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“It’s like, I mean, totally awesome, ya know, like so cool, like the freakin’ coolest sled ever.”
We know it sounds like we may have watched one too many 1980s flicks, but we just can’t say enough good things about this new Ski-Doo 800! We felt like we were on a date with the prom queen every time we jumped on this sled (no double-meaning intended, really!).
Unfortunately, we did not get this smokin’ hot number into our stable until after our Real World Shootout last January so we were not able to fairly line it up next to all our other ponies on the same day and in the same conditions to properly test for exact comparable acceleration data. This was because this was one of only a few “media” or “promotional” sleds that were released late last season.
That did NOT stop us from putting on a heaping helping of miles though! From the end of January through March we lived it up on this slick machine.
Here’s how it worked!
It ain’t no joke! After our first couple tanks of gas and several quarts of oil, we were beginning to wonder when this heralded 800R E-TEC was going to start performing like we were told, but after roughly the third tank of gas we started seeing major changes.
Shortly after we broke-in our 800 E-TEC the reps at Ski-Doo told us that the break-in is precisely controlled. An onboard computer actually counts the number of fuel injection charges and determines when the exact break-in has been completed. The period is completed after about 120 liters of fuel is injected.
During the break-in we saw about the same fuel and oil efficiency as the competing 800 EFI sleds from other OEMs at about 12 mpg and a quart of oil every 1 ½ to 2 tanks of gas. After numerous short acceleration tests we saw about 101 mph as a brief top speed on the speedo, during that period. (Note: We’ve often found speedometers to be notoriously happy so this is by no means a true speed.)
After break-in, we saw mileage numbers as high as 21 mpg on a tank of gas, and we averaged 16.33 for the season. That’s nearly as good, and in many cases even better than we’ve seen with numerous 4-stroke machines we’ve tested. Oil consumption also decreased to about a quart every 2½ tanks of gas.
Factory reps say that oil consumption should only be about half of the former 800R PowerTEK (or a quart every 265 miles). From what we’ve experienced that may be a bit optimistic, but possibly attainable depending on how heavy a throttle hand you have. In addition, we saw top speed on the speedo increase to around 115 mph (see earlier disclaimer). Ski-Doo dyno claims show the sled producing 163.9 hp and from what we felt on our demo unit, that could certainly be accurate.
We lined up our Cat F8 Sno Pro and the Ski-Doo 800 E-TEC in many side-by-side drag races and while the Cat would sometimes pull a half-sled length faster out of the hole, by the 660-foot mark the E-TEC would catch the Cat and by the 1,000-foot mark the E-TEC had checked out and pulled away. If the production sled ends up being even stronger, this could be the new top 800 trail sled as far as acceleration and top speeds are concerned.
This engine is based on the 800R P-TEK, not the 600 E-TEC like many thought it would be. There is a new cylinder head, 4 injectors, and a new fully machined combustion chamber. Fuel is injected at a rate of 133 times per second with this direct injection system and like the 600 the big brain of this operation, the ECU, is constantly fuel cooled. There also are new pistons and rings, but it has the same porting as the 800R P-TEK although the transfer ports are split to reduce piston scuffing and squeeze effect. This new 800 also has the lowest Normalized Emissions Rate of any 800 on the market.
Finally, a major consumer complaint with the 800R P-TEK was that the throttle pull was excruciatingly hard. That’s not so with the new E-TEC and there is a larger flywheel and stator too.
You get all this and the razor sharp handling and super lightweight feel of an XP sled along with upgraded adjustable shocks. It also had the coolest looking, grippiest, and one of the most comfortable seats in our demo fleet.
With a full Stud Boy stud package and carbides added, this was our big gun on the trails!
Small changes Like we’ve said for years, this sled needed a taller windshield and at least some kind of storage as standard equipment. A better windshield was added for 2011, but the absence of storage is annoying when the rest of the sled is so perfect.
Reliability also has been a problem for Ski-Doo on certain models the last few years, but after many, many miles of the
AmSnow crew wicking up the throttle, the 800 E-TEC was still running strong!