Arctic Cat Bearcat 5000 XT GS Snowmobile – Advantages and Disadvantages

Arctic Cat Bearcat 5000 XT GS Snowmobile Review

Straight to the point: the new Bearcat 5000 XT GS knows how to surprise! And yes, we are talking about a utilitarian snowmobile that has remained virtually unchanged for several years in a row. Well, now let’s take a closer look at our device.

Briefly about the design of the snowmobile. The new Arctic Cat Bearcat 5000 is built on the proven Twin Spar chassis. The engine here is also familiar to everyone - it is a unit from Suzuki. And this picture is complemented by a wide track and high performance at low speeds. In general, before you is a real utilitarian, ready to perform the most complex tasks.

It would seem what pleasure you can get from riding this snowmobile. You can make a few laps on the packed snow, take a few photos and go home. It would seem that. However, the Bearcat 5000 is not quite like that.

More precisely, it is like that – powerful and utilitarian, but that’s not all. As it turns out, it can be a fun ride. It is unlikely that there will be another utility vehicle like this that is capable of frisky and fun driving in the snow.

You look at the characteristics of the Arctic Cat Bearcat 5000 XT GS and you don’t seem to notice anything impressive. However, all this hardware, assembled by American engineers, turns into an amazing machine. And everything is in place here, even the rather outdated Twin Spar chassis. Perhaps the next generation will receive a ProClimb, ProCross or ProTour platform. In general, something new.

A few words about the engine. We have a liter four-cylinder engine installed here. Power is 125 horsepower. And this power plant, as we have already mentioned, is produced by Suzuki. The engine excels at towing heavy loads and provides excellent performance. What can I say, the Arctic Cat Berket 5000 was created for certain tasks, which it copes with very well.

One of the most attractive factors for buying a snowmobile is its rich basic equipment. Here's what you get in the "base":

– Electric starter – Engine heating – Radiator – Push-button reverse – Two halogen headlights (4 lamps) – Multifunctional digital/analog instrument panel – Electronic fuel level indicator – Hand and thumb heating with two operating levels – High and wide windshield – Power socket, toggle switches and switches – Mirrors – Large luggage compartment under the seat – Mountain strap – Two heavy-duty bumpers front and rear – Swivel tow hook – Rail mechanism – 1130 kg winch with roller guide and 15.2 m steel cable – Rear-facing floodlight and beacon

In addition, you can install a snow blower, various cargo locks and additional space for a third passenger. But you will get all this, of course, for an additional fee.

Despite the fact that the snowmobile requires a rigid suspension (to transport cargo and three people), it rides quite smoothly. The rear suspension consists of a 50mm shock absorber, adjustable torsion bar springs and fiberglass springs. This design has been used for quite a long time and is the true embodiment of the “old school”, but this suspension copes with its tasks perfectly. Rear suspension travel is 330 mm.

The track is long (154 inches) and wide (20 inches) with 35mm lugs.

The front uses the seventh generation Arctic Wishbone design. Hydraulic twin-tube shock absorbers with coilovers provide 216 mm of travel.

The seat on the snowmobile is located quite high. This made it possible to place a spacious glove compartment underneath. In addition, when you sit high and straight, you can clearly see the roads behind the large windshield, so there should be no complaints about this design.

Overall, the Arctic Cat Bearcat 5000 XT is a lot of fun even for simple rides. But the most important thing is confidence. This snowmobile is not afraid of either fog or blizzard. This snowmobile is a real utilitarian monster.

Arctic Cat Bearcat 5000 XT GS Snowmobile – Advantages and Disadvantages

The 2015 Arctic Cat Bearcat 5000 XT GS is a typical utility snowmobile with a wide track. The device is designed to transport heavy loads and has high maneuverability due to the presence of an articulated suspension. The platform of this model is the reliable Arctic Cat Twin Spar. The device is equipped with a 4-stroke Suzuki power unit with a displacement of 1000 cc, which develops 125 hp. This engine provides excellent traction, without which the XT would not be able to cope with its main task - transporting cargo. It is noteworthy that this model was developed so that it could be used as a tug for a snow paver designed to form ski tracks and trails. The Arctic Cat Bearcat 5000 XT GS is a snowmobile designed to do a specific job and do it perfectly. The initial package is quite rich. It is this factor that attracts a large number of buyers. Already in the database, the snowmobile received: a radiator, an electric starter, a pair of halogen headlights, engine heating, an electric fuel quantity sensor, a push-button reverse, a multifunctional instrument panel, heated thumb and hands, mirrors, a large windshield, a rail mechanism, a mountain sling, a spacious trunk, a pair of powerful bumpers, switches, a socket, a beacon, a spotlight, as well as a winch, the pulling force of which reaches 1130 kg. The sled's engine performs admirably because Arctic Cat engineers have upgraded the drive clutch with an RPM sensor. As a result, it works as efficiently as possible with the 10.4-inch driven pulley and reduced ratio spacing. They were able to tune the torque to provide the most powerful launch and excellent performance in the mid-range. The torque at high speeds is not very pleasing, which is quite predictable. But the engine still accelerates the car to a good speed. Although the snowmobile is not equipped with the softest suspension, which makes it possible to transport three people and tow additional cargo, it is very comfortable to ride. At the rear there is a 50 mm shock absorber, which is combined with torsion springs, as well as auxiliary springs made of fiberglass. A very typical design that has proven its reliability over many years. The width of the track is 508 mm, and its length is 3911 millimeters. The lug has a size of 35 mm. At the front of the Arctic Cat Bearcat 5000 XT GS is the seventh generation Arctic Wishbone, which has 216mm of travel. Since the glove compartment is installed under the seat of the snowmobile, it is located at a higher height. Therefore, the seating position has now become higher, which provides excellent visibility. Handling turned out to be very good, although we are talking about a utilitarian snowmobile, the skis of which are 200 mm wide. The owner can choose the optimal distance between them within 1016-1117 mm. The steering wheel is equipped with a mountain strap, which makes it easier to control the device when driving on loose snow. As mentioned earlier, the movement towards new products evokes only positive emotions. A bright beacon informs others even in severe fog. The use of a large front window and excellent cross-country ability makes it easy to operate the snowmobile even in serious blizzards. This snowmobile is a great machine that can be used for a very long time, and it can easily cope with most typical tasks.

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2015 Arctic Cat Bearcat 5000 XT GS Review

A unique work snowmobile that is a pleasure to ride.

Let's start with the main thing: the 2015 Arctic Cat Bearcat 5000 XT GS managed to exceed our expectations. After all, what can you expect from a utilitarian model that was first introduced several seasons ago without much change?

The snowmobile chassis is the old, time-tested Arctic Cat Twin Spar design; The engine is a reminder of Suzuki's once close partnership with Arctic Cat. The Bearcat 5000 XT GS doesn't pretend to be anything else—it's a pure utilitarian sled with a wide track, low-RPM oriented performance for heavy-duty hauling, and an articulated rear suspension for rugged off-road capability. Knowing all this, we didn’t expect anything special from the car and wanted to make a few laps on the groomed trails, accelerate to maximum speed, drive out into difficult snow, take a few photos and go home. In the end, it’s already clear what work was done on this utilitarian monster.

The large Arctic Cat Bearcat XT GS looks very impressive in the snow.

The Bearcat 5000 XT GS is exactly what we described above, but that's not all. It turned out to be a lot of fun to ride and there is no other model like it in the snowmobile industry. Fans of modern sport sleds will nod their heads sarcastically, and in any other situation we would agree with them, but if you understand the character of this big machine, you will get a lot of impressions. It's like a date that exceeded your expectations: you thought you invited a pretty (sort of) girl with an amazing character, but in the end you found your soul mate who understands you perfectly.

On paper the XT doesn't stand out in any way, but the combination of all its parts makes for a unique sled. The Twin Spar chassis is no longer the latest design, but it is very much at home here. Many longtime Arctic Cat fans, by the way, never fell in love with this platform, preferring the old Firecat and other models. To the company's delight, these drivers became the generation of ProCross, ProClimb and ProTour, which will surely replace this version of the Bearcat next season.

The Bearcat windshield is both high and wide, so it reliably protects from all gusts of wind and snow flying in your face.

Suzuki's 125-horsepower, liter, four-stroke, twin-cylinder engine delivers the excellent low- to mid-range performance the XT needs for its primary job of hauling cargo. Moreover, the snowmobile was created with the expectation that it would be used as a tug for a snow paver for laying trails and ski tracks. The XT is one of those sleds that is built for a specific task, and it does it well.

A serious utility sled requires serious protection, and that's provided by two tough bumpers front and rear.

The base XT is already generously equipped, but you can also add a snow blower, plenty of cargo tie-downs and seating options for up to three travelers. However, it's the base equipment that makes the XT such an attractive purchase and more than justifies the price of the sled.

The base XT includes the following: * Electric start * Engine heater * Radiator * Push-button reverse * Two halogen headlights (4 bulbs) * Multi-function digital/analog instrument panel * Electronic fuel indicator * Heated hands and thumb with two operating levels * High and a wide windshield * Power socket, toggle switches and switches * Mirrors * Large luggage compartment under the seat * Mountain strap * Two powerful bumpers front and rear * Swivel tow hook * Rail mechanism * Winch with 1130 kg traction force, roller guide panel and steel cable 15.2 m long. * Rear-facing spotlight and beacon

An additional towed paver will create a 120cm wide path. If you set everything up correctly and get used to the control of a trailed paver, the Bearcat 5000 XT GS is in no way inferior to a large machine like a bulldozer in this matter.

Power to get the job done comes from Suzuki's venerable 1056cc twin-cylinder engine, which has powered many Twin Spar sleds since the original 2007 Jag Z1. The engine runs great on this machine because Arctic Cat designers have improved the Arctic Cat drive clutch with speed sensor to work smoothly and efficiently with the Arctic roller driven pulley (10.4 inches) and a low range of gear ratios. Torque is calibrated for maximum sled launch and impressive mid-range performance. At high rpm the torque leaves a lot to be desired, which is to be expected, but the Suzuki can still get the sled up to decent speeds.

The Bearcat XT GS is built on the old Twin Spar platform and is equipped with the seventh version of the Arctic Wishbone front suspension (AWS VII) with 203 mm wide skis and coilovers on hydraulic shock absorbers.

This utilitarian snowmobile rides surprisingly smoothly, despite the need for a fairly stiff suspension to carry up to three passengers and tow cargo. The rear suspension features a 50mm-diameter rear arm shock absorber, which works in tandem with adjustable torsion bar springs and additional fiberglass leaf springs. The design is truly old school, but it's a proven suspension that Arctic Cat knows gets the job done. This is exactly what is needed on a snowmobile, which is used for laying ski tracks and transporting cargo in the tundra. The long 154-inch (3911 mm) 20-inch (508 mm) wide track with 35 mm lug can travel 330 mm of rear suspension travel. Up front, the seventh-generation Arctic Wishbone front suspension (AWS VII) features 216mm of travel and hydraulic twin-tube shock absorbers with coilovers.

The XT's seat has been raised up from the glove compartment underneath, so you sit high and upright behind the wheel of the sled, with a clear view of the road through the huge windshield. The handling surprised us, as the snowmobile turned out to be more agile than we expected from such a utilitarian model with 200 mm wide skis. The distance between the skis is adjustable: from 1016 to 1117 millimeters. There's even a mountain strap on the handlebars to help steer this monster in loose snow.

You sit quite high on the seat, since underneath there is a fairly spacious glove compartment where you can put a helmet or other equipment.

As stated above, driving the XT leaves a very pleasant impression. The orange beacon notifies everyone around you of your presence even through dense fog, and thanks to the huge windshield and increased cross-country ability, you feel confident even in a strong blizzard and in fresh snow. A snowmobile is a lot of fun to ride. When you help other snowmobile drivers get through difficult areas by paving a path for them and signaling ahead with a beacon, you feel like a real hero!

Cross-country ability and power are all good, but the XT GS is no less pleased with the upper orange beacon and rear-facing spotlight, which make the Bearcat look very cool.

After test-driving the Bearcat 5000 XT GS, you realize what a good machine a well-thought-out utility snowmobile can be. Frankly, if we had to choose one snowmobile that would last us as long as possible and perform a huge range of tasks, we would choose this model.