the big dogs dyno up

Now the choice is complicated. Weight, as in power-to-weight, is a consideration. The Yamaha four is a more complicated mass of valves, cams, etc. Added weight is a given versus the two-strokers.

Based on last year's Shoot-Out numbers, each horsepower from Yamaha's four-stroker had to pull more than 4.6 pounds (less rider weight). The Ski-Doo and Arctic Cat pulled slightly more than 3.8 pounds each, while each Polaris pony pulled just less than four pounds of sled weight.

Based on reality, when making a decision to buy a Big Dog (or, Cat!), you need to consider more than dyno numbers. Two or four cylinders? Two or four-cycles? Power-to-weight? And those are the easy questions.

This story ran in the February 2004 issue of American Snowmobiler magazine