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Big bores? They're hot stuff, but the purebred power class of 140-horse thoroughbreds represents a corral full of fun too.
This year that class adds two new 800 twins and a 700 twin - Arctic Cat's new F8, Ski-Doo's Blizzard 800 and Polaris' Dragon 700. These all claim to hover just above the 140-horse line. We'll dyno each of them as the year progresses to get independent numbers, but there's no lack of giddy-up in this group.
Each of these sleds is being uniquely marketed by their respective makers, are trail ready and will surprise more than one consumer when they throw a leg over them this season.
Arctic Cat F8Yes, this is the improved replacement for the F7 and the latest 800. Cat performance got remodeled this year and the mannerisms of Cat sleds changed dramatically. Arctic now competes head to head with the same CCs as Ski-Doo and has refined the fit and finish to be nearly on par with Ski-Doo and possibly edging out Polaris.
Though 32 lbs. heavier than the F7 in Sno Pro duds, you get a lot more sled with the F8. We really didn't notice the weight gain as Cat has learned that rider positioning can negate much of a bigger sled's heavy feel. Cat's new Infinite Rider Positioning system (IRP) puts the driver slightly further back than on Ski-Doo's REV chassis. Compared to the Polaris IQ, Cat's system can be adjusted farther forward than the Polaris fixed position, so your knees are at a comfortable 90-degree angle.
On the Cat I felt relaxed on the trail, in the bumps, in tight trees or climbing a hillside. Unfortunately, I didn't have the F8 and the other two side by side on the same day, but I preferred the adjustability of Cat's IRP system to the far forward fixed style of the Blizzard, and to the stationary fixed bars on the Dragon.
In pre-season testing near West Yellowstone, the 46 mm throttle bodied battery-less EFI F8 ran stronger than we anticipated after studying it on paper. It was extremely close to the F1000 in our short run acceleration testing and it ended within a sled length or two after several longer quarter-mile runs. The F8 was, in this rider's opinion, Cat's best new engine in pre-season testing.
This year's mid-level F8 is a horsepower jump over last year's F7. Cat states that the new 794cc liquid puts out 145 horses, which is 5 more than what we dynoed the F7 at. We don't have Real World MPG figures for the F8 yet, but Cat claims a 9% increase in fuel economy. This would translate to about 11 mpg after we extrapolate from our F7's Real World test numbers. (Look for Real World numbers in our Spring issue.)
Again, on paper you might think that Cat's weight gain would cause this sled to be a slacker, but you only notice the weight in deep powder. The F8 doesn't corner quite as flat as the Ski-Doo REV chassis, but it doesn't give up much ground, and it exudes extreme confidence in the bumps.
Ski-Doo Blizzard 800While still holding onto its No. 1 status, Ski-Doo listened to consumers this year. They asked for a regular season sled with all the options that were normally only available on a spring-buy machine. Enter the Blizzard 800.
The premium Blizzard gets a race-inspired shock package for the aggressive bump rider. HPG clicker steel-bodied high-pressure gas shocks up front take the initial brunt of big bumps. The rear suspension now has an HPG take-apart rebuildable gas shock in front, keeps the standard HPG center shock and has an HPG take-apart rebuildable gas shock in the rear. Awesome!
Like the Mach, the Renegade and the X-package Ski-Doo sleds, the Blizzard is outfitted with an HPV Roller secondary clutch - introduced on select Ski-Doos in 2005. Internal/external drivers move the 1.25-inch lugged RipSaw underneath the Blizzard, and stopping power comes via the hydraulic RT racing brake.
First riding impressions of the Blizzard were extremely favorable. This is the Ski-Doo that will catch plenty of the "big-guns" asleep at the handlebars. In the same 479-lb. weight class as the spring-buy racer MXZ X-RS model and 50 lbs. lighter than the Mach, Blizzard powers out of the blocks just as hard as its more heralded brethren and is more forgiving in many conditions for the trail rider.
At an MSRP $1,300 less than the X-RS and $1,350 less than the Mach, the Blizzard is an obvious choice if value is high on your reasons-to-buy list. Plus: you get reverse, electric start and a taller windshield, standard. If I were looking to buy a sled for the trail this year, this would be my machine. The technology, performance and a smaller price tag helped make this our Best Sled for 2007.
The engine performance of the 140+ hp 800 PowerTek, a race-inspired suspension and the ergonomics and looks of a trail machine come standard here. Ski-Doo also is claiming to get 16.7 mpg out of this 800. This would be a great improvement over last year when we were unable to coax that many mpg out of our smaller 600 MXZ in our Real World testing.
Polaris Dragon 700A 7 that can run with the 8s is what Polaris reps foresee with their new Dragon 700. It's touted by Polaris as a true 140-hp sled, and we thought it worthy to join this comparison.
Brought up from the 600 crankcase, the bore and stroke of the new liquid 2-stroke 700 is increased from 77.24 x 64 to 81 x 68. The small block runs strong and the engine auto calibrates for temperature, elevation, engine temp, exhaust temp and fuel quality. The Cleanfire injection system also allows for no-choke starts, but the pull is not quite as easy as we had hoped for. However, the power makes up for it once you punch the throttle!
The Cleanfire system uses four injectors with two in the cylinders and two in the crank and is said to give 25% better fuel economy than last year's 600 H.O. models. Certainly these mpg numbers are rider-style dependent, but we were glad fuel economy was addressed after we squeezed to get 10.5 mpg - at best - out of our 2006 600 H.O. There also is a new '07 lightweight pipe and exhaust silencer on the Dragon, which saved 13 lbs. 11 oz. over last year's 755. Dragon's total dry weight is only 476 lbs. - the lightest in this group.
In addition to the new Ripped Metal upgraded graphics, the 700 Cleanfire gets Walker Evans needle front shocks and Walker needle compression adjustable front and rear shocks in the rear suspension. Also standard on the 700 is PERC reverse and the 1.25-inch RipSaw track.
The fixed steering post-position on the Dragon works well, and it is a little more of a traditional riding position than the competition. We highly endorse the seat because it's easy to move around on. Mountain riders will absolutely love it on the RMK!
Finally, Polaris continued improving the handling of the IQ chassis by moving the ski mounting bolt down and back 3/4 of an inch to push the ski forward for more responsive turning. Polaris also shaved the rear keel of the ski to make it shallower.
The Final WordCat brought the new hardware this year and the 145-hp engine to go with it. All-new looks, all adjustable IRP and all kinds of power will give Cat a boost on the trail. The F8 takes the bumps best of the three and corners almost as well as the REV. So it's no surprise that in the all around comfort and ergonomic columns we chose the F8 as the standout in this group.
That being said, one drawback of the Cat was that the adjustable windshield sometimes got in the way of our brake hand in very hard turns. Also, the rattling electric start system on the Cats did not give us much confidence, and excess weight can become an issue in deep snow.
The Blizzard felt strongest in mid-range power and simply feels like a crotch-rocket on the snow. We also savored how surprisingly light it is for its engine size. Some of our test riders are still not comfortable with the far forward seating due to the tendency to bang knees on the cowling. But the shock package was a definite improvement and the cornering ability of the REV still tops any sled on the market.
As many had hoped, Polaris built a sled to be competitive with the F7. Unfortunately, the F7 is no longer. This prompts some in the industry to say Polaris missed the boat. But like we said earlier, this class is full of surprises and I think the Dragon 700 will surprise many 800 loyalists like Cat's F7 did for so long.
The Dragon doesn't rate as high as the others in the comfort zone, or in rider positioning, but it is an overachiever in engine performance. Also, each year the IQ chassis gets better and feels lighter. This year it's surely dialed in better than last year.
The decision? In this class, the Blizzard is unquestionably the real deal, but if you have to have all the newest bells, whistles and adjustability, go with the F8. For those of you intent on having the lightest sled possible in the 140-horse club, pick up the Dragon 700.
Overall, we're still stuck on the confident, trail taming ability of the Blizzard!
SPECSF8 LXR Engine: 794cc EFI liquid twin 2-stroke
Exhaust: APV w/tuned pipe and canister
Ski Stance: 43 in.
Front Suspension: AWS VII double wishbone A-arms w/Arctic Cat gas IFP shocks and sway bar
Rear Suspension: Slide action frame w/2-in. diameter IFP rear-arm shock and sliding front arm
Track: 15x128x1.0 in.
Fuel Capacity: 12.2 gal.
Dry Weight: 527 lbs./500 lbs. for Sno Pro
Price: $11,899 US/$15,199 CA
MXZ Blizzard 800Engine: 800cc HO PowerTek twin 2-stroke
Exhaust: Single tuned pipe
Ski Stance: 47 in.
Front Suspension: R.A.S. double A-arm w/HPG clicker shocks and sway bar
Rear Suspension: SC-4 w/HPG front shock, aluminum take apart center shock and HPG take-apart rear shock
Track: 15x121x1.25 in.
Fuel Capacity: 10.6 gal.
Dry Weight: 479 lbs.
Price: $9,049 US/$11,799 CA
Dragon 700Engine: 700cc CFI Liberty liquid twin 2-stroke
Exhaust: SC VES single
Ski Stance: 42.5 in.
Front Suspension: IQ w/Walker Evans needle shocks
Rear Suspension: IQ w/Walker Evans needle compression adjustable front and rear shocks
Track: 15x121x1.25 in.
Fuel Capacity: 10.8 gal.
Dry Weight: 476 lbs.
Price: $9,599 US/$12,349 CA
Jerry SaysAny of these sleds will give you that high-speed blast of frozen air crossing a lake or that yank-of-the-arms that's so important to some riders. But at more than 750-lbs. of weight (with a 200-lb. rider and full fuel tankl), these sleds will give you good reason to enjoy an end-of-the-day dip in the hot tub. Yet if the thrill of acceleration is most important to you, any of these sleds will fill the bill.
Dragon - Polaris designers truly took lemons (the Fusion series) and made lemonade (IQ 600 and the Dragon). Polaris must have reverted to thinking like snowmobilers and less like MBA product geniuses in coming up with the new Dragon! Its 700 twin is light, responsive and more powerful than the 6. Also gone is the butt-ugliest styling since Ski-Doo's Stratos. The way it handles trails makes you recall that once upon a time Polaris was No. 1! Polaris engineers toasted the styling and that vibration-queen of a 900cc twin - and created something that Polaris fans wanted all along, a good-looking sled with handling and solid performance.
Blizzard - Ski-Doo's REV still provides the best position for aggressive riding. But, please, ditch the white and black version. Yuck! Designed for rough trails, the Blizzard is one notch less aggressive than the X-RS, which means it is more rider-friendly for all-day rides. Power is good, thanks to the PowerTek setup, but I think it could be a little more throttle friendly off the line like the 600 SDI twin. Yet for charging through the moguls, the REV platform, seating position and handlebar setup is No. 1.
F8 - Power isn't an issue with the new 800 as it's pretty much a better breathing, cleaner emissions and larger displacement version of the 700. What I question and can only answer after a season of trail riding is how well the new chassis holds up. While the new F8 is impressively styled and put together better than any Cat sled I've ever seen, Cat has a recent history of great innovation besmirched by recall and warranty problems. Time will tell if the new chassis is problem-free.
- Jerry Bassett