So here is my run down.
Personally, I have been on a Pro for the last 4 seasons, but went to a T3 163 this year that I have absolutely loved in the limited seat time on it.
First, let me give you an idea of snow conditions, as that makes a big difference as to how the sled performs in given circumstances. Unfortunately the snow was NOT the perfect snow conditions to test a sled that is built to excel in deep western powder, and mountain terrain. It was difficult to find any un-tracked snow. Most of the snow was very set up and not forgiving at all. We did happen to find and get into a couple pulls in some steep tree lines where the snow still had a base but was much softer and better suited for testing the purpose of this machine.
Most of the technical features have already been discussed. I will reinforce the ones that I liked best and which stood out to me.
I tend to look at sleds a little differently due to the nature of my business. I have to wrench on sleds all the time fixing damages and trouble shooting problems. This sled you can literally strip off all the plastics and access the motor compartment in about 30 seconds. AWESOME!
The a arms are a huge upgrade over the bonded ones that often left people out on the mountain.
One of the single greatest performance upgrades is the motor performance. Who knows on the longevity....that still has to be seen. But the lightweight crank and how snappy that motor is on the low end is amazing. Really, AMAZING. I've been riding sleds for over 15 years aggressively and I nearly dumped myself off the sled a couple times because I was not expecting that instant power. This should translate into quicker lift onto the snow. Throttle pull was noticeably easier. This is a great upgrade to one of the Pro's biggest weaknesses.
The belt drive has been dropped and they went to a smaller set of drivers. I can only speculate that this means a 3" track to come in March. There is definitely plenty of room in there for one. The stock track seemed to work well with the snow conditions we had to work with.
One of the biggest changes to the way the sled handles and the change that I am the most on the fence about is the raised center of gravity. I think the engineers said 1.5" higher. I feel like there are some real gains made by this and a few set backs. Let me explain. Most of the snow we were riding was really set up snow. It felt to me like the sled had excessive ski pressure and was difficult to steer in set up snow (much of this could likely be remedied by some tweaks to the suspension). But when I got to the off camber set up snow I seemed to lose all my confidence. I kept feeling like the sled wanted to pull me downhill. Much like the old complaints of the original xp chassis where people complained that on set up side hills the sled wanted to stand back up or pull back over. The first sled I rode the ski's were in the narrowest position and this was amplified. I then rode one with the skis in the mid position and it was noticeably better but I still wasn't sold on how the sled feels on set up snow. Now, once we got into the steep trees and softer un-tracked snow that is where the higher center of gravity shines. The transition of laying the sled over was noticeably easier. Carving the lines through the trees and changing elevations during a side hill was a breeze. This is where this chassis shines!
Now my thoughts on that last paragraph. To me, it seems this sled is purpose built (and obviously has a ton of input from Chris Burandt) for steep, technical, deep powder tree type riding (narrowed, panels, higher center of gravity, higher spindles for less drag on the arms and the tunnel is shallower allowing for the running boards to sit higher off the snow). Which, personally, I love. That's the type of terrain I love to play in. The one drawback I see is that not all riders thrive in that terrain or even want to go there AND that riding set up snow is the type of snow most riders spend their time riding in. Good powder days are hit and miss. I am afraid many beginner to intermediate riders will not like the way the sled handles in set up snow and the type of snow conditions that prevail most the year. I think the aggressive more advanced riders will love the chassis.
Unlike most the reviews so far, mine is not 100% positive. But it is 100% honest. I may not get another invite next year for it, but I feel it's important to represent it the way it is, both good and bad.
Honestly I can't wait till next winter where I can get more seat time in more varied snow conditions. However, I will have to get that seat time on either one of my rentals or a borrowed sled because I am not anxious to give up my T3 for the new Axyss until I see it's reliability proven along with a little more seat time.
