7— Arctic Cat M 8000 Mountain Cat Alpha One
I like the idea of the Alpha One with its single beam rear suspension but it was easier to wrap my head around the idea than it was for me to adjust to riding it … at least for awhile. I give Cat lots of credit for thinking way outside the box on this one. All you have to do is think about leaning and the sled does it—almost. But it is so easy to pull over that even the slightest lean accomplishes it. The first couple of times out I leaned too much or put too much of my weight on one running board and, well, I took a spill. Once I got the hang of it though, it was fun to run, especially through deeper snow. I’m still working on the marginal snow ride.
8—Polaris 850 SKS 155
One of the key differences between the SKS and the RMK is that the SKS is wider both in sled width and ski stance—46.5 inches and 39-41 inches, respectively vs. 43.5 inches and 36-38 inches.
But the SKS still has many of the RMK traits that I like, such as the digital gauge, AXYS chassis and 850 Patriot engine. So why pick the wider SKS over any other RMK? For one thing, on the trail to and from the backcountry, the wider SKS is more planted on the trail and second, it’s not so wide that once in the backcountry you can’t sidehill it or lay it down in the powder. It’s just a fun crossover-like sled that works well on- and off-trail.