The evolution of mountain snowmobiles over the last decade has been pretty amazing. Not only have sleds gotten better for navigating through deep snow, they’ve gotten better in practically every other aspect of snowmobiling. This is particularly true for the new Ski-Doo Summit 850 E-Tec.
Long tracks, big lugs, narrower designs—elements that allow you to ride in deep snow—are complemented with better suspensions which allow you to hit the bumps and jumps with much better control. The engines are stronger and the powerbands are broader. Add to this the reliability of the Summit 850 and you have a snowmobile which will go anywhere, do anything and make your snowmobiling experience more enjoyable.
The E-Tec engine offers efficiency mixed to crisp, instant power. It delivers immediate response at the touch of your thumb. It’s predictable power. You don’t have to wait for it or anticipate it kicking in. It’s there instantly. Couple this with a lightweight chassis that responds to body English and you find yourself an active component with your snowmobile. You actually ride it rather than riding on it.
As we tested and reviewed the Summit 850 last spring, we developed a greater appreciation of how all the components blended together to make this one of the best OEM production snowmobiles ever released. Here are 16 focal points that highlight the Summit 850.