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SnowTrax Television 2019 – Episode 9 Sneak Peek

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SnowTrax Television 2019 – Episode 9 Sneak Peek

With an abundance of snow in Ontario, Canada, Luke trades one great winter for another and heads East for New Hampshire, to link up with Polaris Sales Representatives and Polaris Brand Ambassador, Lenn Johnson.

While there, Luke stays at Tall Timber Lodge and embraces a combination of both trail riding in NH and backcountry riding in Maine abroad a number of Polaris sleds including the 2019 Switchback Assault and Pro RMK.

Then in TEST RIDE AJ unleashes the true power of the 2019 Ski-Doo Renegade X-RS 900 ACE with his review of the high-profile turbo snowmobile.

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BEST 2019 TOURING SLED

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BEST 2019 TOURING SLED

The Lester Brothers are at it again bickering and arguing about their picks for the annual Supertrax Best In Class Awards!

WINNER: SKI-DOO GRAND TOURING

With two new 2019 engines in tow, we fully expected this year would bring a change to Ski-Doo’s Grand Touring line-up.

The new 600 E-TEC is an exciting entry but the Grand Touring powered by a turbocharged ACE 900 is a mind-bender.

At 150 torque-laden ponies this power package is exactly what touring riders are looking for. Here you get the durability and reliability of a 4-stroke, the improved handling of the G4 platform and enough power to haul two riders and a load of gear to the ends of the earth… very quickly.

It’s been a while since the industry offered a turbocharged touring sled and those owners who bought them in the past have been hungry.

Ski-Doo has resisted the urge to stretch the track out further than 137-inches and that means Renegade-good handling and easy steering in the corners.

It looks to me like Ski-Doo has been very intentional with this new sled’s design. It could have been longer and heavier (the turbo’s extra weight is well-camouflaged in a touring sled) and the engineers could have bypassed this biggest 4-stroke and stuck with the 95-hp 900 ACE non-turbo engine. They didn’t, and now Ski-Doo leads the class in ride, handling, power and in fully adjustable air assisted comfort.

Mark, it looks to me like those are the only categories that matter in the 2-up class. Please stun us with your alternate choice and more of your weak logic.

-Kent

RUNNER UP: ARCTIC CAT PANTERA 7000

Kent, thanks for those encouraging words regarding my logic. I’m surprised you were able to equate my rationale as logic at all. And yes, I will take this opportunity to issue you a wake- up call. Overlooking Arctic Cat’s excellent Pantera 7000 as the BIC winner demonstrates poor judgment on your part.

Actually it’s a lot like that time you built a potato cannon and mounted it just below your belt buckle for its first experimental “launch”. That must have been so embarrassing explaining to the nurse in the emergency room why you remained in the fetal position for almost 7 hours.

In any case, the Pantera may not have the ZR 9000’s turbo for power but it does have the best non-turbo 4-stroke in the biz under its hood.

The 1049 Yamaha pulls like a tractor and sips fuel. Frankly, the fact it has a few ponies less than the ACE Turbo may just make it more appealing to twofer pilots.

In terms of ride comfort the Pantera can go toe-to-toe with Ski-Doo’s GTSE. Throw in this reality; the Pantera comes with a fully integrated 3.4 gallon auto-feed auxiliary fuel tank that makes 200 miles between fill-ups a reality.

Kent, you’re right – this is the logical choice.

– Mark

BEST 2019 MOUNTAIN SLED

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BEST 2019 MOUNTAIN SLED

Supertrax Magazine Co-Publishers and Brothers Kent and Mark Lester are at it again bickering and arguing about their picks for the annual Supertrax Best In Class Awards!

WINNER: ARCTIC CAT ALPHA ONE

Arctic Cat has been working feverishly the past five years on its mountain program. Although the company has kept its own customers, it’s been a struggle to convert Polaris and Ski-Doo enthusiasts over to the brand.

Andy Beavis and the Arctic Cat deep snow engineering team have pared weight, streamlined suspension components so there’s little snow retention, relocated the chaincase and changed the angle of approach of the track. All these things worked and improved the M-series but nothing has made a significant dent in the competition. Not until now.

With the intro of the new Alpha One single beam skidframe, Cat may have made a quantum leap into the mindset of other-branded riders.

The Alpha skidframe goes with the principal that a deep snow skid doesn’t need two rails. Instead, there’s a single, extremely rigid rail running down the middle of the track allowing more turning flexibility from the track, quicker pivots, better sidehilling, reduced weight while still maintaining all the best of what the back of a mountain sled should do in powder.

Our mountain riders tested the Alpha One and walked away impressed. Even considering both Polaris and Ski-Doo have incredible mountain sleds with amazing technology, this one rang the bell.

Combine this tech with Cat’s very torquey, lightning responsive DSI 800 and the Alpha is a very solid contender in showrooms.

This is big progress and we believe it will turn a lot of heads in the vert market. Kudos to Cat for breaking through!

Now, listen to Mark’s feeble rebuttal on why no one else but Ski-Doo or Polaris can ever be a consideration in the mountains. Times change, buddy, and that’s what makes the snowmobile industry run!

– Kent

RUNNERS-UP: RMK 850 & SUMMIT 850

Okay Kenny, I get why you picked the new Alpha Arctic Cat. It’s whiz-bang new and captures the imagination of those who are less enlightened (than me).

Here’s the deal – it’s impossible to deny the amazing engineering, incredible mountain specific features, enormously torquey and powerful 850 engines not to mention the tested, proven, near bulletproof reliability of the Ski-Doo Summits and the RMKs.

BTW – check your Ski-Doo Summit and you’ll notice its tMotion skid allows for track flexibility in a way that’s oh-so-similar to the Alpha. Hmm?

Try this on for size – the RMK has been meticulously engineered to be super light – even lighter than the Summit and lighter than the Alpha – with or without its skid filled with snow.

Maybe Cat’s onto something here – in the meantime lets be honest, Kent. It’s going to take a lot of converted, influential mountain pilots to sign on with the new Alpha before AC will be challenging Ski-Doo or Polaris for vertical market supremacy.

– Mark

2020 Ski-Doo Expedition Xtreme Walk Around & First Impressions

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2020 Ski-Doo Expedition Xtreme Walk Around & First Impressions

With plenty of seat time on the Expedition Xtreme at Ski-Doo’s press event, Motorhead Mark is back to give you his initial impressions of the all-new 2020 snowmobile.

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CONTEST VOTER VALIDATION

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CONTEST VOTER VALIDATION

We would like to thank everyone for their participation in the final round of the 2019 North America’s Top Snowmobiler competition.

As with all social media contests, final results must be validated in order to announce a winner. We are committed to being fair and honest with our participants as we have asked the same of them.

We have identified that during the final day of voting, an electronic glitch occurred with the voting software in the final hours of the contest. Those specifically voting for the first time or registering a new email with the system will receive a confirmation email today. Please watch for this and respond!

We have had 18 weeks of success with the system, however we would be remiss to not address this. For this reason, we ask for your patience as we determine who will be crowned 2019 North America’s Top Snowmobiler.

BEST 2019 4-STROKE TRAIL SLED

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BEST 2019 4-STROKE TRAIL SLED

The Lester Brothers are at it again bickering and arguing about their picks for the annual Supertrax Best In Class Awards!

WINNER: SKI-DOO 900 ACE TURBO

Doesn’t matter what chassis, track length or bodywork you put this all-new mill into you get the same result – excellent trail performance.

The hardcore Ski-Doo 4-stroke legion had been drooling for a re-invented answer to the venerable but somewhat long-in-the-tooth 1200 triple.

The new ACE 900 comes to market with 150-hp and we can tell you – if you were looking for an upgrade from the 1200 4-stroke, you get a significant horsepower boost – and a turbo-torque kick in the butt.

Kent likes to think he knows a lot about turbocharging since the time he hooked Mom’s 1500-watt hairdryer to the Tillotson carb on Dad’s 19-inch Clinton lawnmower.

It took off like a gyrocopter, ultimately landing in our neighbor’s award winning petunia patch. I tried to tell him about waste gates but he wouldn’t listen.

Moving on, we think Ski-Doo’s first turbocharged snowmobile engine is a hands down winner destined to do two things: First, this engine’s appeal as a 150-hp 4-stroke is already rabid in its first year and that appeal is only going to grow.
Second, I don’t believe for a moment Ski-Doo intends to stay at this power level with this smooth, torquey and potent engine. Look for more variants with more – and possibly less – power in the not-too-distant future.

There’s little doubt Ski-Doo has done its homework with the new ACE 900. It has a broad range of meaty power and demonstrates an ability to finger walk to triple digit speeds.

The engine is comparatively light, compact and quite simply, a blast to hold wide open down Kevlar Lake.

– Mark

RUNNERS-UP: SIDEWINDER SRX/ZR 9000 LIMITED

Mark, please… are you serious? How can you pick the new, unproven, underpowered-in-comparison Doo Turbo as the best trail 4-stroke in the presence of 180 claimed, 200 actual, horsepower from the Yamaha SRX and the Cat Limited iACT?

This choice only underscores your ineptitude (I think that’s a real word) when it comes to making these critical kinds of choices. Both the Yamaha and Cat are proven entities and now offer an incredible uptick: Rider adjustable, electronically-controlled suspension!

Mark, this is real advancement in our industry. Not just ultimate power, but now, ultimate power combined with ultimate ride. These two turbos are the fulfillment of every trail rider’s dream. Simply stated: it doesn’t get any better than this.

You need to take your eyes of the glitter of a new sled and look at the real steak of this business. Fastest still rules.

You can run these two sleds down the lake a hundred times and still not know which one is fastest. The 150-hp Ski-Doo Enduro? Check your rear-view mirror; it’s that little dot in the bottom corner.

– Kent

Snow Biking with X Games Gold Medalist Cody Matechuk

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Snow Biking with X Games Gold Medalist Cody Matechuk

With the sport of snow bike racing exploding in recent years, we catchup with X Games gold medalist and Yamaha sponsored factory rider – Cody Matechuk – to learn more about the professional snow bike racing scene and to get a glimpse of what it takes to become a champion racer.

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BEST 2019 FLATLAND FREERIDE SLED

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BEST 2019 FLATLAND FREERIDE SLED

Supertrax Magazine Co-Publishers and Brothers Kent and Mark Lester are at it again bickering and arguing about their picks for the annual Supertrax Best In Class Awards!

WINNER: 2019 POLARIS 850 SWITCHBACK ASSAULT

Yes, I know this is the third run of the Switchback Assault and, except for a new engine, is pretty much the same as the first one.

Mark will be on this like a crow on a dead armadillo and here’s my point: The competition has had three tries at exceeding this sled’s prowess and hasn’t been able to do it.

A combination of excellent AXYS handling and a 144-inch uncoupled skidframe that rides like a trail sled makes this version of the Assault unbeatable.

The fact we’re looking at a new powerplant is moot. Sure Ski-Doo’s 850 E-TEC throws temptation into the plan but frankly, I’d still take even the “old” Liberty 800 in this chassis over it.

By stirring-in the new Patriot 850 this year, Polaris took a giant flyswatter and squished flat all the naysayers about which sled is best.

The Assault is a true crossover and doesn’t lean impossibly toward deep snow riding focus but instead, allows those who ride flatland powder and foothills to get there in comfort without being beat-up on the trails.

Is the Assault the best in the powder? Maybe the ‘Doo 850 is a smidge better but it takes a heck of a deep snow rider to tell the diff (not Mark).

It’s all about balance and all-around handling (trail and powder) and that’s where the new 850 Assault gets the blue ribbon.

Mark knows this is true but is just is too stubborn to admit it.

– Kent

RUNNER-UP: 2019 SKI-DOO BACKCOUNTRY 850 X-RS

This may shock Supertrax readers and hopefully Kent will not mistake what I’m about to say as some kind of willy-nilly endorsement of his mainly crackpot assertions.

I digress. I would have picked the Assault for the coveted BIC X-Over/Freerider award, myself. From my perspective it goes like this: Buyers in this segment demand more from their sled purchase than other categories.

They definitively want as close to zero compromise as possible. In other words they want a completely transparent trail riding sled and a completely competent deep snow ride with no downside in either riding genre, considering the performance parameters of this segment.

Getting this balance just right is the challenge every OEM must navigate head-on. Ski-Doo comes close – oh so close.

If they traded off a little bit of the BCX’s off-trail capability for just a tiny bit more trail prowess, the outcome could be 180-degrees different.

– Mark

2-Stroke & 4-Stroke Motor Oil for Your Snowmobile

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2-Stroke & 4-Stroke Motor Oil for Your Snowmobile

AJ is in the Trail Tech shop and reviews the importance along with the long term advantages of using a high quality oil such as the 2-stroke and 4-stroke ester based motor oil from IPONE.

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BEST 2019 TRAIL SLED

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BEST 2019 TRAIL SLED

Supertrax Magazine Co-Publishers and Brothers Kent and Mark Lester are at it again bickering and arguing about their picks for the annual Supertrax Best In Class Awards!

WINNER: 2019 Ski-Doo Enduro 600R

The archetypical “trail sled” as we have come to know it is changing as we speak – or at least as each subsequent new model year rolls around.

The exceptionally intelligent Supertrax editorial staff – sans Kent – have tweaked this segment because we feel 600 class, long track sleds are at the core of the trail riding experience.

Making this pick was actually quite easy. It’s the all-new Ski-Doo Enduro 600R taking BIC laurels for this first time award.

The Enduro genre begs to be defined as a trail-riding platform. Its Renegade bloodlines mean 137-inch traction with no pretense of ownership by a nose ringed, lifted Jeep freerider.

This is the mainstream trail experience and with the new 600R underhood producing copious grunt and the new “wide-body” skin up front, the Enduro is ready to shred dizzying amounts of groomed white top.

There’s little question a 137-inch shoe is the right fit for big mile rides. There is also no question the Enduro’s air assisted rMotion is the perfect suspension for this snowmobile.

Ski-Doo gets the nod for breaking new segments on a pretty regular basis and the Enduro is doing just that – redefining the trail snowmobile.

Kent thinks that’s dumb because there’s no BIC slot provided for a turbocharged 300 single in our annual awards.

It was a full-on, carved-from-ash, Louisville Slugger, honest.

– Mark

RUNNER-UP: 2019 Arctic Cat 600 Limited with iACT

Frankly, I don’t remember that baseball bat incident at all. However, I do know you can be fairly careless with blunt objects.

Like the time you launched Dad’s ’59 Chrysler (blunt object) through the end of our garage. You claimed those pushbuttons for the transmission confused you.

Alas, I digress. What’s with the choice of the Enduro 600 over the new Cat Limited iACT? Both sleds are equal in power, handle great and are incredibly well equipped – but iACT is simply the best rider-activated adjustable suspension in the history of our sport.

You can instantly adjust from the handlebars whether you want damping to be soft, medium or firm and it works on both ends of the sled simultaneously (Mark, that big word means “at once”).

iACT is a precursor for what is likely to come in the future – fully active suspension. Jot this down in your diary, Mark. “iACT will open the door to one of the most revolutionary occurrences in snowmobiling and the year was 2019, the sled was the ProCross Cat.”

Too bad you missed your chance.

– Kent

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    SNOWTRAX has established itself as the most watched snowmobile TV series in North America.
    Each season, the SNOWTRAX crew guides viewers through informative and entertaining content; revealing the inside scoop on the latest snowmobiles, accessories and riding destinations that make snowmobiling winter's greatest adventure sport.
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