Ride Reports?

[2014xm]

So I just came off riding a Boondocker sidekick axys and new 165 3 inch doo and all I can say is wow. I ride whatever sled is better and not brand loyal. The new ski doo rips front end is super light to steer carve and side hill so much less input than the axys by far doesn't wash out nearly as bad as xm doo (It could side hill as steep of stuff as the axys and just as good or better, easier to get into tho for sure) and I have to say I ride 163 Polaris this year and feels like a dinosaur getting back on it. Ski doo nailed it one thing I didn't like tho is it didn't have foot stirrups to pull sled up with foot for less input carving but can be added and I will get them on my sled only bad thing about it.. looks good in person don't let that be something that turns you away because the sled does not disappoint power was spot on and amazing. And anyone who is wondering about track length without a doubt go 165 it feels more nimble in trees and everywhere feels like a short track but climbs great with the new track setup and gets up out of the snow really fast. Although Gauge is small they are nice and good but unless you are trail riding or sitting at the bottom of the hill or being a little p**sy shut the f*ck up about the little non sence bs it's a damn mountain sled thank ski doo it's a great build sled and will push compitition like nothing before and is the best mountain sled there is around now. I rode the axys all season and didn't fall in love with it other than deep 2 foot days and even then the track would just dig down and not get outa the snow even stock so take it whatever it's worth to you this is my opinion on it and would buy a ski doo hands down

 

[turboless terry]

So is your sidekick axys for sale? I am surprised your Axys is washing out. Mine is a 155 and I've played on some insanely steep stuff and it sticks like glue.glad to hear your review because I ordered my wife one.

 

[2014xm]

So is your sidekick axys for sale? I am surprised your Axys is washing out. Mine is a 155 and I've played on some insanely steep stuff and it sticks like glue.glad to hear your review because I ordered my wife one.

Yes it is for sale and idk it seems like the skis wanna go anywhere they want to on the axys and point you up hill and on some steep stuff it was good but if you slow down too much it'll wash out. Today tho ski doo was sticking side hills great.

 

[snowmobiler]

report score.2 good.1 puzzling.LOL

 

[i'llDooit]

This sled rips. The next-generation of power!

 

[Rg78]

So did you get to ride it?

 

[Overthehood]

I would love to ride one but after watching the you tube vid Freetec posted I can't see how that thing wouldn't climb under power on a sidehill. Front end is never on the ground.

 

[hoov165x]

I would love to ride one but after watching the you tube vid Freetec posted I can't see how that thing wouldn't climb under power on a sidehill. Front end is never on the ground.

Summits always come set up with minimal rear torsion spring preload for light steering. A little preload added on the rear will plant that front end right down. It can actually make a significant difference turning just one side up one number- that's how sensitive these are.

 

[sledjunky_86]

So I guess I was curious about the adjustable limiter strap...were any of you guys that rode them using it? Was wondering if it helped the skis stay more planted...I snowchecked a 154 and am worried about everybody wheeling all the time...or did anyone adjust the the track shocks..?

 

[rulonjj]

So I guess I was curious about the adjustable limiter strap...were any of you guys that rode them using it? Was wondering if it helped the skis stay more planted...I snowchecked a 154 and am worried about everybody wheeling all the time...or did anyone adjust the the track shocks..?

Sucking up the limiter strap takes away from sidehilling ability.

I wouldn't be worried about wheelies.
Just set the rear torsions to 4 or 5 and let the limiter out 1 or 2 holes and use the front track shock to adjust how much ski lift you get. Seems to work for me on my 2013 Xm. I rode a t3 154 today and it didn't wheelie much at all. Its suspension was set up similar to mine. If it wheelies to much for you at that point get the heavier springs for the rear.

 

[edgey]

This sled rips. The next-generation of power!

So u rode one or just drinking the doolaid?

 

[turboless terry]

Yeah devilmanak is one of the few unbiased riders on here. I am impatiently waiting for his review. I am not too worried about it, though, because I got the 165 for my wife and know she will enjoy it more than her axys. I will be keeping and boosting my axys. I am just curious about a few things that both of us know exist on the xm and if this new chassis fixed them.

 

[i'llDooit]

So u rode one or just drinking the doolaid?

I'm guzzling doolaid

 

[turboless terry]

Good to hear, I rode one in a field with crap snow, was not impressed. Hopefully in real conditions I will be. Riding one tomorrow.
My feel was that it felt more like an Axys than my T3 Doos. Kinda hard to initiate a sidehill compared to. Long front end. But again, just in a field. And my Doos are dialed now, with correct springs and skis.
Wasn't impressed that the warmers are combined.
Liked the panels and the way they attach.
Would have preferred the high/low beam to have stayed on bars, I ride a lot in the dark and toggle back and forth a lot.
Like the different module, but it still looks like it has both modules, just the S being cast. SO unless I am wrong, it means a bent E module every time, instead of getting away with just replacing the S on hard hits?
Like the bars, can rotate them to correct position without getting "swing".
Hate the gauge, tiny and hard to use/see.
This one is definitely a prototype. They sure better move that brake caliper assembly or cover it, boots are going to rip the rubber bleed cover off instantly, and eventually a boot is going to damage the valve.
I was expected to be blown away and just wasn't. Will report back after real ride time on the hill tomorrow. I am sure my opinion will change. And if not, I have a Kitty here that I AM impressed with, maybe time for a change.....

You must not have gotten your real test ride.

 

[Devilmanak]

Lol, we got it, just been riding every day with buds visiting.
It is good, they addressed everything I would have liked them to minus the few complaints above.
I really hate the gauge, it is tiny.
Very little ski pressure as stated above, but a few cranks on the rear torsions and it would be fine. (I experimented with limiter shortening earlier this year, it kills the bump handling of the sled, makes it bottom.) Stiffer rears are the way to go.
Engine is snappy on the bottom, but I really wasn't impressed with the mid/top for some reason. Maybe because the sled wasn't broken in yet? 64% was left on breakin when I hopped on. Or maybe the track was spinning on the wet snow. The lack of teeth on the lugs is going to help a lot in fresh, but it is going to be slick on hard/spring snow and trails.
It felt like my 16 T3 sleds as far as handling, only a bit better. (I am comparing dialed 16 T3 sleds to an out of the box 165 prototype that was clearly set up by a drunken spider monkey.) I had to rotate the bars to a ridable position right off the bat, the local shop here found the track completely out of alignment, etc.
SO comparing the stock Gen 4 to a dialed (stiffer rear and ski springs, DJ clutch kit, Gripper skis) the Gen 4 was a little bit better. With skis, some tweaking, and full break-in I think it will be much much better than 2016.
The wishy washy sidehill stuff that comes from the stock Doo skis is still there, but not nearly as bad as the 2016 with Doo skis. Doo needs to chuck those skis in the garbage and come up with a better design.
The Gen 4 tips up almost as easy as my 16, it takes a tiny bit more of a pull, but once it is up it is much much more stable feeling, easier to drive it around on one ski, on a hill and flat ground. BUT it will also flat-turn much better than my 16, it doesn't flop over as badly.
Suspension feels good, I tried to bottom it a few times and it was good for a mountain sled. My 16 sleds were pretty good also though, until I cooked the oil pounding bumps. Not sure if the 2017 will need stiffer springs or not.
My bud who has ridden Poos forever didn't like the Doo at all, couldn't get comfortable. But then he spent some time on my T3 later in the day and started to get it. Maybe he will chime in.
Another bud coming off a modded worn out 14 XM REALLY liked the Gen 4.
Another Poo bud coming off a 13 Pro was impressed, thought about checking one but is going with an Axys based on his first new model year experience with a 2008 Doo.
The above three guys are very good experienced riders.

 

[Solby]

I feel like I have been withholding information from all you riders out there! I was lucky enough to take a 2017 Gen4 850 165" x 3" for a quick spin and a 2016 Axys 800 163" x 3" on Sunday. Big thanks to Brian from Mile High Powersports for braving some crappy weather Sunday to make it happen.

I tried to be objective when riding both sleds. In the next year or two I will own one of them.

First and probably most importantly all Skidoo riders used to XM and T3 and going to love this sled. I think Skidoo did a good job addressing most of the problem areas with the XM. The fit and finish is good. Motor pulls over and starts really easy. Runs smooth. No vibrations if you would have told me it is just a 800 Etec HO I would have believed it. Power is great, very linear and controllable. Throttle response is also great. Maybe one of the best things they did was make the chassis balanced side to side. I could lean it over and do circles just balancing. For a power comparison to the Axys I would say on short pulls of less than 3 seconds the sleds will be very equal. On longer pulls I feel the 850 has more go. I took the G4 up a pretty steep pull and it felt like it was accelerating the whole way up. I did the same pull on the Axys and I felt like the G4 was carrying maybe 5 mph faster ground speed over the top. They both ripped the line but the G4 felt like more on the big end. Both sleds made my pro feel like a doggy 600.

One thing that bothered me about the sled is the width of the chassis. All the marketing hype about how much narrower it is seems pretty misleading to me. When measuring from the track out to the edge of the running boards on the XM or G4 I measured 10". I read somewhere the G4 was 0.7" narrower. Also the running boards are 8" wide when measuring from the tunnel out to the outside edge. The RMKs are 6.5". The panels are narrower and angle inward just behind the spindle. This design looks very good, but the overall width down at the snow near the running boards has not changed much from the XM.

My only issues with this sled are personal preference just like the XM: horizontal steering, 16" wide track, wide running boards, and feeling semi-out of control up or down hill (might just need more seat time). I just struggle to get comfortable on Skidoos. If they made a 15" wide version with narrow boards, narrow panels, and a more vertical post I would be all over it.

Should be a monster for next year thanks Skidoo for pushing the limits again!

 

[Devilmanak]

I feel like I have been withholding information from all you riders out there! I was lucky enough to take a 2017 Gen4 850 165" x 3" for a quick spin and a 2016 Axys 800 163" x 3" on Sunday. Big thanks to Brian from Mile High Powersports for braving some crappy weather Sunday to make it happen.

I tried to be objective when riding both sleds. In the next year or two I will own one of them.

First and probably most importantly all Skidoo riders used to XM and T3 and going to love this sled. I think Skidoo did a good job addressing most of the problem areas with the XM. The fit and finish is good. Motor pulls over and starts really easy. Runs smooth. No vibrations if you would have told me it is just a 800 Etec HO I would have believed it. Power is great, very linear and controllable. Throttle response is also great. Maybe one of the best things they did was make the chassis balanced side to side. I could lean it over and do circles just balancing. For a power comparison to the Axys I would say on short pulls of less than 3 seconds the sleds will be very equal. On longer pulls I feel the 850 has more go. I took the G4 up a pretty steep pull and it felt like it was accelerating the whole way up. I did the same pull on the Axys and I felt like the G4 was carrying maybe 5 mph faster ground speed over the top. They both ripped the line but the G4 felt like more on the big end. Both sleds made my pro feel like a doggy 600.

One thing that bothered me about the sled is the width of the chassis. All the marketing hype about how much narrower it is seems pretty misleading to me. When measuring from the track out to the edge of the running boards on the XM or G4 I measured 10". I read somewhere the G4 was 0.7" narrower. Also the running boards are 8" wide when measuring from the tunnel out to the outside edge. The RMKs are 6.5". The panels are narrower and angle inward just behind the spindle. This design looks very good, but the overall width down at the snow near the running boards has not changed much from the XM.

My only issues with this sled are personal preference just like the XM: horizontal steering, 16" wide track, wide running boards, and feeling semi-out of control up or down hill (might just need more seat time). I just struggle to get comfortable on Skidoos. If they made a 15" wide version with narrow boards, narrow panels, and a more vertical post I would be all over it.

Should be a monster for next year thanks Skidoo for pushing the limits again!

Yah, that weather sucked. Comparing to that demo Axys isn't quite fair to Polaris, that sled needs some setup bad, I have ridden it. It is a turd.
Going to have to argue the width thing though, not based on measurements, but based on actual riding. We were the first group out, my bud took it up the super steep for a sidehill, I was cringing as Bryan kinda put me in charge of the group and he was on a super steep hill. He came down and raved about how well it worked, no paneling out. And his personal sled is one of Rasmussens old ones, with airframes and Skinz narrow panels.

 

[Lemo]

I feel like I have been withholding information from all you riders out there! I was lucky enough to take a 2017 Gen4 850 165" x 3" for a quick spin and a 2016 Axys 800 163" x 3" on Sunday. Big thanks to Brian from Mile High Powersports for braving some crappy weather Sunday to make it happen.

I tried to be objective when riding both sleds. In the next year or two I will own one of them.

First and probably most importantly all Skidoo riders used to XM and T3 and going to love this sled. I think Skidoo did a good job addressing most of the problem areas with the XM. The fit and finish is good. Motor pulls over and starts really easy. Runs smooth. No vibrations if you would have told me it is just a 800 Etec HO I would have believed it. Power is great, very linear and controllable. Throttle response is also great. Maybe one of the best things they did was make the chassis balanced side to side. I could lean it over and do circles just balancing. For a power comparison to the Axys I would say on short pulls of less than 3 seconds the sleds will be very equal. On longer pulls I feel the 850 has more go. I took the G4 up a pretty steep pull and it felt like it was accelerating the whole way up. I did the same pull on the Axys and I felt like the G4 was carrying maybe 5 mph faster ground speed over the top. They both ripped the line but the G4 felt like more on the big end. Both sleds made my pro feel like a doggy 600.

One thing that bothered me about the sled is the width of the chassis. All the marketing hype about how much narrower it is seems pretty misleading to me. When measuring from the track out to the edge of the running boards on the XM or G4 I measured 10". I read somewhere the G4 was 0.7" narrower. Also the running boards are 8" wide when measuring from the tunnel out to the outside edge. The RMKs are 6.5". The panels are narrower and angle inward just behind the spindle. This design looks very good, but the overall width down at the snow near the running boards has not changed much from the XM.

My only issues with this sled are personal preference just like the XM: horizontal steering, 16" wide track, wide running boards, and feeling semi-out of control up or down hill (might just need more seat time). I just struggle to get comfortable on Skidoos. If they made a 15" wide version with narrow boards, narrow panels, and a more vertical post I would be all over it.

Should be a monster for next year thanks Skidoo for pushing the limits again!

Boards are .7" higher than XM which takes them out of the snow more when side hilling.

 

[snowmobiler]

track speed on both would be fun to see

 

[snengineer]

Hard Icy snow ride report

So I got to ride the 165X black version. What I liked in order of like

1- Side to side balance of the sled is a dramatic change from the XM, you find yourself riding this sled in the nutreal postition more often pulling the sled on egde is eaiser then the xm.

2- The Instantaneous GO I like to call it, no matter the traveleing speed you punch the gas and it just takes off!

3- 3.5" pitch track, it held ita own on crap hard snow but from what I have heard and what little we saw of soft snow this track pushes snow so well, its gonna be awesome in powder!

4- Primary clutch, its so small but all the moving parts are oversized and beefy, the longevity is exciting

5- The tappered tunnel, I am bow legged so this isnt a major issue but it was noticeable and helped with the home position practicality while boondocking.

6- This sled runs so much cooler in nasty icy conditions vs the xm, several times I stopped, took my glove off, put my hand on the rear head exchanger of the 17, then my xm. It felt like 50-80 degree difference throughout the day.

7-ground clearance, the skid is lower giving it more clearance in deep powder conditions which we didnt have the day we rode.

8- The spindle ski mount location makes the steering even easier in all conditions.

9- Trail manners are as good if not better then the xm, I LOVED that my knee had a place to go when cornering at high speed sitting down!

10- It looks great on the snow, the front end looks smaller, it looks very narrow from behind, it looks higher off the snow then the xm.


These are all things I liked. Some things I didnt like

1-No bogie wheels, these 3" lug tracks go through slides on days like the day we rode, no ice scratcher in the world would of prevented that, they need some bogie wheels, I suggest something like what toms snowmobile does, undersized, lightweight bogie wheels would help a lot.

2- Hand warmer toggle switch is just asking to be busted off, slim that hting down, no need for the protruding toggle on that switch.

3- For the love please discontinue your hand grips, they are awful, they are not user friendly, they are like holding on to icicles on snowy days. I got blisters, I use RSI grips and haven't had blisters in 5 yrs.

4-Skis are same as before, I dont prefer them, that's not a big issue BC they can easily be changed.



Now, we did drag race, I will get a vid as soon as I can on here. This was on icy hard snow, 9700ft elevation on a slope that climbed 500 vert and was 1/4 long pull. This what we saw after several rounds with people switching sleds. The 17 got a sled length to a half sled length holeshot everytime, didn't matter the rider on it. Once it had the holeshot the 17, 15(T3163), 16(163) and 14(154) xms all pulled the hill at the same speed, meaning nobody pulled ahead of another once holeshot was established. The 17 track has flat tipped lugs so it may of been getting a little less traction on these extreme snow conditions as well, and I was told the 17 overall has a slightly lower gear ration then the 16 and 15 T3 163's.


What impressed me the most was how fun, impressive, awesome this sled was in riding it the way I like to ride, boondocking, sidehilling, pulling difficult lines. This was all limited bc of snow conditions but because of the snow conditions we could feel how it handled in snow most of us pass on bc we want pow. It put a smile on my face. Its worth the investment.

The Polaris guys will like this sled, it holds a sidehil with similar feel to the axys. IF you can get over the steering geometry that is slightly more forward then the xm but the feel is overall the same...which I love...to each there own. If the Axys and the G4 where chicks then the Axys is the hot girl you meet at the carnival, yes she seems to have it all, just wait till you have to live together. The G4 looks like the hot girl at the carnival and then you find out she has a phD and can be your sugar daddy too, some people have mental blocks with phD, to each there own.

Finally, this motor, its foundation with the rods, oiling, crank, cylinder coats, ring holders.....This in my opinion is the game changer. It is awesome and I had the impression that with that foundation this thing is gonna be opened up yr after yr. 5 yrs from now this motor will be 20 hp higher, no question. It just has that potential. It was a very torquey motor which I cant wait to test in deep heavy powder.

Hope this helps.