The race course is the ultimate proving ground for many sleds and components before they reach the consumer market, so it only makes sense that we test there too!
That’s exactly what our dedicated team of mountain riders did when they put our 2017 fleet of mountain demo sleds through a hillclimb test course designed to be nearly as demanding as what the pros run through at a Rocky Mountain States Hillclimb Association (RMSHA) race.
Our two main test riders took each sled up and through the RMSHA-type course twice. We spread them out, knowing the course would change from the first run to the last. We timed them from bottom to top and then averaged the times. These were the results:
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850cc Ski-Doo Summit X 165 – 23.24 seconds- 800cc Polaris Pro-RMK 174 – 23.28 seconds
- 998cc Yamaha Sidewinder M-TX 162 – 23.54 seconds
- 800cc Arctic Cat M 8000 Limited 162 – 24.41 seconds
You will notice that there is little more than a one-second difference between the fastest and slowest average times, and almost a virtual tie between Polaris and Ski-Doo. This was a very close race, perfectly illustrating just how tightly contested the mountain segment of the snowmobile market has become.
Don’t forget to pick up your latest copy of American Snowmobiler magazine on newsstands March 28, 2017. The Spring 2017 issue contains even more results from our Powder Sled Eval, as well as the results from our trail riders’ Real World Shootout. Subscribe today!
Ryan Thompson
RLT Photos
