Model year 2014 has been an interesting study in the buying desires of snowmobilers.

By far the biggest sellers this year have been the 130-hp Yamaha Vipers, Cat’s 7000 series models and the all-new 600 C-TEC2 El-Tigre. Even Ski-Doo’s new 90-hp 900 ACE engine has been a big hit. What do these models have in common?

The answer? They all fall into the middle of the market as far as horsepower offerings from their respective manufacturers.

Although the big-inch 800s and highest performance 4-strokes seem to get all the press, it looks like the bulk of buyers are actually looking at sleds producing less than 135-hp and big numbers are shopping in the 100-hp area.

It brings up an interesting point about snowmobilers. When the big check is finally written on the day of purchase, it looks like the vast majority of buyers do not make ultimate speed and acceleration their main priorities.

To be honest, though, we need to keep things in perspective. For instance, a 2014 600cc 2-stroke makes power very close to the highest level of performance offered ten years ago.

Adding to this is the fact the new sleds are much lighter and their power-to-weight is probably just as efficient or even better than those sleds were.

So, yes, most snowmobilers are still high performance buyers but there seems to be a plateau where the majority of them are satisfied.

At the top of the scale, does it mean there really is a horsepower ceiling buyers don’t wish to exceed?

Right now, the 2-strokes are in the 155-163-claimed hp range and the Cat Turbo is 177 (Apex is 162).

Think about this: What if the standard for an 800 2-stroke went to 170-plus ponies. Would there be more of them sold or less? Would it force buyers into a middle segment where the market offers less power, say 130-135-horses?

There’s no question buyers in the hyper-segment are always looking for more power. The bigger question is this: Would the OEMs actually sell more sleds in a higher power range than they do presently – or less?

Can-Am (a division of BRP), recently announced details of its newest 4-stroke inline triple to be used in the 2014 Can-Am Spyder Roadster.

This engine falls into the Rotax ACE (Advanced Combustion Efficiency) family and appears to be a completely clean sheet of paper compared to the current 1170cc 4-TEC 4-stroke triple used in Ski-Doo snowmobiles the last few years.

Yes, the question looms: Is this the new high performance 4-stroke we’ve been rumoring is coming for use in Ski-Doo’s snowmobile line-up? Although we have limited specifications on the new engine, it appears its calling card is torque.

Certainly, with 1330ccs displacement, it’s going to have a boatload of bottom end and although we suspect this engine has gained its displacement bump from a longer stroking crankshaft, it is still oversquare with a big 3.31-inch bore and a 3.14-inch stroke.

In order to be credible for a snowmobile, its horsepower output would need to be at least 150-hp and that figure would appear to be extremely attainable based on what we’ve seen from other ACE designs.

The upside of using this engine is its claimed clean air capabilities, its lightness and its super-efficient DOHC head design. It also uses the 900 ACE’s 3-mode electronic drive-by -wire throttle system.

Based on what we’ve seen so far, the 1330 engine used in the Spyder has its gear-on-gear transmission integrated into the crankcases in one piece.

Although we can’t be perfectly sure of this until we get a better look, it would seem, if the engine were to be used in a snowmobile, there would be a recasting of the block required without the tranny attached.

This procedure is completely doable and we suspect there would be further reworking of the engine to get it into the aforementioned 150-horse range required by a snowmobile. The 1330 ACE is not making that kind of power in the Spyder (Can-Am claims 115 Spyder horsepower and 96-ft/lbs. of torque).

As it is, the prospect of an all-new big-inch ACE powerplant from Ski-Doo would create some pretty big excitement in the 2015 model year!

Check out the video below to find out more.

We’ve had a chance to put some miles on the 2014 MX-Z XRS 800 and can offer you some feedback.

First, if you anted up for the extra bucks to buy this “most specialized MX-Z”, you probably made a good investment. Depending on how you ride it, the XRS is an extremely versatile sled.

Keep in mind, the XRS is targeted at extreme riding. Its race-honed chassis uses many of the tricks found in pure race sleds (particularly chassis and skidframe reinforcing).

Although its 800 E-TEC is exactly the same engine as found in any other MX-Z or Rennie, the clutching is calibrated a bit more aggressively but, frankly, it’s so hard to tell the difference, we could pass this sled off as an everyday trail sled.

Its big-bump prowess is paid off with a combo of giant fully adjustable Pro40 KYB gassers designed to deliver optimum protection from bottoming and the very best action possible when hitting square-edged bumps and consecutive whoopers at very high speed.

The big surprise is how well the XRS behaves over washboard and medium chop when the throttle is not pegged. There’s really no compromise required.

The rMotion with its external preload and damping adjusters on the running boards makes setup so easy, you can actually get it wrong and still have a decent performing trail sled.

We dialed all the settings way back (to one or two from the softest on the tunnel adjusters, both front and rear) and got amazing plushness without losing any high performance action.

We’ve added a higher windshield – the tiny stocker is just ridiculous for trail riding – and are about to install the second carbide runner on the skis.

We’ve found there’s a fair bit of darting with the single carbide stockers and steering effort is very high. As you know, this is a condition we hate but it’s actually pretty easy to fix if you ante up for the extra runners.

All in all, we ‘d give the XRS an A-plus rating – especially if you’re using it for the exact purpose it was designed for. Otherwise, for most trail riding, the TNT performs just as well.

Now that the waters have been thoroughly tested with the 2014 Viper Series, how many original Yamaha models will be replaced this year with Yamahas built in Thief River Falls?

It’s no secret the sales of the Viper have been awesome for Yamaha and the company hasn’t seen a sell-out like this on any model for a long time.

We’re pretty sure the Brass are going to be looking for even more ways to increase market share and “whip the pony” to get more focus on Yamaha’s product for the next round.

There are three sleds sitting on the bubble: The Phazer (a new lightweight, stripped down Procross version with the 80-hp twin seems like a possibility), the Nytro (already left in the rearview mirror by the Viper) and the Apex (demand for the Viper has completely overshadowed Yamaha’s traditional flagship).

We also think Yamaha is very interested in getting into the mountain market in a more meaningful way.

A Viper Mountain would be a no-brainer and would open up potential to get into a market that comprises nearly 25-percent of the whole snowmobile marketplace.

Based on our experience riding the 2014 Viper with a 137-inch track, we think a 154-incher or a 162 with the well-balanced 1049 triple could be a pretty competent vertical sled. If it was turbocharged… wow, lets not go there.

There’s one sure thing: Yamaha’s deal with Cat has been an unqualified success. With the exception of only a few Yama-faithful followers who hate the alliance, the results and acceptance from customers has been outstanding.

More models based on the alliance will only amp up the enthusiasm – and the profits!

It was pretty interesting when the 2014 factory snocross racers were revealed back in September.

The most obvious change to them was they were all equipped with 128 and 129-inch tracks.

This jump from 120 and 121-inchers for race sleds may be a precursor to what will happen with production trail sleds, too.

It’s a fact that longer tracked sleds are now outselling the shorter ones and the price differential between a 120-121 and a 136-137-incher is almost negligible.

In almost every case, demand drives the industry and it’s pretty obvious the demand is for longer tracks on sleds.

However, there’s still a big following for the shorter tracked sleds that offer the optimum in lightness.

There may be more people who would buy a sled that jumped from, say, 120-inches to 129 than buyers who would want to go all the way to a 137.

Interestingly, the weight difference between the two track lengths (120 to 137) is only about 11 pounds. If you consider the jump from 120 to 129, the weight gain would be about 5-6 lbs. Not much to worry about there and we’ve found the handling diferences to be minimal (Example: Arctic Cat’s 129 versus the 137 ProCross).

The gain in flotation with a 129 would make a big difference in the MX-Z and we already know how much better a Switchback 137 rides compared to the RUSH with a 121. It would work great with a 129.

Then there’s traction: Think about a big gain in bite from a longer track without any handling compromise and a penalty of only about 6-lbs.

Not much of a decision, is it?

Believe it or not, in less than a month we’ll be getting a sneak peek at all the new 2015 sleds.

It’s kinda crazy because we’re just getting on the snow with the 2014s right now and are pretty impressed with what we’re seeing.

It’s safe for us to guess what will be coming from the OEMs right now. However, after the reveal dates we can’t tell you much until the dealers have had a chance to look at them. Everything will be top secret until the end of January – maybe longer.

Over the holidays we’ll be doing more guessing about what’s coming but right now we’re pretty interested to see what Polaris will have for 2015.

Fact is, the Polaris line-up is pretty tight, particularly with the new Indys (fan-cooled, utility models and the 800).

We don’t expect anything too radical in the mountain market either and the Switchback X-Overs have been pretty solid sellers, as is.

There are two areas we think Polaris may be moving toward with change this year. One is a bodywork change for the RUSH. Although new plastic and graphics isn’t a lot to get excited about, it will put the spotlight on the RUSH again when the excellent Indy 600 and 800s have been stealing a lot of focus.

The second area we think Polaris will be tapping is its engine line-up. We think Polaris has had a new 2-stroke in the wings for a few years and now that both Ski-Doo and Cat have introduced very high-tech, super-fuel-efficient 2-strokes, the brass at Polaris will finally reveal a blockbuster new engine format (likely a 600 this year).

Also, the engine program will include at least one new 4-stroke engine.

Polaris has been in denial for too long in the 4-stroke category and although the 750 Weber Turbo is one of our fave 4-strokes of all time, the company needs to get in the hunt and satisfy that particular 25-percent of the market.