Versatility of the
Crossover Genre
by Joel Kunz
There is a growing fervor on the showroom floors of snowmobile dealers throughout the Midwest as customers catch the “Crossover” bug. In a discussion with Dan Thomson, owner of my local snowmobile dealership and Crossover rider himself, “too much fun” was the first thing he said when asked about the growing interest and sales of these units. I asked for some clarification as to why, and here is what we came up with. First of all we talked about the length of the track, ride and sitting position of the new machines. Trail machines have tracks that total in length of 120 or 121 inches. The Crossover unit Dan rides has a track length of 146 inches. That puts an extra 20 plus inches of track on the ground and the rear suspension over a foot farther to the rear of the unit. In essence, the ride improves by having the rider in front of the rear suspension, not over it. By sitting taller in the saddle and forward of the rear suspension, riders in general experience a smoother feel on the trails. A simple correlation would be the feel when sitting over the rear wheels on the bus as a kid versus sitting in the middle. The front suspension on a 120-inch length track trail machine and equivalent on a 146-inch length Crossover both do their jobs in similar fashion, but it is the position of the rear suspension that is the big difference. The Crossover machine’s track length also provides for better traction with shorter lug length and a smoother ride, as it in general spans the bumps better, much like a bigger boat is better in the chop. But like anything, there are some trade-offs. A Crossover is harder to handle in the woods, and the length of the track can feel like it is dragging a bit as you corner. But that’s like the difference between driving a full-size pickup truck and a sports car—it’s longer. Both style machines sport the same power plants in general, so the performance is generally in riding style and capability. Following are some featured Crossover options from Ski-Doo, Polaris, Yamaha and Arctic Cat for your perusal. Be sure to visit your local snowmobile dealer to learn more about the differences each machine offers for ride and performance.
Ski-Doo Renegade X-RS The 2022 Renegade X-RS supplies race-proven performance to riders who intend to dominate every ride. With the agility of the REV Gen4 platform, ultra-responsive Rotax engines and the latest snowmobile suspension innovations, every trail is fair game. Feature highlights are the Rotax 850 E-TEC engine. It is the next generation of the most advanced direct-injection 2-stroke engine technology. It is designed for reliability and durability with proven 4-stroke and long-lasting automotive technologies. A high-performance KYB PRO shock package provides extreme-capability, extreme-durability
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shocks for control in the toughest conditions. Easy adjust-equipped for dialed-in compression and rebound. The Renegade X-RS features a cMotion 146 or 154 rear suspension. A Crossover-specific suspension it uses the best principles of the rMotion trail skids for confident cornering. New in 2022 is the first semi-active suspension system ever seen in snowmobiles, Smart-Shox. For those that crave the latest and greatest, they have an option that brings cutting edge technology to their ride with an unbelievable level of handling, comfort and control. The 137-inch track length smooths any trail. Based on the agile and responsive REV Gen4 platform, and the industry’s best suspensions, the Renegade offers precise handling on the trail, incredible comfort and the capability. A large panoramic 7.8-inch-wide LCD color display is available. The wide-screen full-color display lets riders truly customize their ride from behind the bars. Choose your preferred sled info, and see app integrated-information in a split-screen format with GPS, Bluetooth music, helmet-to-helmet communication and more. The E-TEC SHOT starter adds push-button starting with almost no added weight. It uses energy stored in the lightweight ultracapacitor to turn the magneto and with E-TEC technology, start the engine. Complete lineup information and specs can be seen at
ski-doo.com
Minnesota Snowmobiling