Certainly Yamaha has made good use of a good thing. That good thing we’re talking about is the 1049cc triple used in the Vector, Venture, Viper and in 7000-Series Arctic Cats.

The basic Vector chassis hasn’t seen a tremendous change since it was introduced in 2003. However, moving it to a rider-forward configuration a few years later (2006) amped up its appeal and sustained its viability as a very good trail sled.

Certainly, the intro of the Viper two years ago overshadowed the Vector and we even felt it may be the end of the road for it in 2016.

Yamaha surprised us with some major changes for next year and, after riding it in February, we think the all-Japanese model may have more life in it.

Two differences are the intro of an all-new skidframe in two sizes – 129 and 146-inches and a new electronic throttle control system called YCCT.

First, the throttle. This electronic control differs from Ski-Doo’s handlebar mounted system in that the servo is located under the hood on the throttle bodies.

A cable runs from the handlebar flipper to the servo and it makes the whole thing seem completely seamless. If no one told you it was there, you’d never be aware of it. There are three driving modes with this set-up and you toggle them from the speedometer.

The new SingleShot skidframe is up to 10-lbs lighter than the former Monoshock setup and works at least as well, if not better. It’s particularly good in stutters and chop at low and medium speeds and we found it resisted bottoming very well at higher end speeds.

This skid uses plastic coupler blocks and if we had a choice we’d go for the 146. Even on tight trails we found the 146 Vector turned-in well with the extra track length and the bonus of more floatation is really tempting on a sled that tends to be a bit more obese than the Viper. As it is, the 129’s performance is still very good and there is a weight saving with the shorter track.

The Vector’s riding position seems a bit outdated and our taller riders were complaining about its ergonomics. However, riders about 5’9″ and less were happy with the layout and when riding it, felt the changes this year were truly noticeable.

The LE version of the Veck comes with Yamaha’s performance damper system and it’s about the smoothest sled you’ll ever ride. Engine mods this year don’t necessarily produce more power but we felt this version was plenty fast and the kind of sled you could ride on a long trip and be very happy with.

There was a lot of new technology at Snow Shoot (the industry’s 2016 new model introduction to the press) held in West Yellowstone, Montana earlier this month. One we really took to was Fox’s Quick Switch/3 Position shocks available on a number of models for 2016.

We suspect there’s been behind-the-scenes hanky-panky with these shocks.

First, lets say this – every sled these dampers appeared on impressed the entire Supertrax/Snowtrax crew.

On all the Arctic Cat ZR Limiteds (and El Tigre) these shocks did not just improve ride quality they tangibly altered the way the ProCross chassis handles terrain.

The simplicity of their adjustability and their range of adjustment in just three clicks was doggone impressive.

The shocks did the same thing (but not quite as profoundly) on Yamaha’s Viper models using QS-3’s. Why not quite as impressive? We suspect Yamaha did not go as far as Cat with front arm and rear torsion spring recalibration (read: softer).

Finally, in a surprise move, the QS-3s showed up on Polaris’s 2016 AXYS 800 Adventure including a special QS-3 variant with an air chamber and a Schraeder valve and manual pump to add more spring to the rear arm when an optional passenger seat is added.

The plot thickens. At the Polaris Sneak Peek event in early January we were told (but did not see the AXYS Adventure 800) the sled would come with a unique rear arm Fox air assisted shock. Not a mention was made of the QS-3 name or that the front arm and both front ski shocks would be QS-3s.

Why do we mention this? We had heard rumblings Arctic Cat worked a cooperative program with Fox to bring these new shocks to market on an exclusive-use basis.

Suffice it to say there were no smiles in the Cat camp when this topic was raised. We have a strong suspicion this ain’t over.

Some of our more seasoned readers (read: older) will remember in 1997 Fox got themselves in a pickle with Arctic Cat by selling Cat’s proprietary “Remote Front Arm Adjuster” shock system to Polaris.

An ensuing legal battle resulted in the recall of all those shocks from 1997 model year Polaris XCR 440SP race sleds. Stay tuned.

We’re a bit surprised at some of our readers’ and viewers’ feedback after reading about Ski-Doo’s new Renegade Enduro.

In our opinion, this was one of the best 2016 models offered by Ski-Doo and our SnowTrax and Supertrax test riders pretty much universally agreed it was a great move to upgrade to this more macho version of what was once the GSX.

Some of you commented this was just a camouflage job and the Enduro was really not much different sled than the GSX.

In some ways this is true but as BRP says: “The proof is in the riding”. To be fair, the Enduro does use an air shock system like the GSX did in its rMotion skidframe and has a 137-inch track, also like the GSX. However some key changes give this sled a completely different flavor than its predecessor.

First, the Enduro uses a new version of the XS bodywork that is only differentiated from an MX-Z by its flared side panels.

From the outside you can barely tell the difference styling-wise, but it provides better wind resistance than an XS and apparently, even though it is narrower than the XR was, combined with the mid-height windshield, the shelter factor is about the same for the rider.

The Enduro comes with Ski-doo’s new TS adjustable skis, where you simply dial in more carbide to suit trail conditions and an Ice Ripper with carbide tipped studs built into the track) track which vastly improves acceleration and grip.

Since we first rode the Enduro a month ago Ski-Doo has added electronic reverse instead of manual and the Enduro is now offered in two colors: the camo-military beige (our preference) and now, jet black.

We put the most miles on versions of this sled with the 1170 4-TEC and the 800 E-TEC 2-stroke. Although our first choice is the 800, we were impressed with the 4-TEC and its new ITC intelligent throttle control set-up.

There is some varied opinion on ITC around here but the bottom line is it improves the throttle lag situation a little and makes it much easier to move the sled around in tight situations such as putting it on a trailer or parking it in a garage (we’ve found it’s easiest to just flip the switch onto ECO when you’re maneuvering in tight spaces at low speeds).

With the extra grip of a pre-studded 137 and that 800 mill, you can rock this sled on all kinds of trails and the ski combo, along with rMotion, means the handling is flat-out excellent. Best of all is the adjustable air-ride which is simply and absolutely premium.

We’ll go on record as saying we love this sled and think it deserves to be a big success.

Drive by wire (DBW) technology is spreading in the Ski-Doo camp (and at Yamaha) this year with the addition of an Intelligent Throttle Control (ITC) system on the popular and updated 4-TEC 1170 engine and drive-by-wire on Vector and Venture 1049cc triples from Yamaha.

The ITC system on Ski-Doo’s 1170cc 4-TEC was admittedly (by Ski-Doo) put into play to counter what we’ve been griping about for over five years – throttle lag. Does ITC system have any effect on what we now refer to as “Delayed Throttle Pick Up” or DTPU? In a word, yes.

However we rarely use just one-word answers around here, so here goes. I would personally suggest the use of ITC on the 1170 has reduced DTPU by 60-percent in my estimation.

Is this improvement noticeable? Yes. However the situation still lingers and the 1170 suffers by comparison to the Yamaha. Here’s why: Interestingly, in the same year Ski-Doo decides to address DTPU with ITC, Yamaha comes to the market with its own version of drive-by-wire throttle control.

Before we go any further, let’s say this: The biggest compliment any DBW system could receive from a user would be “This has drive-by-wire? I couldn’t tell”. This is precisely what we experienced with the 1049 Yamahas equipped with YCCT (Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle).

If Yamaha hadn’t introduced YCCT we might have been more pumped about ITC on the 4-TEC. However, Yamaha has clearly aced this technology and is the benchmark for DBW in the immediate future.

By the way, ITC on the 4-TEC includes three throttle modes. Our feeling is this: Does anyone buying a 130-hp performance snowmobile really care about ECO Mode?

The name Snow King Special or SKS defined Polaris’s ultimate long-tracked sleds a couple of decades ago. Then things got very serious and the Rocky Mountain King (RMK) name became the company’s definitive handle for mountain riders.

For 2016 the SKS is front and center again with all the sizzle of Polaris’s ultimate mountain sled, the Pro RMK, now using the fresh AXYS front clip and low mounted 800HO engine introduced last year.

The main difference between the two is the SKS does not utilize the lighter belt-drive Quick-Drive system you get with the Pro RMK. This is a clue to the market the SKS is targeted at.

Although the belt final drive is lighter, there are less gearing combos available than with a conventional chain case. This drive benefit makes the SKS appealing to a wider range of freeride and pure mountain users without sacrificing much in the way of performance.

As it is, the 2016 AXYS-based Polaris mountain sleds have dropped considerable weight compared to the last RMK version and feature some critical ergonomic and balance changes that make them incredible deep snow performers.

The SKS and the Pro RMK use the new forged aluminum upper and lower A-arms – actually the first production mountain sleds to ever go this far, and the 3-lb lighter redesigned mountain skidframe with Swiss Cheese rails that have been computer designed for efficiency.

Taller spindles are used and overall more ground clearance is available so the sled slithers through powder with less resistance and digs out of powder much quicker. There’s an extra bulkhead cooler added to the SKS so it can handle more sparse or frozen-down snow conditions and longer riders to your fave powder playground.

The SKS comes with a choice of three tracks in 155-inch lengths. There’s a 2.4-incher or a 2.6 (Series 6) or a Peak 2.25, ideal for freeriding. Unlike the Pro-RMK, the SKS uses piggyback Walker-Evans clickers up front and has extra idlers in the skidframe to take advantage of the varying snow conditions it’s designed to be used in.

Our mountain test riders were very impressed with this sled and felt it could climb nearly everywhere an RMK could go, turns extremely well in off-camber situations and was very maneuverable in powder or when side-hilling.

Any weight handicap (compared to the super-light RMK) was masked thoroughly by the sled’s balance and agility in a wider assortment of riding situations. Keep in mind, this sled is probably close to the same weight as last year’s Pro-RMK but has all the AXYS features of the new-generation platform.