Exciting moment if there is one, many snowmobilers must now choose their 2018 snowmobile and thus, take advantage of the spring promotions. This period can also be nerve-wracking for some, because apart from a few privileged people like myself, the majority of buyers will have to choose a vehicle without ever having tried it out. The 4 manufacturers all offer a spring sale that ends around mid-April. The interest of the manufacturers is simple, to ensure a significant backlog of orders before production, which takes place mainly from summer to fall. For buyers, it’s an opportunity to take advantage of several incentives such as exclusive spring models, substantial discounts on the retail price, advantageous financing rates, as well as extended warranties on the vehicles. While at the 2018 SnowShoot in West Yellowstone, Montana, in addition to test-driving about 50 snowmobiles, I paid particular attention to the offers and models that are available this spring and thus, share my highlights with you.
2018 Arctic-Cat Snowmobile
Arctic-Cat has decided to completely change its spring strategy and return to simplicity. In an interview with Kale Wainer, Arctic-Cat’s Marketing Director, he told us that he no longer believed in the strategy of exclusive spring models. Based on customer feedback, they feel they need to focus on substantial discounts on all models during the spring sale. The Thiff River Falls-based manufacturer is hitting hard on the promotional side, including 0% financing for up to 60 months.
Introducing the all-new 800cc C-TEC2 two-stage fuel injection engine, Arctic-Cat engineers are finally offering a cleaner 2-stroke engine than the old Suzuki and entirely built by the manufacturer, just like the very reliable 600cc engine introduced a few years ago. Before having an optimal oil consumption, the computer will command a ratio of 10:1 during the first 20 minutes of operation and 30:1 during the other 6 hours, the time of the break-in period. Despite its power, which puts it in the 160hp range, the new engine is smoother and more linear in its acceleration than the previous generation. In addition to this new mill, engineers have evolved the Pro-Climb chassis from the mountain snowmobiles and now call it the “Ascender”.
During my testing of Arctic-Cat snowmobiles, I found several models interesting for spring shopping. On the trail, one of the most enjoyable snowmobiles I tested during my week of testing was without a doubt the XF8000 Crosstrek ES. This fully-equipped snowmobile is precise and easy to handle, and provides a lot of comfort to its rider, while preserving its sporty feel. Of course, we can’t ignore the arrival of the new M8000, also powered by the new 800CC C-TEC2, which benefits from several improvements to the Ascender chassis and side panels. Finally, the presentation of the new Norsman 6000ES is a nice surprise for many Quebec enthusiasts who are looking for a high-performance, fun-to-drive utility vehicle. Entering the arena of the Tundra Extreme and Voyager 600, this snowmobile offers the maneuverability of a utility while having a very good capacity on trails.
2018 Polaris Snowmobile
For the past few years, Polaris‘ approach has been to offer a multitude of color combinations and options only in the spring, so that the enthusiast can configure his own exclusive snowmobile. The vast majority of models are also offered in the fall, but the color choices for the tunnels and panels are much more interesting during the “Snowcheck” period. With this advanced customization strategy, one could technically end up with several thousand snowmobiles that are all “different” from one another. This promotion also gives buyers a full 3 or 4 year warranty depending on the model.
With the introduction of the new Axys-Titan chassis, Polaris is making a comeback in the wide-track snowmobile market, but with a new look. Having dominated sales in the 90s with its Widetrack LX, the manufacturer had virtually disappeared from the market, leaving the place mainly to BRP. It took almost 20 years, but the engineers did not make the same mistake as with the Widetrack IQ by offering a light, robust and well-balanced chassis. Another key point in this area is a robust and reliable 2-speed forward transmission. It performs very well with heavy loads and has easy and smooth gear changes. The new “Lock & Ride Versa” platform is another great innovation available on snowmobiles that benefit from the Axys-Titan chassis. It allows the use of several accessories at the rear of the vehicle for various transportation needs.
With the arrival of the Titan series, I really enjoyed testing the Adventure model in the woods and on the trails. This new snowmobile has an impressive handling through the trees for the size of the vehicle. Its dry weight is just over 650 lbs, even in this very well equipped version that includes the double seat. Its great versatility on the trails as well as in utility mode is likely to bring many 20-inch tracked snowmobile enthusiasts back to the North Star stable. Another nice surprise is without a doubt the arrival of the SKS 146. Presented last year only in a 155 version, this version of the RMK with a wider front end is likely to please those who don’t want to make a compromise between trail and powder. Finally, Polaris had the good idea of offering an XCR version of its Switchback 600 and 800. Introduced last year in the Rush series, the XCR offers a 137-inch tracked snowmobile with sportier suspension than the Pro-S without the extreme rigidity of the Pro-X series.
2018 Ski-Doo Snowmobile
La fièvre du printemps est toujours aussi forte chez Ski-Doo, et le fabricant de Valcourt propose plusieurs modèles exclusifs disponibles uniquement au printemps. Tous les modèles Summit, MX-Z et Renegade dans les versions X et X-RS, le Freeride et l’Expedition SE sont des modèles exclusifs disponibles jusqu’au 12 avril seulement. BRP est clairement celui qui offre les modèles les plus réservés pour cette période. De plus, un financement à 0 % pendant 36 mois ou une garantie prolongée de 4 ans sont offerts pendant cette promotion.
True to its tradition, the Valcourt-based manufacturer continues to offer innovations around the vehicle. I was very impressed with the efficiency and performance of the “Shot” system. After observing that mountain snowmobilers could restart their sleds 30 to 40 times in one day, Ski-Doo engineers worked on a solution that would provide the benefits of an electric starter, without the weight associated with the battery and starter. The “Shot” system capitalizes on the E-TEC system, as well as a super-capacitor that quickly stores electricity from the magneto to allow for a restart up to nearly 1 hour after the vehicle is stopped. So, a manual start in the morning and then use the “Shot” starter. Ski-Doo also offers a new 146-inch cMotion suspension dedicated to the Renegade Backcountry. This suspension combines the efficiency of the rMotion in trails with curved rails at the rear and the tMotion in powder that is uncoupled, but without the Flexedge track.
I can’t pass up the opportunity to test the new Renegade Backcountry X with 146x16x2 inch Powdermax track. Thanks to its new cMotion suspension in the rear, as well as the 4th generation Rev chassis, this snowmobile is much more stable on trails and benefits from the nervousness of 850 E-TEC when riding in deep snow. For extreme mountain enthusiasts, the different versions of the new Freeride are sure to please. In addition to the choice of front suspension widths on the 154 model (36-38 or 38-40), a 165 model is added to the lineup, which is also migrated to the new chassis, as well as the new 165hp engine. My test drive of the Renegade X-RS in rough terrain really impressed me on several levels. Also migrated to the new platform, the RAS-3 front and rMotion rear suspensions are equipped with KYB-36 shocks instead of the KYB-40 shocks used in the past. These new shocks do an exceptional job in the bumps while being comfortable on the trails, which is a feat in itself.
It’s worth noting that Yamaha announced that this was the last year for the Apex, which is available in 50th anniversary colors only in spring sales. The latter benefits from the new YRSS system on the front suspension, which links the two shocks on each ski by a central oil exchange system. According to Yamaha representatives, this system helps control lateral rolling and improves control of the snowmobile. Another innovation noticed by Yamaha in collaboration with Arctic-Cat, is oriented towards the next generation of our sport. Indeed, the manufacturer’s representatives explained to us that they firmly believe that the industry must act in order to create a craze for snowmobiling at a young age. Except for the very small snowmobiles still sold by 3 manufacturers, there was no offer for 8 to 12 year olds. This is where the new SnoScoot (ZR200 at Arctic-Cat) fits in. The challenge was to create a fun and durable snowmobile for less than $4000 US. At $3700 US ($4600 Canadian), the technical teams of the two manufacturers achieved their goal by offering a robust snowmobile with a 4-stroke 9 hp engine.
During my Yamaha test rides, the new SR-Venture DX quickly caught my attention. Many touring snowmobile enthusiasts are also Yamaha fans because of its smooth ride and reliability. That said, the RS-Venture was getting old and its chassis was no longer competitive with other manufacturers. The SR-Venture sets the record straight and finally offers a state-of-the-art snowmobile that is comfortable, easy to handle and very well equipped for those who were desperately waiting for the signal to change their RS-Venture. On the pure performance side, I have to take my hat off to the SideWinder S-TX DX 137, which is a great performer, very maneuverable for the weight of the vehicle and very well equipped for long rides. Finally, I had a guilty pleasure to test the little SnoScoot with other test riders. Although I am a bit tall for the vehicle, we tested it on a closed circuit, and we had fun like young teenagers racing this little vehicle built to last.
