Every now and then, the stars align just right and Mother Nature rips the zipper off the giant snow jacket in the sky and we get dumped on. Deep, bottomless face shots of powder all day long.
This was the case the few days we spent riding the 2019 model year snowmobiles in West Yellowstone, MT. That included the Ski-Doo Summit X 850.
Deep snow conditions are what we live for out West so we could not have asked for a better canvas to get a few first ride impressions from the new model year Summit X. First thing out of the gate when you hop on the 850, you have to pull start it like any other snowmobile. Every time after that is a quick push of the SHOT start button and away you go. It’s a welcome feature we have come to love. Call us lazy, but it saves energy and that usually means more seat time.
The Rev Gen 4 chassis is a great platform for a stand-up style rider. The handlebars and controls are clean and simple as is the display gauge. The running boards are comfortable to stand on and have plenty of boot traction as well as snow evacuation. The seat is narrow between your legs and gives you a feel similar to a dirt bike. This makes it easy to transition side to side when initiating a sidehill. Rolling the Summit X up on its edge is effortless thanks to a narrow RAS 3 front end. It is designed to work in unison with the tMotion rear suspension and Flex-Edge Powdermax 3-inch track.