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2018 Test Rider Impressions
KEVIN THOMPSON
174 Polaris Pro RMK – It will go through and up almost everything. A great sled and a lot of fun to ride. It comes up on edge really easy and feels the tallest of all of the sleds when riding it. The stiffer track has less tendency to wash out and really bites in the harder snow. It maneuvers through deep powder extremely well and rides really comfortably.
175 Ski-Doo - This is a REALLY BLUE sled but I like it. It was as plush as getting into my ‘96 Caddy, and the ride down the trail was smooth. It even turned in the corners and I did not get that push you get on most longer sleds. In the deep powder it was amazing, this sled floats on the snow and the throttle response was impeccable. It felt like I was on a shorter track sled, it handled like a 165. The open running boards worked well with no snow build up. The 175 is easy to pull on its side and hold a steep side hill with no wash. It was amazing to see how slow one could go and maintain forward movement in the deep snow. The SHOT starting system is a must and works fantastically. The 3-inch lug track does everything you would expect and then some. Jay Mentaberry actuall hucked it and did reentries on it like it was a short track sled. He sidehilled and turned up some inclines that seemed almost inverted, with ease.
162 Mountain Cat - Big improvement over last year, smooth power out of the C-TEC2 engine, smooth ride with the fox floats. Easy to adjust the shocks and have them respond. Much easier to side-hill and be able to hold a line. I could feel a difference in the weight over last year. The Ascender platform felt narrower, but I did have an issue with my boot getting stuck in the foot hold.
162 Yamaha Sidewinder - An eye opener! I have never been a fan of 4-strokes, but this sled makes you grin from ear to ear as you crack the throttle and feel that constant steady hard pull. This sled is a blast to ride but you will know you have rode hard by the end of the day. With the power of the 998cc turbo you can go just about anywhere on this machine. It side-hills with ease under power and I would recommend you ride one of these sleds if you are not a 4-stroke fan just to see the other side of the fence. It could use more storage, but this factory turbo rips.