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Take 2!
The Ski-Doo 850 is easy to ride and easy to sidehill, but it does tend to wash out a little on the sidehills at times. The running boards are awesome, but I miss the foothold, which I use all the time when sidehilling. I like the narrower seat, but it’s still wide enough to keep the roids in place. Awesome torque and power at the bottom and mid-range, but top end speed stays about the same as previous 800 models, and I expected a bit more on the top end out of the new 850.
Polaris is one smooth ride; however, the front end pushes hard in the corners on the trails. It has great top end speed, it is easy to sidehill, and has good traction when launching off the line. The stiffer lug track makes a difference when sidehilling and pulling a straight line on a hill. The clutching seemed spot on, and the rpms were always there when you needed them.
– Kevin Thompson, Test Rider
The new Sidewinder’s power is hard to match. The best way to describe it is diesel truck vs. gas. Even a turbo’d 2-stroke doesn’t have this kind of seat-of-the-pants feel. The sled feels like it will never quit accelerating. I really like the ergonomics of the handlebars. The new plastics look super sharp, and the suspension is top of the line.
Arctic Cat’s narrower running boards help improve traction on steeper sidehills. The stirrups were moved forward to help the rider initiate sidehills in technical situations. A great all-around sled, the Mountain Cat was really fun to ride and had plenty of power. It felt like it wanted to come up on the snow quicker with the new approach angle.
– Lonnie Thompson, Test Rider