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Ski-Doo's 800cc twin has the power (we'd guess about 135 horsepower) and torque to make the MX Z 800 a player in the "Big Twin" sweepstakes for 2001. Performance-wise the three 800 twins from Cat, Polaris and Ski-Doo were too close to call in their prototype versions at our recently concluded West Yellowstone evaluation session.
When we arrived at the session, Ski-Doo planned to only offer the 800cc twin in the top of the line "X" package. By the time we departed, Ski-Doo marketing officials had decided to list the 800cc twin as an option in the MX Z "Adrenaline" package. We judge that a very smart move on their part and a fortuitous one for Ski-Doo fans.
Imagine driving Jeff Gordon's NASCAR Chevy to work everyday. Imagine hitting potholes and driving down city streets with it. That's kinda the scenario Ski-Doo is working with in its "X" - "just like the racers" - package in the MX Z 800cc twin.
If you're 25 and can bang the ditches at 70 MPH all day, the "X" suspension is your baby. But if you're a candidate for disc surgery or like to ride hard, but not at racing speeds, the SC-10 II with high performance gas shocks is all you'll need.
"I think Ski-Doo has gone too far this time," said Test Rider Doug Erickson. "The X package is way too stiff for my liking." All but Test Rider Steve Ingram concurred.
"I think it will be great for riding and banging ditches," noted Steve. "It's not a great trail cruiser, but that's not what it was designed to do."
The Adrenaline rear suspension setup is very similar to Cat's very successful ditch-banging "ZR" suspension. The X setup is out there on the extreme wild side where snocross pros Chris Vincent and Blair Morgan like it. For day-to-day living, the Adrenaline is preferred.
Unfortunately, if you go that route, you miss out on the nifty "X" graphics and racing-style seat, which is worthy.
If we were Ski-Doo, we'd offer the "X" package but with a choice of Adrenaline rear suspension setup or extreme suspension setup.
Oh, yeah, you do want the 800cc twin! The new Rotax 800 twin is definitely the powerhouse it was supposed to be. It'll definitely get up and go, and suck the air right out of your lungs. That part of the package delivers as promised.
By contrast, the MX Z Adrenaline 700 sled was about the perfect balance between plush riding and aggressive trail blasting. "I think the Adrenaline is the way to go," said Doug. "It is plenty aggressive, but still offers some amount of comfort for easy riding. If I were going to buy an MX Z it would be in this platform, with the 800 motor."
There are other quality choices in the Ski-Doo line for '01. Test Rider Jerry Bassett spent quality time on the Formula Deluxe GSE 700, with the new BOSS rear suspension. The new device instantly switches the front track shock from a sport to a luxury valve setup. A flick of the switch activates a servo motor which opens or closes a bypass valve in the shock.
"There is an instantaneous and noticeable difference between the two settings," said Jerry. "It works as Ski-Doo said it would. One way to make it better, though, would be to give the switch a tactile feedback response, in a manner similar to what Yamaha has done with its rheostat controls on the handwarmers. Yes, there is a dashboard light that comes on, but a little driver feedback through the switch is reassuring and lets you know when it has been moved. Otherwise, it's a nice feature."
One thing we noticed this year is that the personal luxury sleds are much improved overall. With the Formula Deluxe GSE 700 you are getting virtually all the performance of an MX Z 700, plus the convenience of switch-controlled dual suspension settings, electric start and reverse. Think of the Deluxe as an MX Z with more benefits! Because performance-wise, it is an MX Z!
These are the sleds in the Ski-Doo line that caught our attention the most. Is there a Formula Deluxe GSE 800 coming soon?