I had the chance to attend the Snow Shoot many times and I can say that each one was unique and full of surprises. Year after year, the manufacturers kept on surprising us and 2014 follows the rule.
What can I say about the partnership between Yamaha and Arctic Cat ? It should be positive for both manufacturers…
Bombardier enters the competition in the 90-100 hp market with its brand new 4-stroke engine, the ACE 900… Arctic Cat comes back in the 600 cc category with a brand new engine produced by the manufacturer with a new injection technology…
And Polaris is now presenting the legendary Indy in many segments.
In brief, every fan will once again find his favorite in the 2014 production.
Ski-Doo
I know that many will be surprised by this, but my Bombardier best pick for 2014 is not a new model. It is not due to the side cases attach system or their latest creation, the exceptional ACE 900 engine which is, on the other hand, very interesting. No.I was not thrilled by this engine to the point that I would absolutely want one…
Sometimes, we forget about great things that already exist and that have been adjusted and improved over the years …!
Would we call this «reaching maturity» ? I think so. Nevertheless, my Ski-Doo best pick for 2014 is the MX Z X E-TEC 600 H.O. !!!
Ski-Doo best pick for 2014 is the MX Z X E-TEC 600
The adjustments and calibrations adapted to the altitude in West Yellowstone were right on the spot. After just a few meters, we were not sure about the engine size of this little rocket…It offered excellent top speed and great accelerations that would make the 800 cc blush… The most interesting characteristic was the handling of the 600, because accelerations were more aggressive with the 800 and we needed to speed up carefully in order to avoid unwanted effects that would make the snowmobile really unpredictable.
With the E-TEC 600, accelerations were a little more linear, which gave excellent stability at the end of turns. No problem, we just push the throttle and everything is OK !!! And its look is so great; the spring edition, black with matte black graphics, was just incredible… I really had fun on this little speedster…
Arctic Cat (Photo : MG_0592)
My Arctic Cat best pick is a 2014 surprise. Each year, we try to predict the novelties offered by the manufacturers. This time, the people in Thief River Falls really surprised us with a brand new beast, a return in the 600 cc class with a new 2-stroke dual stage injection engine.
This new purebred offers 2 very interesting characteristics. First, it is manufactured by Arctic Cat in Minnesota, not by Suzuki as it was in the past. I think that Arctic Cat 2-stroke division is full of future promise.
The second great characteristic of this engine is produced by the high-tech innovations : a new dual stage injection system. The fuel injector located in the buffer zone of the cylinder, injects fuel directly on the piston while this one is at its bottom dead centre.
This is the first stage, but at higher speed, this same injector also injects fuel under the piston to cool down the ball bearing of the crank. How do they do it ? A simple opening in the piston lets the fuel go through directly below. Great idea !
The ZR 6000 El Tigre offered very interesting performance, even if the final calibration was not yet achieved. We can easily say that the E-TEC 600 will now have a competitor…
Polaris
Here is the most underrated 800 cc 2-stroke of the industry. Each year, this engine has been modified and now, we can see even more refinement and improvement of the calibration, mainly on the clutches that remain the heart of the engine. This is probably due to the Polaris’ skilled people who calibrate the snowmobiles in West Yellowstone.
These experts are very important because it is really not simple to calibrate engines and clutches when the altimeter indicates from 6 000 to 10 000 feet. The loss of power may be up to 25 or 30 % at this altitude… Anyway, power must already have been available to offer the performance we have experienced…
My Polaris best pick for 2014 is the 800 Switchback !!!
After riding back and forth on a lake, all our team has been surprised to see that a Polaris sled arrived in first position. The clutches used brilliantly the power of the big engine, including a rather low revolution at cruising speed, but that was quickly back up at full throttle in acceleration…In brief, it was a very good feel that we also found on all 800 bicylinders of the lineup…
So much fun to pilot !!
Yamaha
For the first time in the snowmobile history, there is a partnership between manufacturers Who could have predicted this just one year ago ?
On the contrary, in the past, we have seen a strong competition where each manufacturer would use its own promotional event to scratch the competitors at the same time. Well, 2014 is the year of totally different mindset. This collaboration between Arctic Cat and Yamaha introduces a very constructive way of thinking from both parties, all while keeping their own special characteristics.
We all know that since many years, snowmobilers have been asking for a new chassis at Yamaha’s. The ProCross chassis comes from this collaboration and is now called SRV in the Yamaha lineup !!!
The combination with the Genesis 3-cylinder 1049 cc engine is interesting and full of potential… The most attractive edition was the SRViper L-TX Deluxe, with the Dual Shock SR 137 rear suspension.
It was equipped with coil springs over the HPG shocks at front. I am not a fan of these shocks for trail riding because I think that they are too progressive and they limit the adjustments. I prefer the SRViper Deluxe edition because it is very comfortable and stable on trail; the skis stick to the surface and it was nicely smooth in small bumps. «At last», some will say…
Concerning the performance, I would say that the clutching calibration was progressive and was balanced with the 4-stroke engine, but a few models would need some refinement.
If some adjustments can be made, this machine should represent a very interesting compromise between comfort and performance !
