Part 2 Catalyst M 858 review pod - The SnoWest Show

Social media Q&A. The SnoWest test crew of Justin Stevens, Rhett Clark, Bruce Kerbs and Broc Genta join Ryan Harris to review our first three days on the 2025 Arctic Cat M 858 sleds.

[@1984TarpeN]

32 min in, The polaris P22 Clutch blowing up all over the mountain ! You cant lie about that how big of a Polaris fan you still are :D I'd rather have a primary clutch that weighs a little more than have one that flies to pieces up the mountain so you have to call helicopters to get home.

[@akfury83]

And Doo had the chaincase issues...

[@tanner_ij]

keep the pullcord where it is, it's the only one you can pull over no matter what side it's rolled on

[@scottdarling229]

Agreed, that made no sense.

[@brandonmichaelis2752]

Let's be real, unlike what Mr. Harris states, I believe brand loyalty is a huge deal in our industry. All of the manufacturers produce amazing snowmobiles. I am a Cat guy, so yes, I am super excited for this sled. I ride with a family of Polaris riders. Amazing machines! But they don't spin my wheels like the Cats do. Bruce mentioned Case..it happens in the Ag world too!

[@idah_snow25]

I agree I think they are all damn good platforms and work exceptionally well. All have their good and not so good aspects. But the others just don't appeal to me the way arctic cat snowmobiles do.

[@208SledHead]

It's unfortunate because with brand loyaltists comes false accusations and other dishonest information. I've honestly never understood why people are married to specific brands. There's nothing wrong with having a preference, but being a "_________" guy is just dumb to me.

[@idah_snow25]

@208SledHead to me, that's more of an ego thing and a lack of perspective. Unwillingness to see other parts of the entire picture. They're all snowmobiles that work very well for what they were created to do. No one has reinvented the wheel it's not like one flies and the other is like a horse and buggy. Personally, my loyalty lies with my dealer and the way cat sleds look and makes me feel something more than the others. I think you can still be a "_______" guy and still accept the reality there are other relevant flavors

[@208SledHead]

@@idah_snow25 You’re right, it just takes maturity, which is something that a LOT of people lack. It really gets to me and I shouldn’t allow it to….I just have zero tolerance for blatant stupidity. God help the person that ever runs into me haha

[@idah_snow25]

@208SledHead it is frustrating sometimes when people are just blatantly biased and are willing to die on that hill top just to prove their personal opinion. I just always have to remember they are just snowmobiles(or anything really) and people are entitled to have their opinion. Even if it is bias based

[@idah_snow25]

I appreciate the snowest crew & reviews. The more snow content & discussion the better. Dont forget the adapt clutch was lighter than the outgoing team clutch. So adding the steel spider for an extra pound isnt like strapping a dumbell on there.

[@TerraAlpsRacing]

Saying a 850 range is the optimal size for 2 cyl 2 stroke is completely false. Manufactures have stopped at 850cc approx size for emission size. Also if cat made another 1000cc it would need a heavier crank 7+ lbs more to handle extra power and torque loads. overall weight goes up. Over square is not a correct assumption. The polaris 850 and cat 858 are both over square, which like to rev, doo being close to square but still over . The 900r is made easily as a simple over bore to meet race class requirements in 900 class, which didnt exist until 850s came out. before was 800 & 1000 classes. If you want more engine information get a hold of Terra Alps Racing. 2 stroke specialists.

[@Sn0Pro7]

Intro says brought to you by Polaris. Talk about bias?

[@208SledHead]

Tell me you're a snowflake without telling me you're a snowflake.

[@comradeeverclear4063]

You realize one of the guys reviewing it rode for Cat and another is a former Cat employee right? There's no bias. The 858 is just a pile.

[@Sn0Pro7]

@@comradeeverclear4063 LMAO they are sponsored by Polaris buddy.

[@anthonymeyer183]

So I have had the alpha from 19 I can say I can hold a side hill better the a cat with twin rails as well as the other two brands. It's all about foot placement and throttle control

[@thomaslessard6712]

Would love to have more comparison over the 800 from cat. I get the comparison between brands but for guys who love that top end how does the 858 compare to the ctec2? Throttle response is something you can adapt to (to a certain degree) so is it better on the 858 or the ctec2? Bit of the same mentality but what about the pull cord, is it better or worse than the ctec2? You said its bad but we all know that cats are renowned for being hard to pull on to (not defending it by any means). so did they improve on that or is it worse? Like I said, i get the comprison between brands but i remember being underwelmed with the top end of the patriot 850. Does that make the engine bad if I’m used to better top end then that? To me it’s not that much about which sled of wich brand is better because look at what burandt does to it’s boosts: builds top end for his ridding style and conditions. He sure loves the bottom end, but he prefers more top end than what they offer from the factory. At the end of the day I guess I’m happy cuz you said it’s the best cat we’ve ever had… Keep the good work tho this might only be me thinking that way!

[@brandonmcartor1096]

Oh how I wish Arctic Cat had a better dealer base. No Dealer within 2 hr drive will probably keep me from pulling the trigger.

[@christophermaglio1939]

You guys need someone on your ride review staff who weighs 150 lbs. All of these sleds behave quite differently for someone who weighs 50 to 100 lbs less than you guys. It would be interesting to hear their perspective on setups as they will have a very different experience.

[@erikmoore7402]

​@@joeygravThen why do they say the skidoo makes more bottom end? Weird.

[@comradeeverclear4063]

I weight about 140lbs. I've rode all three. Thought my Skidoo was the best thing since sex. Then I pulled the trigger on a Khaos. Wont go back. The weight difference alone sold me. A cat? Handles and rides like absolute shit and doesn't have the power I like.

[@comradeeverclear4063]

​@@joeygravtwo of the people in this podcast are affiliated directly with Cat. Stfu

[@themaster3331]

Well that was the most depressing funeral I’ve ever seen talk about low energy, boys if your going to take a $#&@ on cat at least make it entertaining that was hard to watch.

[@akfury83]

Preach...

[@go-on-two]

I totally agree, talk about a bunch of overpaid chair jockeys, totally unprepared and so boring!!

[@soddog4]

Controls on the handlebars are too heavy and the additional inertia make it too hard to turn? Oh come on, you have got to be kidding me.

[@LifeWideOpen780]

Appriciate the honesty if the engine really isn't that powerfull. Iam curious what the other reviews will say

[@JasonCaville]

Thanks for answering my question about the skis 😂

[@nicholaswilliams1840]

You can a polaris for 22 if you want recalls and stop rides

[@ianmcnichol1111]

Does the mountain cat have the drop roll belt drive ? Like is the approach angle of the track lower on mountain cat than the sno pro

[@wesdailey9964]

Again why are we comparing this to the 9r which is a full on race motor!!

[@comradeeverclear4063]

Ask cat. They were the ones making those claims. They also claimed the 600 Catalyst could keep up with turbos. 😂

[@jakeradcliff7691]

​@@comradeeverclear4063they never claimed that at all 🤣🤣🤣

[@jlo13800]

Imagine the 9r with a big turbo.

[@jlo13800]

Now i though of an 1800r OP 2 stroke made from 2 9r's with the pistons facing each other like a fairbanks morse 2 stroke! this could go in a race sled.

[@firstamendmenttshirt4768]

Ski-doo vibrates too.

[@mikeh4053]

So what did i learn here. Cat sled is better than the doo and pol 850 setups. they had to keep saying 9r to beat it.

[@comradeeverclear4063]

Then you didn't learn much, because the 858 was directly said to barely compete with the other 850s. It doesn't have the power or bottom end to keep up. They brought up the 9r because CAT made claims it could keep up with it. It cant.

[@mikeh4053]

@@comradeeverclear4063 and then there is mid, and top. Motor tech is maxed out. Everything everyone has should be about some power if it's equal.

[@jakeradcliff7691]

​@@comradeeverclear4063againt they never claimed that. Show me where they said that

[@mikeh4053]

@@comradeeverclear4063 these dopes at the table are comparing it to a 9r. polaris sponsors comparing it to something bigger.

[@markgregoryrugman7136]

I will always be a polaris guy

[@jlo13800]

take 2 850 patriots to makes an 1700 OP 2 stroke like this thing mart.cummins.com/imagelibrary/data/assetfiles/0058689.pdf like a mini Fairbanks Morse OP 2 stroke and somehow stuff it in the chassis.

[@coryroot]

They have an awesome sled but honestly the alpha rail is junk and a joke of the industry they need to get rid of it

[@rosskeene1913]

It's becoming more and more disappointing... What happened to a 10-20 min walk around with riding thoughts and a proper review. I don't wanna listen to 2hrs of chit chat, just get to the damn point of how the sled rides, how it compares to the skidoo and Polaris, what the handling is like compared to competition, and show me some clips of it in action! You'd get way more views, way more KZbin AD revenue, and we'd all look forward to the yearly shootouts(if you were actually unbiased). It's not that a podcast with a given brands engineers on the new sled that isn't valuable, it's just not very digestable and very time consuming, and stinks with sponsorship. Seriously, why would I as a consumer is listen to 2hrs of a podcast about a sled that isn't even represented fairly often because the direct competitor is sponsoring it and will taint the true opinion of you guys. But instead they pulled their pants down and backed there butt right up to Polaris...

[@comradeeverclear4063]

Lmao the cat guys can only call "bias" when the facts don't scream how "great" this new engine is. They praised Doo more than Polaris too and mentioned a weak Polaris clutch setup. Your claims of bias because of a sponsor dont hold water. Cat has sponsored the podcast before too. Bet you didn't claim bias on those episodes 😂

[@comradeeverclear4063]

Fact is, this cat is a dog. And they still call it "the best cat" they've ever ridden. You heard "Polaris" and had a fuckin aneurysm over ir without listening to the information on hand. The bias, is in you cat cock riders. The sled was represented fairly. You just didn't like what you heard.

[@markgregoryrugman7136]

I'm not happy with the Arctic cat going out cheap on the rails it should not be plastic it should be metal at all times