11 SLEDS THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING…AND HOW…

By 2009 the REV phenomenon had taken firm hold and if a snowmobiler wasn’t riding a REV by then, they certainly were riding a competing brand with rider-forward ergonomics.

The original REV had seated Ski-Doo in first place market share territory and its biggest problem was the marketing people felt owners might be growing tired of it.

In the works was an all-new REV that was going to take all the good of the old version and package it up in a sled that was lighter and more agile.

Ski-Doo claimed the new REV XP was going to be 50-lbs lighter than the former. To quantify that claim, the marketing department sent out 50-lb weights to members of the snowmobile media. It was an impressive claim and with an all-new bulkhead and ounces trimmed everywhere possible, the sled delivered.

Weight was a hallmark of the snowmobile industry in 2008 and everyone was convinced sleds should be lighter. It started a drive by all competitors to make claims they had pared down weight in their products.

Everyone’s subsequent designs were and still are planned today with weight management a priority, all because of the XP.

Here’s the kicker: Ski-Doo added-in an E-TEC 600 direct injection 2-stroke engine. This new-concept and completely revolutionary engine in this featherweight chassis simply put the competition in the rearview mirror.

WINNER: ARCTIC CAT ZR5000 LXR

The definition of value is really changing in the snowmobile world. At one time, it was all about barebones sleds, stripped of goodies and priced to sell for pocket change. These days it’s different; snowmobilers want it all…versatility, electronics, gas mileage, power and luxury features… all at a body-slammed price.

Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? Mark will tell you it is impossible because sleds that offer the above are all crippled by some kind of flaw. Easy for him to say; he only comments on sleds with every conceivable extra, priced just slightly on the outskirts of Uranus.

There is one sled that stands out from all the rest and I’ve been telling you about it for the last three years: The ProCross-based ZR 5000 is an amazing sled. It comes with full instrumentation, a 137-inch track, great ZR handling and an EFI 1056cc 4-stroke twin as strong as the USS Nimitz. This Suzuki-built twin makes 123-hp and drives through a set of TEAM clutches to deliver 2-stroke-competitive power with an ample dose of torque thrown in. Its reputation for durability is flawless.

Sure, Mark will tell you it only uses downgraded shocks… but what kind of a downgrade is a set of 1.5-inch IFP gassers blessed with all the attributes of Cat’s coupled Slide Action with torque links? Only Cat’s latest and best technology!

Even this sled’s track choice is an upgrade: A 137 RipSaw II with 1.25 lugs – and it makes the 5000 extremely agile both in powder and on hard-packed trails.

The 5000 LXR sells for thousands less than comparably equipped 4-strokes in its power range and many hundreds less than equal-output 2-strokes with long tracks. People, this is a true bargain in a culture racked with high prices. Mark, pay attention!

– Kent

RUNNER-UP: SKI-DOO RENEGADE SPORT 600 CARB 137

Yikes! Kent’s trying to hang you out with Cat’s geriatric, log-heavy, 1056 even-firing Suzuki twin powered ZR5000. Kent, why do you think Arctic Cat prices this sled so low and throws in so much standard equipment? Maybe because no one wants it?

Try being a little more insightful. That Suzuki twin is making its last trip through the brochure this year. It’s generator-esque, even-firing auditory cadence is old school. The time has come for a lithe, lightweight, perky and fuel-efficient 2-stroke alternative to your long-in-the-tooth 4-stroke selection.

The right answer to the value seeker’s search is the Ski-Doo 600 Renny Sport 137. This featherweight XP based ride is the real deal in deep, untramped snow, unlike your pick that requires Sikorski retrieval from even shallow boondocking adventures.

The Renegade platform has proven effective in deep snow, rides superbly on groomed or ungroomed trails while its carbed 110-hp Rotax mill makes the lead-filled 1056 look slow, even if it does have more horsepower out of the box.

This selection – that is, my selection – required maturity, discernment and a modicum of sno-mo-knowledge to completely understand.

Also: Try to not use the word “Uranus” in this fine publication.

– Mark

11 SLEDS THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING…AND HOW…

While the intro of the first Arctic Cat 660 triple cylinder 4-stroke barely blipped the meter, the exact opposite was true when the first factory turbocharged 4-stroke landed.

It sent shock waves through the entire business. The chatter was intense as power-hungry buyers anticipated stratospheric horsepower from the teeny-weeny 660 Suzuki automobile engine. Yep, car engine!

Amazingly, the braintrust at Cat figured a way to shoehorn a complete built-for-automobile-use power pack into the ZR chassis.

The turbo sat high-up, just under the windshield and glowed like a jack-o-lantern on WOT pulls down Kevlar Lake.

The reality of the T660 Turbo was this: The 110-hp triple produced enough turbo lag to allow for a light nap between whacking the flipper and feeling the boosted response.

Even though the engine didn’t produce the gargantuan HP the faithful dreamed of, the T660 worked its way into our hearts. I can remember giggling every time the boost finally lit up in the combustion chamber and the full 110-hp surge hit the clutches. At that moment the sled would rock back into the rear arm and haul!

The turbo surge was an experience snowmobilers were unfamiliar with and thus the T660 proved a very important point: Turbocharging could work on snowmobiles. It was only the beginning.

Later in its career the turbo 660 found a home in the Turbo Touring two-upper. This turned out to be a great place for the engine as these sleds became legendary for both high mileage, durability and stellar fuel economy.

We’ve met 660 Turbo owners with more than 25,000 miles on their Suzuki engines. As a result they still command respectable jing.

Mark and Kent Lester battle it out over their picks for the 2017 BEST IN CLASS AWARDS. THE ARGUMENT: Utter Versatility Means You Have To Look At Everything!

WINNER: ARCTIC CAT XF6000 CROSSTREK

Okay, I admit it – I love the ZR chassis. Simply, these sleds respond on the trail so perfectly, no matter what engine you choose, they are a pleasure to ride. Mark will tell you a ProCross is heavier than an AXYS or a Ski-Doo, and for once, he’s right.

I say this: Who cares? If there’s a couple pounds more weight with this sled, it sure has been used in the right places and besides, that DI 600 is awesome and makes enough power and torque to put other 600s in the rearview mirror…every time!

Okay, my argument for making the CrossTrek Best in Class in this category: It’s all about gearing up for a long ride and fearing neither long days on the trails nor detours into the powder. No, it’s not about mountain climbing or high-marking, it’s about carrying stuff, rider comfort and maybe even the occasional attendance of a second passenger. The latter is really optional.

The past two winters we’ve learned any 137-inch ProCross rides great, no exceptions, so the CrossTrek falls right into line. This fully coupled skid with a blend of 1.5 and 2.0 IFP gassers, delivers incredibly good compliance and even when the factory-included bags are loaded and other gear is stowed on board, it rides on trails with the smoothness of a Bentley Arnage.

Here’s the kicker for me: A 1.6-inch lugged Cobra track! I love this track and frankly, after riding one last year on a Yamaha, I never want to go back to a 1.25. 1.6 should be the industry standard for all tracks and although the hook-up benefit is great, its stopping power is incredible!

The CrossTrek 600 is one of those sleds you can keep for years and never get tired of. Its versatility as a trail sled and as flatland powder runner is ideal. Definitely the best!

– Kent

RUNNER-UP: POLARIS 600 SWITCHBACK ADVENTURE

Kent is actually making me nervous. Some of his BIC winners are credible this year. I think the Ginko-Biloba supplement I told him to take is finally working. Note to self: Tell him it kills libido. I don’t know if that’s actually true but it should scare him off the stuff.

Okay, the CrossTrek is an interesting adventure touring ride and I’m not going to say anything neg about the DSI 600 mill. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the Adventure Touring segment leader is the sled that coined the handle: Polaris Switchback Adventure.

Clearly, the SB Adventure delivers everything a hardcore rider wants: Superb flotation and deep snow-mobility, CleanFire 600 instantaneous power, perfect rider ergos and a flat-top seat that’s the industry benchmark for comfort and gymnastic rider mobility. I could go on, however, Kent’s confusion with my eloquent reasoning will only increase.

The SB started the whole tube bumper and industrial caliber rear rack thing. These welded aluminum pieces scream “I’m a hairy chested tough guy” while providing unequalled functionality.

Let’s say it succinctly, precisely and with sincerity: Polaris will forget more about the Adventure touring segment than Arctic Cat will ever know.

– Mark

Ski-Doo took a huge swipe at its competition when it unwrapped the original “beaver tail” REV.

Up to that point snowmobiles had become pretty much carbon copies of one another from brand to brand.

The standard was: Sit-down ergonomics, independent front ends (three of the OEMs were using trailing arms and only “radical” Arctic Cat offered double A-arms) and long travel skidframes with the driver sitting over the skid’s rear arm.

The new REV not only looked different, it really was different from tip to tail. The rider sat way forward, hugging the gas tank in a configuration similar to riding a motorcycle. The engine was moved rearward, closer to the middle of the sled to “centralize mass”, a concept only talked about and never executed until that point.

What stirred the public’s imagination was the fact Ski-Doo had been running REV prototype racers in snocross previous to the sled’s introduction and those sleds were cleaning up. The competition just couldn’t be as fast using conventional chassis layouts.

In 2002, when we had our first rides on prototype REVs in Quebec and Utah, we benchmarked them against several sit-down Ski-Doos on pretty aggressive trail rides. There was simply no comparison.

The REV could go faster over rougher terrain, could corner better (and the early version didn’t corner as well as it would later) and the rider was flat-out more comfortable on long rides, alternating easily between sitting and stand-up riding.

The REV was an unqualified win for Ski-Doo and rocketed the brand to first place in an eye-blink. It’s still there.

There’s a ton of new stuff on display at Ski-Doo’s annual dealer show and new product unveil in Reno, Nevada. In fact I had the privilege of riding and experiencing the new stuff a week ago in Valcourt.

So here’s what stands out to me – SHOT. It’s Ski-Doo’s (and Rotax) proprietary, never-been-done-before battery-less, motor-less electric starting system, which is so unique it’s a little confounding and mind boggling all at once.

Think of this reality. The SHOT system provides functional (with a couple limitations) push button start for just 2 pounds of extra weight. There’s no heavy lead acid battery, starter motors and associated brackets, which currently weigh in at 20-22 pounds on an average Ski-Doo.

The SHOT system arrives as a “Summit-only” mountain model factory option (the system cannot be dealer added). The limitations – at this point in history – are as follows…

You must rope start your 850 E-TEC in the morning and give it 2 minutes to charge the 2 pound capacitor. After this initial charge, the capacitor will re-charge after each subsequent re-start in about 20 seconds. The system only works on E-TEC engines as they always start (when warm) in less than a half crankshaft rotation. The capacitor will hold it’s charge for 30-45 minutes after shutting the sled off. Essentially, mountain riders who do a lot of fiddling, digging, rolling and otherwise helping each other in a day’s riding will only rope their 850 once each day.

Why do I think the ground is shaking? My immediate question to the engineers at Ski-Doo was: “If the capacitor weighed 4 pounds could it maintain a charge all night and become the new way to start any E-TEC?”.

I’m sure this issue is on the minds of the brain trust at Ski-Doo, but can SHOT follow the same development path the very first RER system did when it first reversed a humble single cylinder Tundra way back in the 90’s?

If this technology – which uses the stator as the electric starter motor – can be honed and further developed, the day may not be far off when push button start weighs in at 2 pounds.

Think I’m crazy? When that first RER hit the ground I heard tons of comments how it wouldn’t work with a twin, a triple, with exhaust valves, with certain clutches and secondary’s and the list went on.

Now, RER and its licensed variants on Arctic Cat and Polaris sleds is standard across all 2 stroke models. Arguably 20-30 pound mechanical reverse gear systems are history – gone and forgotten.

These guys at Ski-Doo are pushing the boundaries of sno-mo-technology. Yes, the ground is shaking and there is most certainly more to come from this mysterious, revolutionary and effective starting system.