Last week while in TRF I had the opportunity to put about 20 miles on a an 09 proto TZ1 Turbo, in one word it's impressive.
OK here's the deal, we went riding with AC Product Manager Joey Hallstrom and he had us putting this sled through the paces on the Red River, on trails, ditches, and on an ungroomed hedgerow that had 2+foot hard sided moguls, this sled handled everything effortlessy, no pounding the body on the moguls, it flew the ditch approaches as well as any ZR or Firecat I have ridden, deep snow on the river was easy, and the sled pulls past the C-Note with no problem.

Joey Hallstrom explaining the plumbing to us.
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Three generations of Cats.
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Three cool Cat guys.
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Very cool! Can't wait to hear more..

Lucky duck! That's cool.

Thanks for the great post.
I think I will be ordering my TZ1 Turbo tomorrow.
I'm thinking the 144" will handle pretty much any bump out there.
And If I go with the LE, the 1 1/4" should hook up great.
Can't wait til next December!
Keep the posts coming.

They are all supposed to be coming with an 1-1/4 track, we rode that moguled up hedgerow with Joey leading on the TZ1 and all of us on our own sleds, it was about a 3/4 mile run of junk about six feet wide with brush trees on both sides.
After we went through it I took the TZ1 back down it and back and I couldn't believe I could go faster with it than my ZR and definetly with much, much less pounding to the body.

Nice test Vince! The twin spar is the most underated chassis on the snow. All the mags ignore it but it is incredible. I can ride it 400 miles and feel great!!! I have worked my 07 real hard this winter and nothing broke. Best Cat made

That's a good report.

I would love to take that sled for rip and see what it can do. Lucky guy.

I am waiting to find out some information on this turbo before I spend the money
what is the weight of this machine ????? I just sold a polaris FST 4 stroke because it was so heavy it killed me trail riding
also what is the fuel mileage for the turbo ?????

after I get the info will order one

fusion

The weight is just a number on this machine, in all the different conditons and speed I drove it on I never noticed the weight, even at slow speeds the sled steers like it has power steering I was amazed at how light the steering effort is.

MPG will depend on the throttle openening anything under 1/2 throttle will be better than the normally aspirated sled due to the fact that engine is always under boost even at idle as it's a pressurized turbo system, at 1/2 throttle your cruising at 70 mph. At full whack it'll suck fuel to make it's 177 ponies.

BTW because of the constantly pressurized system there is no turbo lag, the engine just oozes bundles quiet power.

I wonder if it sounds the same as the non turbo at idle? Any comparo's Vince?

Vince why is Arctic-cat HUSH_HUSH about the weight of this machine ,the weight issue is a major concern for me

please give me a weight on this machine ???????
fuel economy ??????

Ski-doo was not afraid to come out with the MPG and weight

thanks will wait for your reply
ready to order one

fusion

There is no way it could be less then 560# with the minor tweaks Cat did, I would guess 570#.

That still makes it the lightest 177HP sled on the market!! LOL

Weight is just a #. If you are worried about trail riding, this is simply the best riding, easiest steering chassis creating the least rider fatigue on the snow. If you are looking for a deep powder or all out ditch banger....look elsewhere. Those are the situations where the extra weight is harder to hide! Can't speak on Turbo MPG but my Z1 gets 16-18MPG.

My 07 is stated by Cat to weigh 575 lbs dry. The turbo had to add at least 20lbs to that.

Like everyone here said the only time I notice the weight is off trail but with a turbo maybe not.

I didn't really notice so I think it sounds the same as your engine MC, there is a turbo whirrr when gassing it.


The machine I rode was the 144" two up touring model with the bitch seat removed, if I had to guess I would say the sled is about 600lbs.
BUT here is the kicker, this sled felt lighter than my 512lb. ZR 900 SP, that tells me weight is just a number especially if you mainly trail ride.
BTW Cat has been using and testing this turbo engine on the snow for three years already.

Good comments everyone and nice report Vince.

I ordered mine today from Jan-Cen in western New York. It's going to be a LONG wait until fall.
I have ridden ZRT's for the past ten years, so I don't figure this sled is going to seem excessively heavy to me! Seems like everyone has raved about the Z1 ride, and the Turbo will take care of the only complaints!

- Tom

I ordered my TZ1 turbo LE today.
It's going to be a long summer!
I hope it rides and handles as well as they are saying.
My 07 F8 sno pro is the best riding, best hadling sled I've ever riden.
I don't expect it to go through the woods as good, but I fully expect it to take the bumps better.
If it can run anywhere close to my Mach Z on speed, I'll be very happy.
My dealer told me the short track turbo is suppose to be around 575 lbs.
Safe to assume the touring will be right around 600 lbs.
Can't be any more than my 06 RS Venture was and that was a great handling sled and rode like a dream.
Thanks again for a great post!
THINK SNOW!!!!!

I might be ordering one next week. I got the new snowtech today and they said it will be fast as hell.

Vince you lucky B! Great report and yes the sled feels light. I had a buddy ride my after riding his SwitchBack Dragon 700 and even he said it feels as light or lighter than his sled. And much easier to steer than his sled. The new TS is an awesome chassis for sure. So Vince you need to hook some your friends on a ride that next year, old buddy. I was going to wait a couple years for another new one but now if this year is good at work I might not wait so long.

Vince,

Sounds like a very cool day with the guy from Cat.

My question is about the seating position, is it the same as the Z-1?

Hey everyone, if weight is an issue, diet and exercise may help with that minor problem

Thanks for the post...I am trying to decide to upgrade my 2008 Z1 SnoPro Nightfire to a Z1 Turbo LXR....dealer offered me a swap for about $4K today....but I don't think I need to go faster than the Z1, but would like a little lighter sled for tight trails, although I just rode the Z1 close to 500mi this past weekend on high speed trails 50 to 90mph in northern Maine--Pittston Farm Area.....and you got to love the stability and grunt. But I am still tempted on the turbo

Vince, do you think there will be much difference in the ride between the two-up 144" and the 128" in the bumps? About 25# difference between the two, so not much weight penalty. So I guess I am leaning toward the 128" for this year. I Think!!!

A couple of things, lxr 1.25 cobra track reg 1.00 hacksaw.

seating for the 09 z1, turbos , tz1. slightly higher than 08's

wieght turbo z1 600lbs tz1 655lbs

The turbo is made by suzuki in japan, there was some rumor about it being a mc express turbo .

According to Cat the seating is lower on the '09's.

Get on the Turbo and you won't even think about trading, you'll just do it.


One of the guys I ride with who posts here as LACAT, has an 07 Jag which when I rode it didn't really impress me, the 144" I rode knocked my socks off I was completely surprised and impressed with every type of condition we put the sled through. Right now I'm leaning towards ordering the 144", This sled could be the ultimate crossover weapon and it will not lose HP at elevation to boot.
I rode the TZ1 Turbo without the rear seat, which how I would ride it if it was mine.
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All the TZ1 Turbos are to come with an 1-1/4" track I'm not sure about the Z1 Turbo. They all will come with tipped chassis and the taller spindles.

Not sure were you got your info all tz1's 1.0 '' track , z1 's 1.0 '' track , z1lxr 1.25'' track, its on the dealers order sheet info.

not according to the ruler, I rode the 09's and it felt higher so I measured it , the actual seat is 7/8'' taller, but this could change when they ship in the fall!

7/8's higher in comparison to the 08 or the Z1?

Well I have made my mind up; it's going to be a Z1 turbo lxr le for this year. You make a very good case for the 144 track, but I'm going to try the 128 with the turbo and if it does OK with mpg's and total range I will trade the Pantera 580 for a 2010 TZ1 turbo next spring. After riding the T660 touring for most of this year, I want to try 128 with that turbo power which should be really great ~ Or at least I hope that's the case!!

Hi Guys, there seems to be some confusion about the track on TZ1's. Here is the real info. The brochure has a misprint in it. All TZ1 Turbo will have 1.25 Cobra track, all Z1 Turbo LXR will have 1.25 Cobra track and Z1 Turbo non LXR will have 1". I hope this answers some questions. Very reliable source.
Buba

I'm hoping to get to Green Bay for the 09 Product Tour, I'd really like to see the LE in person before ordering.

My dealer said the LE look awsome with the paint on them, but I would have to see one in person before I could buy. They don't seem to picture well. side views look ok but have seen some head on views of them and they didn't look so great to me.

you know dt...before i actually rode an f-series, i would have said your weight statement was completely ludacrist. but your spot on!!! cat has done an amazing job with this twin spar chassis. you cant really feel the lbs when trail riding unless you REALLY look for it. like so many others, when i read the spec sheet for 07's i scoffed and howeld when i saw how much ''fat'' the put on over the f-5-6-7's. figured cat went and turned on us!!!!!
this jan i went to fetch some parts for my poor ol f7 and ended up taking a demo ride while i was there. after about 5 miles i knew i was goin home with 500 plus pounds of parts!!!!!!!!

ive riddin this sled for over 20 hrs straight. stopping for gas only!!! i could have gone another 5-8 if i wasnt fallin asleep at the bars. i wouldnt want to try that again on any other chassis.

that would be 7/8 higher for the 09 compared to the 08z1!

The turbo is MUCH quieter than the Z1 at idle. The difference is amazing actually.

Vince, How was the TZ1 seat to move around on? That bump on the back of the seat is similar to whats on my Yamaha touring and it's a PITA when you want to move back a little for a change in ride position. This is something you would not normally notice on a short ride, but on a 200 mile plus day its a factor.

The TZ1 may have enough other adjustable features to make up for it.

Thanks for the riding impression Vince. This looks like the 4-stroke I've been waiting for. Did the sled have much noticeable 4-stroke engine braking when letting off throttle?
I'm really starting to get my heart set on the Z1 Le.......have to make up my mind for sure and pull the trigger before April 15th.

No problem moving around on the seat, I was all over the seat, up on the tank, laid back easy rider style (I'm 5-9) oval race style with my ass hanging off the seat and my leg hooked to the tank/seat.



It had some slight braking when lifting, but that may have been because it was a 144 and I've been used to riding a 121 two stroke, but this I can tell you it had nowhere near the engine braking that my 04 T660 had.

I've asked this before, has anyone seen the LE in person yet, I really want to see that copper color in person. But then again if I don't really like it when I get it, I could paint the bellypan and windshield lime green with a can of spray paint lol.

The copper spring editions look different in person. I think they look better on the internet. The copper windshield did'nt look the same in person. I would suggest trying to see one in real life. Worst case senario, could always put a black winshield to tame it down.

I was thinking of ordering an LXR.But after seeing the LXR LE yesterday, personally i like the black & copper.....mostly because the tunnel, rails and a-arms are black as well. And yes, a black windshield would look good in place of the copper. The regular/LXR with the gray hood, umm not very appealing , IMHO.

The reason I asked was I saw in the brochure about the technology that supposedly reduces the 4-stroke braking.
From the description you gave..... it sounds like it does work as advertised compared to the older 4-strokes.
I remember when I first demo rode a Yamaha a few years back how strong that braking feel was.

I hope this is true , will save me a track swap if I go that route!, thanks

Viper my 07 Z1 brakes like a 2 stroke. Wife has a T660 and like Vince said it breaks hard when you let off.
The Z1 acts like a 2 stroke.

Are you going to buy one?

Cool....I guess you get used to the braking but I wasn't a big fan of it when I first rode that Yamaha.


Hey...I gotta do my part to slow down global warming LOL!
I really do want one and am doing my homework now. I have a few things to consider before plunking down the cash on a sled that costs nearly as much as some cars but am 90% sure I will have an order on the Z1turbo LE by the 15th. Never really rode a long track sled before besides my old Pantera....so I think I will stick to the regular Z1. Do you really think the ride and corner handling ability will be better on the long track version?

The dealer I use seems way off on his price compared to some I see on here. I am almost positive he quoted me $13,500 when I casually asked him the price....this was before I was real serious about buying one.
I have bought all my cats from him and I know he is higher than most other dealers but he is very convenient, right where I ride and takes great care of me after the sale. Lets me borrow tools,has given me a loaner sled to ride while doing updates, even let me borrow a trailer free of charge for the day once when my trailer was snowed in.
I think I paid about $300 more for my F7 than I could have gotten elsewhere but I didn't mind for the reasons above.
However, it seems like he is a grand or more higher this time. I would go as high as maybe $500 over other dealers for this sled since the base price is much higher than my F7 but can't see paying $1000 more.

Does the deluxe guage come on all the Turbo's or is it just on the LXR? The brochure is a bit confusing.

In an instance like that you might want to give him a chance at giving you a better price. Thats alot of convenience to give up.

No doubt.....I will be going back within the next 2 weeks to crunch numbers with him

If your gonna buy the non turbo Z1 just pick up a leftover 08 in the fall. My 07 was 6999.00.....ya can't beat that. Its been great!