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The longtime battle cry of racers, "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday," applies both to the big shots at NASCAR and to the snowmobile world.
Racing sells product while also furthering sled development. Since just about the dawn of snowmobiling, sleds have had traceable roots to racing. From the ill-fated Alouettes of old, to Ski-Doo's REV-based machines, testing on the racetrack determines much of what makes it onto production sleds.
Yet also traceable to snowmobiling's early days is the marketing team's job of selling the "perception" of racing. They want you to feel racy, that their sleds have an edge!
Just what kind of racing are we talking about?
Nowadays Snocross, Cross-Country and Drag racing have the most direct impact on long-term product changes that are made to production sleds. This year is no different.
We tested Ski-Doo's new MXZ 800 X-RS and Yamaha's improved Apex RTX. Both these tigers look like they just escaped the factory race trailer, but they are totally different animals. If you're spending more than 10 grand on a sled we think you deserve to have the skinny on it, so read on!
Improved ApexShe's got the look. Admittedly, I'm nuts about black, which could be why I'm partial to the RTX's presentation. With flame graphics, almost non-existent windshield, hand-guards, yellow A-arms and accents, big hooked bars and an all black tunnel, this thing looks like it should be No. 1 on the Snocross track.
Looks can be deceiving though and here's why: power-to-weight, form and suspension.
At 149 Dynoport-tested horsepower and 539 lbs., the power-to-weight ratio of the RTX (dry) is .27 hp per lb. Compare that to about .30 hp per lb. for the spry 479 lb. (dry) 800 Ski-Doo X-RS, and the difference between the two starts to take shape. It's no secret that, dry, the Apex machines are heavier than some of the 2-stroke competition, but that's not the whole story.
The Delta Box II chassis that the Apex RTX sits on was designed for rider forward comfort first. Give Yamaha engineers an "A" in this category because the rider positioning on the Apex is the most comfortable in the industry for hard-core Cross-Country and aggressive trail riding.
However, even with a stiffer and taller seat this year on the RTX, and aggressively wide and grippy floorboards, the stance is still not a primo Snocross riding position, but it's the easiest transition in the industry from sitting to standing. With all the styling and quality craftsmanship that the Apex RTX carries, the chassis wasn't originally made to be a Snocross race sled.
What the Apex RTX lacks in Snocross energy, it makes up for in Cross-Country ability. Yamaha factory rider Corey Davidson made this painfully obvious last year to almost anyone who competed against him in the U.S. Cross Country (USCC) series. Throughout the season Yamaha Cross-Country riders tallied 12 wins, 4 seconds and 9 thirds. The Genesis 150 engine is simply reliable (more than we can say for some big hp engines). Did we mention that the Genesis sounds sweet too?
This year the CK ProActive rear suspension was added as standard to the RTX, giving it better bump adjustability for big-bump riders who like to pretend they are competing for Cross-Country gold. This is the same suspension that was in the Yamaha Nytro last year and we caught a glimpse of a couple beefed up versions in prototype Nytro Snocross sleds last season. Hopefully that technology transfers to production Apex models too!
The Fox Float Shocks work well up front and we have no complaints in bump control here. Unfortunately, the RTX does not corner as flat as its other Apex brethren due to the slightly higher seating arrangement and the more bump focused rear suspension.
RTX is not on par with the cornering ability of Ski-Doo's RT or REV chassis either, partially due to a narrower ski-stance. But contrary to what others may feel, I never have to wrestle the larger Apex in the corners. There is some inside ski lift, but it's predictable and the sled stays stable. I am not nearly as fatigued after riding the Apex for a long day through varying terrain as I am on almost any other big hp sled. Its front to back balance is superb!
Race rocketSo you think you can race Snocross huh?
Do you look at an afternoon mogul run like a sunny playground at the start of recess? Then Ski-Doo's MXZ X-RS is your sled.
From a purely aesthetic level, the X-RS looks the part of a professional race machine. The 440 racing seat comes standard, along with a low-low windshield, super lightweight polycarbonate hood, clear fuel tank (no fuel gauge here!), Ski-Doo racing stickers and blank racer number badge on the side panels, handgaurds, custom blue A-arms and skis and a naked tunnel.
This isn't just a BNG (Bold New Graphics) attempt to turn your head though, this baby has the race-ready options to back up its outspoken looks.
Most notably X-RS has C-36 racing clicker shocks all the way around. (There's one up front, and one as the rear suspension's front arm shock, and another as the rear arm shock.) You've got 16 high-speed and 20 low-speed compression damping sets to play with that are standard Doo 440 race issue and are pretty adjustable. However, if you are looking for an M-10 luxury feel out of this suspension then you shouldn't be on this sled!
This is the real deal for mogul field crunching. Our time spent on this machine had the suspension set on the actual 440 racing calibration… and our lower backs knew it. Transfer on the X-RS will make any speed-nut break out in a helmet-stretching grin. If you are the guy who is constantly building a bigger snow ramp to try to clear your's, and the neighbor's driveway, but still bottom out every time, then try this suspension. They don't come any stiffer.
One of the few distinguishing trail options for this sled is the possibility of choosing either a 600 H.O. SDI engine or 800 PowerTEK as your speed-maker. You'll also get reverse mounted on the bars in the form of a little red button where the race sled's pipe pre-heat button would be. And you'll also get a 1.25-inch pre-studded Ice-Ripper track instead of the race 440's 1.75-incher.
The X-RS is a Spring-buy only sled, but keep an eye out at your dealer because we're sure there will be at least a couple riders who can't handle what they've bought, which is really a pure Snocross-inspired trail sled.
The skinnyFor the intermediate to expert rough trail rider who puts on a lot of miles, the Apex RTX is a good buy. If you are an expert rider who has raced Snocross and rides on surging adrenaline, then the X-RS is your machine.
If it were my money, the cheaper, gas saving and more comfortable Apex RTX would be coming home in my pickup's bed. However, the allure of having one of the most extreme sleds on the snow with the X-RS is tempting, and it would lend credibility to your attempts to copy Blair Morgan's sweet hang time.
Racer GoodiesX-RS (MSRP $11,099 US or $10,349 US)
800 Powertech engine or 600 H.O. SD • 440 race seat • RT-type steel-braided brake • Blue painted A-arms • Lightweight X-rear end • 440 handlebar riser block • Acerbis handguards and bars with J-hooks • Tunnel reinforcement • Crystal Tec taillight • 1.25-inch Ice-Ripper track • Extra low windshield • Polycarbonate hood • Racing snow flap • 10.6 gal. clear fuel cell • Pilot 5.7 skis • C-36 racing clicker shocks in R.A.S. front suspension and SC-4 rear suspension • Single tuned pipe
Apex RTX ER (MSRP $10,599 US)
Genesis 150FI engine • Taller seat • Yellow painted A-arms • Yellow tinted headlights • Tall, wide bars with hooks and handguards • Low blacked out windshield • 4-piston hydraulic brake • Fox Float Shocks up front • Proactive CK rear suspension with HPG clicker shock • LED taillight • Backdraft graphic package • New snow flap • 1.25-inch RipSaw track • Painted 10 gal. fuel cell • 4-2-1-2 rear exhaust with Ti headers