Arctic Cat’s 2016 ZR 9000 Limited is way faster than anything else stock. Trust us, it is. We didn’t come across another stock sled this season that could touch this one headed across a lake. Triple digits were commonplace on the speedo, and not one blown belt in over 1,000 miles!
Lake drags are great, but what about trail manners? Well… that’s a matter of debate depending on the trails you’re riding. In big, wide-open sweepers, the ZR 9000 is an absolute blast! Tight, rutted up hairpins, though, take some serious suspension dialing to conjure up positive reactions. You also are going to want to think ahead went plowing into a mogul field at 60 mph, because those square-edged bumps are not friends with this big sled. This machine is equipped with the FOX QS3 shocks with three adjustment settings. We love the shocks and the simplicity behind them, but some sleds could use a little more fine tuning in the suspension, and the ZR 9000 is one of them. It just maybe isn’t the best pairing in this case.
That said, whatever ground you might lose to your riding buddies twisting through the forest, you’ll quickly make up on even the shortest of straightaways. And that kind of insane speed can put a smile under anyone’s helmet!
Takeaways
- If you haven’t figured it out yet, this thing is fast … and also reliable!
- A little nose-heavy through the moguls.
- Fast sleds are often cold sleds, and even small stock handguards would go a long way here (similar to some Ski-Doo and Polaris sleds).
You’ll find a full review of the 2016 Arctic Cat ZR 9000 Limited in an upcoming issue of American Snowmobiler magazine, including Real World stats like gas mileage, top speed and other riding impressions. Subscribe online today!