Marc Thibeault’s 2013 favorites

Writing an article about our best picks for the upcoming season is always a wonderful time of the year.  Summer is coming to an end and many months passed by since our trip of last March to the 2013 Show Shoot  in West Yellowstone, Montana.  Even so, my memories are very clear and I can’t forget  my colleagues’ sparkling eyes when they tested all of these Sleds… over 60 models in less than 4 days !  It represented a huge «task»  to test all the innovations and improvements offered by the 4 manufacturers.  We emphasise the novelties but in fact, the most interesting surprises usually come from the improvements brought to the existing technology.  Keeping this in mind, here are my 4 best picks which include some innovations but mostly, many improvements to the existing models.

Arctic Cat

2012 has been the best year of the past decade for the american manufacturer Arctic Cat who was celebrating his 50^th anniversary.  So, it was natural for us to expect less innovations in 2013 since the year before, most of the models have been equipped with the ProCross and ProClimb chassis.  In fact, Arctic Cat had to correct many minor first-year defects before bringing other important changes.  Nevertheless, many 2013 models catch the attention such as the «RR» edition in the F series and my Arctic Cat favorite in 2013, the XF 800 CrossTour.  Once again, the american manufacturers really pay attention to the Quebec market and the CrossTour edition proves it.  Another example is that Arctic Cat followed Polaris by editing their web site in French, to our greatest pleasure.  The XF 800 CrossTour is also offered with a 4-stroke engine, joining the same segment than the Adventure and Expedition.  It is a crossover sled with a Cobra track of 141 X 15 X 1.25 in. that delivers great performances in this chassis.  The standard features of this machine are very interesting and will please the long-distance riders; I appreciate the additional bumpers of the CrossTour that provide more protection to the ProCross chassis against impacts.  Even if the 1100 turbo power is now widely recognized, I am still excited by the lightweight and flexible 2-stroke 800 cc Suzuki engine considering that this machine could often end up in deep powder snow.

The rear cargo rack, rear storage bag, tall windshield, electric start and push-button engine reverse are perfect features to please the Quebec snowmobilers who often ride at -20° C.  A 2-up seat is optional on the XF 800 CrossTour for snowmobilers who want to ride with a passenger and who are not interested by the Twin-Spar chassis of the Arctic Cat touring machines.  Finally, the handling provided by the Arctic Race front suspension combined with the overall features pleases me enough that the XF 800 CrossTour is my 2013 Arctic Cat favorite.

Polaris

The product that comes quickly to mind when talking about improving a technology is Polaris, especially the Pro-Ride suspension.  When introduced in 2010, not everyone was pleased with its performances.  Since then, a significant improvement has been brought each year to this suspension.  In 2013, in spite of my preference for 136 in. tracks, I have been seduced by the 121 in. track of the 2013 600 Rush.  Even if still limited in bumps higher than 8 in., the Pro-Ride suspension calibration is at its best in 2013.  However, the most important change is located at the front end.  In fact, since its introduction, the Rush had some ski-lift tendancy in sharp turns, which made the short editions very unpredictible in aggressive riding.

The new Pro-Steer skis have completely transformed the riding of this snowmobile.  I had the opportunity to ride many Rush models for the last 3 years and I can confirm that the new keel design of the Pro-Steer skis corrected once and for all the long-lasting front-rear struggle of the Rush.  Among my 60 tests in 4 days, the 2013 600 Rush has been one of the most pleasant trail snowmobile I tested.  Along with its impressive performance, the Polaris CleanFire 600 engine has been greatly improved by the injection system which reduces the odor and fume we all perceived.  Polaris also announced that this engine delivers impressive fuel economy.  Thanks to the new Pro-Ride Adventure seat, the 2013 Rush models are much more comfortable than the models we were riding 2 years ago.  At a suggested retail price of 11 400 canadian dollars, this Rush is definitely the best quality/price/power product on the market and that is why the 600 Rush is my 2013 Polaris best pick.

Ski-Doo

Year after year, Ski-Doo offers some innovations.  Again in 2013, many new features are presented.  But advertising «new this year» to show off is not enough; results must also be obtained.  This is why my 2013 Ski-Doo favorite is the Summit SP E-TEC 800R 154 in.  Of course, the main feature for this choice is the tMotion suspension because at first, I had doubts about the real results.  After all, we are talking here about only a few degrees lateral tip up of the suspension and about a flexible track on the edges…  Will that really make a difference ?  Quickly I had to admit that it was more than just advertising.  We went mountain riding one afternoon, in outstanding 3 feet of newly fallen snow.  This has been absolutely exceptional in every way.  I was pleased to see how it was easy to lean the Summit without any effort, with minimum mountain riding knowledge.

I asked some snowmobilers to test it; they were not used to mountain snowmobiling but in no time, they got used to the Summit. The powerful E-TEC 800R remains the main feature of this snowmobile that must provide acceleration to the 154 X 16 X 2.5 in. PowderMax II track.  Of course, the new XM chassis design is a great success and this represents a large part of what makes this machine so attractive.  With the new LinQ rear system, you can carry various types of bags and a fuel can, all optional.  It is easy to remove them with the quick release system.  Once again, BRP people are excellent when it comes to this type of accessories by taking care of every tiny details.  I have the same comment about the warm glove box where you can store your SnowCross goggles.  I appreciate it when people deliver what they announced and this is why I chose the Summit SP E-TEC 800R 154" as my 2013 Ski-Doo best pick.

Yamaha

Even if there has been much less innovations at Yamaha’s, they still continue to improve the quality and performances of their products.  Obviously, despite their efforts to develop more versatile off-trail snowmobiles, I think that the weight brought with the 4-stroke technology makes the snowmobiles more suited for hard pack surfaces. Anyway, this is the segment I appreciate the most at Yamaha’s.

In 2013, I came back to what I love in Yamaha engines: power and softness combined in a very stable machine.  In my opinion, nothing is better than the sound and power of the Genesis 150 on trail. Even if I am still waiting for a chassis that will allow my legs to be extended along the tunnel, the new Apex XTX seduced me right away. Unlike the short version often darting in accelerations, the 144 in. track of the XTX delivers better accelerations while keeping a more stable course. Combined with the Dual Shock CK suspension, the XTX performs better in rough trails than its short version, all while remaining easy to handle due to its power steering. Those who think that the Apex is a crossover snowmobile due to its longer track, should forget it; the weight is obvious.  It is a fact that the retail price may seem high, but if you take a closer look at the quality of materials and assembly, you will surely appreciate the overall impeccable quality finish of this snowmobile. Finally, the Apex XTX is one of the Yamaha snowmobiles I appreciated the most since the last years and it is my 2013 Yamaha best pick.