2016 Polaris Axys Vrs skidoo T3 ?

Staple_STI · Nov 30, 2015

89sandman said:
after riding my 11 Pro for 2 seasons, and hated it! Wouldn't roll up on one ski and stay there without a TON of effort

These posts always make me laugh.. 100% it isn't the sleds fault, this is all rider. I have ridden a Pro chassis for 4 years straight and can hop on a ski-doo, cat or yamaha and put them all on edge without an issue. The technique is the same on every sled. I weight 180 lbs and don't even have to stand up to tip a sled on edge and hold it there, on flat ground....

STACAIR · Nov 30, 2015

Proride_58640 said:
Just got back from Cooke City. Let me tell you what we found between the 2.

Skidoo setup 174" tki belt drive with 2.42 gears and bikeman can. 100 miles
8000 rpm 71 mph top speed @8500 ft

Polaris axys 163 2.6" with bikeman can. 50 miles
8200 rpm 73 mph top @8500 ft

Skidoo is softer on rough trails into riding areas the pro is more rigid and stiff and likes to get a bit sideways.

Tree riding is easy on both skidoo tends to be easier to putz around and pick lines and the axys is just about the same just a larger turning radius on flat ground.

Climbing straight up hills axys has the jump but the skidoo pulls right on by.

Carving up hill lines skidoo is easier to lean and change directions, the axys needs a little more help changing directions but sticks to that line. Skidoo with change if over corrected.

Drag racing? Haha not much on that but what we figured out is whoever got the jump won the short race, from a stop and rolling.

Don't forget Cooke city has very marginal snow and not very good testing conditions but we dang sure made it work. Both riders switched sleds and rode for a while.
In conclusion it's all what you like and prefer. I myself came off a 2013 pro with Carl's 900 big bore. At first I missed the raw bottom end punch of the pro now riding the skidoo for 6 rides I love the smooth power and suspension.
Skidoo- soft, smooth, effortless, pull n go, Cadillac
Axys- rigid, stiff, raw power, aggressive,

You the rider have to make the decisions of what you want in a sled. You can have the ice cream but you can't eat it. Have to give and take with all the new sleds these days.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I also came off a previous pro with a big bore kit and 156 3" with 37" kit in front. I rode a stock 16 axys 163 3" for 3 days last week in deep pow and was little disappointed. Side hills amazing, lightweight is noticeable and easy too work on, but in deep snow in will not climb where there T3 will go and doesn't downhill turn the same. Most of my riding is a after storms when there is couple feet of fresh. Ive been looking at 37" kit for the new axys again but I'm not sure it create what i want. Ive been looking for XM T3 now lol. Am i crazy? Ive had polaris for last few years and in technical spring snow or more hard pack they are unreal but that not the riding I try too do. Id like too hear from anyone else who has ridden both and their thoughts. I would be going too a T3 163 not a 174.

PaulAnd · Nov 30, 2015

The axys is tempting..
Running boards are too narrow for my feet!
Feels cramped after riding XM for a couple years

RMK935VA · Nov 30, 2015

I don't think that the Ski Doo T Motion does as much as the flex track does. I rode a T3 twice last year and it appears that the track is the game changer along with the 36" stance on the front. I agree with an earlier responder about the T3 being a Cadillac. With that being said, I ordered the Axys last spring. I have yet to ride it (not much snow in Kauai). I hope to get some ride time in when I return to Idaho. I could have been happy with the T3 but standing on it versus the Axys is like being on a draft horse versus a race horse. The Axys is so much more narrow. I like that but does it transfer into better handling? I think so. I put a Diamond S titanium muffler on my Axys too which dropped another 15 lbs. off of an already light sled.

Ace Freely · Nov 30, 2015

Bottom line, ride the one that you like, AND has the best dealer support for you! I am also one that shys away from the "Burandt This" or "Rassusmanson(?) That!"...

Ace

Vern · Nov 30, 2015

How would we know which stuff to like if we didn't have the cool kids to tell us?

STACAIR · Nov 30, 2015

The weight of axys does transfer too better handling. You won't be disappointed. I believe the axys is easier too jump on go in most snow conditions. It holds a side hill better and weight is noticeable. But the inch wider track of the XM is huge in deep snow. And i don't think anything else downhills the way the XM does when its deep. All about preference and riding conditions. Thats what I'm on the fence about. To bad i already snow checked the axys lol. I wasn't planning on second guessing myself. Both very good sleds imo.

TimG · Nov 30, 2015

STACAIR said:
I also came off a previous pro with a big bore kit and 156 3" with 37" kit in front. I rode a stock 16 axys 163 3" for 3 days last week in deep pow and was little disappointed. Side hills amazing, lightweight is noticeable and easy too work on, but in deep snow in will not climb where there T3 will go and doesn't downhill turn the same. Most of my riding is a after storms when there is couple feet of fresh. Ive been looking at 37" kit for the new axys again but I'm not sure it create what i want. Ive been looking for XM T3 now lol. Am i crazy? Ive had polaris for last few years and in technical spring snow or more hard pack they are unreal but that not the riding I try too do. Id like too hear from anyone else who has ridden both and their thoughts. I would be going too a T3 163 not a 174.

Was the Axys fully broken in? What would stop the 3" Axys from running with the T3 on a hillclimb? Horsepower? Floatation should be a non-issue because the light weight of the Axys negates the extra track area on the T3. Will the track soften up with more miles? Could suspension setup be a factor? How much of a difference are we talking about in climbing side by side?

It's pretty sad if Polaris' latest and greatest can't hang with Ski-Doo's glorified 2008 model. They really need to clearly hang a beating on Doo in a straight up climb to truly take over the market in western Canada. There are a zillion T3s up here, even though they cost $4000 more than the Axys. I love Polaris; I have a '16 Axys 3" 163, but I do not look forward to getting ragged on by my Doo buddies if their T3's will beat up on it.

DITCHBANGER · Nov 30, 2015

TimG said:
Was the Axys fully broken in? What would stop the 3" Axys from running with the T3 on a hillclimb? Horsepower? Floatation should be a non-issue because the light weight of the Axys negates the extra track area on the T3. Will the track soften up with more miles? Could suspension setup be a factor? How much of a difference are we talking about in climbing side by side?

It's pretty sad if Polaris' latest and greatest can't hang with Ski-Doo's glorified 2008 model. They really need to clearly hang a beating on Doo in a straight up climb to truly take over the market in western Canada. There are a zillion T3s up here, even though they cost $4000 more than the Axys. I love Polaris; I have a '16 Axys 3" 163, but I do not look forward to getting ragged on by my Doo buddies if their T3's will beat up on it.

http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=403250
this thread shows the 174 stock t3 is only 20lbs difference from a 163 3" stock axys..so depending on rider weight the doo has alot more flotation with very little weight penalty

snobyrd · Nov 30, 2015

TimG said:
Was the Axys fully broken in? What would stop the 3" Axys from running with the T3 on a hillclimb? Horsepower? Floatation should be a non-issue because the light weight of the Axys negates the extra track area on the T3. Will the track soften up with more miles? Could suspension setup be a factor? How much of a difference are we talking about in climbing side by side?

It's pretty sad if Polaris' latest and greatest can't hang with Ski-Doo's glorified 2008 model. They really need to clearly hang a beating on Doo in a straight up climb to truly take over the market in western Canada. There are a zillion T3s up here, even though they cost $4000 more than the Axys. I love Polaris; I have a '16 Axys 3" 163, but I do not look forward to getting ragged on by my Doo buddies if their T3's will beat up on it.

My question for you is, did you clutch this unit or are you ridding bone stock out of the box? Ever dealership ive talked to has been sending these units otd bone stock, theres power left on the table if your running stock . I dont believe for a min that a 3inch pol wont hang with a t3,

STACAIR · Nov 30, 2015

sled switched out of break in mode no extra oil in the tank. Stock springs secondary/primary but adjustable weights. Suspension was stock. Not great on trail but no piggybacks. No real issues that i had with the suspension for climbing. I didn't want too play with suspension on someone else sled or waste the time. There is some power left of the table with a good clutch setup even for a stock axys. My axys has SLP stage 2 and clutching done but I had an issue and didn't have time too fix it so i was riding a stock sled. Im still yet too ride mine and compare the difference. In deep fluffy light snow probably 2-3ft fresh base underneath the XM T3 is at a noticeable advantage climbing. In technical terrain with deep snow I was using a lot of T3 tracks for momentum too get where we were going. But the difference is the very fluffy deep snow. In more open areas at the end of day 2 where the snow was slightly more setup but still by most to be considered deep the sleds were very comparable climbing. Ive been a big polaris guy since the pro came out and when I saw the axys there was no doubt I was going too snow check one. This is just my opinion based on a couple days. I did do some riding last season on XM and it really impressed me but I still thought I would go with axys. Next dump of fresh ill be out on the stage 2 kit and see how they compare.

STACAIR · Nov 30, 2015

DITCHBANGER said:
http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=403250
this thread shows the 174 stock t3 is only 20lbs difference from a 163 3" stock axys..so depending on rider weight the doo has alot more flotation with very little weight penalty

I never saw that before. I do believe floatation added from the inch of track width plays into it.

DITCHBANGER · Nov 30, 2015

that and the extra 5-6 inchs in extra length as well on the snow

pfi572 · Nov 30, 2015

DITCHBANGER said:
that and the extra 5-6 inchs in extra length as well on the snow

Exactly.
Why in the hell would someone compare a 174 X 3 Doo to a 163 X 3 Polaris?
I ride a 174 x2.5 and it's a huge difference compared to a 163 x3 inch in the deep .
Also have ran the 3 inch but went back to 2.5 but that's another topic.

Apples to apples boys and girls.

turboless terry · Nov 30, 2015

The t3 163 won't touch a t3 174. I know that for a fact. I guess I don't know what he was comparing. I just know it was a 163 3 inch axys. Don't know if both were stock so take the comparison with a grain of salt
I seen another comparison where a piped and clutched 163 3 inch axys was beating a stock t3 174. When we get snow I will find out for myself.

TimG · Nov 30, 2015

Ok, I've revised my flotation figuring. Sorry in advance for being long-winded.

The track on the Axys is 15" wide, but the centre extrovert driver window also has to be factored in. It's 1" wide, and occupies 2" out of every 3" of length. That means that the total effective width of track on the ground is 15" minus another 2/3" for the centre window. That makes for an effective track width of 14.333" versus 16" on the Doo. 16/ 14.333 = 1.116, or an 11.6% difference in track on the ground.

This means that a 750 lb. sled/ rider combo (200 lb. rider and gear) with the T3 track has the same flotation as a 672 lb. sled/ rider combo with the Polaris track of equal length. 78 lb. weight difference to reach the same PSI on the ground.

According to the sled weights thread referenced earlier, there's a 19 lb. difference from the Axys 3" 163 to the T3 174. I'm guessing that the T3 163 would be 5 lb. lighter, so a 14 lb. difference between it and the Polaris. So we're down to 64 lbs. difference in flotation.

Add a lightweight can to the Polaris. BDX Ti can is the lightest I could find. Takes approx. 17 lbs off. Now you're down to a 47 lb disadvantage. Still pretty grim, plus the Doo guy is probably also putting on a can. Buuut, the Axys holds 15-20 lbs.(?) more fuel than the Doo, and you don't necessarily need to use all this capacity. Now you're down to a 32lb. difference in flotation. If you're lighter than your T3 buddy, that should do it.

Everything would change if that centre extrovert window wasn't there. The difference in track on the ground would only be 6.66%, or 47 lb. equivalent, to start with.

turboless terry · Nov 30, 2015

Too scientific for me. There is more to the equation.

Devilmanak · Nov 30, 2015

Instead of reposting, I "thanked" every post that I would have written myself. I have 300 miles on, with my 154 T3, 174 T3, and riding with/riding multiple Axys sleds.
Out of the hole, the Axys will get it every time, the deeper the more noticeable. On top, the Doo will run it down. But not by much. In dead even drags, me on 154 SLP piped T3 vs 155 SLP Axys, the Axys will get me be a sled length on start while I spin, I will catch up until we let off at 70 or so. The Axys guys had 50-75 pounds on me, between gear and sled. (They don't carry a shovel, let alone tools.) I was impressed that the Doo could hang with the latest and greatest Poo, and I was impressed that the Poo could hang with the Doo engine. Both great sleds. The Axys engine runs amazing, the clutching is spot on, when you touch the throttle it moves. The Doo not so much, but makes up for it with top end pull. If the dealer had a snowcheck in stock here I would be tempted to trade my 53 mile 174 T3 in.
My bud's 163 Axys 2.6 outclimbs my 154 T3 easy. Similar weight rider/tools, so he is lighter by whatever the Axys is lighter. From a standstill in deep against the face of a hill, he gets on top and goes, I wheelie and trench like my track is hungry for Chinese food. With a run, I don't think the difference will be as noticeable. Poo did good this year, we will see if they hold up. Next year will be as interesting to me as this this year is, when Doo puts something new out there.

turboless terry · Nov 30, 2015

That is about the right amount of science.

keithw · Nov 30, 2015

Devilmanak said:
Instead of reposting, I "thanked" every post that I would have written myself. I have 300 miles on, with my 154 T3, 174 T3, and riding with/riding multiple Axys sleds.

Out of the hole, the Axys will get it every time, the deeper the more noticeable. On top, the Doo will run it down. But not by much. In dead even drags, me on 154 SLP piped T3 vs 155 SLP Axys, the Axys will get me be a sled length on start while I spin, I will catch up until we let off at 70 or so. The Axys guys had 50-75 pounds on me, between gear and sled. (They don't carry a shovel, let alone tools.) I was impressed that the Doo could hang with the latest and greatest Poo, and I was impressed that the Poo could hang with the Doo engine. Both great sleds. The Axys engine runs amazing, the clutching is spot on, when you touch the throttle it moves. The Doo not so much, but makes up for it with top end pull. If the dealer had a snowcheck in stock here I would be tempted to trade my 53 mile 174 T3 in.

My bud's 163 Axys 2.6 outclimbs my 154 T3 easy. Similar weight rider/tools, so he is lighter by whatever the Axys is lighter. From a standstill in deep against the face of a hill, he gets on top and goes, I wheelie and trench like my track is hungry for Chinese food. With a run, I don't think the difference will be as noticeable. Poo did good this year, we will see if they hold up. Next year will be as interesting to me as this this year is, when Doo puts something new out there.

After two years on an extremely well setup pro the one thing I noticed about my T3 163 is the top end pull. That etec just seems to keep going. Haven't had the chance to stay in the throttle on the Axys in that scenario to get a good gauge of how the motor responds in a long steep and deep pull. Only know that so far I like it.

All the guys that rode my Axys with stock clutching were impressed with throttle response. They all have T3 163.

Still optimistic with a narrower front end and some clutching this Axys will be one awesome sled. Will report more once I get more saddle time. I always let a buddy ride the T3 so I will have some opportunity to compare the sleds again.

2016 Polaris Axys Vrs skidoo T3 ?

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