It really must be time for us to hit the snow.
Granted, at this time of year, it doesn't take much for us to get excited about going snowmobiling. But there are some things that really get us stoked for that first snowfall.
We found one of those things the other day when we stopped by Absolute Power & Performance in St. Albert, AB. It was AP&P owner Jarrid Juse's latest creation, a modded Polaris 700 RMK. We'd heard about Juse's creation for months and it sounded pretty cool, but seeing it in person was even better. We'll admit that pales in comparison to actually taking the sled and trying it out on snow, but that's a trip for another day.
Just seeing AP&P's latest creation on the pavement in front of the company's shop north of Edmonton, AB, was really impressive.
After taking a thorough walk-around of the machine with Juse, we figure this new creation could be aimed at the rider who wants more than stock but who doesn't want a full-blown-custom-made mod that will force you to work in the oil fields forever just to pay it off (although working the drive thru at McDonald's won't find you any closer to buying one, either).
Fit And Finish
What's so striking about the AP&P machine is how clean the fit and finish is and how much attention to detail Juse paid in creating it.
Starting with the powerplant, Juse uses the original Polaris 700cc engine with some head mods and an AP&P modified Boostwurx turbo kit. This turbo utilizes an Aerocharger 66 series turbo which Juse mounts vertically inside the engine compartment rather than the traditional horizontal mounting. Juse's reasoning basically boils down to his feeling that the turbo holds up better when mounted vertical. With the head mods and Boostwurx turbo, the sled hits 220 hp at 12 lbs. of boost.
Now before you go to Google Earth and punch in St. Albert, AB, to find out the elevation (which is about 2,100 feet), just know that whenever Juse quotes horsepower numbers he's talking about what the sled will do at elevation. Nearly all of his riding (and testing) takes place in the mountains, primarily in British Columbia. Juse knows a thing or two about setting a sled up for mountain riding.
Juse has also left the clutching relatively stock (stock is the Polaris primary and team secondary), save for adding an AP&P clutch kit. The AP&P kit includes a new primary spring, Mtx. Weights, a secondary spring and helix. Helping get the power to the snow is a Crazy Mountain Xtreme Drive System. "I've used those for years," Juse said. "The power transfer, the seat of the pants throttle response is incredible." He added, "And with high horsepower sleds, it's nice that you don't have to worry about the chaincase blowing." That and it helps shave a bit of weight off the final product.
The pipe is also stock, although he had it ceramic coated. If you were to hang around Juse for any amount of time you'd soon realize he is meticulous in his work and likes his equipment to look as good as it performs. So, while ceramic coating has some heat-reducing benefits, it also makes the engine compartment look that much sharper.
Sharp Dressed Sled
You'll notice that sharp-dressed theme throughout the rest of the snowmobile, from the vents to the tunnel to the rear seat bracket to nearly every aspect of the sled. While you'll notice the impressive and eye-catching tunnel, vent covers and the like, you might be scratching your head when you look at the seat. You'll notice something different but just won't be able to put your finger on it. The first clue that something is different is the Mountain Mod name on the seat. No, it's not a completely new seat, just a recovered seat. Mountain Mod simply takes the Polaris seat covering off and recovers it with a new material that adds a little stickiness to the seat. The new material is more tacky than the Polaris material, allowing the rider to stick to the seat better, especially when it gets wet. Nothing else on the seat is changed. The bracket holding the rear seat, however, is an AP&P custom made bracket, replacing the Polaris piece.
It's a toss-up as to what will catch your eye next. Will it be AP&P's custom-made tunnel or the Nextech suspension or the tunnel stiffeners? Let's focus on the tunnel and surrounding hardware first. Juse uses an open footwell design on the running boards, which feature the familiar Arctic Cat roll edge (which is a misnomer because there really is nothing rolly about the edge. It's sharp enough to slice cold cuts). The tunnel stiffener (which should give you an idea of the kind of riding expected on this machine) runs along the inside edge of the tunnel all the way back to where the bumper mounts to the tunnel. Juse also incorporated the rear drop bracket into the tunnel stiffener.
The vents on the rear cowling are custom-made by AP&P, just another one of those look-as-good-as-it-functions touches by Juse.
Juse chose to go with the RSI carbon fiber, tapered handlebars because the RSI riser can be adjusted to fit most any height a rider might want. The sled uses Simmons skis and a Fabcraft front suspension featuring Fox Float air shocks with remote reservoirs (the pictures show only Fox Floats, but Juse has decided to use the Fox Floats with remote reservoirs all around the machine). The track is the stock Polaris Series 5.1 series 163-incher. On the hood, R&M Lightning side vents are used to let the hot air out while keeping the snow dust out as well.
Nextech Suspension
One more area of the machine that helps the sled look so clean and have that sharp fit and finish appearance is the Nextech suspension, which is built nearby in Sherwood Park.
Juse swears by the Nextech suspension. "It is unbelievable," Juse said. "The ride is superior to anything I have ridden and it's so easy to adjust."
The entire suspension is carbon fiber, save the front arm, which is chromoly, and weighs just 35 lbs. when carbon fiber wheels are used (Juse plans on 9-inch wheels for this model).
When we saw the sled it was about 90 percent done with just a few odds and ends things still needing to be done to the machine, like applying decals.
The new mountain sled isn't the only project chassis Juse is working on. He's also in the middle of building a drag racing chassis, which will feature an 809 triple with triple pipes bursting with 275-300 hp. We'll keep you posted on that project.
For more information on the AP&P sled, contact Juse at (780) 460-9101 or go to www.abspow.ca.