FIRST RIDE 2023 ARCTIC CAT ALTERRA 600 BLACK HILLS EDITION

ARCTICCAT.COM rctic Cat and the fabled Black Hills of South Dakota both rose from the midwestern plains, and at the heart of every Midwest adventure rider, is an explorer wanting to tame every trail running through a scenic lookout, geologic formation and dense forest found there. For 2023, Arctic Cat introduced a new American Legend — The Alterra 600 Black Hills Edition and we were fortunate enough to get an early demo ride on one along with Arctic Cat factory officials.

The 600 Black Hills Edition takes its performance cues from the rest of Arctic Cat’s premier Alterra line, with high-end styling and performance to match its impressive presence. Standard luxury features include LED light accents in the dual halogen headlights, stylized over-molded front and rear racks with non-slip surface, 14-inch aluminum rims and tall 28-inch tires, premium color-matched front bumper and 3,500lb WARN winch.

Traversing terrain tattooed by Mother Nature’s restless winds, erosion and wide-open trail riding, we found they are all an easier task to conquer with the Alterra Black Hills Edition thanks to electronic power steering, lower gearing, an electronic locking front differential, high clearance front and rear lower a-arms and an adjustable handlebar riser system.

TECH

CVTech TrailBloc clutches provide the smoothest take-offs and the performance-spec clutching reacts quickly for pulseracing throttle response, rivaling larger big-bore models. Driving into corners at a spirited pace was very snowmobilelike and seamless with a lack of any weird backshifting in the clutch — give the throttle a little more jam mid corner and you were rocketing out of it. The Alterra bodywork challenges design innovation with narrow styling, enhanced bodylines and simplistic snap-fit body panels to gain quick access to the engine compartment which are all welcome features for the active riding we like to take part in.

A low center of gravity for the rider is an evolution of Arctic Cat’s trademark ride-in performance and leads the industry with 12.8-inches of ground clearance paired to large 28x1014 tires which are constantly grabbing traction. Electronic power steering aids in mastering the corners with fatigue-free handlebar input. Bodywork and color-matched seat design are narrow where it counts throughout the cockpit — your knees, legs and hips will thank you after a full day of spirited riding. Spacious floorboards provide freedom for your feet to maneuver, and the single header exhaust is engineered down the center of the Alterra, exiting out the rear of the machine to direct heat away from the rider.

Alterra’s performance-engineered chassis also has a low center of gravity and near perfect weight distribution. The double a-arm front and rear suspension geometry, boast 9-inches of travel, and the high clearance lower a-arm designs are positioned on the chassis for the ultimate in additional ground clearance, precise handling and ultimate all-day ride comfort. Class-leading power comes from an equally new engine built at Arctic Cat’s world class facility in Minnesota. Before you bawk at the displacement, the 45-hp, 600cc, single-cylinder EFI engine has a lighter weight, more precisely balanced crankshaft to reduce vibration and provides a quicker engine response than the larger 700cc engine it replaces. (Riding is believing) We applaud Arctic Cat for the new design and answering the call for an overachiever in one of the most popular ATV engine size sales categories.

We assembled a great crew for a nice long afternoon ride with a spirited pace. Along the way, Pat Bourgeois-Midwest Rider, stopped to take a group photo. (L-R) Lindsay WestMarketing Assoc, Kale Wainer-Midwest Rider, Austin Sandel-Engineer, Trenton Munsell-Dir Product Strategy, Derek Sorenson-Engineering Mgr Offroad, Chuck SimensonEngineering Tech and Brent Gilge-Engineer

BEMIS HILL RIDING AT ITS BEST –NORTHERN MINNESOTA

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Located in Beltrami Island State Forest in northern Minnesota, we arrived at the Bemis Hill Trails offering more than 96 miles of riding. The trails travel along pine-covered ridges, large areas of low flatland and near peat bogs. Trails are provided by Roseau County and maintained by the Roseau/LOW Sportsman’s Club and Northstar ATV club. All the 2023 Arctic Cat Alterra 600 models were awaiting us, we would ride Alterra 600 EPS, XT, LTD, Black Hills Edition, Mud Pro and TRV. In the huddle, Pat Bourgeois discusses the plan to grab a handful of trail photos, then join back up as a larger group for a spirited trail ride so we had the opportunity to try out all the models back-to-back.

Our ride couldn’t have been more perfect for conditions. A bit cold (47 degrees) but once riding, you warmed up and there was NO dust, traction was awesome and we didn’t encounter anyone else out on the trails. Before heading home, our last stop was Winners Silo.

The area surrounding Hayes Lake State Park and Beltrami Island State Forest is rich with history. The area was extensively settled during the early twentieth century as European Americans continued to move west. At first, the area was popular with small towns established and loans for ditches to drain wetlands credited.

However, because of the short growing season and inadequate soils, the land was difficult to farm and many settlers went broke attempting to farm and relocated. The Great Depression was the final straw. Many farmers, unable to pay back loans for the ditch construction and their taxes, fell in to foreclosure. In 1934, the US Government began purchasing remaining lands under the Land Utilization Program. The government then restored the farmland to its natural wooded state.

Today, many of the former homesteads and town sites are still found on maps. Examples of the remaining standing remnants include the Winners Silo.