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What gives?
The NEO is a Gen4 chassis with the seat, handlebars, and such trimmed down for a smaller rider. Very similar to what Polaris did with the EVO, although with a newer chassis and motor. What boggles my mind, especially in the Summit NEO, is that the engine is de-rated to 55HP. That's about the same as Poo's 550 fan. The Summit NEO would be hands-down a better choice than the EVO RMK if you could get it with the full output of that engine (85 HP); just about any rider could use the full power in deep snow. I've said it about the EVO, and I think the same could be said of the NEO: if you're into doing a little modding, you could take a 600 RMK or Summit and do basically the same things (narrow, lower handlebars, cut down seat, modify controls for smaller hands) for the same money and have a sled that's just as easy to ride but can handle deep snow and have some chance of keeping up with the pack once the rider builds enough skill.
@summ8rmk I've never rode a Freestyle, but they're an intriguing sled. I'm not sure why they didn't catch on; maybe they're one that was only really appreciated once it was gone. I hear good used ones are very much in demand. It was more of a paired down sled than the NEO or EVO, and it actually has a better power-weight ratio than either of those!
I don't have kids, but my guess is your daughter will find the NEO easier to ride. I'm not sure how much difference the ergonomics will make for sidehilling, but it can't hurt. Maybe it'll do better than I think despite the HP deficit, but it has half the power. I'd consider holding onto to the RMK if you can. She'll probably end up wanting to ride it instead once she's grown and gotten more experienced. I'm sure there are threads detailing the kind of mods I have in mind: it's not rocket science, but there's not much available off-the-shelf for the parts you'd need. Some EVO parts might fit though. The NEO will probably be a good sled for trail riding and light off-trail, but my guess is anybody hoping to work up to more aggressive or technical riding is going to hit a power wall pretty quickly. Obviously, turning a new riding loose on a full-power sled is asking for trouble, but it'd be so easy to offer selectable power levels, and the only reason not to is to drive more sales down the road.
That was absolutely the plan, however a lack of parts and lead time kept that from happening. I only know of 3-4 that have gotten bigbored and only one of those is a true consumer(not racer or sponsored rider). I can fill you in on more details privately, it's not my place to say publically I don't think.Reeb, i thought you were going to go big bore on your venom? I was hoping you would try it first so I knew if it was worth the coin! My 10yo son only rode a couple days out west with me but did freaking awesome on it. He can throw it around really well but the lack of power is going to really be a big problem next year.
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So here is my take on the NEO.
First, start with the standard NEO. That thing is 404 pounds and has a 14" wide track. AWESOME!!! Put the Camso Freeride on there with 1.5" lugs. Now, take that awesome 34" ski stance that the Summit Neos have. Imagine, a sled that is 404 pounds with electric start, has a 14X121 track, and a 34" ski stance. Now we are really talking about a sled that even a very small person can get up on edge and really learn how to ride the right way.
Now here is the final real kicker. It absolutely destroys me that Ski-Doo is using this 600 engine capable of 85 HP and they intentionally handicap it and make it very difficult to get the power back. At elevation, we are already handicapped for power by thin air. Then to make matters worse, we are trying to push tracks with big lugs through deep, often heavy powder up somewhat steep hills. I understand that I don't want to give a 9 year old a really fast sled from a safety perspective. But I wish that the manufacturers would understand that out west, up high in the mountains, the proper way to give a kid a safe sled is to gear it down, not to power it down. By all means, please give it a gearing ratio that won't even let it get over 45 mph. I have no problem with that. In fact I would love it, because it would help the bottom end so much. Please, stop powering down, and start gearing down for these Tween sleds.
Last but not least, this is particularly frustrating coming from Bombardier. Many of us have ridden and owned Sea Doos, which for the last 15 years at least have had the technology of having a "learner key" as part of the DESS. So even if some folks to want to power down their NEO - please do it by means of DESS and the learner key. Please don't do it by means of robbing the engine of power in a way that is super difficult to get.
So close Ski-Doo. So close. They had all the right parts. They just didn't quite put them together in the right package for those of us out here in the West with a kid who has learned good basics and fundamentals on a snoscoot and doesn't want to take a step backwards as he goes up to the next size sled.
So here is my take on the NEO.
Parts of what they are offering are really encouraging because it starts to seem like maybe they are kinda figuring out what these Tweens need, but then it can be super discouraging where they are so close and they just swing and miss.
Here is a bit of what I wish Ski-Doo would have done. They are so close.
First, start with the standard NEO. That thing is 404 pounds and has a 14" wide track. AWESOME!!! Put the Camso Freeride on there with 1.5" lugs. Now, take that awesome 34" ski stance that the Summit Neos have. Imagine, a sled that is 404 pounds with electric start, has a 14X121 track, and a 34" ski stance. Now we are really talking about a sled that even a very small person can get up on edge and really learn how to ride the right way.
Now here is the final real kicker. It absolutely destroys me that Ski-Doo is using this 600 engine capable of 85 HP and they intentionally handicap it and make it very difficult to get the power back. At elevation, we are already handicapped for power by thin air. Then to make matters worse, we are trying to push tracks with big lugs through deep, often heavy powder up somewhat steep hills. I understand that I don't want to give a 9 year old a really fast sled from a safety perspective. But I wish that the manufacturers would understand that out west, up high in the mountains, the proper way to give a kid a safe sled is to gear it down, not to power it down. By all means, please give it a gearing ratio that won't even let it get over 45 mph. I have no problem with that. In fact I would love it, because it would help the bottom end so much. Please, stop powering down, and start gearing down for these Tween sleds.
Last but not least, this is particularly frustrating coming from Bombardier. Many of us have ridden and owned Sea Doos, which for the last 15 years at least have had the technology of having a "learner key" as part of the DESS. So even if some folks to want to power down their NEO - please do it by means of DESS and the learner key. Please don't do it by means of robbing the engine of power in a way that is super difficult to get back.
Right now, the market on the freestyles, especially the 300 model, from 15 years ago remains elevated to almost ridiculous levels. Why? Because there still isn't a sled out there that can even touch it for what it does. It is unquestionably the best sled for a kid to jump to right after the kid gets bored with his snoscoot. It has a 121" track 15" wide and has a 32" ski stance and a dry weight of 370 pounds for the non-electric start version. It remains untouched on those specs as the easiest sled, bigger than a snoscoot, for a kid to get on edge and learn to powder turn, sidehill etc. Had Ski-Doo built the sled I outline above, the value of those Freestyles would have immediately plummeted from ridiculously high levels to the levels of an obsoleted old sled. Unfortunately they didn't, and the freestyle 300s will continue selling for close to the same value as their original MSRP, or maybe even more as has been recently the case.
So close Ski-Doo. So close. They had all the right parts. They just didn't quite put them together in the right package for those of us out here in the West with a kid who has learned good basics and fundamentals on a snoscoot and doesn't want to take a step backwards as he goes up to the next size sled.
I personally see a place for both track lengths. Especially if they actually did the right thing with the engine of giving it all the power and then giving it a 40 HP learner key.For the Mtn version I’d like to see it stretched to a 141/146 with 18/50 gearing. I’m completely in agreement with you, leave the hp numbers alone, gear down and put a learner key on it. That way my 9yo can be comfortable on it, and so could my 15yo.
I think you’re onto something here bud!
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I suppose we can hope right?Do we know that Ski-Doo didn’t get gearing right? For clarity, I agree with what you say about power, but would be good news if they got the clutching right.
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I personally see a place for both track lengths. Especially if they actually did the right thing with the engine of giving it all the power and then giving it a 40 HP learner key