skidoo mountain sleds

The Summit line is a stable workforce with vicious low end grunt, perfect balance for threading through the trees and ravines and a cockpit that allows drivers freedom to move.

New to the Summit line is an 800 HO spinning a 159-inch track with two-inch high lugs. It is a highmarking fool. Chris Ruske and fellow Bombardier teammates have worked hard to give the longer chassis Summit finesse.

Here is what is new for the 800 HO Highmark Xtreme: multi-angled helixes, new lug patterns (for the 159 only), and new re-valved shocks to accommodate the longer vehicle. Outside of this, the 800 HO has more ponies and spine tearing torque than last year's 800. No numbers to report, but the difference is obvious through the shorts and in the pipe's crackle. We must report here that the 800 HO is trickled down to the 144- and 151-inch tracks of all Summit liquid-cooled packages.

The handlebar and thumb warmer switches are placed on the handlebar's left side across the whole Summit line. By using the left thumb, a driver can toggle in a preferred heat setting, throw the lights down to dim and when needed, reverse motion through the Rotax Electronic Reverse (RER). Also on the handlebar's left side is the Summit's electric start. So, right thumb squeezes the throttle, left thumb handles the other essentials. In lieu of horsepower and suspension talk, these little refinements are huge to mountain riders.

Handlebar widths will change on all X package Summits. The new narrow handlebar changes leveraging efforts for the sled.
All HO-equipped Summits will have the new TRA III clutch with a new driven clutch that will house a multi-angled helix for quicker upshifts and backshifts.

The 800 HO will have new carb needles and new DPM settings for altitude. For the electrical side, the HO will have a new high-output magneto to help the lighting and heating situation.

For additional weight savings, the Summit has new gauges that are two pounds lighter than the '02. The speedo is a new electronic unit that is said to be more accurate and now has a quick disconnect plug for easy hood removal. Drivers can switch the speedo head from MPH to KPH with ease.

Now, if you want to ride a sled that is traditionally marketed as the best well-balanced mountain snowmobile on the market, the Summit line continues in this fashion. This is no secret. Regardless, after riding it in its longer chassis, the 159-incher remains nimble for its length, not as much as a 151 or 144. But, if you want those lengths too, that is possible.

The AmSnow Mountain Test Staff has tipped the mountains on a Summit for many years, and we appreciate a company who is set on being number one.

For '03, we predict the Summit HMXtreme, HMX and Sport/Adrenaline Summits to be the sleds that will give bigger egos to the Summit gang.