On top of all the ACE 600’s whiz-bang-techno-stuff is the ability to attach a special DESS tether calibrated to limit speed to 70 kms/hr (40 mph).
This has valuable implications for rental fleets and, from what we’ve heard, a large portion of 900 ACE production will find its way to Ski-Doo’s large number of rental operators across North America.
You can get an ACE 900 in just about any chassis configuration Ski-Doo currently produces. There are 900s in XS MX-Zs and Renegades and there are 900s in XR bodywork covering the GTX 2-Upper.
Whichever body variant you choose, you ultimately want to know how its available power compares to known commodities.
Here’s our quick take: If you ride with your friends’ 600cc 120-hp 2-strokes, the 900 ACE is capable of keeping up on all but wide-open access road type trails. The torquey response of the ACE allows for some nice corner-to-corner massaging that’s very satisfying.
However, if you’re on a lake or running in four inches of untramped snow, you’re not going to keep up with 600 2-strokes on fast trails or, particularly, on lakes.
Here’s the verdict: The 900 ACE is targeted at those riders who want mid-range trail-type performance and the operating and durability advantages of a 4-stroke.
Although we would not classify this as an extreme high performance engine, it offers the owner a number of distinct features you could not get with an E-TEC or a bigger-inch 4-stroke, perhaps even more incredible gas mileage and one of the coolest electronic packages we’ve ever seen.