The snowmobiles I’ll be keeping my eye on
In the spring of these past years, I have been lucky enough to travel to West Yellowstone to participate in the famous Snowshoot, where we have an exclusive chance to try the new snowmobile models that will soon hit the market.
I joined the Motoneiges.ca team for two reasons. First, because I believe in Daniel Lavoie’s team, and second, because it gave me the opportunity to discuss my conclusions with the other members of his team also sharing the Snowshoot experience.
The tradition following this adventure is that participants much choose their four favorites machines, one per manufacturer. Each member of the team has their own criteria and so the choices tend to vary. Personally, I made my choices while keeping in mind that I would follow these snowmobiles’ performances throughout the season, to see if my initial choices were justified.
Here are the models I chose by the four major snowmobile manufacturers present during the testing at Snowshoot:
MXZ Blizzard
At BRP, my choice landed on the MXZ Blizzard. This snowmobile has benefited from the company’s move to focus on the pleasure of driving a snowmobile. This model from a Québécois manufacturer debuted last season and is now part of the collection of snowmobiles mounted on the REV Gen4 frame. The MXZ Blizzard gained all the advantages that new feature procures. The central position of the 850cc engine brought this brand to fame during the past few seasons and was made possible precisely due to its new frame. This already mythical snowmobile has now gone above and beyond to become a powerful machine capable of driving through good and bad weather in any trails. I rediscovered the joy of riding this model, which can be pushed harder and driven aggressively on trails all while keeping perfect control. From the driving position to the new running boards that permit you to adjust the position of your feet, all was thought through to make you the master of this machine. Driving the MXZ Blizzard is like finding an old pair of mittens you once loved but that has now been refurbished to be warmer and more comfortable. What a great snowmobile!
APEX: The 50th anniversary
During the past seasons, Yamaha chose to entirely modify its line of snowmobiles constructed on the new frames and developed with the collaboration of Arctic Cat. Certainly, the Viper and SideWinder are the cornerstones of the brand, but I made quite the discovery when I tried the 50th anniversary APEX model. This model is likely seeing its last season, so why then did I make this choice? Simply because the manufacturer managed to offer a very special front suspension that ensures absolute comfort. It’s practically impossible to make the skis of this snowmobile lift while turning, even when at high speed. The suspension, which I would qualify as almost intelligent, compensates for the movement of the skis, keeping them on the ground at all times. Gone are the moments when you were worried about losing control while taking a curve.
All of these incredible features revolve around the famous YRSS suspension (Yamaha Reactive Suspension System). Developed in 1991 by Yamaha for the automobile market, this suspension was adapted for snowmobiles this season. This suspension system connects the two front shock absorber bodies hydraulically. The YRSS control unit permits the oil to flow between the shock absorbers, which helps control lateral movement without compromise to stability and comfort. Over the course of the winter, rest assured I will reaffirm my choice by driving this snowmobile many times.
TITAN ADVENTURE
Though Polaris dominates the mountain, it was still missing a versatile snowmobile capable of riding through both trails and deep snow locations. The manufacturer hit a new milestone by presenting the Titan this season. With a name like that, one does not need to guess at what type of capabilities this machine offers. Having tried it, I can confirm that it provides something entirely new to Polaris. We are a far cry from the previous model that attempted to perform similarly, the Wildtrack. I can say that there is now a whole new dimension to be discovered by trying this model. After riding in trails, I urged the Titan to perform in deep snow, and it easily rose to the challenge. Equipped with the tried-and-true 800 Cleanfire engine, the Titan quickly responds to the pilot’s commands no matter the conditions. During the West Yellowstone tryouts, time is limited and many team members must test pilot the same snowmobiles. As for me, there are still features I would like to try with the Titan. For instance, I want to verify whether its performance remains the same after long periods of use. I want to see how it will react in crazy snow conditions, where it will need to perform at a maximum level to get its driver out of trouble. That is my goal for this winter, but at first sight, the Titan has so far proven quite surprising.
XF 8000 CROSS COUNTRY
This season, Arctic Cat presents its new 800 C-TEC 2 inspired by the same technology as the 600 C-TEC. Entirely designed by the company engineers, this engine provides an increased level of performance power. Its powerful 160 horsepower makes all the difference, and that is why I chose the XF 8000 Cross Country. I have a particular affection for this type of snowmobile, which is always easy to manoeuver no matter the conditions. This is one of the best models in its category for riding for the sheer pleasure of it and enjoying good feedback from the machine. Again this year, I promise to push my test piloting further by riding as often as possible with this model from Arctic Cat so as to best assess the performances offered by this new engine.
