Lane Lindstrom (SnoWest Editor)
The “older” a snowmobile model gets, you keep wondering what a manufacturer is going to do year after year to keep it fresh.
Sometimes the changes are subtle refinements; others are more dramatic, such as a new engine or refined chassis.
When it comes to the Summit X, Ski-Doo has done a yeoman’s job of keeping that model at the top of its game—and on the top of the mountain in the West. There have been so many changes in the Summit X over the years.
So what could Ski-Doo do this year to keep the Summit X fresh? More power? Lighten the sled up here or there? Better ride? Bold new graphics? Or maybe address a couple of SnoWest Magazine editors’ gripes?
Okay, address my gripes. I really enjoy riding the Summit X but there are a couple of things that just make me shake my head and wonder when they will get remedied.
My gripes were wiped out with the introduction of the Summit X with Expert Package. The Expert Package is a whole truckload of changes for the Summit X in various facets of the sled.
My gripes really boiled down to a couple of things. First, that pesky snow flap problem. It is especially pesky when unloading the sled from a trailer and/or ramp. Or backing it up in the any kind of deep snow. The sled would simply run over the snow flap and come to a stop, meaning you had to get off the machine, lift the back end and try again.
The new short tunnel (one of the most visual changes to the Summit X with Expert Package) without a snow flap (did you catch that? “Without”) takes care of the backing over the snow flap problem. A standard rear lightweight “fender” with LinQ-ready attachment points replaces the snow flap. Problem solved.
While we’re at it, the shorter tunnel means better deep snow riding. I found that to be true in the two days we rode the Summit X with Expert Package as the snow clears out much easier because there’s less tunnel for it to get hung up on.
Next is something that is a little more dramatic than backing over a snow flap. There are times when the snow is deep and the track is digging as it climbs that the front of the sled rises up out of the snow and kind of has a mind of its own as it bobs and weaves up the hill. Yes, I am well aware you can adjust the limiter strap to minimize the front end lift but I am somewhat of a lazy snowmobiler. When we’re riding through the trees and then pop out of them and decide to attack a mountain by climbing it, I don’t want to stop, get off the sled, lie in the snow and adjust the limiter strap. Or vise versa. I don’t want to readjust the limiter strap when we’re not climbing so the sled behaves in the trees. Like I said, I’m lazy.
But with the Limiter Strap Adjuster right there on the tunnel, my reason for sacrificing sled control because of my laziness tends to evaporate. I can, when the terrain (or even snow depth) changes, reach down and adjust the limiter strap by turning a lever. Yea, it’s that simple. I don’t even have to get off the machine.
Of course, there are so many more pieces to the Expert Package but those are the two that really jump out. I do like the smaller diameter handlebar grips. And the FORTY7C seat is so easy to maneuver around.