IMPRESSIONS 2008

No Bad Sleds

There are no bad sleds, just ones we prefer over others.


The first time I attended a snowmobile “test” session, there was actual testing done. We mounted sleds on a table to measure “tilt angles”—the degree at which a sled might actually tip-over. We ran the sleds through a 100-yard acceleration run. We did panic braking stops from 30 miles per hour. And we recorded sound levels with a decibel meter.

Our staff gave subjective ratings to each sled in five categories: throttle response, straight-line stability, ease of handling, comfort and ride, and overall styling.

That was in the spring of 1973 and we evaluated sleds from as many as 27 snowmobile manufacturers. At that time we tested and rode sleds from Arctic Cat (Panther, Cheetah, El Tigre), Polaris (Colt, Custom, Electra), Ski-Doo (Elan, Olympique, T’NT, Nordic), and Yamaha (SM 292F, TL 433, GP). Of course, that doesn’t count sleds with names like Alouette, ARGO (which still makes a multi-wheeled all-terrain vehicle), Columbia (yes, the bicycle people of the time), John Deere, Evinrude, Harley-Davidson, Mercury, Rupp, Scorpion, Sno-Jet and Suzuki.

This Spring of 2007, we photographed and rode nearly 100 sleds from just five different manufacturers— Arctic Cat, Boivin, Polaris, Ski-Doo and Yamaha. There were no tests of acceleration, sound, horsepower, etc. In the 34 years since my first sled evaluation in Houghton-Hancock, Michigan to the most recent in Grand Lake, Colorado, sleds have improved, but magazine “testing” hasn’t. With the snowmobile manufacturers in control of the evaluations, radar guns, decibel meters and scales are outlawed. The reasoning is that sled makers do not want to read about their sleds being slower, heavier, and noisier than the competition. The sled makers claim that, since the majority of “test” models are prototypes or pre-production versions of what the consumer will get in the autumn, it would be unfair to actually test them at this point.

Well, eh, yes! But in 1973 Alouette allowed a prototype of its Super Brute to be tested. It was a sled with essentially an engine, track and throttle. The brake was for show—not slow—purposes. The taillight was a block of wood painted red and pasted to the rear of the sled for photo purposes. Now that was a prototype! We didn’t see any such rough versions of the sleds from Arctic, Polaris, Ski-Doo and Yamaha.

In fact, Yamaha might well have benefited from some actual radar gunning and scale tipping as its new Nytro had undergone some marvelous transitions from its magazine preview to Colorado’s on-snow evaluations. Ski-Doo’s incredible weight reductions might have benefited from being showcased via third party endorsements.

But, that was not the case. You snowmobile buyers have to take the word of the magazine guys and gals and the word of the sled makers that what you can buy in 2008 is better, faster, lighter, quieter, etc. than ever before. In the “old” days the magazines didn’t ask you to take their word for things, they could back up their claims with facts. Cold, hard, incontrovertible facts. Facts that could sway your purchasing decision. And that is exactly why the current snowmobile evaluations are totally seat of the pants subjective evaluations and not objective acquired data evaluations.

With that rant off my aging, gray-haired chest, let me give you a maker-by-maker evaluation of the most significant sleds for 2008. Take my word for it. I have no hard data on which to base my observations, but three decades of riding the newest of the new must be worth a little something. Trust me!

Ski-Doo

The French-Canadians offer the most impressive new line of snowmobiles in many, many years. Ski-Doo was faced with an “Indy” problem; how to follow up on the success of a sled model that made you #1 in the marketplace and still stay #1 with subsequent new models. Ski-Doo’s solution? Make the REV better. Make the REV lighter. Make the REV more exciting. Simply reinvent the REV. Easier said than done. But for 2008, Ski-Doo certainly appears to have reinvented the #1 seller with a sled that could actually outsell the original.

The XP is a better REV in all ways. Because it retains the best engines—Rotax 600 SDI and 800 PowerTek—and drops significant weight, the all-new Ski-Doo automatically gains better all-around performance merely on the power-to-weight basis.

What the new lighter Ski-Doo models also gain is an adrenaline rush of on-trail handling and a major boost on the fun-o-meter.

In our view, the best new Ski-Doo is the XP with a 600 SDI twin. The most intriguing is the all-new T’NT version that is powered by the base 600cc twin sans RAVE and direct injection. It will be the price leader and a tempting choice for budget-conscious riders. If the $7,500 price tag is your limit, we feel that the T’NT is the best value in that price range. Plenty of motor—probably 100 horses or so—and not much weight (Ski-Doo is expected to claim just under 400 pounds!). If your budget can be stretched upwards a bit, we’d opt for the 600 SDI version because you get much better overall engine drive-ability from the semi-direct injection system and because the shock package is far superior to the base model.

For you trail cruisers, the GSX Limited on the new platform is a very solid consideration. It will be a smoother, less aggressive ride with better wind protection and more overall bells and whistles. The 600 SDI version is again our choice.

We were really impressed with what Ski-Doo has done for 2008. The new “look” is hip and happening. The fact that Ski-Doo recognized what it did well and kept those features (can we say great Rotax engines?) and improved on the strengths of the REV (can we say rider position, handling, style?) leads us to believe that Ski-Doo knows how to lead via technology and insights into what is truly important to snowmobilers.

Yamaha

Like Ski-Doo, Yamaha dropped weight faster than a bulimic on the South Beach Diet. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell Yamaha’s planners what Ski-Doo was up to!

The all-new Nytro is significantly lighter than any rough trail, 4stroke Yamaha has created to date. Even with the advantage of its 1050cc, 130-hp powerplant, the Nytro will not have the best power-to-weight ratio in the 120 class for 2008. But it does get a major overhaul in the ride and handling department since the versions we test rode at Yamaha’s sneak peek for the various magazines.

After out first outing on the sled, we were disappointed. The power delivery was wonderful, but it overpowered the Nytro’s suspension setups. The rear suspension rocked back under torque and lifted the skis at just the most inopportune times—like coming off an apex as you were trying to stay out of the trees off the turn! While this was great for straight-line shots, it was unnerving for switchbacks and twisties.

At Grand Lake, the Nytro was a totally different machine in the ride and handling departments. We were told that the Nytro suspension packages were only about 30 percent completed during the sneak peek introductions.

Part of the major upgrade came in the form of a totally new and repositioned coupling block that united the rear suspension’s front action with the rear action. From skis in the air to skis on the ground. Amen! Yamaha suspension gurus also got much closer to the final shock and spring calibrations by the Colorado evaluations. What Yamaha likes to do is to establish the suspension’s attack angle to the snow, locate the limiter strap position and work the front and rear shock and spring action to fine-tune the unit. The coupling block plays a major role in this action and you could definitely tell that Yamaha engineering made a gigantic stride forward in establishing a very rider-friendly setup. Hurray!

As we stated previously, the Nytro has power and very good performance-oriented ergonomics. Now it has the ride and handling to match. We can recommend the Nytro as a top choice—the top choice for performance riders wanting a 4stroke!

Now let us get back to our view of the Phazer. We test rode the latest spec RTX in Colorado and were content with it. There is a definite upgrade from Year One to now.

After our ride on the RTX, we immediately switched to the Phazer GT, which uses clicker shocks and is intended for sporty groomed trail riding. We pushed into a few corners after we switched from RTX to GT and were not happy. The rider I had been attacking while on the RTX was readily able to get away from me. Because the Phazer is limited to 80 horsepower, you need to hold the throttle on and dance around the turns, slide slipping the chassis to scrub off speed instead of hitting the brakes. Well, let’s just say this wasn’t going well at all. If I had Herculean strength, I would have stopped the GT, lifted it off the trail and hurled it off the mountain! We were not in our happy place.

Every time we closed on the sled ahead and came up on a turn, the GT pushed and popped, pushed and popped, leaving me cussing under my helmet. This hadn’t been the case with the RTX and its air shocks. It would push a bit, but then grab and hold. After a few corners, I pulled off the trail and summoned the Yamaha technician who was riding with us. We chatted a bit and agreed to go all the way stiff on the compression setting.

Another mile or so and we made another change. I was really ticked off now. We chatted again. The GT was like a pogo stick under the stiff compression setting. We backed off the compression and this time softened the rebound to slow the action a bit to see if that could mitigate the sled’s tendency to “pogo.” Voila! Rebound was the key. The front end was significantly better and would prove even better a day later as Yamaha’s tech fiddled with the setting again and let me try it. It was the best setup of any Phazer I had ridden to date.

My point is simple. Read the setup manual. Make adjustments. Note your adjustment. Fine-tune your adjusts until you are totally satisfied. Make notes. You may find that the key to cornering is going to be in the rebound setting, but you will need to play with the compression stroke as well.

Now we know that the Phazer GT can be made to be acceptable and great fun on the tight trails, but we are still convinced that Yamaha needs to do more. Perhaps a new ski design with either dual runners to get good grip or more of a rocker keel will prove to be the answer. Of course, at an entry-level price, we can’t expect Nytro features can we?

Our other fave in the Yamaha line is the new Vector series—the best 4stroke drive train in Yamaha’s most rideable chassis setup derived from the Apex line.

Polaris

Polaris answers the Phazer question of what can you get for $7500 or so with its loss-leader Shift, which should come in under seven grand and should be a really good buy.

Looks like Polaris is getting back to its basics of offering good quality sleds at the lowest prices per category. It—and the Indy—was what made Polaris #1 in the market for a dozen seasons. To get consumers’ interest, Polaris marketers are attacking the value market with a 600cc-powered sled in the popular IQ chassis. Called the Shift, the down-and-dirty sled comes without makeup and a base handlebar setup. So, right away, Polaris figures that the Shift buyer will want to upgrade the plain black hood with a dealer-available and optional graphics package and maybe even a riser bar to get the handlebars up where they can be comfortable. This so-called “stripper” sled is intended for cost-conscious buyers who might want to personalize their ride.

We get the concept. At under $7000, the base sled is actually a pretty good buy. But what you really want is the Dragon 600. It and the all-new Ski-Doo MXZ are the two best rides on the market and worth the price of admission.

The Cleanfire 600 is the equal of the Rotax 600 SDI. The Polaris IQ and the REV XP are not apples and apples. In fact we came away confused as to which of the sleds we liked better. We liked the traditional power sled feel of the Dragon, which reminded us of the best traits of the older Indy in that it seemed no matter what stupid thing you might do the sled covered for you. The Ski-Doo is noticeably lighter and you can readily toss it around and have great fun with it. The heavier feeling Dragon goes where you point it, but doesn’t like to redirect itself if you change a line. It feels a bit sluggish in cornering, but that is most likely a result of the Ski-Doo being so light and giving such a feeling of lightning quick response, especially when cornering.

The Dragon is an exceptionally good sled with very nice quality in its build, respectful of the rider, consistent in power, able to ride out rough trails with ease, and a very strong 600cc driveline. Firecat riders disappointed with the new more luxurious Cats may be quite content to change over to the Roseau fleet of sports sleds. The Dragon has very good ergonomics and a large dealer network to support it.

Another model we have to mention is the limited build RR (race replica). This sled will sell for a premium so don’t be surprised. Based on the snocross-winning racer, the RR is a 600cc version that has been calibrated for exciting ditch line running. We were impressed. Expecting a rock-hard ride with race-like handling, we found the RR to our liking. It is more trail-calibrated than racer. Its standup ride position works great on mogulled trails and its pinpoint steering is superb. Like the lightweight Ski-Doo Xps, the RR is designed to be tossed around and ridden as hard as you can. If you like it rough, the RR is perfect. Polaris engineers did an outstanding job on this specialty model. There won’t be many around and they will be pricey, but the RR is a keeper!

Arctic Cat

The new Cat lineup for 2008 is an expansion of what you saw last year. More base model engines have been moved to the new chassis giving you such flavors as the 570 fan-cooled twin in the one-chassis-fits-all mode.

Let me preface what I am about to say with this. The new Cats are very nice snowmobiles. The new chassis and rider ergonomics are first rate. But, it isn’t enough for true Cat fanatics who loved their Firecats. The new sleds are not the old Firecat. By and large the new sleds are heavier and slower than the models they replaced. Especially the ones that replaced the Firecats. Those riders demanded speed, handling and lightness on the trail. The new versions supply little of that.

Overall the new breed of Cat is actually among our favorites as everyday rides. The steering is smooth. The adjustability is incredible as you can fit virtually anyone to these Cats. We like the styling, though not all do. The fit and finish is very good and the overall ergonomics are pleasing.

Oh, my gosh… I just described a Buick!

And, that may be the problem. Cat owners forgave Arctic Cat for the teething problems of the first Firecats because they knew that those sleds were fast and furious rides on the trails. The Firecat 700 earned a performance reputation against competitors with more horsepower and greater displacement. That’s not the case with the new breed of performance Cats. But they are nice. They ride nice. They look nice. But they tend to purr instead of growl and scratch!

And that’s a problem. Cat owners have attitude! The new Cats are nice. Cat owners don’t want nice, they want scratch and claw attitude.

One of the nicest Cats is the new touring version, the TZ1, which combines the best of the Z1 four-stroke with the Cat penchant for Catillac luxury. Smooth, nicely appointed and incredibly cush for a snow car, this top line Cat is at the top for best in show of luxury-oriented trail cruisers.

Fun to ride Cats include the new 570 fan-cooled sports versions and the various SnoPro performance rides. Nice but little growl compared to the fire breathers in the Dragon line and the lightweight Ski-Doo models.

So, if you are looking to Cat, think less Firecat and more Buick. Less growl, more purr.

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

VINTAGE REVIEW


1968 Sno-Skat

One of many interesting sleds to see at World Snowmobile HQ

Things of note you’ll see at the new World Snowmobile Headquarters in Eagle River, Wisconsin, include a display of historic and unique snowmobiles. Among the current display of “traditional” Polaris Sno-Travelers and historic World Championship twin-track racing sleds is a quite rare “kit” snowmobile on loan by Jerry Wanty of Jackson (WI) to the HQ’s museum area.

Wanty’s redone 1968 Sno-Skat is unusual from a variety of points. It is a unique collectible due to its relative obscurity. The fact that it was sold as a kit adds to the uniqueness of the sled. And it also showcases some rather clever design aspects—one of which is being hyped in today’s sleds as breakthrough engineering. Guess the folks at Sno-Skat were 40 years ahead of their time with the 1968 Sno-Skat currently on display at the snowmobile headquarters museum.

The sled was offered as a do-it-yourself kit in 1968 and boasted a carrying capacity for one adult or “two mature children.” The unit’s 4stroke, single cylinder, air-cooled engine was set low in a recessed portion of the tunnel, just back of the steering post and ahead of the seat.

Promotional material stated: “The Sno-Skat offers an exceptionally low center of gravity because the engine is recessed or submerged into the frame. This design feature reduces overall vibration to a minimum while increasing the stability of the machine in operation.”

With the engine tucked away, engineers also enclosed the myriad of moving parts out of harm’s way, too.

“In addition to the low center of gravity created by the recessed engine,” touted the brochure, “the Sno-Skat presents no exposed drive chains or track. If you do happen to tip the machine, you will fall safely clear of all moving parts.”

The engine-mounted clutch was a typical centrifugal unit that you would use for a home-built lawn mower-powered , off-road go-kart. It was simple, efficient for the power output and relatively inexpensive. Braking appears to have been a matter of letting off the throttle and letting friction take over.

Even with a basic “lawn mower” type 5 or 7 horsepower motor, the Sno-Skat was said to achieve speeds upwards of 20 miles per hour, even with an adult who might actually match the diminutive sled’s 180 pounds of dry weight.

Since the engine in the display model was likely an “off-the-shelf” Briggs & Stratton or Tecumseh 4stroker, the fuel tank would have come with the motor and probably had about a quart of fuel capacity. But they would have provided ample fun time for those mature children.

The rear suspension used basic big-wheeled bogies while ski suspension relied on the flex in the shaped steel steering rods attached to the metal skis.

Passengers sat on a luxuriant (by 1968 standards) three inches of foam seat support.

Designed to be rugged, compact and exciting, Sno-Skat’s lightweight construction made it “…much easier to lift out and keep going if you happen to dig into a snow bank, etc.”

If you are in the Eagle River area and enjoy snowmobiling, you owe it to yourself to stop by the World Snowmobile Headquarters complex at 5121 North Railroad Street. For additional info and museum hours, call the Headquarters offices at 715-479-2186. Once the website is completed, you can check out events by visiting online at www.worldsnowmobilehq.com.

For right now, the Sno-Skat is one of the more interesting sleds on display. But, also you'll find a Polaris “Li’l Andy” and a nice sampling of other significant snowmobiles from the past. Check it out!

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

More Rants

Vintage Sleds A Threat?

There are reasons for growth of vintage sledding.

At the peak of last week’s near-blizzard in central Minnesota, we stopped our sled ride to gather at a pit stop along the Soo Line trail. As we parked our brand new (low mileage!) ’07 test sleds outside the trailside bar; we noticed a couple of 1970s vintage Scorpions parked alongside the front edge of the parking lot. Both were in wonderful shape—especially considering that each was easily 35 years old. One hood had a nicely painted patriotic theme while the other retained historic Scorpion black paint on its scoop nose.

Upon entering the bar, we noticed a couple of younger fellows—well, at least younger to me. One was outfitted in a Scorpion-logoed red and black hooded sweatshirt. The other had the Carhartt thing going for him. They were the owners/riders of the two Scorpions and they were of a similar —if not younger— vintage as their sleds. My riding partner, a veteran Scorpion enthusiast and former Scorpion factory racer, knew the lads. We struck up a conversation.

Now, with no apologies, I will admit that this vintage thing has perplexed me some. I do get it. After all, I still have the 1969 Ski-Doo 320SS that was given to me one Christmas by my folks. And I have possession of one of three 1964-65 10-horsepower Ski-Doo Olympiques that my Dad sold the first year he was a snowmobile dealer. So, yes, I get the heritage and emotional side of vintage sleds. I don’t quite get why younger guys are so eager to ride and embrace vintage sleds.

The “Carhartt Guy” said, “It’s kinda like riding a Harley for the snow.” Does that mean the sleds leak oil and ride hard? Yes and no!

“Carhartt Guy’s” buddy said that he could invest a little money and get a long-term ride that put him in touch with what snowmobiling was all about. It sounded a little Thoreau, but what I think he meant was that even though his sled’s top speed was well under 50 miles per hour (the state speed limit in Minnesota, by the way!), he enjoyed a sense of adventure of being a participant in winter.

Also, he pointed out, once he invested the hundreds or a few thousand dollars to get the vintage ride where he wanted it, he could have a nice sled for years to come. One that didn’t require huge repairs—since he could repair most of it himself. If he wanted to update the suspension, he could do it quite easily. Since these were older sleds and since Scorpion parts of those years were somewhat interchangeable, the lads could update the early Scorps with later Scorpion parts. The famed Para-Rail rear suspension could be added to virtually any older bogie model. The engine could be upgraded with newer and more reliable electronics and carbs could be switched out from Walbro to Mikuni.

While the guys liked working on the sleds to make them “theirs,” they enjoyed riding them more. Interestingly, more and more younger riders are finding old sleds to enjoy. They are cheap compared to the $10,000-plus required for today’s newer, heavier and more complex sleds. But, as “Carhartt Guy” noted, “Parts for the old sleds are getting harder to find and more expensive as more people are getting into vintage.”

Yes, indeed, more people are getting into older sleds. While we were at the pit stop another small group came in. One of the younger fellows climbed off a John Deere, the old silver and green one.

With the reality that vintage snowmobiling is growing in popularity, how does this impact the existing sled makers? Is there a realization by today’s snowmobiling crowd that today’s sleds are too expensive for the length of the season? Is there a feeling that today’s sleds are just too heavy and way too complicated? Is there a feeling that there is a growing insider club of vintage sleds —like there is with street rodders, classic car buffs and, yes, Harley guys— where you can be an individual with a remade sled customized to you by you that has greater appeal than the sled makers realize?

When we went to Eagle River (WI) for the races this past January, we were impressed with how big vintage sled racing has become. Working for Snow Week “back in the day,” I covered many of those sleds that I was seeing compete in the vintage events at Eagle River. The difference is that the vintage sleds weren’t falling apart and leaving debris all over the historic oval as the originals had done. And today’s vintage sled racers are actually better overall drivers on average than many of the old time competitors. Vintage racing is impressive. And growing.

As one aftermarket pioneer told me. “If you put a few thousand dollars into building up a vintage race sled, you could race that sled for years. But if you race the new sleds, to be competitive you have to get a new one every year.”

As new sleds get more expensive, more complicated, less mechanic friendly and much heavier, vintage sleds may pose a threat to new sled sales. Vintage sleds are simple, fun and can be made quite reliable. When your butt is a foot off the snow rebounding from a bogie wheel suspension and cradled in a modest foam seat, the vintage sled’s 40 miles per hour top speed seems like a 100 mph on a modern sled. You experience winter first hand on a vintage sled. That’s part of the secret to the growth of vintage sledding.

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

RACING NEWS


Yammie Wins On Mille Lacs
As One-legged Corey Davidson
Dominates The Field

Yamaha-backed cross country star, Corey Davidson entered the USCC Mille Lacs 300 in Garrison, MN, race with his leg still in a cast from a December motocross crash and proved that even on one-leg he was the one to beat as he scored two first-place finishes in the two-race format to take the Pro Open overall win on his Davidson Racing Apex RTX.

Davidson and his Yamaha Apex were the combination to beat in the Pro Open classes of this past weekend (Feb. 10-11). Handicap and all, he added a third overall in Pro Stock on a second Apex.

“I was the only driver in the Pro Open class on a four-stroke,” Davidson said after the event. “The Apex really had an advantage in power and top-end speed over the two-strokes. The Apex handled just perfectly all weekend.”

Davidson’s Yamaha teammate Travis Hjelle added to the spoils by winning both legs of the Semi Pro Open event, finishing first overall by just two seconds after 40 miles of racing.

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

NEWS

One Millionth Sea-Doo
Assembled In Valcourt

BRP, Ski-Doo’s parent company, and its Valcourt, Quebec-based employees celebrated manufacture of the one millionth Sea-Doo® watercraft to leave the assembly line recently. The one-millionth vessel was a 2007 Sea-Doo RXP model powered by a Rotax® 4-TEC® engine. BRP/Sea-Doo has led the sit-down personal watercraft market with innovative features, striking design and unmatched performance. BRP’s Sea-Doo brand has been the industry leader for almost 20 years.

"BRP has always been at the forefront of the industry thanks to our employees' dedication to developing and manufacturing high quality products," said Yves Leduc, vice-president and general manager, Snowmobiles, Watercraft, All-terrain vehicles and Sport boats, BRP. "Over the years, the company has introduced new technologies to improve safety and decrease noise and emissions for its watercraft. These are just a few of the reasons more and more people are discovering the excitement of riding on the open water aboard a Sea-Doo watercraft."

According to Michel Hade, vice-president and general manager of BRP's International division, "today's Sea-Doo products are 90 percent cleaner and 70 percent quieter than models introduced before 1998. It says a lot about the company's commitment to this industry and to providing great fun on the water to both enthusiasts and newcomers."

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

SLED RIDE

2007 Polaris Dragon 700

Much good. Some Thoughts To Make It Better.

If enough Polaris people test ride or purchase a Dragon, they should help the rest of the snow world look at the disastrous Fusion series as a one-time blip in the proud snowmobiling history of this pioneering sled maker.

The Dragon is what Polaris should have brought to market a few years back. It gives diehard Polaris owners all that they expect from a “Polaris” branded sled. It handles well. It has better than average straight-line acceleration as well as “off-the-berm” throttle response. It takes the “big bumps” as well as most top sleds in its niche (Ski-Doo and Arctic Cat!).

With around 140-horsepower from its Polaris Liberty twin, this performance engine is well suited to the IQ chassis that houses it. In various test rides this past month, we found the sled totally competent at its 90-100 miles per hour top end and competitively quick off the line versus others in this “big bump” performance category such as the new Ski-Doo Blizzard 800 twin.

The borrowed sled that we tried was set up with an aggressive package of Stud Boy traction products on the track. While it aided the straight-ahead performance, the use of studs with the stock carbide runners up front was a decided “no-no” as the track totally overpowered the ski bite in any moderately icy turns. Imagine Dale Earnhardt Jr at Daytona running new rubber on the back of his racer and slicks up front. The Dragon was kind of along those lines. Nonetheless we could still feel the overall setup as being conducive —with longer carbide runners— to strong trail handling.

We really appreciated the rapid response from this Liberty twin, which we felt had very good midrange—which is exactly what you want in a bump-busting, mogul sled. Considering that one magazine test crew proved the Dragon is among the lightest sleds (with fuel) in this category means that you get excellent power-to-weight performance off the bumps and out of the turns.

Overall, the real world production versions of Polaris’ Dragon are every bit as good as the magazine guys said about the pre-production versions they tested last March. As a more powerful iteration of the IQ 600, the Dragon does not disappoint.

Suggestion One —We do have a couple of suggestions, however. First, we were absolutely shocked at how a 2007 model snowmobile with a technically proficient engine like the Liberty 700 twin could suck up 10.2 gallons of fuel in less than 80 miles! Do the math. Which is what we did as we waited alongside an upper Michigan trail for our crew to come back to tow us in to a gas station. Being generous, we come up with 7.8 miles per gallon for this specific tank of gas.

The last time this writer/snowmobiler ran out of fuel on the trail was 1976 with a Xenoah 338cc-powered Rupp Nitro 340 which sucked up 6.5 gallons of fuel in just over 50 miles of riding! One would think that sled engineers and marketers would have progressed more in the past three decades!

We can tell you that Polaris’ published fuel tank rating of 10.8 US Gallons is off by a half-gallon according to a Michigan-certified gas pump. We ran the Dragon bone-dry on the trail and it took 10.2 gallons to bring fuel to the top of the filler neck! Apparently we must have had the only downsized fuel tank to escape the Roseau production facility!

Our suggestion is that if you own a Dragon, check the old-fashioned (but quite accurate) mechanical fuel gauge at about 50 miles out. You need to know how far the next fuel stop is apt to be. You might consider making certain that someone in your group carries a tow rope in their “just in case” kit.

Another suggestion, this one for Polaris, is that the fuel tank should be enlarged or the energy efficiency improved. This is a high performance machine and people will be riding with the throttle close to the handlebar. Since most riders expect at least 100 miles from a tank of fuel, Polaris engineers should take that into consideration for the future.

Suggestion Two — Now, granted we expect a high performance sled to be a bit rough and tumble, but we do expect the seat to give us more “cush” than the Dragon saddle. The Dragon seat is a perplexing item. First, it has all the comfort of a vinyl-covered cement block. Second, while it is quite adequately rounded and shaped for moving back and forth in the twisties, the seat material is too tacky and works against rider movement. We don’t get the incongruity!

We also felt as though the seating position for attacking a run of moguls could be better. The handlebar with riser positioning is good, but the seat is too low and makes tackling that bad bump section a matter of yanking on the handgrip and pulling yourself forward to center your mass. The REV ergonomics place the rider in a much better “ready” position.

We offer a solution for the Dragon. Simply place a pivot at the front of the saddle and then offer a couple of alternate positions at the rear of the saddle to raise the seat —thus, the rider— up and forward to better place the rider in a ready position for the moguls. It shouldn’t be a big deal as the rear seat brace tube could be revamped with pre-drilled holes that could be moved and pinned to adjust the seat height to suit more riders.

Other than the fuel issue, we found the Dragon to be exactly what we would have expected from Polaris—instead of the Fusion. Expect the Dragon to be reliable, durable and essentially everything that the Fusion was not! Don’t give up on Polaris; they still have a trick or two in their model line. The Dragon is one shining example!

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

NEWS

World Sled HQ Holds
Open House Jan 20th

Need something to do during the breaks at the annual Eagle River (WI) World's Championship Derby Weekend? Well, just trudge a few hundred yards north of the Derby track and visit the brand new World Snowmobile Headquarters, home to displays of antique snowmobiles, historic racing sleds, photo displays of the "who's who" of snowmobiling and even a unique snowmobile-oriented gift shop.

The "official" grand opening will be held the evening of January 20th with a "by invitation only" private party. But if you are in the Eagle River area and stop by the World HQ, you are apt to find a warming cup of coffee and friendly faces ready to chat snowmobiles as they prepare the facility for the grand opening.

Stop in and say "Hi!" While there sneak a peek at some unique display sleds like a 1960s vintage Montgomery-Ward snowmobile (manufactured by Polaris for the catalog company). That's just one of the stars of the show sitting in the museum area. There's much more to enjoy.

Says Tom Anderson, one of the key movers behind the World Snowmobile HQ, "The displays of sleds will be constantly evolving as we continue work on making this facility THE showcase of snowmobile history." He noted that he and his group have gotten incredibly wonderful support and assistance from snowmobilers all across the snowbelt.

© 2006 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

TRAIL REPORT



















All Signs Say
Snowmobiling A-OK
From Hurley, WI
To Bergland, MI

Get your sleds loaded for snow and head your tow vehicles to the Wisconsin/Michigan border towns of Hurley (WI) and Ironwood (MI). This is where trail groomers actually have snow to groom this season. And, while the warm (unseasonably so) temperatures turned today's January riding into March-like conditions, the weather is breaking toward the cold side, which will hold trail conditions until the arrival of projected snow storms early to midweek next!

Just back from a day on the trails around Bergland (MI), we can report that the groomers were out early --and so were dozens of snowmobilers. If you're enthusiasm has been on hold, shake it loose and call places like Hurley, Ironwood, Wakefield and Bergland for the most current conditions.

Remember that to a native of these areas, current conditions are only fair but to snow-starved snowmobilers from Minnesota, southern Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa-- well, this is winter playtime. Real snow. Real groomers on real trails. And the promise is for more snow soon,

As riders based in Minnesota, we can tell you the stores, gas stations, restaurants and lodging sites in the Hurley/Ironwood/Bergland areas are eager to see you. We can report that in this totally abnormal season, the riding here is real.

© 2007 snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog