2009 Arctic Cat Crossfire R 8 Review

Enough already! Arctic Cat engineers got sick of you whining Firecat owners and caved in. Check out the specifications for the 2009 Arctic Cat Crossfire R 8. That should convince you that, yes, indeed, Arctic Cat listens to its customers — even when in the deep recesses of their hearts they know that their F8 is a superior replacement for the Firecat. But, you got your way.

What Firecat owners liked was how the low-slung speed sled handled in the really tight trails and how its 700cc engine could beat just about anything bigger — at the time! The Firecats were low, lean and no-nonsense. Of course, many Firecat devotees may conveniently have forgotten just what a literal basket case the very first Firecats were. That model suffered some serious warranty claims, as it seemed the first year models spent more time back at the dealerships than on the trails. But when they were on the trails, they were truly awesome in the manner of Yamaha’s lightweight SRX or Mercury’s Sno-Twisters. When the great sleds of snowmobiling are recalled, the Arctic Cat Firecat will be among them. Probably not the 2009 Arctic Cat Crossfire R.

Firecat Updated

We are not saying Arctic Cat’s ‘R’ model is bad. On the contrary, it is a very acceptable update and replacement for the Firecat. First of all it should be stone cold reliable — something the first Firecats were not. It should provide Firecat-like ride and handling — but better since Arctic Cat engineering has refined suspensions and ergonomics since the first Firecats came out. But, let’s face it, the newest performance Cats, especially for 2009, have more going for them than the Firecat ever did. In the span of three years Arctic Cat engineers have refined the F-series into one of the best handling sleds on the snow — especially this year.

If you want the Firecat experience at a fair price (US$9799.00), the 2009 Arctic Cat Crossfire R 8 with the 800cc affords it. Arctic Cat marketing materials position the ‘R’ quite succinctly — “This machine is pure fun boiled down to the simplest form.” It sits low like the Firecat did. It implies speed. The track measures 128-inches in overall length with one-inch lug profile to keep ballooning to a minimum at top speed. As with the Firecat, the track is a narrow 14 inches in width. The seat is low and you sit back with legs extended, unlike the rider-forward seating position common to the newer Twin Spar models.

Compares Well

As for the Crossfire R 8, it actually compares favorably in overall suspension travel to the F-series. The rear suspension offers up to 13.5-inches of motion control with torsion springs and a lightweight aluminum Fox Zero Pro shock with internal floating piston. Count in coupling blocks to keep the skis planted during both acceleration and cornering. The ‘R’ model’s FasTrack Long Travel system is a proven design and complements the previous generation AWS VI double-wishbone front suspension retained for the Crossfire models. Control and suspension modulation comes from preload adjustable, coil springs over Fox Zero Pro shocks. Front travel is up to 9.2 inches. The rider-forward F8 sports model has the same rear travel and its 9.5-inches of front travel is a bit more than the Crossfire R 8.

Built For Speed

Because Arctic Cat is not providing factory weights for anything other than its mountain-specific models, we can’t state positively that the ‘R’ is lighter than the F8, but we’ll bet it is. The Crossfire R is about speed.  It’s about giving in to the Firecat customer who wants less weight and more top end. The serious Firecat addict should really like the Crossfire R 1000 with its 999cc liquid-cooled twin. That’s the speedier version, but the Crossfire R with the 794cc twin is pretty darn good, too.

As with the Crossfire models, the ‘R’ ski stance can be adjusted from a narrow stance of 42 inches out to 44 inches. Most dealers likely will set the sled with the wider stance, which aids stability.

Weight Loss

The new 2009 Crossfire R 2-strokers enjoy the benefit of Cat’s electronic reverse, which operates via a simple handlebar-mounted push button. In addition to simplifying reverse, the changeover resulted in a quick drop of eight pounds.

The engine also comes standard with oil injection, Cat’s batteryless electronic fuel injection and 46mm throttle body intake. The exhaust tuner features Cat’s pipe sensor and power valve before dumping into a sound-deadening canister.

The drive system is all Arctic Cat engineering with RPM-sensing drive and direct drive driven. This is a proven power delivery system that can be tricked out with aftermarket upgrades for the extremely dedicated speed masters.

Simply Basic

When compared to the F-series, the Crossfire seems simple and somewhat basic. Although both the Crossfire R 8 and F-series F8 cost the same, share essentially the same powertrain and are within tenths of an inch the same in suspension travel, the purposes are quite different. We would expect the F8 rider to enjoy more trail versatility and greater overall ride comfort from the ride-forward ergonomics. The Crossfire R 8 rider will most likely get from one end of the lake to the other a bit quicker. Rest assured that Arctic Cat engineers did side-by-side speed testing of the Crossfire R models versus the previous generation Firecats. We believe them when they state the Crossfire R is quicker overall.

After all, that was the point. Give the whining Firecat owners a reason to move up to a new generation Arctic Cat. There should be enough reasons built into the ‘R’ models to justify the move for most Firecat owners. But we would advise against trading in your old Firecat. Hold on to it for a few years. It may become a collector’s item just as the 1970s version of the aluminum-bodied Yamaha SRX did. And what are they worth?

2009 Arctic Cat Crossfire R 8 Specs
Engine	Suzuki/Arctic Cat 794 2stroke, twin cylinder; liquid-cooled; batteryless EFI with 46mm throttle body
Horsepower	N/A
Drive	Arctic Cat ACT drive
Front Suspension	Arctic Cat AWS-VI — 9.2-in maximum travel; Fox Zero Pro shocks with preload adjustable coil-over-spring
Rear Suspension	Arctic Cat FasTrack Long Travel slide rail with coupling blocks — Aluminum-bodied Fox Zero Pro shocks; 13.5-in of maximum travel; hydraulic shocks
Length	121.0 in
Width	48.0 in
Ski Stance	42 to 44 in (adjustable)
Track	14 x 128 x 1.0
Weight	N/A
Fuel Capacity	12.2 US Gal
MSRP	US$9,799