Ski-Doo vs Polaris: Handling differences?

[Rob.G]

This has the potential to open a can of worms. That's not my intention. I'm an ex-Cat guy, I have a Khaos 850 now that I can barely ride (been out of it too long). But it does have me wondering what the difference in handling is between the Matryx platform and Ski-Doo (or Lynx). How easy is it to carve, is it stable on firm snow, that sort of thing.

Years ago I started with a Ski Doo Summit (Rev, 2003 model) and hated it. But I was a noob. A year later I went to the Arctic Cat M7 and it was a huge difference and I rode that for several more years before exiting the sport due to relocation. I'd been watching sleds over the years and concluded Polaris was the way to go due to the lowest weight. The Arctic Cats had gotten too heavy when ProClimb came out and then Ascender too. Catalyst seems to be back down where it should be, but they aren't out yet.

I find my Matryx to be very hard to manage, particularly on California (Tahoe area) firm snow. It's very hard to get up on one ski, and it tips over in the opposite direction (when countersteering) VERY easily. I'm too out of shape right now to be able to try that new opposite-foot-forward method that I see in all the YT videos. I haven't even been able to get the sled truly "on edge" like Dan Adams shows. If the snow is soft and deep enough, I can make it carve fairly well but it still feels like it's ready to fall all the way over; it's NOTHING like I remember from my old M7.

So I thought hey let's post and ask if somebody who has ridden both machines can describe how Ski-Doo (is the current one Gen5?) handles compared to the Matryx. Maybe another sled switch is in order. I really want to ride a Catalyst next year to see how it handles too... before making a decision.

Thanks.

 

[ratlover]

You can probably rent both and see what you like better. Dont help you with an 858 cat, maybe find a 600 catalyst to rent and try out the chassis. When people talk on the net that x sled is “bad or better” in x condition they may be correct but its not like its magically going to work or not work. Most of it comes down to rider. So rent or borrow a few and see what you like better. I know for me I prefer cat, dont mind polaris but doo I don’t like. But I also screw up and get stuck equally as bad on all of them

 

[Teej83]

Man if you don’t like the Polaris on firm snow you will hate the skidoo. That chassis, while improved, hates low lean angles and constantly wants to be flat.

 

[Teej83]

Catalyst sounds like it’s the one you want

 

[idaho_adventure]

For firm snow conditions you might consider a snowbike. They are very underpowered for the steep and deep powder days but they go where you point them with very little input. I use far less energy on my snowbike than on my sled.

Ski doos (at least the Gen 5 that I have) are steered by weighting and less by skis than a polaris. You need to do the wrong foot forward or you will hate it.

 

[trees happen]

This has the potential to open a can of worms. That's not my intention. I'm an ex-Cat guy, I have a Khaos 850 now that I can barely ride (been out of it too long). But it does have me wondering what the difference in handling is between the Matryx platform and Ski-Doo (or Lynx). How easy is it to carve, is it stable on firm snow, that sort of thing.

Years ago I started with a Ski Doo Summit (Rev, 2003 model) and hated it. But I was a noob. A year later I went to the Arctic Cat M7 and it was a huge difference and I rode that for several more years before exiting the sport due to relocation. I'd been watching sleds over the years and concluded Polaris was the way to go due to the lowest weight. The Arctic Cats had gotten too heavy when ProClimb came out and then Ascender too. Catalyst seems to be back down where it should be, but they aren't out yet.

I find my Matryx to be very hard to manage, particularly on California (Tahoe area) firm snow. It's very hard to get up on one ski, and it tips over in the opposite direction (when countersteering) VERY easily. I'm too out of shape right now to be able to try that new opposite-foot-forward method that I see in all the YT videos. I haven't even been able to get the sled truly "on edge" like Dan Adams shows. If the snow is soft and deep enough, I can make it carve fairly well but it still feels like it's ready to fall all the way over; it's NOTHING like I remember from my old M7.

So I thought hey let's post and ask if somebody who has ridden both machines can describe how Ski-Doo (is the current one Gen5?) handles compared to the Matryx. Maybe another sled switch is in order. I really want to ride a Catalyst next year to see how it handles too... before making a decision.

Thanks.

Picking a khaos over the standard pro, and if you went 155, instead of 165 is probably what causing your troubles. The khaos in a 155 is extremely wheelie happy, and coming off something stable like an M7, it's gonna be a handful. If you want predictable get the pro, if you wanna to bowties, and play on open slopes without trees get a khaos.

 

[madmax]

I find that some people just naturally it one chassis better than another. Had a friend who is a pretty good rider but a 24’ Polaris boost. Previously been on doo for like 5 years and wanted something different. He cannot figure out how to ride the Polaris, been struggling with it all year. I can go back and forth from my G5 to my matryx pretty easily, still like the matryx better off trail.

 

[Rob.G]

i don't have trouble with the Khaos wanting to wheelie; I picked the 165 for two reasons -- first, to limit the wheelie issues, and second because I want to start riding other areas than just around Tahoe... Utah, Montana, etc. I'm starting to see now that I probably need another sled, this time in a 15x. I'm giving serious thought to snowchecking a Catalyst 154... I figure being a first-release year, and Cats being snowcheck-only, it should be quick to sell if I don't like it.

Now... what I really should do is just keep the Khaos (I wasn't planning to sell it anyway; not yet anyway) and ride it another year. So I may do that. I dunno. I'm going out again next weekend and it should be a good powder day, so we'll see how that ride goes.

I appreciate all the input, btw. Thank you.

 

[turboless terry]

This has the potential to open a can of worms. That's not my intention. I'm an ex-Cat guy, I have a Khaos 850 now that I can barely ride (been out of it too long). But it does have me wondering what the difference in handling is between the Matryx platform and Ski-Doo (or Lynx). How easy is it to carve, is it stable on firm snow, that sort of thing.

Years ago I started with a Ski Doo Summit (Rev, 2003 model) and hated it. But I was a noob. A year later I went to the Arctic Cat M7 and it was a huge difference and I rode that for several more years before exiting the sport due to relocation. I'd been watching sleds over the years and concluded Polaris was the way to go due to the lowest weight. The Arctic Cats had gotten too heavy when ProClimb came out and then Ascender too. Catalyst seems to be back down where it should be, but they aren't out yet.

I find my Matryx to be very hard to manage, particularly on California (Tahoe area) firm snow. It's very hard to get up on one ski, and it tips over in the opposite direction (when countersteering) VERY easily. I'm too out of shape right now to be able to try that new opposite-foot-forward method that I see in all the YT videos. I haven't even been able to get the sled truly "on edge" like Dan Adams shows. If the snow is soft and deep enough, I can make it carve fairly well but it still feels like it's ready to fall all the way over; it's NOTHING like I remember from my old M7.

So I thought hey let's post and ask if somebody who has ridden both machines can describe how Ski-Doo (is the current one Gen5?) handles compared to the Matryx. Maybe another sled switch is in order. I really want to ride a Catalyst next year to see how it handles too... before making a decision.

Thanks.

The catalyst is the easiest thing to ride in less than stellar or stellar snow. Never liked doo in harder snow with their skis and spindle. The matryx is second and doo 3rd in less or harder snow. Deep snow is catalyst, doo then matryx. You can ride the catalyst straddled up more than any other sled

 

[Jaynelson]

To be brutally honest this sounds like a distinct lack of experience/technique/fitness (or some combination thereof) more-so than a "what sled handles best" question. I think you are trying to skip some steps...regardless of slight advantages or differences between the different machine, you own a sled that is MORE than up to any mountain sledding task thrown at it.

 

[couch]

To be brutally honest this sounds like a distinct lack of experience/technique/fitness (or some combination thereof) more-so than a "what sled handles best" question. I think you are trying to skip some steps...regardless of slight advantages or differences between the different machine, you own a sled that is MORE than up to any mountain sledding task thrown at it.

Said the quiet part out loud ....

Sent from my motorola edge plus using Tapatalk

 

[DRIVEBYE]

To be brutally honest this sounds like a distinct lack of experience/technique/fitness (or some combination thereof) more-so than a "what sled handles best" question. I think you are trying to skip some steps...regardless of slight advantages or differences between the different machine, you own a sled that is MORE than up to any mountain sledding task thrown at it.

I rode a poo in 2020 and was a pretty good but terrible rider. I went to a doo in 2021 and got way better but knew I could be better on something else. Snowchecked a poo and a doo in 2023 and rode each every other ride and got even better but couldn't tell which one I was actually better on. So I lined them up to the biggest tree I could hit and the one still running was my go to sled. Well they both were ruined so I'm back on here trying to figure what color I will ride the best on.

 

[turboless terry]

Mustard yellow is the fastest.

 

[Solarguy]

This has the potential to open a can of worms. That's not my intention. I'm an ex-Cat guy, I have a Khaos 850 now that I can barely ride (been out of it too long). But it does have me wondering what the difference in handling is between the Matryx platform and Ski-Doo (or Lynx). How easy is it to carve, is it stable on firm snow, that sort of thing.

Years ago I started with a Ski Doo Summit (Rev, 2003 model) and hated it. But I was a noob. A year later I went to the Arctic Cat M7 and it was a huge difference and I rode that for several more years before exiting the sport due to relocation. I'd been watching sleds over the years and concluded Polaris was the way to go due to the lowest weight. The Arctic Cats had gotten too heavy when ProClimb came out and then Ascender too. Catalyst seems to be back down where it should be, but they aren't out yet.

I find my Matryx to be very hard to manage, particularly on California (Tahoe area) firm snow. It's very hard to get up on one ski, and it tips over in the opposite direction (when countersteering) VERY easily. I'm too out of shape right now to be able to try that new opposite-foot-forward method that I see in all the YT videos. I haven't even been able to get the sled truly "on edge" like Dan Adams shows. If the snow is soft and deep enough, I can make it carve fairly well but it still feels like it's ready to fall all the way over; it's NOTHING like I remember from my old M7.

So I thought hey let's post and ask if somebody who has ridden both machines can describe how Ski-Doo (is the current one Gen5?) handles compared to the Matryx. Maybe another sled switch is in order. I really want to ride a Catalyst next year to see how it handles too... before making a decision.

Thanks.

Practice practice, riding on edge is exactly that….on edge and balanced. You will tip over until you find the balance point and trust it. After practice and learning the skill you can ride for miles on one ski, practice at slow speeds and learn to ride on edge down the trail on either ski. Becomes second nature and is not difficult to master with practice. Again, slow speeds is what you want when learning.

 

[turboless terry]

There is a fine line between slow and speed. Too slow and you get pulled every which direction and tip over. It's also a huge workout. Too fast and you will be out of control and lose your edge.

 

[revrider07]

There is a fine line between slow and speed. Too slow and you get pulled every which direction and tip over. It's also a huge workout. Too fast and you will be out of control and lose your edge.

and hit a tree going like hell on a turbo.

 

[polaris dude]

Mustard yellow is the fastest.

pizz rocket

 

[bjd68]

I have a 23 summit turbo r 154" and just sold my 2020 alpha one 165 and before that had a 22 polaris matryx slash 163. To make it simple the doo is the most fun to ride. alpha was the easiest to ride once u get use to it. The polaris is by far the best for tree riding and holds a steep sidehill by far the best. also the most predictable sled I ever had. . If the polaris didnt have so many recalls I would probably still be on one.

 

[AdrenalineAddict]

I can’t speak for the Catalyst but if you have trouble on the Matryx you are really going to hate the Gen 5 Doo.

 

[turboless terry]

I can’t speak for the Catalyst but if you have trouble on the Matryx you are really going to hate the Gen 5 Doo.

I wouldn't necessarily say that. A gen 5 summit x is one of the easier sleds to initiate and ride. Especially for newer people.