Pre-ride analysis of the Grand Touring Limited 900 ACE Turbo 2019
For many years I have been riding a Grand Touring SE, mainly for the comfort alone or with a passenger and for the equipment that was included.
The snowmobile allowed me to go on long rides alone or with a passenger and to finish my day with satisfaction.
For 2019, the Grand Touring SE changes its name to Grand Touring Limited with many changes.
Our partner Les Motoneiges Géro, BRP dealer in Saint-Jean-de-Matha, provides us for our long-term test, a Grand Touring Limited 900 ACE Turbo 2019.
With all the changes made, we can say that in theory, it should offer higher performance than the Grand Touring of previous years, even though it was already considered an excellent snowmobile for trail riding.
I will give you an overview of this snowmobile and indicate the points that we will examine in detail during our rides.
Grand Touring 900 ACE Turbo 2019
Here are the main features that should make it an ideal snowmobile:
- R Motion rear suspension which is recognized as one of the best on the market
- Rear suspension also air controlled (ACS)
- Front suspension RAS 3 versus RAS 2 on the previous model
- Finger accelerator
- 900 ace Turbo engine with ITC intelligent accelerator
- Front air radiator with fan
- Engine oil cooler
- Pilot skis 5.7 SL
- Deluxe heated driver and passenger seat
- Fixed backrest for the passenger versus adjustable on the previous model
- Heated handle and thumb
- Multifunctional digital instrumentation
- REV G4 platform versus REV-XS
- 673 mm (26”) high windshield
- 137 X 15 15 X1.25 inches track with Silent Trak II system versus Silent Trak I
- Adjustable handlebars
- Drive pulley pDrive versus I Drive II
Here is an analysis of the different characteristics
ITC system
This snowmobile has a wireless electronic accelerator called ITC (Intelligent Throttle Control). There is no longer any cable for the accelerator, and usually, it should give faster acceleration with less effort for the thumb.
Also, the accelerator can be positioned to work with the thumb or fingers.
With the ITC system, you can choose between 3 driving modes:
- Sport mode which is the most efficient mode
- Standard mode which gives more linear accelerations
- Eco mode to save as much fuel as possible
During my test, I will check the different performance of the 900 ACE Turbo engine according to the mode chosen and the impact on fuel consumption.
Transmission and engine
The 900 ACE engine is known for its smooth performance, fuel economy and quiet running.
We will, therefore, check how the 900 ACE Turbo performs compared to the 900 ACE.
The transmission is a pDrive that already works very well on other models, so we expect similar performance.
As mentioned above, the track size is 137"/1.25/15 with Silent Drive II system.
Already, the old Silent Drive had significantly improved the vibration and reduced noise emissions.
We are looking forward to seeing the performance of the new system.
Track with Silent Drive II system
Comfort, suspensions, and driving
The seat is heated for the driver and passenger, which would be very popular on some rides. However, what is surprising is that the backrest is no longer adjustable.
The driver’s seat and backrest
For the driver, there are heated handles and one thumb and for the passenger, heated handles.
The rear suspension is a rMotion with air damper controlled by a switch at the handles that gives 10.6 inches of clearance. The central shock absorber is an HPG shock, and the front suspension is a RAS 3 with HPG shock absorbers.
These suspensions should offer optimal comfort and control in big bumps and make the snowmobile much more stable in curves.
The driving, the suspension in general and the efficiency of the heating system will also be points that I will evaluate during the winter.
The snowmobile is equipped with Pilot 5.7 SL skis. In the past, skis did an excellent job of preventing wandering, and I expect similar behavior with this snowmobile.
Other equipment
As it is a Limited model, it comes very well equipped.
There is a digital and analog multifunction gauge that you control by switches on the handles that are also backlit.
The gauges provide much information:
- The kilometrage
- The speed
- Revolutions per minute of the engine
- The intensity of the heated handles and thumb, as well as the time of day
- The fuel level
- The engine temperature indicator
- etc.
Digital and analog multifunction gauge
One of the things you will appreciate is the fact that it is very easy to adjust the angle of the light beam. All we have to do is open the trunk above the multifunction gauge, and the adjustment lever is in front of us.
It is an item that I appreciate because I like to have the best possible lighting.
Also, Les Motoneiges Géro provided the LED auxiliary lights.
I am looking forward to seeing the trail performance of this lighting.
LED auxiliary lights
The mirrors are adjustable, wide, can be positioned very well on either side of the windscreen and as a novelty, they are retractable.
The Grand Touring Limited is built on a REV G4 chassis and equipped with a 67.3 cm high windshield. Les Motoneiges Géro has installed a new adjustable windshield. We chose the medium to the high one, from 48.5 to 58.5 cm.
For the chassis, a different driving experience is expected than with the REV XS chassis.
I will be able to tell you about the performance of the chassis and windshield after driving in different conditions.
Like other changes, the snowmobile comes equipped with a 62 L linq storage box, and its fuel tank goes from 40 to 36 liters.
The back bag
Conclusion
This snowmobile seems to be built to please single or two snowmobilers who like to know that they have the power to get very good accelerations.
I look forward to sharing my impressions with you during the season.
Finally, we would like to thank Mrs. Sophie Farrier and Mr. Pierre Généreux, owners of “Les Motoneiges Géro” in Saint-Jean-de-Matha for making this long-term trial possible for us. We invite you to visit their team in store or visit their website and Facebook to get more information on the BRP product and follow our test.
Les Motoneiges Géro
You can also follow this and all the other tests we do on the Magazine’s website, on our Facebook page and YouTube.
