146 Opinions?

[Goinboardin]

Looking for opinions on the XM146 800. I'm coming off a Poo Edge 800 174 that I had dialed last season and liked but the damn thing is too unreliable. That said I always had lots of fun on my buddies 144 version of my Edge (trackspeed!), which got me thinking about going with a "shorty" XM. I don't do the climbing I used to and this will be my 5th year in the mountains. I started on a 136" and still managed to have lots of fun.

I've seen the videos on youtube of the 146 absolutely ripping, and I know BackCountryIsLife talks highly of his. Seems like track speed becomes the technique in the deep, as opposed to tractoring around.

Haven't ridden an XM, just 2012 Summit Sport 800s, and I thought those were nice sleds. I don't jump much (at all?), but I'm sure I'd like it more on a sled like this

 

[backcountryislife]

people talk about jumping a short track like it's easier... it's actually easier to go big on a longer sled, it tends to stay straight longer. I can go another 20-30' before my 156 gets squirrely compared to the 141.


That said, the 146 has MORE float/sf of track than a 153 cat or a 155 pro... and only the nancy boys think that those aren't long enough.

It imo depends on how you want to ride. If you want super practical & more one dimensional riding, the longer tracks are more ideal, but if you ride more dynamically, the shorter sled is imo more fun, and has the capability of the other two 150's, but with more fun factor added in.


Me... I go for the fun.

the 146 will stand up when you want it to, but unlike my 141's it will also stay down when you want it to, all depends on body weight. Obviously I'm very happy with mine, IMO it's the perfect mix of practical tractoring ability and fun factor.


Luckily for me, I'm pretty much an awesome rider, so i never screw up, and I prove day IN & out that the 146 dominates

HAHA


On a more serious note though, we're basically riding the same snow, so I feel confident that you won't buy one & suddenly be disappointed because of the length. Oh, and if you buy an XM... you WILL enjoy jumping more.

Btw, a lot of people will say size is a big factor, and IMO it is... but I'm just shy of 200 lbs, and I carry a bunch of silly "I don't want to die out here" stuff with me every day, so I've got a heavier than average load... and I have NEVER not made it anywhere my buddies are going, and most of the time I'm the one making 1st tracks up things.


If you're the weakest rider in the group though, having a shorter track isn't the best idea. If you're a strong rider and can get around fine on that 144 edge... the 146 XM is going to feel like a 162 in comparison. Better track, more paddle, more width... better chassis, lighter, more nimble... People act like the 146 is a short track, but in reality it's longer than ALL of the competitors 150somethings.

 

[snowmobiler]

the 146 xm is funner to ride than the long track tractors.untill you get stuck.

 

[backcountryislife]

the 146 xm is funner to ride than the long track tractors.untill you get stuck.

The thing people don't think about, it's also easier to turn out, and easier to get unstuck with a shorter track.

 

[Husqvarna]

The thing people don't think about, it's also easier to turn out, and easier to get unstuck with a shorter track.

Exactly (above). Fun factor is high on the 146.

 

[Blk88GT]

BCIL has some convincing arguments. I went from a 162 to a 154 this year and can't wait... maybe I'll go 146 next time!

 

[backcountryislife]

I can't ever claim the 146 is as easy to ride as a 163... just isn't the case, but my days are measured in how many times I giggle uncontrollably when nobody else in the world can hear me. Honestly, the 146 is AWESOME for that, and you learn how to make it work for you pretty fast. What has surprised me though is how much more practical the 146 is on deeper days. We all know it's more "fun"... the question is will you be the one stuck all day if you're on a 146


These kinds of days

Were simply amazing on the 146.


Forgive me...some people speak with their hands... I speak with piktchers

 

[Blk88GT]

I don't know about you guys, but I want to go riding with BCIL!

 

[Rotax_Kid]

I Built a 1200 with a 146 as I ride a lot in between the prairies and the mtns. The 146 can go a lot of places. You just have to plan a little further ahead which makes it a little more fun and carry a little more speed. The largest drawback I found with the shorter track is planning my starts and stops. You can make a few more mistakes with the longer tracks and the machine will save you in comparison to the shorter track.

In saying this I've never owned a machine longer than a 146 and ordered a 154 to try this year. I'm a little worried about it being too long, but time will tell. I've ridden a few 154's and 163's and the 163's sure feel long compared to what I'm used to...sort of took the challenge out of getting a lot of places in my mind.

 

[Goinboardin]

The thing people don't think about, it's also easier to turn out, and easier to get unstuck with a shorter track.

Oh I never get stuck.

The footprint argument is a good point, 146×16 > 154×15.

Looks like a blast in all conditions, sounds good to me. I think I had convinced myself already but wanted to hear from guys with first hand experience. Thanks!

 

[backcountryislife]

I got stuck once.

 

[Norona]

I loved my 146 but since I sled ski and double lots the 154 is just so much better...actually i believe if you took the stickers off you would not know the difference, so i like the 154, I am going to have a 163 in my stable this year and Kuster demands i will love it better than anything, he rides one and his 5'3 wife shelly does too and she rips and loves it...the xm is so easy to ride and carve and sidehill that now you can go bigger and it does not feel it, as i would never go 163 with an xp...

 

[Matte Murder]

Lots of really good info posted here especially BCIL and Norona. It does take more skill with a shorter track on the deep days. The longer track is an advantage in deep snow. The deep days are what I live for and that's the when I want my sled to perform best. I can live with the disadvantages of the long track on marginal or crappy days. I'm even thinking of going 174-3" on my Pro Lite. If anyone should be able to ride a 174 its me at 6'5" and 230lbs. The guys I'm paying to take snowmobile clinics from ALL ride 163" and they are a lot smaller than me. Dan Adams, Brett Rasmussen and even Karl Kuster. I'm almost a foot taller than the first 2 lol.

 

[backcountryislife]

I loved my 146 but since I sled ski and double lots the 154 is just so much better...actually i believe if you took the stickers off you would not know the difference, so i like the 154, I am going to have a 163 in my stable this year and Kuster demands i will love it better than anything, he rides one and his 5'3 wife shelly does too and she rips and loves it...the xm is so easy to ride and carve and sidehill that now you can go bigger and it does not feel it, as i would never go 163 with an xp...

I rode a 54, 46, and 63 in the same day, set up the same way, and no way could I agree with that Dave. The 63 is much mess annoying than it has been on other sleds, but it was a HUGE difference. A 154 I could tolerate, but the 63 takes all the fun out of it for me, IMO it's like driving the car to work on the highway when I get that long. Hopovers are this drawn out, predictable thing, sidehilling is much more straight line, riding in general is very one dimensional.... just a very different style of riding imo.


Btw, the deep days are what I live for as well, and the short track just makes them more fun!

 

[Goinboardin]

I'm looking forward to the challenge of relearning how to ride. The 174" I had was awesome when the snow was crazy deep, but that was maybe once or twice per crank.. errr I mean year. I built that sled for snowmoboarding, and it did that very well, but these days I splitboard if I'm backcountry snowboarding (can access way better terrain!). Besides, if I have the "shorty" of the ski/board group, it will sit parked instead of burning all my fuel

It just doesn't snow that much in the continental mtns very often and I think the 146 will really spice up my riding. The piped 174 is like a big bulldozer that sort of levels mountains around here (on most days, definitely not all), really fun for a while though.

I'm a whopping 165lbs @ 6'4" so the float of the 146 ought to serve me well.

 

[Summit74]

Also got to ride all lengths of XM's at doo on snow demo. That 146x. Is a blast, but if I was going to own one, I would have to be way more on top of my conditioning, cause it is more demanding and not as forgiving in the deep. But damn fun! Currently riding a 154 X XM and love it.

 

[Matte Murder]

BCIl I respect your opinion but you are out on your own on this one. Watch any sled video this year. ALL the Pro riders being filmed on Schooled 5 are on 163s and they don't look like they are riding tanks or there transitions are slow. More track, more flotation, more drive more betta! There is nothing you are going to do on a 146 that they can't do on their 163s but not vice versa. I get that is "more fun" to you but it's not more effective in the deep and steep and treed.

 

[Jermbob]

Don't think you can go wrong either way. BCIL tears it up on the 146 and so do my friends that ride 163's. I've had the chance to ride all of the doo track length's over the years and have to admit the 146 is damn fun to ride but prefer the 154. For every day riding in CO a 146 is sweet. If you live in BC, then a 163 makes more sense with nearly double the annual snowfall.

Either way your going to love an XM no matter what track you put on it.

 

[Chubbydog]

There is nothing you are going to do on a 146 that they can't do on their 163s but not vice versa. I get that is "more fun" to you but it's not more effective in the deep and steep and treed.

That's a fact. There's just a few days a year, that a 146" CAN NOt go where the 163" will. I admit that the 146 is allot of fun to ride most of the time, and much better on spring snow, but I look forward to those deep days where everybody is getting stuck.

I'll never go shorter than a 163, unless they stop making them. The same rider will do better on a longer track IMO. You can push yourself on any sled, but if your doing it on a 163, then your just doing it in places that you never would have thought on a 146.

 

[backcountryislife]

That's a fact. There's just a few days a year, that a 146" CAN NOt go where the 163" will. I admit that the 146 is allot of fun to ride most of the time, and much better on spring snow, but I look forward to those deep days where everybody is getting stuck.

I'll never go shorter than a 163, unless they stop making them. The same rider will do better on a longer track IMO. You can push yourself on any sled, but if your doing it on a 163, then your just doing it in places that you never would have thought on a 146.

No.

Guys that aren't willing to push harder, that aren't willing to sack up & ride to their full potential... go get a 163, it's perfect. Claiming that a 146 CAN'T GO where a 163 does... come play some time. Perhaps YOU can't (and that's not meant as an insult, you can't go from one sled to another & think you know the tricks to making one of them work) but some of us can. I played that game when I was on a 141 x 15... the 146 x 16 is an old man track in comparison, it might as well be a 163 from a capability standpoint if the rider knows how to use it.

It's not about me being awesome or anything stupid like that, it's about the shorter sled helping you be a better rider, and it's about learning to use the sled to it's fullest. YES, you have to go faster, YES, you can't stop in the same places... but anyone trying to say that it CAN'T be done, one day, any day, whatever... I say, COME RIDE. Come show me what nobody has in the last 5 years. (I had longer sleds before that, even had a 162 for a while, which was the reason for me switching to the 141)


Btw, I ride all year long in the high rockies, I'll be waiting