WHY NOT?! That’s our answer in two words. However you know we never stop at just two word explanations so let’s dive-deep into this question.

From ten thousand feet we’ll say this: It was way past time for a rejuvenation of the 600 snowmobile segment. What completely blows us out of the water is Ski-Doo missing this opportunity. I have to wonder if the development engineers at Polaris didn’t exhale a huge sigh of relief when Ski-Doo levelled the new 600R just two seasons ago. It was strongly rumored Ski-Doo might do the same thing to the 600 class it did to the 800 segment.

ONE-UP-MAN-SHIP

Ski-Doo had, at the very least, something to do with Polaris launching a 650. We suspect when Polaris discovered Rotax was readying an 850 for an MY 2017 intro in an effort to re-invent the 800 class, Polaris saw this as a gold-plated opportunity to do the same to the largest volume engine segment in the biz, the 600 class.

WHAT ABOUT RACING?

Let’s get this misconception out of the way. There’s been scuttle Polaris will leave snocross racing as a result of the intro of the 650 Patriot. This is bunk. Polaris will continue to build race sleds; albeit precious few race sleds are built yearly by any OEM as a result of reduced homologation thresholds.

Polaris is not concerned about reshaping race classes to accommodate its new 650. The current 600 engine will continue to see service in limited-build Polaris race sleds.

IS IT REALLY BETTER?

No. The new 650 Patriot is way, way better than any 600 currently offered in the industry. It is faster, more powerful and produces better trail torque and mid-range response. That includes Ski-Doo’s 600R and Arctic Cat’s much loved 600 Dual Stage Injection (DSI) 600.

A very satisfying spin-off benefit of the new 650’s pedigree linkage to the Patriot 850 is the same proprietary engine mounting system that eliminates the use of the universally problematic torque stop. If the new 850 Patriot is smooth then the new 650 is a hot knife through butter. This is the new standard for engine vibration management.

Arctic Cat has been proving its commitment to the sno-mo-biz in MY 2021 with the intro of solid performing, all-new models and breaking into a new segment with the BLAST and its variants.

Frankly, we think Cat is as committed to the industry as it’s ever been and intends to stay in the business for a long, long time.

Here’s what we’re speculating on: What does the 2-stroke future look like at AC?

Although Cat leads the industry in the power department with the Thundercat, its meat and potatoes product line is its 2-strokes – specifically its biggest inch 2-stroke, the new SDI 800 twin. This engine finds a home in so many different types of Arctic Cats – Trail, Crossover, Mountain – even Utility – that it provides a significant allotment of the company’s sales.

It’s no secret, although the 800 CTEC2 is a very powerful and fast 160-ish-horsepower engine, Ski-Doo and Polaris are both offering 850s. That sizzle factor alone – more displacement – is something the engineers at Cat have to deal with, and so do their dealers in the showroom wars.

We have zero doubt Cat is working – right while I’m writing this – on a larger version of the 800. Could it be a new 850 to be introduced in MY 2022? Dunno – but here’s what I’m thinking and the more I mull it over, the more I could see it happening.

We would not be surprised if Cat completely hurdled over the 850 2-stroke fence and introduced a new 900 twin. Yes, Cat already offered a Suzuki-built 900 twin almost two decades ago – and it was very successful.

It’s a different day now, though, and 2-stroke engines are much more refined and way more technical. Using nice clean, lean Semi-Direct Injection tech and all the balance refinements of new big-inch engines, a Cat 900 could be a homerun.

It would immediately grab the attention of the market and put the company a giant leap ahead of the competition. Cat would instantly go to the front of the bus!

A 900cc SDI 2-stroke could make power in the 170-plus range, be EPA certifiable and blow the socks off the lake racing public.

My guess is, if this were to come true, Cat would take the same route Polaris did by offering both the new 900 and the current 800 in the same models. Even the high performance market has some limitations and, depending on pricing, those shoppers may feel the 800 is more than sufficient for them.

We like this theory – and it’s purely speculative at this time, but wouldn’t it be an exciting development?

We think it makes a lot more sense than coming with a me-too 850!

It looks like Ski-Doo’s decision to offer a turbocharged 2-stroke production engine was a good one. The Summit turbo and for 2021, the 850 Turbo Freeride, begs the question if there’s a bigger plan up ahead.

Most certainly, from the time the turbocharged 850 Summit was introduced in January, trail riders and lake runner’s imaginations have been running loose. You can only dream in Technicolor about a 200-plus horsepower turbo Renegade or MX-Z. Is it a pipe dream or not?

Ski-Doo put a lid on rumors pretty soon after the Summit appeared indicating the idea of a factory built turbo-2-stroke was only designed for higher altitude use and that under no circumstances does the turbo 850 produce more than the 165 max HP it is designed to produce at sea-level.

It is never-ever-never-ever intended for trail or lake sleds at sea level. That doesn’t mean that savvy computer gurus can’t tweak (and are doing exactly that) the waste gate controller on the new turbo.

Sounds like it makes sense – but the last time I heard, Ski-Doo was in the business of selling snowmobiles!

From everything we’ve heard SD does not intend to use the 850 engine with added turbo boost on trail sleds. Why? By the engineers’ open admission this engine was designed to produce and is maximized at 165-hp. To deliver more power using a turbo would require bigger rods, bigger crank and other expensive re-tooling activity which would amount to a whole new engine. The engine isn’t designed to deliver 200-hp, however, it is designed to deliver 165-hp reliably in the thin air at 8000-ft thanks to a turbocharger.

Having said all that, in our opinion, if this engine-turbo combo proves to be reliable, there’s a chance you’ll see a beefed up and massaged version on more sleds – including flatland models. I mean, really, can you imagine a 200-hp lake sled that was actually, genuinely light? Wow, we’re liking it!

Here’s another thought – and it’s a big deal. Ski-Doo is fighting to keep the market share dominance it has accumulated over the last fifteen years. What if a competitor beat them to the punch and offered an 850 Turbo Indy or a Procross 800 Turbo – even a Yamaha whatever with a turbocharged 2-stroke? It sends shivers up our combined spines thinking about it!

And another thought: Guess who is in the business of manufacturing turbochargers these days? Yep, Ski-Doo makes its own TBCGRs right in the Rotax plant in Austria and has a considerable use for them.

We wonder if once the shoe has dropped and the market has been toe-tested, if there’s a possibility Rotax might deliver a turbo 2-stroke for the masses.

We’re calling the new RIOT X “crossover” this year’s winner of the “Mysterious Sled” award! Why?

Last year’s RIOT X, targeted at the buyer who was about 60-40 into powder riding versus trail riding, was an efficient crossover that could perform decently on the trails but really excelled in the deep stuff.

This year’s RIOT X has targeted the 90-10 ratio of riders who ride 90-percent in the powder and only use their “crossover” to get from their staging area to the hills. To call this sled a crossover is like looking at an emu with its head stuck in the sand.

After riding it, you just can’t deny this is a mountain sled with a short track and softer calibrated, more adjustable suspension.

It uses Cat’s very powder-specific Alpha single rail skid and that feature alone sets it apart from the competition’s crossover sleds.

Although our test team in West Yellowstone, Montana loved the RIOT X Alpha in the powder and the trees – and claimed it was absolutely incredible for handling due to its relatively short 146-inch track length and 2.6 paddles, they much preferred the true crossover RIOT with its dual rail suspension and shallower paddle, for trail use. It was pretty much agreed the dual rail, plain vanilla RIOT was the Polaris Assault’s best competitor.