I own a Polaris and 2 cats. King cat and M8 Turbo... and I've owned another Polaris before that. But you're right. I don't have a clue. Not like I've ridden with them and I definitely don't wrench at an atv dealership or anything like that either... So ya got me.
I didn't come here to bash. I wanna hear it all. The good the bad. But as far as the crank goes... Cat's idea and Polaris' idea of lightweight crank are two different things. Cat has the biggest crank in the 800 class. I'm sure you knew that though. I'm sure you also knew that the 11-12 PRO cranks were so bad Polaris cut their crank manufacturer and got a completely new one. Every sled has their ugly side. Exactly why I won't touch a 12-13 cat. Some Polaris guys get so mad if anyone has anything bad to say about Polaris... Judas. Either refute it out swallow it.
I think you have a poor grasp on the mechanics of rotational mass. Lets compare it to bridge beams. Why do engineers use W-beams (I beams for the laymen) for bridge support rather than an equally weighted solid rectangular steel bar?
The answer is moment of inertia. Moment of inertia is a property calculated for a given shape which illustrates it's ability to resist apply forces. The moment of inertia of a W-beam is higher than an equally weighted solid rectangular bar. The majority of a bending load is carried through the outer most fibers of a beam, so by strategically placing the "meat" of the shape on the extreme fibers, you can gain strength without using more steel. This is why the W shape is so efficient for bridge, or any other beams.
For a rotational mass there is a similar concept. The property you calculate to determine the mass' ability to resist force is known as the rotational moment of inertia.
So the reasoning that a "lighter" crank is "weaker" is a poor judgement without knowing the actual properties of the crank. The lighter crank may actually be stronger. And assuming that Polaris uses engineers to design their components, I'm assuming it is not "weaker".
Also, something else to remember. A lighter rotating mass carries less rotational momentum. Bad thing? for a diesel truck that needs to pull a 80k load up a hill, yes, because that rotational momentum is used to pull the load. This is part of the reason why the TQ/HP numbers out of a 14.9 liter cat engine is so high. BUT in a snowmobile, where responsiveness is by far the ruler of the game, less mass means quicker revving which equals more responsiveness.
One more thing before I'm done. Any little bit of out of balance that a crank may have (and there will always be some) wears on the crank bearings. A lighter rotational mass (crank) will put less force on these bearings.
You can argue "my buddy's dad's cousin's sister's sled is better than your poo because..." all day, but what I listed here are facts. So please don't use "the crank is lighter so it's less reliable" as a reason for Poo's crap engines.
Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with Poo and am in no way saying that the new 800 HO will be more reliable. I'm simply stating laws of engineering and hoping that this engine holds up
It's all a preference but man that 2016 Cat is looking nimble. And from what I hear, the stock Yammy rides like a PRO. At least that what the guys who have spent a lot of time on it, and they're guys who have ridden PROs since '11...
