Arctic Cat, like all the other major ATV manufacturers, is keeping up with the times and offering ever more comfortable and well-equipped models. The 2011 TRV 550 Cruise is one of those new breeds of ATV, a high-end machine designed for two-up trail riding featuring power steering, a windshield, heated hand grips, aluminum wheels and a rear case that doubles as a passenger backrest.

The 2011 TRV 550 Cruise is a high-end machine designed for two-up trail riding featuring power steering. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Moto123.com)

The TRV line was aesthetically spruced up last year, inheriting a new seat and original body components that allow riders to better throw their weight around in corners. What’s more, a new, easier-to-use 2WD/4WD and Differential Lock switch allows you to concentrate on the trail ahead.

Small but capable
Thanks to its new, 545-cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, single-cylinder mill, the TRV 550 bounds forward at the slightest invitation. And with the extended torque range and excellent CVT (upgraded in 2010), it feels like a burlier engine is rumbling beneath you. The little mill effortlessly propels this hefty 353-kg (778 lb) machine along, surprising you with top speeds of 92 km/h, whereupon it runs out of steam a bit.

Another plus is the addition of an engine oil cooling radiator behind the conventional coolant radiator, which helps keep the engine from overheating when towing heavy loads at low speeds.

The TRV 550 calls on a continuously variable transmission that includes short, long and reverse gears and allows you to switch between 2WD and 4WD on the fly at any speed. In addition, hard-core adventurers will appreciate the TRV 550 Cruiser’s 100 % locking differential and winch with handlebar control.

The TRV 550 calls on a continuously variable transmission that includes short, long and reverse gears and allows you to switch between 2WD and 4WD on the fly at any speed. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com)