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Are 4-Strokes Really Closing the Gap?
Ross Halvorson
Fri, May 23 2014 2:51 PM
http://cs.amsnow.com/sno/b/sno/archive/2014/05/23/are-4-strokes-really-closing-the-gap.aspx
Many of the snowmobile industry’s biggest accomplishments in the consumer market can be traced back to the race tracks. We once again look to the track to see if there’s evidence of what all the media outlets (including AmSnow) have been saying recently. Are 4-stroke sleds really closing in on 2-stroke machines? Many of the consumers’ favorite snowmobile innovations have migrated from the track to the showroom.
Much of our modern chassis, engines, suspensions and more started as some harebrained idea that was designed, tested and perfected on race day. Why would the 4-stroke engine be any different?
While the 4-stroke engine has been around for years, and three of the four big OEMs currently produce a 4-stroke sled, there’s always been an “us-versus-them” mentality. Traditionally, 4-strokes bring a more efficient, low-maintenance advantage to the table. 2-strokes have always claimed an edge in high-end performance and lightweight maneuverability.
All that might be changing, at least according to data from the race track. Take a look at the manufacturer with the most skin in the 4-stroke game, Yamaha. Their snowmobile line is entirely dependent on 4-stroke engines and their success.
Yamaha was represented in the Pro ranks of the three largest circuits in the U.S. – ISOC Snocross (first four rounds), USCX (entire season) and RMSHA (entire season). The first two weekends of ISOC Snocross were looked at as a dress rehearsal of sorts for Yamaha’s factory team for the upcoming USXC season. No Yamaha sleds made the finals of any Pro-Open event those first two weekends.
That was OK with Team Blue. They had a first-year sled in the 2014 SR Viper to dial in preparation for the USXC season. Crosscountry racing brought slightly more success as Yamaha racers were very competitive finishing in the top five of multiple events. However, they failed to crack the top five in the final season points standings.
It was in the mountains (probably the most unlikely of the three circuits) that Yamaha saw the largest step forward on the RMSHA circuit. Team Yamaha’s Gavin Balls, Chad Jorgensen and Nathan Titus were consistently among the top competitors in their respective classes, each stepping foot on the podium.
Balls put the exclamation point on the season piloting the new SR Viper M-TX by finishing first in the 700 Improved class at the Jackson Hole Hillclimb – considered by many to be one of the most challenging courses for RMSHA riders. It was a stunning end of the season to some, and perhaps the springboard Yamaha needs to catapult their assault on the 2-stroke market share in the coming year.
While the debate between 2- and 4-stroke engines is bound to rage on for some time in the snowmobile industry, you cannot deny the growing success 4-stroke machines have seen in the race circuits traditionally dominated by 2-stroke sleds. And if history is any indication, trends in racing often become trends in Average Joe’s garage.