The Ski-Doo 850 Freeride 165 3.0 is No. 1 on my list. Suspension alone puts the Freeride on top for me. It rides like a dream and can handle abuse. Run it hard down the rough chatter bumps on a trail or send it off a cornice. It is capable of both and anything in between. The Freeride is at home in the air and spends a fair amount of time there with the right pilot. The Freeride is setup with KYB Pro shocks front and rear and they are smooth like butter. The 165 Freeride has the Rotax 850 E-Tec motor which provides a smooth and powerful pull with great bottom end response to get that 3-inch track rolling. The 2019 Freeride allows you to make the mountain your playground and is a solid 10/10 on the fun meter.
Coming in at No. 2 is the Alpha One Mountain Cat. Thinking outside the box, the team at Arctic Cat designed a single-beam rear suspension that is creating an industry buzz that is still shaking. Along with the new lightweight rear skid comes a next generation Power Claw 3-inch track. The track flexes and contours to the terrain giving it traction at many angles. This gave the already powerful motor and narrow Ascender platform a new playful attitude that is quick reacting and super easy to ride. We got to test the Alpha in epic snow conditions. I can honestly say the new track flat works in the powder. Mate it with the new C-Tec2 800 motor and I’d put the Cat up against any sled in an uphill climb. Then enjoy the nimble feel as you slalom back down the mountain.