed: 120 mph
This chart is for informational purposes only! Top speeds may vary depending on external conditions and the load.
FAQs About Arctic Cat Top Speeds
How fast is an Arctic Cat Blast?
Powered by a 400cc liquid-cooled 2-stroke engine, the Arctic Cat Blast can reach a top speed of 65 mph on a hard pack.
How fast can an Arctic Cat Riot 8000 go?
The top speed of the Arctic Cat Riot 8000 is about 95 mph under ideal conditions.
How fast is the ZR 9000 Thundercat?
The Arctic Cat ZR 9000 Thundercat can go as fast as 120 mph.
Conclusion
As a rule of thumb, the average Arctic Cat snowmobile can go as fast as 60-100 mph.
The slowest models in Arctic Cat’s fleet are the youth snowmobiles like the ZR 120 with a top speed of 8 mph, and the ZR 200, which tops out at 30 mph.
In contrast, the high-performance Arctic Cat ZR 9000 Thundercat offers an outstanding top speed of 120 mph.
References
