This season, thanks to the collaboration of the BRP dealer Les Motoneiges Géro in St-Jean-de-Matha, I had the chance to test the 2022 Ski-Doo Renegade Enduro 900 ACE Turbo (130).
This model is known for its sporty, comfortable ride and allows you to go on long rides with a smile.
After a full winter of riding this snowmobile, I’m ready to give you my comments.
Rotax 900 ACE Turbo engine
The new 900 Ace turbo engine impressed me by its performance, even if it has 20 hp less than its predecessor.
The engine is smooth, powerful and linear when accelerating. The torque is excellent at all rpm and the power range is constant. This engine offers 130 HP, a level of power that is highly sought after by snowmobilers who are both performance and touring enthusiasts.
I was surprised by the fuel economy of this engine. After having ridden thousands of kilometers with snowmobile friends who owned naturally-aspirated Renegade Enduro 900 Ace engines, I can confirm that the fuel consumption of this engine is almost identical to that of the naturally-aspirated 900 Ace engine.
With this turbo engine, the ride is very pleasant, whether in standard or sport mode.
Standard mode offers performance that is optimized for trail driving, i.e., lively acceleration, but with a level of response that is predictable.
In sport mode, acceleration is much more brisk. This is ideal for an adrenaline rush.
For the same amount of pressure on the throttle, you’ll drive faster in sport mode.
Also, unlike the previous turbo model (150 hp) where it was recommended to drive in standard mode on trails with tight turns, the sport mode of this turbo engine (130) feels very comfortable on all kinds of trails.
In addition, the engine’s compression is much lower when decelerating compared to the 150-hp turbo engine.
The ECO mode is also available, but I didn’t have to use it as I was already satisfied with the economy achieved in the other two modes.
Suspension
For 2022, the Renegade Enduro is offered with the rMotion X suspension coupled with an air shock in the rear and RAS X in the front.
The air shock adds comfort to the rMotion X, which is already a great performer.
No matter the quality of the trails, I could always find the right level of adjustment to make my rides enjoyable and prevent “bumping into the floor”.
The RAS X suspension with HPG shocks offers almost 1 inch more travel than the RAS 3. It also allows you to change the distance between the skis by offering three possibilities: 42.1 – 43.0 – 43.9 inches. Normally, most of BRP’s other snowmobiles have a 42.4 inches spacing. I chose to install the skis at 43.0 inches. I found the snowmobile very stable and the skis did not try to lift in turns.
The new rMotion X and RAS X suspensions are so good that BRP had to make a new ski to complete the marriage with the X suspensions.
The enduro comes equipped with Pilot TX skis that allow us to change the depth of the track in the snow according to our preferences and trail conditions. I kept the heel depth adjustment to a minimum as the ski configuration allowed the ski to bite into the trails without requiring too much effort to turn. I hardly felt any sway and the skis never tried to lift in the turns.
So we end up with a snowmobile that is very comfortable and pleasant to ride.
Miscellaneous Equipment
The snowmobile is equipped with the new 7.8″ wide color LCD panoramic digital display.
It offers an excellent visibility of the operating parameters. It provides all the relevant information, including speed, revolutions per minute, engine temperature, distance traveled, time, etc. Personally, I would like to see the figures for engine temperature, distance and time larger.
There are three choices of display: clear for daytime, dark for evening and automatic. I preferred the clear display because I found it easier to visualize the information.
We can also connect the BRP Connect application which allows to have the map of the trails and our positioning. We install our cell phone in the heated case in the glove compartment, plug it in the USB port and that’s it. We can adjust the map according to our preferences, for example in zoom or in wide shot to see further.
However, I am a person who takes a lot of pictures with my cell phone and I noticed that I have to disconnect it from the USB plug to take my pictures because the wire does not allow us to get away from the snowmobile. It would be nice if the whole thing worked via bluetooth since this device is already available with BRP Connect.
On the mirror side, visibility is excellent towards the rear. I don’t have to make an effort to check if someone is following me.
The adjustable windshield is very appreciated, with the cold weather that has been going on all winter long, I found it very useful.
The heated seat is also always appreciated.
In addition to the mirrors and the adjustable windshield, “Les motoneiges Géro” also installed ice scrapers, LED auxiliary lights and LED long range headlights.
With the ice scrapers, it’s much less stressful to know that you can ride even if the trail conditions are not favorable to the cooling of the engine and the slides.
Photo 11 ice scrapers
Since basic snowmobile lighting is really minimal, LED auxiliary lights and long-range LED auxiliary headlights offer quite a change. In addition to seeing the trails very well at night, you are seen very well by other snowmobilers during the day.
Traction
This snowmobile could be ordered with the Ripsaw or Ice Ripper track of 137 X15 X1.25 . We tried the Ripsaw and personally, I much prefer the Ice Ripper which is cramped. It is much safer in icy trails, conditions that unfortunately occur far too frequently.
Overall riding experience
I personally enjoyed my riding experience with the Renegade Enduro 900 ACE Turbo.
It is a comfortable, efficient, easy to ride and economical snowmobile.
I can easily rack up the miles and don’t get tired at the end of my rides. The more I ride it, the more mileage I want to get.
In closing, I would like to thank Les Motoneiges Géro, a BRP dealer in Saint-Jean-de-Matha, for the loan of this snowmobile for this long-term test. I invite you to go and meet the Géro team in store to see the new Ski-Doo and Can-Am off-road machines.
