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Sorry Polaris riders, Snowest "experts",say you're on the wrong sled

BirdmanID

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Idaho falls
That's odd! Hearing Skidoo is not good in technical terrain? I just watched a video of Rasmussen riding one and getting around pretty friggen good. Im guessing most of us on the forum aint keeping up with him! Put a good rider on any sled and they will get around. Im no Rasmussen by any means and id rate my technical riding mediocre at best. I have owned a new skidoo every year from 1996 to 2017. I purchased a 2018 RMK and after I got used to it, liked it so much I kept it another year. Now Im riding a Khaos and LOVE the sled. I can ride the Poo much better than I could ever ride the Doo. Guess my point is, if you take the bias out of the equation and if you take the same exact rider, and let them try each sled for the day, I think more people are going to agree that the Poo works much better "all around" in the backcountry, than the Doo. This is coming from a person that rode a Doo for approx 21 yrs, last Doo was a 2017 165" Summit and said screw it, Im going to try something new. As long as im riding the hills and woods, Ill be riding a Poo. I want to thank Doo very much, because if my 17 Summit wasnt such a belt eater, I would still be riding a Doo and would of never got to experience the Axys chasis. Got friends of mine that I ride with that would say the same thing I just said above, but reverse the sleds! Working on the sled in the field, I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone on here that would say the Doo is easier to work on. The Axys you can have the side panels and hood off in 15 seconds with no tools! Ride what you want, run what ya brung and who really gives a **** if its a Doo, Poo or Cat. Everyone is different, everyone likes what they like.

What Id really like to see is if you take money out of the equation for all these sponsored riders, and they had to pay for their own sled and gear, what would they actually ride??????

Not just Rasmussen, someone should tell jay mantaberry he’s on the wrong sled too. Endless sidehilling, hopovers, all that stuff. He could probably stop the corona virus if he rode a polaris in technical terrain from what you read around here and other internet resources.

Just funnin around, I don’t get into the brand battles, to each their own. I would sure like to ride the main 3 back to back to back in the same couple days, on the same snow when I’m in good riding shape. But then there are aftermarket mods that make them all better, so hard to know the best choice without a huge outlay of dollars.
 
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Frostbite

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I must say I was hugely disappointment by the Snowest article, but not surprised. I miss the more objective format as well. Their testing sounds like group think gone wild. They all parroted each other and in the end, their recommendations all sounded the same.
I was seriously thinking of ordering a 2021 Alpha Mountain and they haven't changed my mind but, man did they throw cold water on my enthusiasm. They used the Arctic Cat Alpha Hardcore model for the testing. Yes, I understand that you use what the manufacture provides but, the Hardcore is heavier then the standard Alpha Mountain with beefed up components and made for jumping. It's not Cat's premier mountain sled like the Expert is for Skidoo. Perhaps the Kahos model should have been used to keep things fair on the Polaris side of the house? It seems to be eclipsing the Pro as the preferred mountain sled?
The bottom line is, you guys are right. Some subjective opinion is warranted but, more objective testing side by side, feature by feature is what we really are looking to see. The old testing actually told the manufacturers where they had some work to do to keep up with the competition. The testing this year really didn't provide any definitive data and sounded more like piling on than looking for something good to say, especially if you are a Cat guy.
 
S
Nov 26, 2007
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Kamloops B.C.
"In our group there's 4 doos and 2 poos, all new 850s, we are , GOAT riders ,,live in sicamous area and ride 2-3 times a week, the poos hold thier own in the steep and deep, can't say one is better than the other, the poos are faster, , one Doo blew up his motor, one spun his driver's on the shaft, torn lugs on 2 tracks , one blown belt and check engine lights , these guys have lost weeks in riding due to breakdowns and have spent 1000s in repairs, my self I had a broken tss switch wire that I fixed on the trail and my coolant temp sensor read 20 deg off, a 40$ fix, so are the doos more reliable?? You tell me. "

I would say this example has 100% more odds of displaying doo failures. just saying LOL
 
S
Nov 26, 2007
47
41
18
Kamloops B.C.
Snow mag's are bathroom reading, most writers are very biased, probably directly proportionate to add dollars or what brand is supplying free sleds to them. One must read between the lines. Sno-Tech probably the best reporters of actual performance of products but I find nobody will come right out and say this is POS! That could severely affect ad dollars . If you are looking to find Polaris bias read SnoGoer articles be those Lester dudes.
 
T
Jan 13, 2018
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I used to like the old days when they did speed runs, hill climb comparisons etc. This seems almost pointless now.

That was kind of the point. A sample of 4 riders with their impressions when it appears there are a lot of people (Polaris and Cat riders) who disagree. So what's the point when there's not a single negative thing said about Ski-Doo? Cat must have really short changed them on the ad dollars this year. I'd certainly buy an Alpha before a Doo, just my rider impression.

These posts are spot on. The reviews for the past ~5-10 yrs are all about subjective opinions that just say vague, cool-sounding things ("ride it all day without getting tired" or "smooth powerband" or "flickable") and they just say more positive things about companies that spend more $$ on ads.

A useful review could/would organize the following useful info for us riders/buyers:
  • Clear comparison of measurable key specs & prices
    • HP, tq, dry weight, ski stance width
      • Could even go further here by measuring wet weight w/ rider, weight distribution (on ski & track) & center of mass
    • Cost along w/ key options or new features for this model yr
    • Compare OEMs to each other (Doo vs Poo vs Cat) and OEMs to themselves (Doo vs Doo from 2019 to 2020)
  • Objective sled tests that directly compare performance (compare same engine size, track length, etc across OEMs)
    • Straight hill climb comparison on same hills
    • Sidehill comparison on a couple side hills, especially low speed sidehills (maybe even post comparison videos)
    • Some type of technical tree test (not sure how to do this)
    • Speed runs on flat trail (best acceleration 0-30 mph, top speed)
    • Acceleration tests in powder (start from dead stop in powder & record time/seconds to get to 20mph or to get on top of snow)
    • Fuel economy (all do the same ride for a day & measure fuel consumption)
  • Subjective input from the riders/reviewers
    • Still include input on how the sled feels
    • How tired you are at the end of the day
    • How it handles & how the suspension feels in various terrain
    • Etc Etc
This type of thing would provide a lot of comparison information that we consumers can't reasonably get on our own, and would allow the objective measurables to better inform why and how different sleds perform differently. Then the subjective input could still be overly positive, but would still be useful.
 

Coldfinger

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Good list. Lets also get some useful information regarding serviceability And msrp of parts.
How easy is it to change spark plugs.
How easy to add oil.
how easy to remove belt.
How easy to change a-arms.
How easy to adjust ski alignment.
How easy to remove can.
How easy to remove pipe.
How easy to remove power valves.
How easy to change water pump.
How easy to change fuel pump.
How easy to replace reed valves.
How easy to replace pistons.
How easy to replace crank.

Also, lets talk on sled storage. Is there a place for belt storage, and exactly how many 12oz water bottles or whatever fit in the std oem storage spots without adding windshield, handlebar or tunnel bags. Maybe say how many bottles of water will fit and then how many ping pong or golf balls fit in the same space.
 
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tuneman

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I just read the article and would say that the majority of the guys responding on here are biased toward Poo(obviously) and are attempting to defend the negative Poo comments in the article. I'd say the majority of the article's comments were spot on. Try re-reading it, but ignore any conclusions of which is supposedly better overall. The drawbacks to each were mentioned but they were nothing new.
 
D

Dan J

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Jan 13, 2012
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Washington
I was a Polaris guy until I was tired of fixing motors, went to Ski doo in 09 and never had a problem at all. Having said that I’m just a recreational rider as I ride to relax and live another day. All my doos have been reliable and perfect for me. The poo guys I ride with Some have had cylinder problems Others not yet. I bought a new Doo this year and couldn’t be more happy. At the end this seems like a bunch of rec league softball players arguing over who’s got the best mit. Whatever sled “you” like is the best sled in the world I guess. And by the way my Doo 850 is a beast probably the best snowmobile of all time, until I buy a different one. ?
 
B

Beavis

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Dec 16, 2007
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Can't stand the Doo front ends either but, otherwise, gotta give 'em credit for pushing the envelope more than Poo lately. I would have paid money to be in the executive board room of Polaris when the Doo Turbo video dropped. LOL Nothing beats the Poo in steep technical stuff but just don't ride one without warranty. Trust me!
 

Overthehood

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I agree. It sounds like the turbo works really well. I agree that Doo has been the innovation company in recent years. The point of this thread was more to poke a little bit of fun at the Snowest staff for being a little (lot) biased in this year's Challenge. I think the Ski-Doo has some issues and I was surprised none of those were mentioned, whereas I thought they hammered everything they could on the Cat especially. I thought it was pretty extreme bias.
 

Sheetmetalfab

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I agree. It sounds like the turbo works really well. I agree that Doo has been the innovation company in recent years. The point of this thread was more to poke a little bit of fun at the Snowest staff for being a little (lot) biased in this year's Challenge. I think the Ski-Doo has some issues and I was surprised none of those were mentioned, whereas I thought they hammered everything they could on the Cat especially. I thought it was pretty extreme bias.

just read the article again.

what a bunch of trail riding pansies.
 

turboless terry

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just read the article again.

what a bunch of trail riding pansies.
That's funny because when i got my wife her expert I was razzing her about it being a trail sled. Then i got her the new turbo, thinking I'd ride it some, and i told her it is just a faster trail sled. Still can't believe they won't fix the spindle to stop the twitchy skis from searching back and forth. Then combine that with their stupid deep keel and it reallly jerks if you hit a hard spot. Spring riding is the worst. They steer twice as easy but you have to steer them twice as much to keep them going straight. All my die hard doo buddies think I'm nuts when i gripe about it. They've never seen the skis do that.
 

summ8rmk

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That's funny because when i got my wife her expert I was razzing her about it being a trail sled. Then i got her the new turbo, thinking I'd ride it some, and i told her it is just a faster trail sled. Still can't believe they won't fix the spindle to stop the twitchy skis from searching back and forth. Then combine that with their stupid deep keel and it reallly jerks if you hit a hard spot. Spring riding is the worst. They steer twice as easy but you have to steer them twice as much to keep them going straight. All my die hard doo buddies think I'm nuts when i gripe about it. They've never seen the skis do that.
It's bad enough that i can see it on other people's sleds. Just watch them sidehill... never seen skis wobble back and forth so much on any other sled.

Sent it
 

cacsrx1

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If you think Snowest is bad for skidoo bias check out the Lester brothers on SnowTrax ......I actually thought Luke Lester was going to disrobe before mounting their Polaris test sleds......
 

Sheetmetalfab

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If you think Snowest is bad for skidoo bias check out the Lester brothers on SnowTrax ......I actually thought Luke Lester was going to disrobe before mounting their Polaris test sleds......

yep they are bought and paid for.
Just talking hype heads.
 

10003514

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Demoed a turbo doo for the day, unreal running sled. The expert package doos are a noticeable difference in handling quality compared to my 2018 doo. The big but part is 15-20min of hard technical tree riding and I was feeling it, problem is I'm hooked on the turbo power again (last turbo I had was in 2014, too many issues). Low boost kit on a Khaos is on the top of my list for next season or bite the bullet and buy a turbo doo then delete tmotion and add ZRP spindles to try and improve the handling. The doo turbo really does run that well that I could deal with the poor handling.
 
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