WIDE OPEN

Nothing gets your attention like a big two-stroke By D. West Photos by ArcticInsider

 

It’s hard to tell how exotic this Wildcat really is until you hear the engine crank up.
It’s hard to tell how exotic this Wildcat really is until you hear the engine crank up.

 

Let’s face it, the way a box-stock quad sits on the dealer’s showroom floor is pretty much good enough to put a big smile on the new owner’s face. However, after it’s been taken out on the trails a few times, you can’t help but think about ways to make it a little faster. For some of us, making it a lot faster is more like our desired goal. Ultimate project builds are the machines that typically get the most attention in the pages of Dirt Wheels. Engine swaps are at the top of the list. Something like putting a Honda CR500 engine in a 250R frame. Nothing says explosive horsepower like a big two-stroke motor.

That philosophy has also infiltrated the UTV world, and this project machine by Speedwerx is a prime example. They took an Arctic Cat Wildcat Sport 700 and removed the stock four-stroke motor. In its place they installed a 800cc, twin-cylinder, two-stroke motor from an Arctic Cat snowmobile. As you may know, snowmobiles have used CVT systems long before UTVs, so it mated up fine with the Wildcat’s drive system. In this case Speedwerx used their Team Rapid Response/Reaction clutch combo designed to handle the extra horsepower of a big two-stroke engine.

 

With the extra horsepower of the two-stroke engine, the suspension and other things had to be improved too.
With the extra horsepower of the two-stroke engine, the suspension and other things had to be improved too.

 

The snowmobile world is one place where updated two-stroke technology is still ongoing. This 800cc two-stroke motor comes stock in an Arctic Cat snowmobile with fuel injection and an advanced electronic power-valve system on the exhaust ports. It’s actually made by Suzuki for Arctic Cat and puts out 160 horsepower in box-stock form. Speedwerx is in business to make these engines faster, and with a few tweaks here and there, they easily bumped that number up to 170 horsepower.

So, what you see here is a Wildcat that weighs 100 pounds less than stock and cranks out more power than any other production UTV, including the new 2017 Polaris Turbo. In other words, this UTV screams like no other. If you want to see how fast it is, go to our website’s video section: www.dirtwheelsmag.com/home-page/monster-2-stroke-utv. 

 

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