BRP’s off-road division, Can-Am, recently introduced a new Side x Side vehicle called the X3.

This thing is totally radical and for all-the-world looks like a cross between a desert racer and a trophy truck.

Here’s what’s interesting to snowmobilers: The X3 uses a version of Ski-Doo’s 900 ACE 4-stroke triple boosted with a turbocharger. Bottom line? It makes 154-hp and runs as smooth as silk.

When our test riders (from our off-road televison show, Dirt Trax) rode the X3, they came back raving about its engine. Apparently it makes big-time torque down low, has almost no turbo lag and cranks power like an engine double its displacement.

The 900 ACE has been consumer proven for a number of years in snowmobiles and in Sea-Doo personal watercraft and has shown itself to be durable when operating in the 90-hp range.

Knowing Ski-Doo’s penchant for building 4-strokes that last, we think the company was actually being conservative pegging the turbocharged version’s output at 154-ponies.

Based on what we’ve seen with other turbocharged 4-strokes in the snowmobile biz, big displacement isn’t always necessary to get big power. Remember Cat’s original 660cc triple? It made about 115-hp and was fairly conservatively boosted. Polaris came with a 750 Weber with a turbo and that engine made 140-hp with a boost cycle that could give you over 160 stallions for a short interval when you tipped-in the throttle.

Yes, we think Ski-Doo is working on a 900 ACE with a turbo and it will make over 165-hp, giving buyers the opportunity to go 4-stroke in the same range as the Gen 4 850.

You’re asking us why Polaris doesn’t build 4-stroke sleds. Here are some reasons:

1. Tried it and it didn’t work.

Polaris offered a couple of 4-strokes from the early 2000’s up until a couple of years ago and they just didn’t knock the socks off the market in the sales department.

You’ll recall the company started with a very low-key economy sled making about 60-hp in the Indy platform in the early and mid-2000s and then graduated to an IQ Turbo 2-cylinder later on. We loved that sled and it was bullet-fast. Unfortunately it didn’t sell very well.

2. The AXYS may not be hospitable to the type of 4-stroke Polaris should build.

Ever since we first saw it and rode it, we’ve felt the AXYS would make a fantastic foundation for the company’s dreamy 1000cc 4-stroke twin currently used in its off-road program.

This versatile engine platform can produce anything from 90 to 160-hp (when turbocharged) and would fill the gaps in Polaris’ model selection beautifully.

The problem is: Will consumers respond to a twin when the hottest thing is a 4-stroke triple? Also. Will a triple fit into the AXYS without spoiling its strong points?

3. Polaris is doing just fine building 2-strokes.

The company currently holds a firm grip on second place market share with nary a single 4-stroke in its sales brochures. It’s tough to argue with success and Polaris AXYS sleds are the lightest in the industry with incredibly good handling.

Why compromise it when the percentage points of 4-stroke sales are about 25-30-percent of the total market?

It’s been over a decade since Yamaha made the commitment to build only 4-stroke snowmobiles.

Thus, it’s been more than ten years since the company introduced a new 2-stroke engine.

Sure, there are some reasons we think Yamaha should consider building a deep-powder-market 2-stroke. However, here are some reasons it won’t happen:

1. Yamaha firmly believes the 4-stroke engine is the future of snowmobiling.

If you look into the crystal ball and think about what sleds will be like 10 to 15 years from now, Yamaha honestly believes, based on future emissions standards and overall durability/customer satisfaction, the 4-stroke is what snowmobilers will be riding.

Why invest in technology the company sees as obsolete?

2. The mountain market is only a portion of the total snowmobile business.

Yes, Yamaha owns excellent direct injection patents for 2-stroke engines and Its DI system has been consumer-proven on outboards for a number of years.

That being said, why tool up an all-new 2-stroke engine platform when your target market (deep snow) is probably only 25-percent of the total market? The fact is Yamaha is doing a decent job with 4-stroke mountain sleds, albeit they are not the answer for all mountain riders.

3. It’s hard to reverse the cycle when you’ve invested years in convincing everyone you’re on a different path.

The fact is Yamaha hasn’t done badly selling only 4-strokes. The 1049 triple is a very popular engine and operates very much like a 2-stroke in its Arctic Cat ProCross chassis. Furthermore, Yamaha-philes love 4-strokes and aren’t pleading for a 2-stroke.

The 4-stroke sell is complete and although Yamaha won’t convert huge masses of hardcore 2-stroke users over to its side, they are grabbing a decent share of the market.

Now that Ski-Doo has dropped its G4 850 onto the snowmobile world, it looks like the next thing to ask is: “What about the 600-class?”

It only makes sense Ski-Doo intends to make the G4 REV its next exclusive platform for all of its models. This means its 600cc sleds will adopt the G4 fingerprint too. There’s more to it than meets the eye, though.

A close examination of the G4 reveals its 850 E-TEC is a uniquely designed engine with extremely narrow cases so it can be mounted in the center of the belly pan. When we say center, we mean side-to-side, not just fore-and-aft.

The idea was to allow the sled to be built as narrow as possible for off-trail freestyle ventures into deep powder and for mountain applications. Narrowness is good in these environments because it allows the sled to be much more maneuverable when laying the sled on its side in deep snow when pivoting and also to reduce drag from the bodywork (paneling) in deep snow.

Back to our 600cc theory: First, if Ski-Doo even comes with a 600 again (it could be a 650 and cause a re-write on all the rules in this class) it will likely be a completely new 600 E-TEC with many of the durability features offered on the 850 (steel ring lands for the pistons and exclusive crank oiling, including a throttle body oil injection site) and narrower dimensions using the 850’s stator.

This means a new set of blueprints and the opportunity to really go one-up on the competition.

This is pure speculation but we’re wondering what Yamaha has in mind for the 2018 Viper.

There are a couple of factors that are playing into our theory for a big revamp of the Viper.

First, the current Cat-based Viper is in its third year and wasn’t changed much last year. Second, the Vector underwent some big changes last year, but is still being overshadowed by the Viper. Third, the Vector has some new technology, like the SingleShot skidframe and electronic throttle control (YCCT) the Viper doesn’t have.

When we put it all together we could see a new Viper with electronic throttle control, the new SideWinder roller secondary clutch and the new Yamaha-designed SingleShot skid.

We’re thinking elements of the new SideWinder bodywork might even show up on the Viper.

These changes would separate the Viper much more from its Arctic Cat counterparts and give it the Yamaha distinctiveness the company seeks.

Changes like this would likely give Yamaha much more incentive to deep-six the Vector – a move Yamaha hardcores would no doubt lament, but one that is probably necessary given the huge selection of Viper models offered.

A question you’ve been asking is what we think Polaris will do with the 121-inch Indy.

Frankly, we love the current Indy but know Polaris needs to inject some enthusiasm into that particular model, and soon.

As it is, the Indy has been demoted to a 600cc bargain sled in the brochures and it’s not because it isn’t a good snowmobile – it’s just a bit outdated compared to the other available performance Polarii built on the newer AXYS platform.

Our thinking takes us to current sleds now being offered on the AXYS-Indy platform – the in-tunnel 2017 Switchback 144 and Voyageur 144. We think the next Indy will definitely be built with a similar AXYS front clip but with a 121-inch track.

Will there be a return to an 800? Dunno, but we do know that a 121-inch 800HO AXYS-Indy would be way, way fast! It might be faster than an AXYS RUSH and we don’t think that’s the result Polaris wants.

If it remains a 600 with the new AXYS 600, we’re okay with that, too, but think Polaris might be missing out on something really good with an 800 Indy.

Another thought we’ve had is increasing the RUSH with Pro XC external shock to a baseline 129-inch track length (like the competition) and keeping the Indy as the company’s high value 121-inch product. This would be a win-win for snowmobilers and allow Polaris to cover more bases in the performance category.

Essentially Polaris could dump the in-tunnel Indy altogether and just rename a slightly trimmed down 120-inch RUSH the Indy.

WEIGHT:

Probably the single biggest attraction with a 2-stroke is its ability to generate plenty of power from a lightweight power source.

Most 2-strokes make similar power to 4-strokes nearly twice their displacement and using several times more parts.

COLD WEATHER STARTING:

Historically, 2-strokes, particularly those equipped with EFI, have been sure bets to start in extreme low temperatures. This is not always the case with 4-stroke sleds.

SIMPLICITY-COST EQUATION:

There are far less parts in a 2-stroke engine than in a 4-stroke. Although maintenance may be required at a younger age, the parts and labor cost to do a renewal is far less than on a 4-stroke when major work is required.

FUEL MILEAGE:

Unbelievably, fuel consumption on the newest generation 2-strokes is the same and often slightly better than on comparable output 4-strokes.

LOWER PURCHASE PRICE:

2-strokes generally cost several percentage points less than a 4-stroke with comparable power.

TORQUE:

Depending on its displacement, a 4-stroke’s power curve tends to favor higher torque output at primary clutch engagement RPM.

Some of this is affected by the fact most 4-strokes use more displacement to get the same horsepower.

For instance: A 600cc Polaris 2-stroke and a Cat-Suzuki 1,056cc 4-stroke make around 125-hp, however, there’s a big difference in torque between the two, particularly in the lower RPM ranges.

LONGEVITY:

It’s a fact that 4-stroke snowmobile engines live a longer life before there’s major maintenance needed. Meanwhile 2-strokes will inevitably need a top-end rebuild once the miles get into the teens.

NO CARRYING OIL:

Since a 4-stroke is not consuming its oil the way a 2-stroke does, you don’t have to carry any when you’re on a long trip or spend extra riding time looking for a place to buy more oil to top up.

ELECTRIC START AND REVERSE INCLUDED:

Going back over the last 14 years, you’ll be hard pressed to find any 4-stroke sled that doesn’t have both ES and reverse. Not so with 2-strokes.

RESALE:

Although the initial cost of a 4-stroke may be higher, you generally get the money back and more when you go to sell a used 4-stroke sled in good condition.