First impressions : Arctic Cat F 800 Tucker Hibbert Race Replica

I rode almost 1 000 km on the F 800 Tucker Hibbert Race Replica and it is time now to report my first impressions on this snowmobile.

Right at first sight, we notice its remarkable look and its sport character. The special edition offers many components found on the machines used by Arctic Cat Race Team (ref. our article presenting this model ). However, the snow and trail conditions I have known until now did not allow me to appreciate the full capability of this snowmobile, but our season is just beginning !

Those were my comments about the technical and design features of this model. Now, you must be interested to know how this machine performed on trails.

After just a few kilometers, I was very impressed to be able to ride the F 800 RR so easily. Minimal efforts are required and it offers great precision. The shape of the seat and tank pads allows the rider to switch easily and quickly from seated to standing. So, it is very easy to ride on sinuous circuits.

When negotiating turns on trails, the skis keep in touch with the surface, thus providing a good stability to the snowmobile. Also, there was almost no darting.

The twin-cylinders 800 cc engine is very powerful and provides very interesting performances. Responses at the end of turns are nearly instant. Even if this is a powerful 2-stroke engine, I was happy to see that fume and odor emissions are minor when the engine is warmed up.

This model is not equipped with an electric start. After all, it is a replica of a race snowmobile ! So, weight is an important factor. Despite that, I did start up the engine at about -35 °C. Of course, I had to operate the manual starter 3 or 4 times and then, the engine started correctly.

Now let’s talk about the suspension. We must keep in mind that this snowmobile is in the snocross category. So, the suspension is very rigid in order to perform on uneven terrains. If you prefer a snowmobile to ride on freshly groomed trails, the F 800 RR is not for you. However, if you have fun negotiating turns or riding on uneven, bumpy and tough circuits, then the F 800 Tucker Hibbert Race Replica is designed for you !

On the very beginning of the season, I had the opportunity to ride on a trail that had not been groomed, mostly covered with big bumps from 30 to 45 cm on a few kilometers. So, I can say that I have tested the suspension on this type of terrain and the F 800 RR passed the test easily. Even at high speed, both front and rear suspensions did absorb bumps easily and I was able to keep full control of the machine since it remained stable at all time.

During the coming weeks, I will keep on testing this model so that I can present you a more complete review. You are invited to follow the test of the Arctic Cat F 800 Tucker Hibbert Race Replica all season long. Personally, I can’t wait to sit again on this great snowmobile and ride for kilometers !

Many thanks to our partner, Arctic Cat Pro Performance Matane , who made this long-term trial possible on the 2013 F 800 Tucker Hibbert Race Replica. For more details on all the Arctic Cat models, please contact them at the following address :