A few weeks ago, like many other customers, I had the chance to do a very short test of the new rMotion X and the RasX suspension on a 2020.5 model. After talking with my sales advisor at Performance NC in Valcourt, he offered me the opportunity to ride the model over a longer period. I had a full weekend to test it in other conditions and give you my feedback.
Me and my sales rep Patrick Berthelette at Performance NC.
Before giving you my impressions, here is some technical information about the new rMotion X suspensions and the RasX.
New rMotionX 2021 rear suspension
The rMotion suspension, initially designed for a 120-inch tunnel, is already 8 years old. It has been reused on the 129 and 137-inch tunnel since the introduction of the 4th generation chassis. Although it was an excellent suspension, it had some weaknesses with the new chassis. That’s why the rMotionX has been completely redesigned to fit the 4th generation chassis better. It is specially designed for today’s snowmobiles with 129-inch and 137-inch tunnel. The entire rear suspension has been redesigned with front suspension arms 30 mm longer, a rear shock absorber 15 mm longer, which gives 22 mm more travel for more comfort. The suspension reconfiguration also had an overall weight reduction of 5 pounds compared to the rMotion. It even has a weight-transfer adjustment that allows a better fit for the rider’s riding style. In the up position, it will enable less weight transfer to reduce ski lift, and in the down position, the front end is much lighter to improve riding pleasure.
Like the rear suspension, the front suspension has also been reviewed and redesigned. The RasX suspension, combined with the new Pilot X and TX skis, allows an adjustment up to 1.5 inches wider than the RAS 3, increasing travel by 10 mm more than the Ras 3 suspension for ultimate performance on the trails.
New RasX front suspension
On the Pilot X, the designers have modified the keel, it is 31 mm longer than the Pilot 5.7 ski, and the stiffness has been increased by 10%. The use of a more aggressive half-inch diameter runner improves traction in turns, increasing control and steering precision. As for the TX skis, the entire ski has also been redesigned. The angle of attack has been changed to make it softer, and the exposed part of the runner is 63 mm longer, which improves traction in soft snow turns and increases overall traction. Unfortunately, these skis were not available at the time of my test; I’m looking forward to testing it next year.
I really felt a good difference between the old version and the new one. It’s a machine that’s stuck to the trail in curves. The increased travel of the rear suspension makes bumps in the trail almost non-existent. To give you an idea, usually, my rear spring preload is in position 3, and in big bumps, I sometimes hit bottom. With this new configuration, even in position 1, I did not manage to hit bottom in the conditions I encountered during the weekend. It must also be said that the XRS suspension is stiffer than the suspension of a standard X model. There is not any ski lift in curves, even during acceleration, the front doesn’t tend to lift and stall in curves, unlike the old version. It’s thanks to the new configuration of the wider and adjustable front suspension, as well as the rMotionX suspension that limits the transfer effect to the rear. It is a new driving sensation. The rMotion was one of the best suspensions on the market, Ski-Doo has raised the standard once again with the X version. Congratulations to the research and development teams at BRP.
A big thank you to Patrick and Martin from Performance NC in Valcourt for the test of this 2020.5 model, it’s appreciated. If you want to know more about the 2021 new features or if you want to get one, don’t hesitate to visit Performance NC. For your information, you have until April 15 to take advantage of the spring offers on the 2021 exclusive models.
