Posted: 9/25/2016 8:50:34 PM EDT
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Looking to pickup a sled this year. Will be using it for icefishing, and trail riding up north on and around Burt/Mullet lake area.
My only experience with snowmobiles is the BRP sled my buddy bought last year. Fun ride, kind of squirrely, ended up burning to a crisp due to electrical fire (nobody got hurt) the machine was practically brand new. My other experiences with BRP products has led me to the conclusion to stay away. I'm mainly looking at Artic Cats or Yamahas. I own Yamaha dirtbikes and they have been trouble free. Anyone here have experience with either brand? I'm looking to buy new and need a machine that will last. Thanks Forgot to add...are two strokes or four strokes better for snowmobiles? My bikes are two strokes due to preference. I also prefer to wrench on my own machines rather than shopping it out. |
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No offense but you are all over the map here. My group has riders on every brand sled they all do things differently. No sled is 100% the best in all conditions.
The new AC's require the most wrench time but are for sure the fastest. The yamahas are the most reliable except for the below 10 deg mornings when we have to start them by blowing a hair dryer on the ECM (or dumping a hot cup of water if here is no electric nearby). Heavy as tanks too. The doo two strokes are awesome and lightweight until they catastrophically fail. It's what I ride and have never had a failure but It's always in the back of my mind. The Polaris have all kinds of gremlins that vary from a simple fix to "what demon possessed this machine today". They ride ok but don't hold a candle to the doo. All of these observations vary depending on the year, make and model. You need to be MUCH more specific about where you will you use this machine, what type of experience is most important to you, and your budget. I ride that area. Those three things will get you a much more accurate list of suggestions. I love sleds and will be happy to give you a good suggestion based on my years (and my groups years) of experience. |
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Fair enough, and thank you for your feedback.
I will primarily be using the sled for trail riding. I like doing a lot of riding on technical trails with varying terrain. Would like to do the same in the winter with a sled. Black mountain is awesome but I've only ever dirt biked and jeeped there. That is the only rec area I know of with terrain. Main concern is reliability. Yes I'm confident in my wrenching capabilities but want to get a machine I won't be modifying and can trust won't grenade on me (like that brp sled) I also do plan on heading out on open lakes like Burt and mullet. I'm worried about performance on unpacked snow. My only snowmobile experience was mostly on trail but when I got out into fresh powder the sled was very squirrelly. Is that normal? I'm assuming a long track sled is better for deep unpacked snow? |
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Fair enough, and thank you for your feedback. I will primarily be using the sled for trail riding. I like doing a lot of riding on technical trails with varying terrain. Would like to do the same in the winter with a sled. Black mountain is awesome but I've only ever dirt biked and jeeped there. That is the only rec area I know of with terrain. Main concern is reliability. Yes I'm confident in my wrenching capabilities but want to get a machine I won't be modifying and can trust won't grenade on me (like that brp sled) I also do plan on heading out on open lakes like Burt and mullet. I'm worried about performance on unpacked snow. My only snowmobile experience was mostly on trail but when I got out into fresh powder the sled was very squirrelly. Is that normal? I'm assuming a long track sled is better for deep unpacked snow? It sounds like you want a Crossover sled (137 or slightly longer). Yes, short tracks get stuck easier when breaking trail. Longer tracks also ride smoother, but don't handle quite as well in the twisties. Two strokes are much lighter, but if you are just crossing untracked lakes, you would still be OK with a four stroke 137-144". If you start doing some serious boondocking, you will want to stay with a two stroker. I have a 700 and 800 (a 137" and a 144"), but most people are perfectly happy with a 600. Doo, Polaris, and Cat all make a good 600, but the current Cat 600 is the most durable. Doo is still using greased crank bearings on all twos besides their brand new 850, which usually have a shorter life than oiled bearings. The new Doo 850 and new Doo chassis will probably be excellent, but I'd stay clear of a first year sled. Yamaha doesn't make two-strokes anymore, and most of their sleds are actually made by Arctic Cat, with a Yamaha engine. The Yamacats use an excellent 3-cylinder engine, with power levels slightly better than a two-stroke 600. Properly maintained, it will last for a very long time. Last year was terrible for most of the midwest, so there is a lot of leftover inventory, with great deals to be had. I could write a book on this, but I'll stop now. If you have any more questions, I'll be happy to answer them. |
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No offense but you are all over the map here. My group has riders on every brand sled they all do things differently. No sled is 100% the best in all conditions. The new AC's require the most wrench time but are for sure the fastest. The yamahas are the most reliable except for the below 10 deg mornings when we have to start them by blowing a hair dryer on the ECM (or dumping a hot cup of water if here is no electric nearby). Heavy as tanks too. The doo two strokes are awesome and lightweight until they catastrophically fail. It's what I ride and have never had a failure but It's always in the back of my mind. The Polaris have all kinds of gremlins that vary from a simple fix to "what demon possessed this machine today". They ride ok but don't hold a candle to the doo. All of these observations vary depending on the year, make and model. You need to be MUCH more specific about where you will you use this machine, what type of experience is most important to you, and your budget. I ride that area. Those three things will get you a much more accurate list of suggestions. I love sleds and will be happy to give you a good suggestion based on my years (and my groups years) of experience. That's not all true, abut Cat being faster. A new Doo 800 is faster than a new Cat 800, but a new Cat 600 is faster than a new Doo 600 (and I owned a 2015 Doo 800 and 2016 Cat 800). But they are close enough that it doesn't even matter (to most people), other than bragging rights when you line up across the lake. I generally ride Cat or Doo, but wrench on all of them. The Cat 6 and 8 are far more durable than the Doo 6 and 8, but use more oil. The Cat Procross chassis is stronger than the Doo XS chassis, but it does weigh more. As for wrench time....out of the 8 Cats that I've owned, none have broken down on the trail, and only one ever blew a belt, but it had around 6k hard miles on the belt at the time (my fault, should have changed it sooner). Newer Cats are very reliable when properly maintained, but "properly maintained" is key with all brands. To the O.P.: there are a lot of wear items on a sled, and neglect can end badly. For example, a worn out or broken engine mount can cause belts to blow. A worn clutch can actually cause crank damage and destroy your engine, or cause bad harmonics that destroy piston skirts and ring locating pins. Improper storage can cause rusty crank or rod bearings, shortening bearing life (or even complete failure). Worn out driveshaft and idler wheel bearings are probably the top causes of trail-side breakdowns. Worn out sliders can ruin your track and slide rails. A loose or dry chain can cause a catastrophic chain case failure and not only leave you stranded, but get very expensive and cause you to lose a lot of riding time. I could go on, but my point is that you need to stay on top of the maintenance. It really sucks to have a broken down sled in the middle of winter, waiting for parts. I'd suggest something like this for O.P: 2017 Crosstek 600 or 2017 Crosstek four stroke One shitty thing with Crossover sleds is that they suck to stud, because of the longer lug lengths. If you plan to stud, don't go over a 1.25" lug length. In the U.P., studs are useless 95% of the time. In some areas (with less snow and icy corners), they can literally save your life. If the model you want doesn't have the track you want, some dealers will work with you and exchange it at low cost (as long as it's still brand new). If those prices scare you, shop around for a new leftover. You can save thousands by doing that. |
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That's not all true, abut Cat being faster. A new Doo 800 is faster than a new Cat 800, but a new Cat 600 is faster than a new Doo 600 (and I owned a 2015 Doo 800 and 2016 Cat 800). But they are close enough that it doesn't even matter (to most people), other than bragging rights when you line up across the lake. I generally ride Cat or Doo, but wrench on all of them. The Cat 6 and 8 are far more durable than the Doo 6 and 8, but use more oil. The Cat Procross chassis is stronger than the Doo XS chassis, but it does weigh more. As for wrench time....out of the 8 Cats that I've owned, none have broken down on the trail, and only one ever blew a belt, but it had around 6k hard miles on the belt at the time (my fault, should have changed it sooner). Newer Cats are very reliable when properly maintained, but "properly maintained" is key with all brands. To the O.P.: there are a lot of wear items on a sled, and neglect can end badly. For example, a worn out or broken engine mount can cause belts to blow. A worn clutch can actually cause crank damage and destroy your engine, or cause bad harmonics that destroy piston skirts and ring locating pins. Improper storage can cause rusty crank or rod bearings, shortening bearing life (or even complete failure). Worn out driveshaft and idler wheel bearings are probably the top causes of trail-side breakdowns. Worn out sliders can ruin your track and slide rails. A loose or dry chain can cause a catastrophic chain case failure and not only leave you stranded, but get very expensive and cause you to lose a lot of riding time. I could go on, but my point is that you need to stay on top of the maintenance. It really sucks to have a broken down sled in the middle of winter, waiting for parts. I'd suggest something like this for O.P: 2017 Crosstek 600 or 2017 Crosstek four stroke One shitty thing with Crossover sleds is that they suck to stud, because of the longer lug lengths. If you plan to stud, don't go over a 1.25" lug length. In the U.P., studs are useless 95% of the time. In some areas (with less snow and icy corners), they can literally save your life. If the model you want doesn't have the track you want, some dealers will work with you and exchange it at low cost (as long as it's still brand new). If those prices scare you, shop around for a new leftover. You can save thousands by doing that. Quoted:
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No offense but you are all over the map here. My group has riders on every brand sled they all do things differently. No sled is 100% the best in all conditions. The new AC's require the most wrench time but are for sure the fastest. The yamahas are the most reliable except for the below 10 deg mornings when we have to start them by blowing a hair dryer on the ECM (or dumping a hot cup of water if here is no electric nearby). Heavy as tanks too. The doo two strokes are awesome and lightweight until they catastrophically fail. It's what I ride and have never had a failure but It's always in the back of my mind. The Polaris have all kinds of gremlins that vary from a simple fix to "what demon possessed this machine today". They ride ok but don't hold a candle to the doo. All of these observations vary depending on the year, make and model. You need to be MUCH more specific about where you will you use this machine, what type of experience is most important to you, and your budget. I ride that area. Those three things will get you a much more accurate list of suggestions. I love sleds and will be happy to give you a good suggestion based on my years (and my groups years) of experience. That's not all true, abut Cat being faster. A new Doo 800 is faster than a new Cat 800, but a new Cat 600 is faster than a new Doo 600 (and I owned a 2015 Doo 800 and 2016 Cat 800). But they are close enough that it doesn't even matter (to most people), other than bragging rights when you line up across the lake. I generally ride Cat or Doo, but wrench on all of them. The Cat 6 and 8 are far more durable than the Doo 6 and 8, but use more oil. The Cat Procross chassis is stronger than the Doo XS chassis, but it does weigh more. As for wrench time....out of the 8 Cats that I've owned, none have broken down on the trail, and only one ever blew a belt, but it had around 6k hard miles on the belt at the time (my fault, should have changed it sooner). Newer Cats are very reliable when properly maintained, but "properly maintained" is key with all brands. To the O.P.: there are a lot of wear items on a sled, and neglect can end badly. For example, a worn out or broken engine mount can cause belts to blow. A worn clutch can actually cause crank damage and destroy your engine, or cause bad harmonics that destroy piston skirts and ring locating pins. Improper storage can cause rusty crank or rod bearings, shortening bearing life (or even complete failure). Worn out driveshaft and idler wheel bearings are probably the top causes of trail-side breakdowns. Worn out sliders can ruin your track and slide rails. A loose or dry chain can cause a catastrophic chain case failure and not only leave you stranded, but get very expensive and cause you to lose a lot of riding time. I could go on, but my point is that you need to stay on top of the maintenance. It really sucks to have a broken down sled in the middle of winter, waiting for parts. I'd suggest something like this for O.P: 2017 Crosstek 600 or 2017 Crosstek four stroke One shitty thing with Crossover sleds is that they suck to stud, because of the longer lug lengths. If you plan to stud, don't go over a 1.25" lug length. In the U.P., studs are useless 95% of the time. In some areas (with less snow and icy corners), they can literally save your life. If the model you want doesn't have the track you want, some dealers will work with you and exchange it at low cost (as long as it's still brand new). If those prices scare you, shop around for a new leftover. You can save thousands by doing that. I'm referring to the 1000 turbo cats. We ride with two of them. They are the fastest. But everybody can come up with one example in a certain condition where that is not true. Wish my 800 doo was as fast as them. However I would never give up my lightweight off trail ability and handling (both on and off trail). OP you need to give us a budget. That will tell us more than any of us arguing the benefits of every model and every year sled. |
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I'm referring to the 1000 turbo cats. We ride with two of them. They are the fastest. But everybody can come up with one example in a certain condition where that is not true. Wish my 800 doo was as fast as them. However I would never give up my lightweight off trail ability and handling (both on and off trail). OP you need to give us a budget. That will tell us more than any of us arguing the benefits of every model and every year sled. Quoted:
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No offense but you are all over the map here. My group has riders on every brand sled they all do things differently. No sled is 100% the best in all conditions. The new AC's require the most wrench time but are for sure the fastest. The yamahas are the most reliable except for the below 10 deg mornings when we have to start them by blowing a hair dryer on the ECM (or dumping a hot cup of water if here is no electric nearby). Heavy as tanks too. The doo two strokes are awesome and lightweight until they catastrophically fail. It's what I ride and have never had a failure but It's always in the back of my mind. The Polaris have all kinds of gremlins that vary from a simple fix to "what demon possessed this machine today". They ride ok but don't hold a candle to the doo. All of these observations vary depending on the year, make and model. You need to be MUCH more specific about where you will you use this machine, what type of experience is most important to you, and your budget. I ride that area. Those three things will get you a much more accurate list of suggestions. I love sleds and will be happy to give you a good suggestion based on my years (and my groups years) of experience. That's not all true, abut Cat being faster. A new Doo 800 is faster than a new Cat 800, but a new Cat 600 is faster than a new Doo 600 (and I owned a 2015 Doo 800 and 2016 Cat 800). But they are close enough that it doesn't even matter (to most people), other than bragging rights when you line up across the lake. I generally ride Cat or Doo, but wrench on all of them. The Cat 6 and 8 are far more durable than the Doo 6 and 8, but use more oil. The Cat Procross chassis is stronger than the Doo XS chassis, but it does weigh more. As for wrench time....out of the 8 Cats that I've owned, none have broken down on the trail, and only one ever blew a belt, but it had around 6k hard miles on the belt at the time (my fault, should have changed it sooner). Newer Cats are very reliable when properly maintained, but "properly maintained" is key with all brands. To the O.P.: there are a lot of wear items on a sled, and neglect can end badly. For example, a worn out or broken engine mount can cause belts to blow. A worn clutch can actually cause crank damage and destroy your engine, or cause bad harmonics that destroy piston skirts and ring locating pins. Improper storage can cause rusty crank or rod bearings, shortening bearing life (or even complete failure). Worn out driveshaft and idler wheel bearings are probably the top causes of trail-side breakdowns. Worn out sliders can ruin your track and slide rails. A loose or dry chain can cause a catastrophic chain case failure and not only leave you stranded, but get very expensive and cause you to lose a lot of riding time. I could go on, but my point is that you need to stay on top of the maintenance. It really sucks to have a broken down sled in the middle of winter, waiting for parts. I'd suggest something like this for O.P: 2017 Crosstek 600 or 2017 Crosstek four stroke One shitty thing with Crossover sleds is that they suck to stud, because of the longer lug lengths. If you plan to stud, don't go over a 1.25" lug length. In the U.P., studs are useless 95% of the time. In some areas (with less snow and icy corners), they can literally save your life. If the model you want doesn't have the track you want, some dealers will work with you and exchange it at low cost (as long as it's still brand new). If those prices scare you, shop around for a new leftover. You can save thousands by doing that. I'm referring to the 1000 turbo cats. We ride with two of them. They are the fastest. But everybody can come up with one example in a certain condition where that is not true. Wish my 800 doo was as fast as them. However I would never give up my lightweight off trail ability and handling (both on and off trail). OP you need to give us a budget. That will tell us more than any of us arguing the benefits of every model and every year sled. Sure, the Cat turbos have been the fastest production sled (in a straight line) for a few years. But I wouldn't steteotype the entire brand as "the fastest" or "needing the most wrench time" because of one model, which is the lowest volume sled that they sell. I would never even consider a heavy pig like that, and from what the O.P. said so far, he wouldn't, either. |
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Sure, the Cat turbos have been the fastest production sled (in a straight line) for a few years. But I wouldn't steteotype the entire brand as "the fastest" or "needing the most wrench time" because of one model, which is the lowest volume sled that they sell. I would never even consider a heavy pig like that, and from what the O.P. said so far, he wouldn't, either. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
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No offense but you are all over the map here. My group has riders on every brand sled they all do things differently. No sled is 100% the best in all conditions. The new AC's require the most wrench time but are for sure the fastest. The yamahas are the most reliable except for the below 10 deg mornings when we have to start them by blowing a hair dryer on the ECM (or dumping a hot cup of water if here is no electric nearby). Heavy as tanks too. The doo two strokes are awesome and lightweight until they catastrophically fail. It's what I ride and have never had a failure but It's always in the back of my mind. The Polaris have all kinds of gremlins that vary from a simple fix to "what demon possessed this machine today". They ride ok but don't hold a candle to the doo. All of these observations vary depending on the year, make and model. You need to be MUCH more specific about where you will you use this machine, what type of experience is most important to you, and your budget. I ride that area. Those three things will get you a much more accurate list of suggestions. I love sleds and will be happy to give you a good suggestion based on my years (and my groups years) of experience. That's not all true, abut Cat being faster. A new Doo 800 is faster than a new Cat 800, but a new Cat 600 is faster than a new Doo 600 (and I owned a 2015 Doo 800 and 2016 Cat 800). But they are close enough that it doesn't even matter (to most people), other than bragging rights when you line up across the lake. I generally ride Cat or Doo, but wrench on all of them. The Cat 6 and 8 are far more durable than the Doo 6 and 8, but use more oil. The Cat Procross chassis is stronger than the Doo XS chassis, but it does weigh more. As for wrench time....out of the 8 Cats that I've owned, none have broken down on the trail, and only one ever blew a belt, but it had around 6k hard miles on the belt at the time (my fault, should have changed it sooner). Newer Cats are very reliable when properly maintained, but "properly maintained" is key with all brands. To the O.P.: there are a lot of wear items on a sled, and neglect can end badly. For example, a worn out or broken engine mount can cause belts to blow. A worn clutch can actually cause crank damage and destroy your engine, or cause bad harmonics that destroy piston skirts and ring locating pins. Improper storage can cause rusty crank or rod bearings, shortening bearing life (or even complete failure). Worn out driveshaft and idler wheel bearings are probably the top causes of trail-side breakdowns. Worn out sliders can ruin your track and slide rails. A loose or dry chain can cause a catastrophic chain case failure and not only leave you stranded, but get very expensive and cause you to lose a lot of riding time. I could go on, but my point is that you need to stay on top of the maintenance. It really sucks to have a broken down sled in the middle of winter, waiting for parts. I'd suggest something like this for O.P: 2017 Crosstek 600 or 2017 Crosstek four stroke One shitty thing with Crossover sleds is that they suck to stud, because of the longer lug lengths. If you plan to stud, don't go over a 1.25" lug length. In the U.P., studs are useless 95% of the time. In some areas (with less snow and icy corners), they can literally save your life. If the model you want doesn't have the track you want, some dealers will work with you and exchange it at low cost (as long as it's still brand new). If those prices scare you, shop around for a new leftover. You can save thousands by doing that. I'm referring to the 1000 turbo cats. We ride with two of them. They are the fastest. But everybody can come up with one example in a certain condition where that is not true. Wish my 800 doo was as fast as them. However I would never give up my lightweight off trail ability and handling (both on and off trail). OP you need to give us a budget. That will tell us more than any of us arguing the benefits of every model and every year sled. Sure, the Cat turbos have been the fastest production sled (in a straight line) for a few years. But I wouldn't steteotype the entire brand as "the fastest" or "needing the most wrench time" because of one model, which is the lowest volume sled that they sell. I would never even consider a heavy pig like that, and from what the O.P. said so far, he wouldn't, either. Exactly which is why a budget will help determine what year and what chassis. Then we can go from there. OP in case you haven't noticed there will be a rabid group of people that love one sled over the other. I am completely unbiased. I have no brand loyalty and buy what is best for my needs. The same with my riding group which is why we have sleds of every brand represented. Anybody in my group has lots of miles and lots of experience. We have a total of 20 plus sleds from 1997 - 2016. If people are being honest with themselves. You will see a skiddoo renegade (after 2004) will be your best jack of all trades master of none. It will do everything you ask very well. There will be better off trail deep snow sleds (Polaris switchback assault) or a mountain sled, better tight twisty trial sleds (doo short track Rmotion), or a better long haul comfort sleds (Yamaha), or better straight line fast (cat turbo). But if you want one that does all of those things really well, then the renegade is your sled. Again depending on the year and budget for what chassis model and size engine you can get in to. Let us know your budget. Also some details on height and weight would help. |
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Exactly which is why a budget will help determine what year and what chassis. Then we can go from there. OP in case you haven't noticed there will be a rabid group of people that love one sled over the other. I am completely unbiased. I have no brand loyalty and buy what is best for my needs. The same with my riding group which is why we have sleds of every brand represented. Anybody in my group has lots of miles and lots of experience. We have a total of 20 plus sleds from 1997 - 2016. If people are being honest with themselves. You will see a skiddoo renegade (after 2004) will be your best jack of all trades master of none. It will do everything you ask very well. There will be better off trail deep snow sleds (Polaris switchback assault) or a mountain sled, better tight twisty trial sleds (doo short track Rmotion), or a better long haul comfort sleds (Yamaha), or better straight line fast (cat turbo). But if you want one that does all of those things really well, then the renegade is your sled. Again depending on the year and budget for what chassis model and size engine you can get in to. Let us know your budget. Also some details on height and weight would help. Quoted:
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No offense but you are all over the map here. My group has riders on every brand sled they all do things differently. No sled is 100% the best in all conditions. The new AC's require the most wrench time but are for sure the fastest. The yamahas are the most reliable except for the below 10 deg mornings when we have to start them by blowing a hair dryer on the ECM (or dumping a hot cup of water if here is no electric nearby). Heavy as tanks too. The doo two strokes are awesome and lightweight until they catastrophically fail. It's what I ride and have never had a failure but It's always in the back of my mind. The Polaris have all kinds of gremlins that vary from a simple fix to "what demon possessed this machine today". They ride ok but don't hold a candle to the doo. All of these observations vary depending on the year, make and model. You need to be MUCH more specific about where you will you use this machine, what type of experience is most important to you, and your budget. I ride that area. Those three things will get you a much more accurate list of suggestions. I love sleds and will be happy to give you a good suggestion based on my years (and my groups years) of experience. That's not all true, abut Cat being faster. A new Doo 800 is faster than a new Cat 800, but a new Cat 600 is faster than a new Doo 600 (and I owned a 2015 Doo 800 and 2016 Cat 800). But they are close enough that it doesn't even matter (to most people), other than bragging rights when you line up across the lake. I generally ride Cat or Doo, but wrench on all of them. The Cat 6 and 8 are far more durable than the Doo 6 and 8, but use more oil. The Cat Procross chassis is stronger than the Doo XS chassis, but it does weigh more. As for wrench time....out of the 8 Cats that I've owned, none have broken down on the trail, and only one ever blew a belt, but it had around 6k hard miles on the belt at the time (my fault, should have changed it sooner). Newer Cats are very reliable when properly maintained, but "properly maintained" is key with all brands. To the O.P.: there are a lot of wear items on a sled, and neglect can end badly. For example, a worn out or broken engine mount can cause belts to blow. A worn clutch can actually cause crank damage and destroy your engine, or cause bad harmonics that destroy piston skirts and ring locating pins. Improper storage can cause rusty crank or rod bearings, shortening bearing life (or even complete failure). Worn out driveshaft and idler wheel bearings are probably the top causes of trail-side breakdowns. Worn out sliders can ruin your track and slide rails. A loose or dry chain can cause a catastrophic chain case failure and not only leave you stranded, but get very expensive and cause you to lose a lot of riding time. I could go on, but my point is that you need to stay on top of the maintenance. It really sucks to have a broken down sled in the middle of winter, waiting for parts. I'd suggest something like this for O.P: 2017 Crosstek 600 or 2017 Crosstek four stroke One shitty thing with Crossover sleds is that they suck to stud, because of the longer lug lengths. If you plan to stud, don't go over a 1.25" lug length. In the U.P., studs are useless 95% of the time. In some areas (with less snow and icy corners), they can literally save your life. If the model you want doesn't have the track you want, some dealers will work with you and exchange it at low cost (as long as it's still brand new). If those prices scare you, shop around for a new leftover. You can save thousands by doing that. I'm referring to the 1000 turbo cats. We ride with two of them. They are the fastest. But everybody can come up with one example in a certain condition where that is not true. Wish my 800 doo was as fast as them. However I would never give up my lightweight off trail ability and handling (both on and off trail). OP you need to give us a budget. That will tell us more than any of us arguing the benefits of every model and every year sled. Sure, the Cat turbos have been the fastest production sled (in a straight line) for a few years. But I wouldn't steteotype the entire brand as "the fastest" or "needing the most wrench time" because of one model, which is the lowest volume sled that they sell. I would never even consider a heavy pig like that, and from what the O.P. said so far, he wouldn't, either. Exactly which is why a budget will help determine what year and what chassis. Then we can go from there. OP in case you haven't noticed there will be a rabid group of people that love one sled over the other. I am completely unbiased. I have no brand loyalty and buy what is best for my needs. The same with my riding group which is why we have sleds of every brand represented. Anybody in my group has lots of miles and lots of experience. We have a total of 20 plus sleds from 1997 - 2016. If people are being honest with themselves. You will see a skiddoo renegade (after 2004) will be your best jack of all trades master of none. It will do everything you ask very well. There will be better off trail deep snow sleds (Polaris switchback assault) or a mountain sled, better tight twisty trial sleds (doo short track Rmotion), or a better long haul comfort sleds (Yamaha), or better straight line fast (cat turbo). But if you want one that does all of those things really well, then the renegade is your sled. Again depending on the year and budget for what chassis model and size engine you can get in to. Let us know your budget. Also some details on height and weight would help. I loved riding my 2015 Renegade, but I didn't want to run any other oil beside the XPS2, and the XPS2 smells terrible; I couldn't stand it. I also didn't trust that 800, because I've seen too many go down, and I've seen too many XS chassis that bent from normal use. I'm going to give them a year to work out the bugs on the new chassis and 850, and then I might give them a try again. Until then, my Cat 137" is a great sled too, and I'm not worried about bent bulkheads and crank bearing failure. Another thing that should be mentioned is cost of ownership, after warranty. SkiDoo parts are ridiculously expensive, often double the price of the same part from Cat or Polaris. |
| I was hoping to find a brand new '15 or '16 for $8-$10k. I'm wondering if I would get a deal for buying two. My dad and I are both 6' 175lb. I like the idea of a light weight medium to longer track. I will check out the 800/850 cc offerings at the dealership up north. What are the standard track lengths? Short, medium, long? Or does it vary by manf? |
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I was hoping to find a brand new '15 or '16 for $8-$10k. I'm wondering if I would get a deal for buying two. My dad and I are both 6' 175lb. I like the idea of a light weight medium to longer track. I will check out the 800/850 cc offerings at the dealership up north. What are the standard track lengths? Short, medium, long? Or does it vary by manf? 121" was the standard for a trail sled for a long time, but as suspensions grew, that left less track on the ground. 129ish" is becoming the new standard (exact length varies with pitch). A 136" was a mountain sled in the 90s, but now that's considered a crossover. Longer than 144" today is considered a mountain sled. Lug length matters just as much. More lug is good in powder, bad on trail, so a crossover is a compromise. Try to stay in that 137-144 range, with a 1.25-1.6" lug length. A 1.6" Cobra should be a great track for your needs. Your budget probably isn't enough for an 800, even with a leftover. You definitely won't get the new 850 for anywhere near that. Today's 600s are pretty quick (125ish horsepower), especially if you are under 200 pounds. I'd ride one if I was smaller. Cheaper insurance, cheaper to buy, less vibration, longer clutch life and belt life, etc. I |
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I'm looking at the cat 8000 XF cross country with 131" track. Seems like the perfect jack of all trades sled as I will be doing quite a bit of both trail/rugged terrain and open country.
The high country version has bigger paddles I believe which may not do as well on groomed trail |
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I'm looking at the cat 8000 XF cross country with 131" track. Seems like the perfect jack of all trades sled as I will be doing quite a bit of both trail/rugged terrain and open country. The high country version has bigger paddles I believe which may not do as well on groomed trail I think you mean 141" track. 131" is probably the overall length of the sled. What year? Is that the Power Claw 2.25"? Definitely too much lug for frequent trail riding. It's rough on slides (although you can add ice scratchers), vibrates on hard pack, and can bend the lugs over from frequent trail use. Not to mention you can quickly destroy a groomed trail with too much throttle. You could ask the dealer to swap the track for something more trail friendly, like a Cobra or Ripsaw 2 (stay away from Ripsaw 1; they are terrible off-trail). The High Country will also have a more narrow ski stance (which is what you want off-trail, but is less stable on-trail), and Fox Float shocks, which ride harsh on trail. If you can find a Cat crossover from 2016, some had the QS3 adjustable shocks, which give a very nice ride on the trail. If you aren't familiar with ice scratchers, they are used to loosen up some snow and ice, to lube the slides and cool your engine, when using deeper lugs on the trail. |