The End

February 2003 Feature

We really didn't know many of the particulars, but the Summit Rev may well have been the worst kept secret of the past year.
Maybe that's why we were so anxious to see-and ride-the Summit Rev. The sled most definitely lives up to the hype.
Ski-Doo did the research to find out what mountain riders want in a sled, but could they deliver? Mountain riders have become pretty picky lately-and spoiled for that matter-as the Big Four have scrambled to produce a sled for the steep and deep. Lighter weight has always been near the top of the list. Improved traction and better flotation can't hurt either.
Ski-Doo took dead aim at what mountain riders are looking for and the Summit Rev is the result

Ski-Doo wanted to.drop weight significantly.
So Ski-Doo.put the Summit on a diet

The 2003 Summit Rev, technically a late season model release, is 35 lbs. lighter than the ZX-based Summit. At 475 lbs., the Summit Rev with a 144-inch track claims to be the lightest 800cc mountain sled out there. Where did Ski-Doo trim the weight? The company took 10 lbs. off the chassis, 15 lbs. off the mechanics (lighter brake, cooling system, etc.) and 10 lbs. off the aesthetics (removed the seat panels, lighter seat, etc.). The new seat alone saves 4 lbs. All those little things have combined to make this mountain sled light and nimble. The first time we pulled the sled over to play in the powder, we pulled almost too hard and nearly pulled the machine over on us

Ski-Doo wanted to.improve traction and flotation.
So Ski-Doo.thought through this issue a little differently

Remember it was Ski-Doo that started the "my track is longer than your track" race when it introduced the 151-inch track. Now the company is thinking that longer isn't always necessarily better. But wider can be. So, the 2003 Summit Rev comes with a 16x144x2 inch track. Adding a half-inch to each side of the track and redesigning the pattern made believers out of us. Trenching was never an issue in the two feet (sometimes a little more) of powder we took the Summit Rev through in mid-December. Again, remember Ski-Doo went to a track pattern that featured two-inch paddles on the outsides of the track and 1.75-inch paddles in the center, so that a sort of funnel was created to keep the snow cleared out of the tunnel. The Summit Rev Powder Max track features two-inch paddles across the entire track. And Ski-Doo has put the new track in the same width tunnel and hasn't changed the rails.
Consider this: surface on the ground (track touching and hard surface):
15 x 144 = 820-square inches
16 x 144 = 875-square inches
15 x 151 = 879-square inches
Translated, that means even though the Summit Rev track is seven inches shorter, it has nearly as much track on the ground as the 151-inch track.

Like what you read?

Want to know when we have important news, updates or interviews?
Join our newsletter today!
Sign Up

Search

Subscribe now!

You Might Also Be Interested In...

Share

Welcome to Snowest!