Weight as you ride VS Dry weight? Pro compared Proclimb/Summit

[super6]

417 lbs dry...no shock oil, no brake fluid...nothing. Very impressive! Talking with a high level AC engineer about a test they recently did from their testing area near Island Park. Cat took a '13 Proclimb, '13 Pro, '13 Summit. Weighed them all before they left. Rode them...each loading up with snow from the powder...then weighed them again out in the field. The Polaris had over 75lbs added from the "wet weight at the shop" (i.e. dry sled full of gas/oil/coolant etc). The coolers in the Pro go all the way to the back. Cat's stop way up by the tank (somebody please post some pics of this, especially if you are swapping tracks). Because the Pro has coolers that go all the way to the back of the tunnel, huge amounts of snow and ice build up the entire length of the tunnel. Cat's tunnel stays cold, so the build up is not near as bad. Cat and the Summit both start out with a 50+ lbs weight disadvantage. Cat engineer did not say (curiously) the amount of weight the Proclimb or Summit gained...and I had to seriously restrain myself from turning into a total sled nerd and picking his brain like it was a formal FBI investigation.

Fellow Pro riders...noticing any "seems excessive" build up? Anyone ride with a group that has a '13 from all 3 mfg's so you can take some pics in the field. Seems pretty interesting to me, especially with all the mileage the PRO is getting out of the amazing 417 number (SLP can and you are at 413...yeeeaowww). Maybe out in the pow, the sled weights are a lot closer than we all think? Hmmmm.....

 

[MVPWyoming]

Really? Your kidding right. Nothing said about the other two brands? It's lonely at the top everyone keeps trying to knock you down. If the pro gains that much, how much does the other brand gain? Half that much? More than half I'm betting- end result same as before the pro is the lightest mountain sled out there. All true.

 

[garlic bear]

light

The pro is the lightest machine on the market why cant everyone get over that and quit with all the bs

 

[Oregonsledder]

This nothing but PRO envy... again, it gets old!

 

[snowman80]

Wait a second here, you mean to tell me an Arctic Cat engineer was telling you how heavy the pro is? Seems like he would be a very honest source to get non-biased information from. Maybe he should invest more time into reducing weight on the cats and not worry about the pro.

 

[rotax]

This whole wet/dry weight thing was back in the beginning of the "weight game".
Dry has always been no oils/fluids, anywhere in the sled.
Thats how they all do it.
Dry is Dry.

Now, I think your on to something with the "ice/snow packed weight" logic however.
This is where more research needs to go.

Like a belly pan full of snow/ice is really an efficient design.....
We all know how much snow/ice we pack even on TOP of the sled, running boards, rear length of tunnel, on top of the console/dash area, on top of the hood.
NOT to even mention the snow/ice pack we rarely see, in the suspension/drop brackets, under the tunnel/heat exchangers.

I think these areas could use added attention.

 

[nofuture]

The only bitch I have about my 13 pro is that the tunnel and rear running board supports load up with ice. Excessive amounts of ice in my opinion.

Do the guys with tunnel wraps notice this? What else can be done to help with the ice/snow build up on the tunnel?

 

[jwentzer]

The only bitch I have about my 13 pro is that the tunnel and rear running board supports load up with ice. Excessive amounts of ice in my opinion.

Do the guys with tunnel wraps notice this? What else can be done to help with the ice/snow build up on the tunnel?

Granted mine is a 12 model, My tunnel is wrapped in all black and I have the mad-fab board inserts. Very little snow sticks to anything. Rear running board inserts will sometimes accumulate a little bit. Nothing a quick kick with the boot doesn't fix. Other than that one spot, I am more than impressed with wrap and inserts.

 

[Bacon]

All I can add is that I have a '13 Proclimb Le. All black and that sled holds no snow. Compared to the '12 Proclimb that we still have it is very noticable. I don't ride with any Polaris pros to compare.

 

[super6]

Now, I think your on to something with the "ice/snow packed weight" logic however.
This is where more research needs to go.

Like a belly pan full of snow/ice is really an efficient design.....
We all know how much snow/ice we pack even on TOP of the sled, running boards, rear length of tunnel, on top of the console/dash area, on top of the hood.
NOT to even mention the snow/ice pack we rarely see, in the suspension/drop brackets, under the tunnel/heat exchangers.

I think these areas could use added attention.

This is what I wanted to get into with my comments. Not get all whipped up with opinions and brand loyalty.

Is there really something to shortening the coolers like proclimb does? If so why wouldn't Polaris adopt that concept, unless the Pro can't get the requires cooling out of that system.
If wraps and or powder coating have tremendous benefits to keep snow/ice build up out, why not powder coat /wrap inside of tunnel.

Still hoping to hear from guys who ride with all 3 in their group.

Thanks

 

[super6]

All I can add is that I have a '13 Proclimb Le. All black and that sled holds no snow. Compared to the '12 Proclimb that we still have it is very noticable. I don't ride with any Polaris pros to compare.

Thank you. Is it black from factory? Or did you add wrap to tunnel? Can you look up in tunnel and see where heat exchangers quit? Is inside of tunnel black or just bare aluminum? How is the build up in the tunnel, would you mind sending some pics next ride? Thanks.

 

[Bacon]

I thought the Pros already had small coolers? I know on the Proclimb Le, you NEED to run scratchers on a hard trail. It will heat up.

 

[Bacon]

Thank you. Is it black from factory? Or did you add wrap to tunnel? Can you look up in tunnel and see where heat exchangers quit? Is inside of tunnel black or just bare aluminum? How is the build up in the tunnel, would you mind sending some pics next ride? Thanks.

Yes, factory black Limited. They have short coolers that end under the seat. Last year they had the coolers running all the way back. I was going to take pics on our last ride to compare the '12 and '13 but didn't. I put airframes on the '12 and it still holds more snow on the boards than the stock '13. It really is amazing.

 

[poorider]

So he's saying it loads up with 75 pounds of snow and ice? That's ridiculous. Do you have any idea how much that is? Water weighs 10 lbs per gallon so that would be 7 1/2 gallons of frozen water sticking to your sled.
As if.

 

[Bacon]

Here is a pic of the cooler if you can see. It is way up in there.

 

[sledder22]

Its easy to load the pro up with 75 pounds of snow and ice. when your the only sled that can make it too all the fresh deep pow... Sorry i couldnt resist!!!

 

[wjl]

Correction Water weighs 8.34 lbs per gallon
Link: http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/56355.html

We want to keep things accurate
I do not see 10 gallons of ice on my 2013 Pro? (ice weights less than water air bubbles trapped inside)
The build up on mine is by the rear suspension brackets and the center of the rear tunnel. This should go away since a tunnel wrap has been installed.
My 08 xp had a lot of ice on the outside/inside of the tunnel and in the running boards until Air Frame install. Cooler ran down the center.

 

[geo]

Was that Cat "engineer" the same one that for 3 yrs dialed in the PC chassis for mountains? Cause if it was I wouldn't put too much stock in what he has to say. I would ask him if the wine list at the resort is good though.

On the snow buildup; I've owned both. My '12 HCR was pretty much a '13 LE by the end of it's life with me (except I didn't screw up the attack angle at the rail tips and didn't forget the cover for the disc brake to stop flinging water onto the secondary like that well-versed-in-winelists Cat mountain "engineer" did lol).
For snow build up on the rear tunnel, the front cooler is the best in early season, cold dry pow. Later when warmer and wetter snow the opposite is true. LE owners will find that out too.
Using the coolers for tunnel structure (like the Pro) is also a lighter and stronger design. I don't know if they changed the rear tunnel on the '13 PCLE but my Pro carbon fiber bumper is stronger than my '12 HCR rear tunnel was. I had to be careful rolling my HCR out of a heavy stuck (way too many too lol). Don't twist on the rear bumper or you will need to retwist at home.

My snow buildup experience. PC holds way more snow on the front a-arm area. It the little things on the Pro that add up like the booty's for the tie-rods and angles of the plastic. It just holds less snow there. The front consol area on a PC is a big basket that you need to empty by scooping with your hands (some of it is because of heat there some is just stupid design). My Pro, I just brush it off.
Both hold snow at the rear of the running boards (if you want you can add some flexy, thin plastic fenders on the rear of the tunnel to eliminate most of this on either sled, it works) but over all the '13 Pro boards hold less over the whole length.
I've never had a belly pan full of snow but maybe it's cause I don't use reverse except to unload. I do know i have way less heat under the hood on the Pro (heat means iceing and buildup).
The pro holds less snow in the skid compared to the PC. I think it's the holes in the Poo track.

A long time ago I attacked snow build up on my sleds and have been well aware of it since. I've even taken my fish scales and plastic bags with me to weigh the snow build up (scoop all the snow and ice into bags and weight bags) in the field lol.

Like some one else said 75lbs is a lot of snow. Sooner or later you have to use the throttle and hit a couple of bumps and most will fall off from it's own weight.
If you ride like the Cat mountain "engineers" I can see it though.

 

[bdoe22]

motul

13 pro 155 here. I have been doing a little experimenting with silicon based polish on the tunnel and rear drop brackets. I have noticed significantly less snow and ice buildup after using the motul shine and go vs. Honda polish. I will continue to use the motul untill this can is gone, then i will try maxima sc-1 and see how it works, but i was amased at the difference in buildup!

 

[die hard poo]

I do wish Polaris would adopt the skidoo and arctic cat thought of painting/powder coating their tunnel/suspension from the factory. But since they don't, I wrap mine with vinyl and powder coat all the suspension components before they hit the snow. You still will have snow that will pile up, but a quick brush will knock most of the snow off. As others have stated, Polaris' approach to the cooler running the full length of the tunnel IMO is a great idea because they use it a integral part of the tunnel along with being the coolers. Two birds with one stone type thinking. That's why Polaris is able to get the pro chassis the weight it is at. Less is more approach!