Ski-Doo Brings Back the 2-Stroke, Makes Street Bikes Jealous
Last week I left the balmy comfort of Southern California for snowy Ontario, Canada. I traveled north to sample Ski-Doo's latest snowmobiles, which-- it turns out-- ride surprisingly like dirtbikes. 2009 models include the GTX SE tourer (with air suspension and wind-protected, heated passenger grips), and the smaller REV-XP which is equipped with the new E-Tec powerplant.
The 600cc 2-stroke two-cylinder is adapted from BRP's Evinrude outboard engines, and incorporates some serious technology including a direct fuel injection system that runs at 500 psi, an ECU that process over 8,000 calculations per second, and electronically controlled exhaust valves that adjusts automatically for maximum torque and fuel efficiency. Not only are they 100 lbs lighter than the same sleds equipped with 1,200cc 4-strokes, they produce virtually no smoke or smell; according to Ski-Doo, they're the cleanest running 2-stroke snowmobile engines by a wide margin.
These hot-rodded 2-strokes made me nostalgic for similarly powered motorcycles, but despite their modern technology I'm guessing these powerplants would have a tough time meeting Euro-III and CARB emissions standards. At the end of the day, they make a compelling argument for embracing winter and hopping on a zippy snowmobile while you can; for more on Ski-Doo's 2009 sleds, go to ski-doo.com.
Photo © Ski-DooClick to enlarge
Comments
If only we got snow more than once a year.
Carrie,
I guess the glass is half empty or half full, depending on how you look at it… I figure snowmobiles are one way to make lemonade out of lemons
Basem
I live in NY and I have to deal with noise 24/7, so when I’m out skiing the last thing I want to hear is the whine of snowmobile echoing in the wilderness. I have to say I just hate them.
I agree that it’s not fun to be on the receiving end of the decibels, but did I mention that Porsche helped tune the exhaust note?
There’s reasons the entire MC & Marine industy shelved 2-strokes:
1-Pollution
2-Longevity
3-Fuel consumption
4-I could keep going…why bother.
I think these guys should wake and smell the fresh(er) air. Porsche tuned exhaust? Please! It’s still goes ring-dind-ding-ding. I had lots of 2 strokes ‘back in the day’. I do not miss them in any way, shape or form.
It’s 2008…get with the program!
Basem….I wish I’d known you were here! You sure picked the right year to come and play in the snow!
Cheers – Pete
I don’t ride snow machines, we should get together and ban them.
Pete,
These are dramatically different two-strokes… quieter, cleaner, and much more advanced. Very different from stink bombs of the past.
I wish I were in Toronto for more than 45 minutes! I had to head up north right after I landed… and boy, was it snowier up there!
Basem
First fof the writer is completely worng, these are not 3 cylinder engines from the Evinrude outboards. They are 2 cylinder 2 stroke engines with technology derived from the outboards. He needs to get his facts straight before posting something like this, especially when he linked ski-doo’s website in the the last line of his article. They tell you all about it and even imagine this have pictures of it as well.
Get your facts strait, it is a 2 cylinder for starters. And to the ones bashing snowmobiles get a life, we pollute less than you think and we make less annoying noise than most dirt bikes and cars, so leave us alone.
Pete and Scotty, you guys are too much!
Ban sleds? Mkay, good luck with that.
You’ll have to pry the keys out of my dead hands.
Brrraaappppp!
BAN sleds? no way.
you tree huggers are crazy. i love my two stroke, smoke and all. it only smokes bad when you first start it up in the morning. Go hang out with AL GORE and leave us sledders alone. It’s a lot more fun than cross country skiing!
John,
Thanks for catching that; you’re right, the two-stroke is a two-cylinder, and I’ve corrected the text to indicate that fact. The 1,200cc 4-stroke is the three-cylinder.
Ride (and sled) safe,
Basem
Damn tree huggers, I say support the logging and sledding industry, hug a logger or a sledder.
Why are these snowmobile haters even waste their time reading these snowmobile reviews? Don’t they have a tree to hug in their back yard?
I don’t drive a hybrid car and I don’t like them. We should ban them all. Makes sense, yeah?
Not really. Vague generalizations aren’t fun, are they? You say we are noisy polluters? You are kumbaya-singing hippies. Not fair, eh?
I must agree with you pure_Adrenaline
How could they have “brought back” the two stroke when it never left in the first place?