It’s important to some people, to others it’s not that big a deal, but how much sleds weigh seems to come up every year. Depending what manufacturer you are, it also comes up in its marketing campaigns. Even that has changed over the recent years, but things can be deceiving. Published dry weights can be a smoke-and-mirrors trick to make you think that one model is light, but when you add fluids, that weight changes.
The Max Sled Team contends that you don’t take your sled out on the trail “dry”. When you are geared up and ready to ride, your sled is full of coolant, full of shock and chaincase oil, full of engine oil, and full of fuel. This “wet” weight is the true weight of the machine you are about to ride. Sure, as the day rolls on and fuel is consumed the sled does get lighter, but some of that might be offset by the burgers and fries you get at lunch and you’ll eventually need to refuel that sled.
Two years ago the Max Sled Team set out to weigh a bunch of the new sleds; over thirty different models in several configurations. It was quite a task, but the information was interesting. Some of those models haven’t changed over the last couple years and while we didn’t get to weigh sleds last year, we can include six more into the mix this year.
The Contenders
There are six of the hottest 2009 trail sleds in the Max Sled fleet. They include an Arctic Cat Z1 Turbo LXR, Polaris 800 Dragon Switchback, Ski-Doo 600 E-TEC Renegade X, Ski-Doo TNT 4-TEC, Yamaha Nytro XTX and Yamaha Nytro RTX SE. These are models that were hot sellers for 2009. The Max Sled Team weighed them full of fluids, ready to rock.
Yamaha Nytro RTX SE
We had a Nytro last year, but didn’t get a chance to weigh it. This is a machine that Yamaha basically built around an engine to keep the weight down. It has a 121x15x1.25 track, 1049cc 4-stroke 3-cylinder engine, 3-into-1 exhaust, electric start, mechanical reverse and a 7.4 gallon fuel tank.
Published dry weight: 529 lbs.
Our wet weight: 599.2 lbs.
Yamaha Nytro XTX
This is basically the same as the RTX, but with different shock and rear suspension. It has a 144x15x1.25 track, 4-stroke 3-cylinder engine, 3-into-1 exhaust, electric start, mechanical reverse and a 7.4 gallon fuel tank.
Published dry weight: 542 lbs.
Our wet weight: 614.7 lbs.
Ski-Doo TNT 4-TEC
This sled in a new REV XR chassis debuted as the lightest 4-stroke snowmobile in its class, and our weight confirms that. The actual lightest 4-stroke snowmobile today is the Yamaha Phazer, but we already weight that and it’s only 80 HP. The Ski-Doo TNT has a 3-cylinder 1200cc 4-stroke engine, 4-into-1 exhaust, electric start, mechanical reverse, 120x15x1 track, and a 10.6 gallon fuel tank.
Published dry weight: 499 lbs.
Our wet weight: 578.5 lbs.
Ski-Doo 600 E-TEC Renegade X
The REV XP chassis took the media and riders by surprise when it came out as a super lightweight design. While the TNT 500SS remains the lightest of the light, the 600 E-TEC Renegade is no couch potato. It gives you more power and a super-efficient direct injection engine. It has a twin cylinder, 2-stroke engine, single pipe, electric start, RER reverse, 137x16x1.25 track, and a 10.6 gallon fuel tank.
Published dry weight: 435 lbs.*
Our wet weight: 542.3 lbs.
Polaris 800 Dragon Switchback
The Switchback in the IQ chassis handles well once it is set up. Of the sleds in this lineup, this is the most conventional in design with a full tip-up hood and belly pan. It has the twin-cylinder, 2-stroke 795cc engine, single pipe, electric start and PERC reverse, 136x15x1.25 track, and a 11.5 gallon fuel tank.
Published dry weight: 536 lbs.*
Our wet weight: 628.3 lbs.
| RUSH WEIGHTInsiders tell us the weight target for the new 600 Rush was to be on par with the class leading Ski-Doo XP. However published dry weights show the Rush tipping the scales at 459 pounds – nearly 45 pounds more than the 600 E-TEC TNT and 2 pounds heavier than the current 600 IQ Shift. While not a deal-breaker, it does show that different technologies do have different constraints, and one of them is weight. If you want a product to last, there’s only so much material you can take out. When we get a chance, the Max Sled Team will find out the wet weight of the new Polaris Rush. |
Arctic Cat Z1 Turbo LXR
The Arctic Cat Z1 Turbo has been one of the machines we’ve gotten a lot of questions about, including the proverbial ‘what’s it weigh?’. This machine is heavy, there’s no denying it, but it also really does move! It moves best in a straight line as you will feel the weight coming into a corner, and it is very deceptive. It’s not too unmanageable, it’s just that you really have to respect that motor. It comes with their twin-cylinder 1056cc 4-stroke engine, turbo charger, 2-into-1 exhaust, mechanical reverse, 128x15x1.25 track and 10.8 gallon fuel tank.
Published dry weight: N/A
Our wet weight: 716.9 lbs.
There is something to be said for light weight, but most of these sleds hide their weight well. It all has to do with centralizing the mass. There’s not a lot of difference at average trail speeds. Where the weight gets noticeable is when you are riding aggressively over bumps or around corners. For 80% of the snowmobiling population, weight won’t be the biggest concern. It is important for racers and extreme mountain riders, but for the majority of casual snowmobilers, the weights of today’s snowmobiles won’t be a deal breaker. We like that the OEMs are striving for the best performance using the latest technologies and keeping the machines light, but to only choose a sled based on weight is limiting your options and quite potentially a very decent riding machine.
* The published dry weights do not include electric start.
| BRAND /YEAR |
MODEL | ELEC START | REV | OIL CAP. (QT) | FUEL CAP. (GAL) | PUBLISHED DRY WEIGHT (LBS) | MAXSLED MEASURED WET WEIGHT (LBS) |
| A’09 | Z1 Turbo LXR | Y | Y | N/A | 10.8 | N/A | 716.9 |
| P’09 | Dragon 800 Switchback | Y | Y | N/A | 11.5 | 536 | 628.3 |
| S’09 | 1200 4-Tec TNT | Y | Y | 3.9 | 10.6 | 499 | 578.5 |
| S’09 | 600 E-Tec Renegade | Y | Y | 3.9 | 10.6 | 435 | 542.3 |
| Y’09 | Nytro RTX SE | Y | Y | 3 | 7.4 | 529 | 599.2 |
| Y’09 | Nytro XTX | Y | Y | 3 | 7.4 | 542 | 614.7 |