OSM, Spring Buyer's Guide, 2012

Lost Our Turn

by Pat Bourgeois

Page 64

From the dawning of the Fast M-10 suspension in 1990, and the introduction of the long legged Polaris XLT- XTRA-12 in 1995, the snowmobile industry and its enthusiasts have been on a phenomenal ride, best described as the suspension revolution. Much like off-road motorcycles experienced in the mid to late 1970's, snowmobiles transformed the way we viewed and rode terrain.

With the M-10 pegged as the suspension that started the revolution, we quickly saw suspension travel numbers grow. Sophisticated internal floating piston, gas charged shocks emerge, and other cutting-edge designs developed; from the saddle and auto-sensing ride controls appear, and eventually the term long-travel suspension becomes the norm.

Beyond the suspensions, the snowmobile chassis itself changed, especially in the past 10-years, all in an effort to subdue the bumps. The REV unquestionably is the best example of this, moving the rider forward and higher on the vehicle, forcing the driver to become more actively involved in the absorption of the bump. Today, virtually all snowmobiles incorporate some type of rider-forward, or more accurately, rider upright configuration in comparison to older sleds.

Even the marketing tactics from the manufacturers became more and more focused on conquering the bumps. From simple statements of a smoother ride, to bold brand promises of "Terrain Domination" or "Body Saving Ride Technology", the messages all speak to the same improved capabilities – today's snowmobiles allow you to ride over bigger bumps faster, in more control, and for more miles than ever before.

For more than 20-years, modern snowmobile engineers have worked tirelessly to smooth the ride. But in their efforts to subdue the bumps, something was lost; something that any racer in virtually any discipline will tell you is ultimately the paramount difference between winning and losing…the ability to turn.

This past winter was one for the record books, at least in my small corner of the global snowbelt. Snow came early and often, and a mid-winter's melt never came. I rode often, sometimes solo, other times with friends. And as the days clicked by, I rediscovered this loss on more than one occasion. I made notes about it during our inaugural OSM Throwdown, where we spent the better part of a week comparing the latest crop of 800 sleds. I fought fatigue due to its waning capabilities as we completed a 300-mile day in the wee-hours of the night, with 35 miles of twisted trail still standing between us and a warm bed. I even begged for it as I navigated the turns of a local snocross track during a friendly, grassroots, run-what-ya-brung, race series. Ask any racer, save those who only race in a straight line, and they'll most likely tell you there are two key areas in winning a race. One is getting out front and the other is the ability to carry speed through a turn. In both NASCAR and Formula 1, arguably North America's two most prominent and popular racing disciplines; races are won and lost by a competitor's ability to negotiate a turn. Even in the world of AMA motorcross and supercross, where the bumps and jumps are much larger than those experienced in our national snocross events, most passes are made coming into or out of a turn.

Simply put, the art of the turn ultimately spells the difference between enjoying the trail or conquering it; following your buddy or beating him, and turning in a good day of riding into a great one.

Snowmobiles like the 2011 Yamaha, Apex with its electronic power steering, have somewhat unknowingly rekindled the interest in, and ultimately the search for, our long lost turning friend. The easy to steer Apex allowed us to dramatically dial up the bite of the big trail four-stroke this past winter, and along with the installation of a pair of over the top wear bars, the Apex became one of those sleds that never got left behind, no matter the ride.

Elsewhere in this issue, you'll read about our continued respect for the Ski-Doo XP chassis and its ability to hold a line better than most, as well as the new ProCross Arctic Cat chassis, and its light and appealing steering effort. While the all-new Cat sled may have more work to do in order to completely regain the art of the turn, we were encouraged by its early capabilities and what its future may hold. Polaris is also addressing the need to improve upon the turn, with a race derived front suspension and tweaks to the front arm of their radical Pro-Ride snowmobiles.

There's no question that today's sleds are incredibly adapt at taming the worst terrain, especially in a straight line, at speeds nearly unheard of just 10-years ago. But, throw in a series of turns, hairpins, and off-camber decreasing radius twists through the woods, and my money goes back to the low slung, ape hanger sleds of yesterday.

Still, I'm not foolish. I'm not about to give up my modern snowmobile for the more adept corner carvers of yesterday. But, like any enthusiast. I want my cake and eat it too. We've lost our turn, and its time to get it back.

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