A couple of weeks ago Supertrax had the opportunity to ride all the new 2014 models in Montana. Just so you know, the elevation was about 6,600 feet above sea level, so some of our engine evaluations are tempered by the high altitude. However, we did get a good chance to check out suspensions, clutching and handling on the key new sleds you’ve been waiting to hear about. Over the next days we’ll be filling you in on our riding experiences with these new sleds.

Okay, if you liked last year’s new Indy 600, you’re gonna love the ’14 Indy 800.

Lets clear this up right out of the gate: This was the fastest 800 we rode at altitude.

The combination of a super-light Indy shock-in-skid chassis and Polaris’ rock-solid 800 Cleanfire 2-stroke is a formidable blend. Throw in spot-on clutching and typical Polaris driveline efficiency and you’ve got a sled that really exceeds expectations.

Polaris has moved in a different direction here with a sled that appears to be lower-tech than its competitors, one of which is Polaris’s own 800 RUSH.

It uses the same double-coupled falling rate skidframe as the 600, it doesn’t have super-exotic shocks (Fox IFP gassers), it has the bare minimum gauge package by today’s standards and even has Plain Jane running boards.

However, it rides surprisingly well, delivers mountains of torque and has a muscular mid-range that keeps squeezing the belt relentlessly as you fingerwalk past the more exotic 800s.

Although it only comes with a 1-inch lugged track, we found it hooked up surprisingly well and out-accelerated the other sleds we matched it with.

Would it be better with a 1.25? Maybe, but Polaris claims the lower friction of this track is one of the reasons the sled accelerates so hard. We’re not complaining. This sled took us completely by surprise.

Pricing will be extremely favorable we’ve been told. This could be the biggest sleeper of 2014.

A couple of weeks ago Supertrax had the opportunity to ride all the new 2014 models in Montana. Just so you know, the elevation was about 6,600 feet above sea level, so some of our engine evaluations are tempered by the high altitude. However, we did get a good chance to check out suspensions, clutching and handling on the key new sleds you’ve been waiting to hear about. Over the next days we’ll be filling you in on our riding experiences with these new sleds…

By now you’ve likely heard enough stories about Yamaha and Arctic Cat sharing engines and chassis. Here’s our thinking on the motivation behind it and the potential result of this groundbreaking agreement.

Time to be honest. Yamaha had fallen behind in the tech-no-wars. Although the Apex was updated around 2010, it wasn’t a new product in a new segment, rather it was a freshening of an established design.

As a result of the worldwide recession hitting in late 2008, the company bolted the hatches in virtually all of its divisions except for increasing investment in the highly profitable low-tech scooter markets of the Far East.

When it’s all said and done, the Arctic Cat/Yamaha project bought four years of “catch-up” for Yamaha in its snowmobile division.

Here’s the good news: The ProCross chassis loves the Yamaha 1049 triple and the 1049 triple loves the Arctic Cat chassis. You don’t need much exposure to know the new Viper is already a winner and will improve Yamaha’s fortunes in the sno-mo-biz over the next twelve months.

The new Viper is everything we had hoped the 2008 Nytro would be. We’ve often lauded this engine as the best 4-stroke mill in the biz. We stand by that.

There’s no 130-135 horsepower 4-stroke delivering throttle response, torquey mid range and imposing top end as effectively as this motor. Yeah, we know Ski-Doo makes a 130-hp 4-stroke and so does Arctic Cat but this Yamaha triple is the benchmark.

Why is it so effective? Start with induction. It uses three (count ’em Doo talkers!) throttle bodies to deliver off-idle response that happens right now.

In fact the only thing you can compare the rat-ta-tat response of this 1049cc triple to is a 2-stroke. It’s that crisp.

The other issue with the 1049 is its three cylinders firing at 120 degrees. The triple cylinder configuration is just doggone right in the 130-hp class and this mill does it with 12 fewer pounds of metal than Cat’s Suzuki-built 1056cc twin. Go figure.

When you bolt this mill into the ProCross you get a superb handling snowmobile that’s stable on-center and nicely weighted in the turns.

The front end of the SR Viper turns-in precisely but is less edgy than a Ski-Doo XR. There’s a measure of forgiveness here that is confidence inspiring and holds clean bite to the apex.

Does this wide-spaced double A-arm front end understeer? If you charge the apex of a corner and carry a lot of throttle, only very slightly.

We sampled the Viper with different carbides and found dual carbides to be the most linear steering and dart-free on a wide variety of snow surfaces.

The 137-inch tracked SR Viper LTX impressed us most with its floating from arm, torque sensing link, torsion spring rear skid. This is a homerun model for Yamaha. We believe it will capture the bulk of sales.

We’d like to suggest Yamaha invest 12 cents in some stickers that indicate whether a Viper is using a 129 or a 137 inch skid. It’s difficult to tell what you’re looking at when you’re glancing.

More later on the newest, most intriguing snowmobile in the business for MY 2014.

For those who ride big-inch iron like 2-stroke 800s and 177-hp stock turbos, you have a certain expectation of how to grip the bars, the seat and hold on when you give the throttle a whack, right?

In this particular instance I completely miscalculated my adhesion potential. I lined up the end of the lake, found a nice, wide, hard-packed track line and proceeded to jam the loud handle to the bars. WOW!

With the fuse lit, the Turbo surged forward with such imposing thrust I literally (and I’m not ashamed to admit this) rolled back out of the throttle and re-wrapped my hands around the bars. I then dipped into paradise a second time.

Leaning forward and clenching the seat with my knees, the Birch Point modded Turbo accelerated like nothing I’ve ever experienced on snow.

The C-Note went by so fast the speedo couldn’t keep up. The sled’s coupled rear arm kept the nose mostly down with the skis about four inches off white-top.

The profound sensation I was bending the limits of traction, belt strength and probably connecting rod integrity was imminent and, well, exciting.

I held the sled wide open past 110-mph then turned around and did it all again, then again and again. Top speed is gearing limited on our Turbo to about 130-mph.

Heading back to World HQ, I was completely able to understand why Jeff equips dozens of Turbo Cats with this amazing package every year.

While I was out on the Mega-Turb I took it for a 12-mile trail ride and concluded my wife would be perfectly happy (and unaware of what lurked beneath) to ride the sled all day, provided she didn’t take the flipper into the warp zone.

This is one entirely, undeniably impressive modification, fully capable of siphoning a grown man’s credit card directly out of his wallet and onto the counter at Birch Point Cats.

+ Meth-Injected Arctic Cat Turbo: Part 1

There are a few things I’ve done on snowmobiles that are indelibly etched on my mind. Here’s one of them:
In a rather whimsical way we accepted Jeff Devolin’s (Birch Point Cats in Ontario, Canada) offer to take our 2012 Arctic Cat ProCross 1100 Turbo and equip it with a bevy of his own aftermarket tweaks. The full story of how this rolled out is in the current issue of Supertrax Magazine.

Get this: Devolin’s successful Arctic Cat store repeats this incredible hop-up over 50 times a season. When Jeff is done with your Turbo-Cat, your VISA card is somewhat flatter but your Turbo’s powerband is a lot fatter.

Jeff is a purveyor of the excessive and one visit to his Bobcaygeon, Ontario dealership will prove how bent he is on exceeding. Blown, injected and otherwise heavily modified offshore boats litter the premises – each of them sweet enough to make any gearhead drool.

In the winter, a group of modified Turbo Cats is almost always sitting around the dealership.

At first glance, our modified ProCross Turbo could pass for any garden variety Turbo in any corner of the snowbelt. It’s totally stealthy, to the point of possessing a socially acceptable exhaust note, albeit somewhat more throaty than the stocker.

The only clue you’re dealing with a fire-breathing monster is a rather odd clear plastic pipe with a black cap protruding in front of the handlebars next to the instrument cluster. This is the fill tube for methyl hydrate, otherwise known as windshield washer anti-freeze or “bug juice”.

Yeah, methyl hydrate injection. This simple system precludes the need for 110-octane race fuel by controlling detonation, a real problem when stuffing copious volumes of air and fuel down the throat of a Suzuki 1100 4-stroke.

Inasmuch as our Turbo-Cat is stealthy in its drive-by appearance, this part of the story is the stuff of legend: I had anxiously awaited the return of our massaged Turbo and as soon as its carbides touched white top here at Supertrax World HQ, I suited up and jumped on the attractive white and orange missile.

Flicking the key effortlessly lights the fire. Throttle response feels good, but not scary. I rolled out of the shop and down onto the lake.

Looking for a good spot to whack the loud handle I noticed how linear and civilized the Turbo responds to its throttle.

I naively assumed this sled would be merely impressive. Lets say that was among the most serious miscalculations I’ve ever made.

+ Meth Injected Arctic Cat Turbo: Part 2