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When our test crew tests new models we usually split into two teams of editors, one for trail orientated machines and another for the mountain sleds. It is usually easy to assign the correct sleds to each group, but this year we couldn’t figure out what to do with the Freeride 137.
This sled is hard to categorize as its track length leans towards trail but the chassis is all about mountain swagger. It’s not like us to let categories and segments get in the way of fun, so while our trail colleagues were busy discussing fuel economy and windshields we pinned it out of the compound and in a streak of neon yellow we were gone to spend a day behind the throttle on the Freeride 137.
We don’t get cross, we like hybrids!
So why were we so excited to ride the Freeride? Well, riding a short track is always a bit of treat for us mountain guys… when you are used to long tippy mountain sleds, a short track sled feels like a little hot rod. Plus we have very fond memories of our long-term test of the older XP Freeride that we spent a whole season on a couple of years ago.
The new Freeride sleds are available in three different track lengths; 137, 146 and 154. These sleds are basically pimped out Summits aimed at the jumping, dropping, style-conscious rider with attitude. The 146 and 154 models use the tMotion flexing pivoting suspension from the Summit whereas the 137 borrows its rough trail focused rMotion suspension from the MX Z. Up until this year the Freeride was one of the machines in Ski-Doo line still using the XP chassis, so for 2014 the Freeride is upgraded to the XM chassis giving it a new look and bringing it up to date with the rest of the range.
Suspension is the Freeride’s trump card, with KYB Pro 40 shocks all around and the rMotion rear skid this suspension package is setup to take the rough terrain with the best of them. The scope of adjustability is incredible with piggy-back remote reservoir front shocks featuring easy-to-access compression adjusters and the rMotion rear skid with adjustable coupling blocks, multiple shock positions, adjustable compression speed and outside-of-the-tunnel mounted hydraulic preload adjustment and shock compression. While the range of adjustment is fairly complex it is nice to have. With some time, the suspension can be very finely tuned to rider weight and terrain.
The Freeride packs a lot of punch with the 800R E-Tec engine. This direct-injected twin is, in our opinion, the most advanced 2-stroke in the snowmobile industry and quite possibly the most advanced 2-stroke ever built. The engine features direct-injection and the little details like an engine break-in display on the digital dash give the machine a refined feel. The E-Tec has a fun powerband with a nice boost of power on the top-end. We love this engine in the Summit sleds for its exciting delivery and it is even more enjoyable in the lively short-track Freeride chassis.
The Freeride’s adjustable 38.4 - 40.1 ski-stance splits the difference between the Summit and MXZ. It comes with a sway bar with a really cool quick-disconnect linkage that (when removed) allows the sled to roll up on one ski much easier making sidehilling and boondocking more pleasant. On the trail, with the sway bar connected, the sled corners pretty flat but we did find that the tall vertical steering post and mountain handlebar setup didn’t allow us to get as low on the machine in the turns as we could have on a more dedicated trail crossover machine.
One of the big changes with the XM chassis is completely new bodywork, which gives the machine a really cool look and some neat features. The side-panels feature cutouts at the front of the boards allowing for more room to move your feet around, we have found that it’s easy to use this space to move your weight forward on the machine when sidehilling. Another very welcome feature is built-in storage in the dash and in the rear of the seat. Like the rest of the machine, the bodywork fits well and gives the sled a refined, high quality feel.
The first thing you notice about the Freeride is its cool white, gray and neon yellow color scheme. We like the look of the machine and hope that buyers like it also as with skis, powder coated suspension and handlebars it won’t be easy to change the color scheme by simply adding a vinyl wrap. Keeping the hard parts neutral colored and leaving the crazy colors to easily remove graphics would seem like a more logical choice to us but that’s just our two cents.
Revel the rebel
The Freeride is a bit of rebel child that refuses to be categorized into any specific group. It has a split personality in that you can jump between the mountains and trails almost seamlessly. Mountain sleds are like Jeeps, they are not super-fast on the flats but they will go up anything. Trail sleds are like sports cars and we liken the Freeride 137 to a Ferrari rolling on huge Mickey Thompson Super Swamper tires.
For trail riding and boondocking the 137 is an absolute blast and it will climb in the mountains but it may take a bit more work to get to the top. The 137 isn’t going to be setting high marks in the alpine but if you keep your momentum up and pick your lines carefully it will get around the mountains just fine. It’s a tall order to build a sled to handle such a huge range of terrain, but Ski-Doo has built in a lot of adjustability to the Freeride. The adjustable suspension, quick-disconnect sway bar and adjustable ski-stance gives the rider the ability to further dial-in handling to their specific needs. The Freeride is very versatile and is equally at home railing the trails of the Midwest as it is tearing up the deep snow of the West.