1995 fancooled cruisers

Retro-riding with fan-cooled cruisers gets you many of the benefits of luxury cruising but without the added expense or weight of liquid-cooling.

Luxo-cruisers are loaded with features. But we've found that today's retro-riders powered by fan-cooled engines and equipped with a few less baubles and gadgets are functionally as good as the higher-priced sleds. What you lack in features you make up in bucks and pounds saved.

The bottom line is that today's fan-cooled touring machines often have the same suspensions, seats and chassis as the more expensive machines, but for hundreds of dollars less. If liquid-cooling and electronic fuel injection aren't that important to you, but ride, handling and proven reliability are, maybe you should be looking at these fan-cooled faves.

Arctic Cat Panther Deluxe ($4,999.00)
Panther, the sled with the name that dates back to the 1960s, has kept pace with snowmobile technology. Its extended length FasTrack slide rail rear suspension is outfitted with the same fiberglass overload springs as the high-buck Pantera. It also features reverse gear and electric start.

Under the hood, you'll notice a major difference. Instead of a fuel injected 580cc twin, you'll find a modest 431cc fan-cooled twin with single 34mm Mikuni round slide carburetor. This setup is great for fuel efficiency. Acceleration with the Panther is also modest. Think of the Panther as a two-up Jag, which is also powered by the same Suzuki-built twin.

Power is good at take-off and mid-range is adequate in comparison to a Pantera. In comparison to other sleds in its class, performance is about the same. The Polaris Indy Trail, Ski-Doo Touring SL and Yamaha Venture are all stronger, thanks to larger displacement twins and enhanced carburation. But with 11 gallons of fuel on board, the Panther's fuel miser twin will be passing by those other sleds when they have to pull in to refuel. Fuel economy is a definite edge held by the Cat.

In comparison to the liquid-cooled models, the fan-cooled touring sleds are much lighter overall since they don't require coolant and cooling extrusions. The Panther is extremely nimble on the trail. Give credit to the original Arctic Wishbone Suspension and A-arm front suspension technology. Cat claims seven inches of travel at front and 8.5 inches at the rear. You'll find gas shocks front and rear with spring assistance for damping action.

We found the Panther handled well with two riders on board, but not as well as two on a Pantera. The older style aluminum chassis with its 37-inch ski stance and taller componentry makes the sled noticeably more "tippy" than the ZR-based Pantera. But, hey, for two grand more, move on up.

If cost containment is a factor, you'll love this Cat. It has been the backbone of rental fleets for years. It is a proven winner when it comes to economical and dependable operation.

Another thing that we especially like about the Cat is its wind protection. Cat engineers really pay attention to this detail. Faced with tundra blasts in the ditches around Thief River Falls, Minnesota, Cat engineers recognize the importance of deflecting the Arctic cold. Cat windshields and cowls are especially effective in keeping the worst of winter off your hands and face.

General access to key components like spark plugs and drive belts is very good. Once you move away from the clutch side of the sled, though, the Panther and other Cats with this vintage chassis are marginally mechanic friendly. Fortunately, it's unlikely you'll be doing much more to the Panther than refilling the gas and oil tanks. An occasional tweak of the mechanical brake will be required, but little else. This is a solid value and dependable mount in today's world of snowmobiling.

Polaris Indy Trail Deluxe ($4,949.00)
Where the Panther is based on an older chassis and suspension setup, Polaris' Indy Trail Deluxe is as modern as you can go in the Indy world. The Trail Deluxe is based on the new style chassis and body work. It has the top line XC-100 rear suspension with a claimed 8.0 inches of travel. And, of course, it comes standard with Polaris' tried and true IFS trailing arm front suspension, also with a claimed 8.0 inches of travel.

Add in the state-of-the-moment multiple beam headlight system, hydraulic disc brake, and mechanic friendly engine bay and you have a fan-cooled version of the XLT Touring plus an extra $1,500 to spend on color-keyed Indy wear. This sled is a bargain.

Under the hood you'll find a 488cc fan-cooled twin that has served as the heart of some of Polaris' most popular Indys of the past. Like Cat's 431cc twin, the Fuji-built Polaris twin is a rental fleet veteran. With dual Mikuni 34mm slide carbs, this twin offers above average performance at take-off and midrange. Its torque is very good, an asset for dual riding.

Handling is Indy-like in every respect. It has a wide 40-inch ski stance. E-Z Steer carbide runners give it a very light feel on the handlebars. In fact, when you consider that this model is already lighter up front because it doesn't have liquid-cooling plumbing, extrusions or coolant, you'll think that the Trail Deluxe has power steering. If you need a touch heavier "feel" up front, just dial in the rear suspension or opt for standard carbides. You'll find the Trail is a sweetheart to trail ride.

You'll also like the new ergonomic treatment, too. Like Ski-Doo, Polaris uses handlebar mounted rocker switches for controlling the hand warmers. If we have a gripe when mounted on the Trail Deluxe and looking down the trail, it would be the minor prismatic distortion we've seen in the windshield. We've encountered this on more than one test sled, but found it to be more an annoyance than anything else. And frankly, that's about the only negative thing we can say about the Indy Trail Deluxe. We hunted our memory banks to find it.

We like the seating position, the footrest position for the rear passenger, the adjustable back rest, and the wind protection provided by the windshield. After a year of ambivalence, we're even liking the new styling more and more as Polaris designers have figured ways to make the graphics and colors work better and better with the new look.

Value-wise and trail-wise, this sled is a winner. As we said, it is essentially everything the XLT Touring is save the liquid-cooled triple. What more can we say? How about, electric start, reverse gear, grip warmers, rear view mirrors, and full instrumentation. All standard.

Ski-Doo Touring SLE ($5,199.00)
Another prime choice in fan-cooled cruisers is Ski-Doo's all new Touring SLE. Like the Indy Trail Deluxe, the Touring SLE benefits from shared suspensions, chassis and appointments of a premium priced luxo-touring sled, the Grand Touring SE.

The Rotax of choice for the SLE is the venerable 497cc twin. The powerplant has been the "motor-vating" influence in Ski-Doo's dating back to the Blizzard 5500, Stratos and Escapade series. It comes standard with a pair of Mikuni 34mm carbs, tuned pipe with spiral muffler, and 240 watts of power for handwarmers and an optional electric fuel gauge. Once the victim of marginal clutching, the 503 series twin enjoys the modern benefits of Bombardier's Total Range Adjustable Clutch. This combination makes the SLE very smooth on initial take-off with a load of two snowmobilers and their gear. Plus, mid-range performance is as strong as the Indy Trail Deluxe. Of course, the Cat with a single carb will still pull miles out of a gallon of fuel. The 10.6-gallon fuel tank will keep you on the trail for a good portion of the day.

The SLE shares the Direct Suspension Action trailing arm front suspension with the Grand Touring model. Instead of gas or nitrogen cell shocks up front, the SLE comes with hydraulic shocks to keep price levels under control. You will find a swaybar standard.

At the rear, the SLE departs from the Grand Touring series. Instead of a triple shock C-7 setup, the fan-cooled SLE model uses a new longer travel unit with dual hydraulic shocks and a claimed 10 inches of vertical travel. By the time we got to ride Ski-Doo's long travel suspensions last spring at our annual test and photo session, the sleds had been brutalized by miles and miles of test riding. Still, both the extended track and standard track length suspensions were supple enough to lead us to believe that this setup works. The Indy XTRA unit is best, but Ski-Doo's extended travel system is definitely worth having.

You'll notice the difference between the new Touring series and previous budget cruisers from Ski-Doo in other ways as well. The all new aluminum chassis, a variation of the "Formula" chassis, is exceptional. Light in weight and designed for overall comfort, the chassis is an excellent platform for touring riders. While not as stylish as the Grand Touring seat, the SLE's two-up saddle is very comfortable with a nice little bun retainer built-in for the driver. The windshield is effective. All controls are literally handy. And, again, we especially like the progressive action throttle found on the SLE. A similar throttle setup is optional with the Indy Trail Deluxe.

It's hard to fault a snowmobile with the exceptional on-trail characteristics of the SLE. Ski-Doo's standard reverse gear works well. Electric start is a boost for an engine equipped with a primer. (Please, no more letters about the primer. We've learned to live with it, appreciate it, and love it. Hey, it works.) And we found the standard backrest more to our liking because it is fixed in place and is smaller than an overstuffed pillow.

Snowmobilers who purchase the Touring SLE are going to be very pleasantly surprised. This is a well engineered piece of equipment. It has good power, above average suspension (exceptional for its price range), and is long on people features.

As with the Indy Trail Deluxe, we give the Ski-Doo Touring SLE high marks in all categories.

Yamaha Venture XL ($5,799.00)Once upon a time this Yamaha was our "snowmobile of the year." The competition in the fan-cooled touring category has gotten stronger, but so has the Venture.
The primary upgrade for this season is the addition of the smoother shifting YXR clutch with button type slider. It's mated to the Phazer-bred 485cc fan-cooled twin. This engine is a proven performer, rugged and reliable. It is a strength in Yamaha's line.

But it doesn't take a great deal of strength to manipulate the throttle. The Yamaha twin is equipped with two butterfly valve carbs. The dual Mikuni B38-32 carbs are engaged with a nice, light feel. There's no need for a progressive action throttle here.

We also enjoy Yamaha's forward-reverse gearbox. First with a "beeping" signal to warn passersby that you were backing up, the Venture XL has always enjoyed a smooth shifting gear mechanism.

Based on the extended track Phazer, the Venture has a 36.2-inch ski stance. Its track measures 15 inches wide by 136 inches in overall length. Mounted on this platform is a nicely appointed "king-queen" step seat with a fixed passenger backrest and heated passenger hand grips. The driver enjoys a heated thumbwarmer as well as heated handlebars. Unlike the Vmax series' infinitely adjustable grip warmers, the Venture XL stays with Yamaha's basic high-low setting.

Very much a Phazer at heart, the Venture is said to weigh in at 472 pounds, making it one of the lightest snow cruisers on the market. The Venture's tall windshield and wider cowling provide much better wind protection than you get on a Phazer. This touring sibling to the Phazer isn't as stylish, but it's much more effective, which is exactly what you and your passenger want in a cruising sled.

As with all Yamahas, we found the fit and finish of the test vehicle to be exceptional. And, as you would expect, the Venture has a few "extra" touches. Underhood accessibility is excellent. The self-adjusting mechanical disc brake is very good. Access to the 8.1-gallon fuel tank is good. On-board storage is as good as anyone's. And the fuel enrichener is easy to find and operate.

That's one thing we've noticed about the electric start Yamahas. They do. Start that is. Right away. The Yamaha twin has been a dependable power source in both the Venture and Phazer.

If you want to travel by yourself, the Venture can be quite sporting. Thank its Phazer heritage for that.

We have absolutely no complaints about the Venture. The Telescopic Strut front suspension with six inches of travel is competent as is the modified Pro-Action Link rear suspension with its 7.6 inches of travel.

This is an easy-riding sled that sports a strong fan-cooled twin, handsome styling, above average ergonomics, good suspension and above average trail manners.

You Pick'em
Overall, if you are looking for a trail cruiser to keep around for a few seasons, any of these units will prove very reliable, extremely competent and fun to own. In this category we do have our favorites. We find the Indy Trail Deluxe hard to pass up based on what we perceive as its overall value. Just a titch later in our thinking comes the Ski-Doo Touring SLE. Both of these sleds have the best features of their more expensive siblings and enjoy strong performing fan-cooled engines. The Yamaha Venture XL and Arctic Cat Panther figure in this mix as well. The Venture's strength is its Phazer-like handling and power. The Cat is both nimble and fuel stingy. You won't go wrong with any of these four fan-cooled retro-riders. They're all high on value and longevity.

Which do you pick? What do you like?