AmSnow.com is now SnoWest.com
TEST RIDER IMPRESSIONS:
2016 MOUNTAIN SLEDS
Writing about how a sled handles is like trying to express my feelings to my wife!
Sitting on the
Polaris 800 Pro-RMK 155 AXYS was comfortable. The handlebars didn’t have me so far forward that my knees didn’t have room. The height of the bars were comfortable standing as well as sitting. The handling on the single-track trail into the backcountry was surprisingly stable in the corners, given the fact that my first powder turns left me looking and feeling like a rookie. It took less rider input and counter steer than what I was previously accustomed to. The suspension was not as plush on the little stutter bumps as I would prefer. The skis handled great when the snowmobile was on its edge; when it was flat, they pushed a little in the corners.
The
Yamaha SR Viper M-TX LE 162 with the accessory MPI Turbo was surprisingly fun to ride. The power and track speeds are amazing. The weight was not as noticeable with a little speed. It took very little rider input and counter steer to get it to come up on edge. After it was on edge, a narrow balance point required more throttle control, rider input and pedaling to keep it where you wanted it. There was a fair amount of body roll in the looser snow. It’s comfortable sitting and standing. The ride was plush on the smaller bumps, and it also handled the bigger hits well.
The first thing I noticed about the
Arctic Cat M 8000 Sno Pro 153 was the power. It really surprised me how it accelerated off the line and out of the corners. It felt really stable and flat. It didn’t roll in the corners. The skis did push through the corners rather then turn, though.
Weight transfer made the
Ski-Doo Summit X T3 163 fun to ride. There wasn’t too much that was difficult to handle, it just felt very light. It was very quick to respond to rider input (sometimes too quick)! The suspension felt awesome; I really enjoyed the way it handled all the bumps, big or small. It was very plush.
– Lonnie Thompson