Motorfist, Klim Snowmobile Riding Gear Evolution
Snowmobile Coats / Riding Gear: Evolving with the Snowmobile
Riding snowmobiles in the backcountry requires protection from the cold, snow, ice, trees, your own sled, the heat your body produces and the moisture from the snow after it heats up.
Klim was one of the first apparel manufacturers to offer a reasonable solution for riding gear in the mountains. Up until then, my SnoRider pillow top bibs and my checkered Polaris insulated jacket were as adequate as my 1993 Polaris XLT with a Kimpex 1 1/4” track was at navigating through deep snow.
Following Klim’s lead, Polaris starting building apparel for RMK riders with layering solutions and tougher shell materials for riding in the backcountry. HMK, Ski-Doo and Arctic Cat eventually jumped on board. Even Castle, FXR, Arctiva and a couple others made a stab at marketing mountain jackets and bibs. Yamaha seems to have given up and hired Klim to make gear with their logo on it.
Motorfist, an Idaho Falls, Idaho based company, came out of the woods a few years ago with a Jacket and Bib built just for mountains. Founder Brad Ball was a unique guy with a textile background and years of experience riding sleds in the backcountry. He had a vision of what mountain gear should be and there wasn’t anything like it on the market. So, he built exactly what he wanted to wear in the mountains.
Thus Motorfist delivered technical solutions for harsh conditions. In only their fourth year of manufacturing premium mountain snowmobile gear, they are now a benchmark for snowmobile riding gear manufacturers to follow. Watching a promo video of the new 2013 Ski-Doo, I noticed the riders wearing what I thought was my first Motorfist Jacket from 3 years ago. Instead it was a copied version with Ski-Doo labels!
Motorfist’s line up for 2013 has some interesting punches worth noting. Their first year offering a helmet, the new Motorfist Dominator Helmet is the lightest snowmobile MX style helmet available and meets the highest off road safety standards. It’s only $250 as opposed to a $500 Carbon Fiber helmet that will weigh more.
The all-new Motorfist Big Mountain Jacket is less money than their flagship Recon Jacket, but still has the eVent waterproof materials. It’s jazzed up with more color than the conservative Recon Jacket. The Big Mountain Bib complements the jacket, again, less money than the Recon if you don’t need all the pockets, bells and whistles.
The Motorfist Stomper boot was a huge hit last year. I loved wearing mine this past year because they are so lightweight, have a more narrow profile than my snowboard style boots and kept my feet dry every ride. I even stood in a creek bed digging my buddy out a couple weeks ago and stayed warm.
For 2013, the Motorfist Redline Boot is a buckled outer and quick lace pull up and under. It has a cement sole like the Klim boots and more insulation. 1000 g compared to 600 g in the Stomper. Where my Motorfist Stompers kept me plenty warm this year, I think I’ll stick with them. The new 2013 Stomper boot also has a higher leather gaiter up the ankle this year to keep more powder out.
The Motorfist Teton mid-layer shirt has the perfect thickness for most mid-season riding temperatures. It’s not as thick as the Motorfist Turn-Again, but a step up from the Hydrophobic.
For bigger guys and flat landers and my Mom, the Motorfist Superior Jacket and Bibs are Motorfist’s insulated gear. The jacket is only $220. I love the new Motorfist Magnus jacket for a quick afternoon ride after I feed the horses. The jacket feels like a Carhart jacket and looks cool enough to wear downtown when I pickup supplies at CAL Ranch.
The Motorfist gloves are by far the best gloves I have ever rode with. I take all 3 styles with me on cold rides and start out with the insulated gloves. The 2013 Motorfist Superior Glove has a little more insulation this year and is priced right. They also have a new mechanix style “wrench and ride” glove.
That sums up some of the highlights for the technical snowmobile clothing lineup from Motorfist for 2013. Now I just have to decide what sled to ride next year. And it doesn’t matter if I ride Ski-Doo, Polaris, Arctic Cat or a Yamaha Nytro Turbo (if they drop a little weight for 2013) because Motorfist goes with all 4!
2013 Ski-Doo Snowmobile Intro: REV-XM Summit
2013 Ski-Doo Mountain Snowmobiles. WHAT the HECK are they THINKING ? ? ?
Are you angry that Ski-Doo didn’t just release a 2013 Ski-Doo Summit E-TEC 154 that weighs 415 pounds (2 pounds lighter than the new 2013 Polaris 800 Pro-RMK 155)? Well, they didn’t…and it’s OK if you are angry. But you might be pleasantly surprised by what Ski-Doo is doing, and why? The answers are right here.
BRP is known for wild new innovations. In recent years they brought us the 3 wheeled Spyder, built the 1st sled to break 3 pounds per horsepower and the 1st watercraft with suspension. BRP is like a Honey Badger. They don’t care what other companies are doing, they prefer to reinvent ways to travel over terrain.
2013 Ski-Doo flexi-suspension "tMotion"
The new 2013 Ski-Doo Summit REV-XM E-TEC represents a new decade for Ski-Doo. The past 10 years started with the launch of the REV chassis in 2002. The REV XP propelled Ski-Doo with it’s shocking light weight (dropped 50 pounds) and power combination.
The big news for Ski-Doo mountain sleds is the new 2013 REV-XM chassis. So here’s the scoop…
WEIGHT: Weight is what everyone except the lightest doesn’t want to talk about. The weight on the 2013 Ski-Doo 800 Summit XM-X 154 is claimed to be 459 lbs. Add 5 pounds for the 163. If you’re going with the “in-season” SP-XM model, add 5 more pounds.
2013 POLARIS VS 2013 SKI-DOO: 42 pounds difference. The 2013 Polaris 800 Pro RMK 155 claimed weight – 417 pounds. 2013 Ski-Doo 800 Summit X REV-XM 154 claimed weight – 459 pounds. If you can’t get over 42 pounds, then STOP reading right now. If there is anything else that matters to you on a mountain sled: power-to-track, handling, fun-to-ride, etc.; then continue reading. I guarantee 2013 is worth serious consideration into the innovations that could easily make up for 40 pounds of mass.
X-MODEL: Other than the yellow color and rebate benefits, the X package is 5 pounds lighter than the SP and gets the HPG Plus shocks by KYB with rebuildable aluminum bodies. Biggest benefit besides weight is that your shop can re-valve for your weight and riding style. You also get the tapered aluminum handlebars. If you don’t like yellow or orange you will find a custom selection of 2013 Ski-Doo 800 Summit REV-XM models to snowcheck (Spring Guarantee) online.
SUPER TRACTION TUNNEL: It has 8 inches of additional running board edge giving us traction closer to the engine. This is a must for technical maneuvers in deep snow.
FLEX-SUSPENSION: engineers of the R-Motion suspension built what looks like the most advanced rear skid for a mountain sled. The all new T- Motion is a lateral-flex motion. edges of the track and the suspension flex when you lean the sled. They integrated a ball joint in the rear torque arm and the front suspension arm. The track edges flex also. Thus, the “FLEX-EDGE”.
THE OTHER STUFF: The side panels are reshaped to slide through deep snow. The seat is lower profile (better for the mountain, worse for trail ride home). The running boards get 85% more snow evacuation hole space in running boards. The gauge mounting is flattened so you can see it standing up…finally! The ski stance is down to 35.7”, the narrowest of all 800 mountain sleds.
Basically, the 2013 chassis is the same at the core, same S-Module, same Triangular frame, same steering geometry, same engine mounting. But there are many significant changes also that will dramatically alter how it rides. Spindle is slightly different, ski keel is a little deeper and rear of ski is a little longer. Handlebars have two positions (set at forward position on REV-XM and it takes 1 hour to switch).
COOL REV-XM BONUS’ (E-TEC 800)
2013 Ski-Doo 800 Summit Guages and Glove Box
They gave us a glove box under the gauge console that will defrost your goggles from the engine heat. Ski-Doo has the best fit and finish of all OEM snowmobile accessories on the marketing LinQ system has a “snap-in” accessory mount system built in for your tunnel bag and gas can. The side panels are pre-marked so you can snap them in easily.
SUMMIT XP DITCHED? NOPE.
The Summit Sport (formerly Everest XP and Summit SP) has the PowerTEK 800 with an MSRP of $8,999. That’s $1,000 less than the 2012 Polaris 600 RMK.
DON’T KNOW TIL YOU RIDE IT
Find out where demo’s are around you through Snowmobile Event calendars online like www.skidoodemo.com and other Spring Snowmobile Event websites.
Some lucky riders that rode the new sled and these are some of their comments; “much easier for entry level riders to ride” “effortless, huge difference” “easier to ride, easier to sidehill on hard terrain”. Demo’s are being dished out to the sales reps across the country and will be part of their Ski-Doo Demo Tour from here on out. So, hook up with a dealer and go for a ride to see for yourself what all this means.
Pricing on the 2013 Ski-Doo lineup was surprisingly right in line. Advertising below MSRP is not allowed by Ski-Doo dealers so you have to get an individual quote through email, talk to your salesperson on the phone or visit your local dealership. Most importantly, find a dealership you trust and that offers to ride with you! So many dealers don’t even ride what they sell.
The price of the 2012 Ski-Doo Summit X 154 E-TEC REV-XM is $12,349 MSRP. On top of that Ski-Doo offers a $300 Rebate Option OR a free Wrap Kit OR Electric Start or an extended Warranty. The best option is usually to take the $300.00. Then if you want custom decals, get custom decals that don’t match all the others available from Ski-Doo. If you want Electric Start, add it. If you want a warranty extension, get it when it matters and make a deal on a 5 Year warranty so there is more value when you resell or you have warranty when it’s most likely to break down!
The 2013 Ski-Doo Summit SP 800 E-TEC 154 is $11,899. The 2013 Ski-Doo Summit Sport 800 XP P-TEC is only $8,999. Add the 163″ track for $400 and Electric Start for $300-$350. Which one is the best value to you??? Please comment….
2013 Ski-Doo Snowmobile Introduction
CLICK 2013 Ski-Doo REV-XM 800 Summit for full 2013 Ski-Doo Introduction Details! http://sledrumors.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=148&action=edit
In Orlando of all places, Ski-Doo is introduced their 2013 Ski Doo snowmobiles. The new model year represents the most significant engineering advancements in one year since 2007 when the XP Rider Forward chassis was introduced.
Before the big show, I noticed the Aerocharger guys parked out back…hhmmm. Could a collaboration with Aero result in factory installed turbo on the 800 Summit ETEC with 200+ horsepower AND factory warranty support? seems too good to be true.
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This Ski-Doo corporate Video shows an overview of the 2013 Ski-Doo innovations. http://m.youtube.com/?rdm=4phc78gmt&reload=3#/watch?desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DuIM__lp4StU%26sns%3Dfb&sns=fb&v=uIM__lp4StU&gl=US
Pictures Leaked! 2013 Ski-Doo 800 Summit X E-TEC
Leaked photo's of 2013 Ski-Doo Summit
Pictures of 2013 Ski-Doo Summit REV-XM Leaked only days before launch. INFORMATION JUST RELEASED: 2013 Ski-Doo REV-XM 800 Summit FULL DETAILS!!!
Pictures of the 2013 Ski-Doo 800 Summit X ETEC leaked just a few days before the official Ski-Doo launch in Orlando, Florida. The suspension pictured on the 2013 Ski-Doo 800 Summit features an all new lateral flex movement that is totally different than anything we have ever rode, that I know of. Can’t wait to ride the new 2013 Ski-Doo’s!
What do you think?
Do you like the new body?
Will the new 2013 Ski-Doo Summit suspension work?
2013 Polaris 800 PRO-RMK 155″ reveal by Chris Burandt
NEW 2013 Polaris 800 Pro-RMK 155″ Early Release
Chris Burandt is the highest exposure ambassador for the Pro RMK mountain sleds from Polaris. It is no surprise they used Burandt to give an early introduction to the new 2013 Polaris 800 Pro-RMK 155″ with the new belt drive system, machined tunnel, new skis and more.
Check out the website dedicated to the Big Time announcement by Polaris. (you read most of it first on sledrumors.com!)
2013 Polaris Snowmobile Prices
This is a home run for Polaris IF they can keep MSRP under $12,000 with all these goodies. The price (MSRP) on the 2012 Polaris 800 Pro RMK jumped up to $11,799 for the base model. My fear is that the sled will jump another $1k, which would be a tough pill to swallow for most. Under 12k will will keep this incredible sled in a price range with compelling reasons to trade up and snowcheck a 2013.
Watch for pricing on the 2013 Polaris 800 Pro RMK 155″ and every other mountain sled made on http://www.snowcheckdirect.com
I have rode all 3 2012 800 class mountain sleds. They all work. The Cat (SnoPro) and Polaris are easy to switch back & forth on. The Ski-Doo steering takes a bit to adjust to. I love how easy the Polaris is to ride. Feels so light (because it is so light) and so easy to control on a sidehill. The Arctic Cat floats well and is strong. The Ski-Doo pulls hard on long climbs (best Ski-Doo yet…the 2012 is a totally different sled than the original 2008 Ski-Doo 800 XP).
Bottom line, the Polaris is tough to beat as the multi-purpose mountain sled. The Polaris has no disadvantage in power to the track. Polaris has always been good at drive train efficiency and clutching set up for squeezing as much power as possible to the track. The Ski-Doo and Arctic Cat dyno results show a huge advantage in power, but I don’t feel any deficiency on the Polaris.
What do you think?
2013 Polaris Pro-RMK Quickdrive – Belt Drive System Revealed!
Here it is! Polaris has just announced they WILL have an all new “low inertia” belt drive system on their 2013 Polaris 800 Pro RMK’s! This is a low maintenance, oil free system that will significantly drop weight and claims “5 lbs less effort when you carve” due to 21% inertia reduction.
This is a huge deal for Polaris snowmobiles and buyers for 2013. You would spend $2,000 – $3,000 to add this set up on your 2011 or 2012 Polaris 800 Pro RMK. Thank you Polaris! I can’t wait to ride this.
Watch Sled Rumors.com for demo opportunities on 2013 Snowmobiles in the Mountain West Region coming soon. You won’t know how much this innovative drive system makes in the deep powder until you ride. Everything we’ve heard about the CMX Belt Drive has been positive, so it should work wonders on the new 2013 Polaris!
2013 Ski Doo, Polaris and Arctic Cat Snowmobile Predictions
2013 Arctic Cat, Polaris and Ski-Doo Snowmobile Predictions
2013 Snowmobiles will be launched soon. The manufacturers have been tight lipped about all the new 2013 sleds. Polaris is giving us a sneak peak of the 2013 Polaris 800 Pro RMK 155 in a couple days. Check out details on Polaris, Ski Doo and Arctic Cat for the upcoming launches. See launch dates at http://sledrumors.com/2012/01/25/launch-dates-2013-arctic-cat-2013-polaris-2013-ski-doo-and-2013-yamaha/
2013 Polaris Snowmobiles: Big Time Changes
Is Polaris going to Surprise us? Check out secrets revealed……Belt Drive System like the CMX setup (replacing Chaincase, Chain, Sprockets)…and more…..
http://sledrumors.com/2012/02/04/2013-polaris-800-pro-rmk/
2013 Arctic Cat Snowmobiles: Needed Bug Fixes
Will Arctic Cat come through on 2013 linup? Read the Rumors…..15 Pound (much needed) weight reduction in the Mountain Segment (M800 & M1100 Turbo)…and more….
http://sledrumors.com/2012/01/25/2013-arctic-cat-snowmobile-review-predictions/
2013 Ski-Doo Snowmobiles: Shocking New Innovation
Will Ski-Doo have an all new Lineup of Sleds? Learn shocking predictions like Significant 25 to 30 pound weight reduction with major chassis upgrade on top of belt drive system….and more…..
http://sledrumors.com/2012/01/25/six-shocking-2013-ski-doo-snowmobile-predictions/
Sled Ride with AMA Pro Sportbike Racer, Josh Herrin
Snowmobiling Addiction
It’s easy to see how a beginner will get hooked on riding snowmobiles. Snowmobiles are easy to ride generally, especially a Yamaha 4-stroke with electric start and reverse. Fire it up, cruise around on trails or across the lake, and even a beginner will experience the joy of 130 horsepower coupled to a centrifugal clutched automatic drive. There’s nothing like exploring the outdoors over snow.
Pavement to Powder
That’s exactly what Josh Herrin, AMA Sportbike Racer was hoping when he and his younger brother Zach ventured to Idaho this past weekend to ride snowmobiles with Jared Burt, CEO of Gearhead.com www.gearhead.com and Troy Johnson, owner of Lincoln County Customs in Alpine, Wyoming. Josh and Zach Herrin have grown up racing Yamaha Sport Bikes excelling in the highest adrenaline powersports segment a Gearhead can pursue. But there’s not much snow in SoCal or Georgia. So, the idea of finding some deep powder and switching gears from pavement to powder in the off-season was an opportunity the Herrin’s couldn’t pass up.
Day 1, Big Hole Taste of the Mountains – Rexburg, Idaho
180 miles per hour on an R6 around a twisty track is common ground for Josh Herrin. Could riding a sled be near the rush? The first day Jared Burt (Gearhead.com) hauled Josh Herrin, Zach Herrin and a couple friends to the Big Hole Mountain Range in South East Idaho for a warm-up ride. Test day on the track is critical to prepare for an AMA Sportbike race. Josh warmed up quickly to the 2012 Yamaha Nytro MTX 162 in short order. By the end of the day, Josh and Zach were racing back and forth on the winding mountain trails at 70-80 MPH. A taste of Mountain Riding wetted their appetites as they found a few meadows and hills to rip around on.
After getting stuck in the powder half a dozen times, Zach’s patience was run out stating, “I hate the powder.” Jared Burt noted that, “After 10 minutes of riding, Josh got comfortable on the sled and couldn’t keep it under 75 MPH on the trail. He kept passing me like I was Danny Eslick. I was going for a cruise, Josh wanted to win.” After 5 hours of trails and a taste of the mountains, they were ready for a new challenge on with even more powder.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldqCuaDI-P0&feature=player_embedded
To clarify, “snowmobiles are easy to ride” on a groomed trail or lake. Technique must be learned to navigate in the back country through the woods, across side hills and in deep powder. Once learned, Mountain snowmobiling is to Trail riding like a chilled Monster Energy Killer-B is to a cup of luke warm water. There’s a reason for the 162”Yamaha Ascent track mounted to the 2012 Yamaha Nytro MTX versus a 121” Trail Track mounted on a flat-lander sled. The paddle track becomes the most critical weapon needed to attach the deep powder. Would Josh and Zach Herrin figure out how to use it on Day 2 when for most, it takes 1,000 miles + to learn to navigate in the back country?
Day 2, Mountain Powder Heaven – Alpine, Wyoming
On Day 2, the Herrin’s and Jared (Gearhead.com) hooked up with Troy Johnson in Alpine, Wyoming on the Grey’s River Trail Head. Grey’s river is known for its wide open mountains and endless powder. Troy Johnson, owner of Lincoln County Customs says, “Alpine has the country that will satisfy any skill level”.
Josh and Zach really started to love mountain snowmobiling as their ability to ride grew quickly on the easy to navigate Yamaha Nytro MTX 162 snowmobiles. “They caught on to what they had to do really quickly. He had the right idea of the technique he needed really quickly” – Troy Johnson, LCC. They enjoyed the off-trail riding a lot more as they figured out how to counter steer, jump and hillclimb on the sleds. “My back wasn’t so sore after Day 2 because they learned how to keep the sled from trenching. It was a lot of fun riding with guys so passionate and down to earth.”
Turbo Boost
Switching off the stock 2012 Yamaha Nytro MTX, Josh hopped on Troy’s Nytro Turbo from Mountain Performance going from 140 horsepower to 280 horsepower at 9 pounds of boost. It was great to see them all compare the experience to the bikes. Zach was convinced that the Turbo Nytro pulled harder than a 1000 cc Superbike. Josh wasn’t as convinced, but was blown away by the power.
Mission Accomplished
After 2 Days of riding in the Mountain Powder of the West, Josh and Zach Herrin vowed to come back again and again. You can’t chug down a Monster Energy drink without getting the urge the next morning. They are totally hooked and with a few more days of riding in the deep powder, Josh Herrin will get really comfortable with the technique required for deep powder riding. Who knows? Josh Herrin may have to take up professional snowmobile hillclimbing in the off-season!
- Josh Herrin takes a dive through the powder
2013 Polaris 800 Pro-RMK Big Time Changes
2013 Polaris not Going to Disappoint for 2013 Mountain Snowmobile Line
2013 Polaris snowmobiles could be full of big surprises. Knowing that Ski-Doo will launch a 2013 Ski Doo Summit 800 on an all new platform; Polaris will bring some new innovation to lighten up and boost power.
2012 Polaris 800 Pro RMK brought subtle changes from the all new 2011 800 Pro RMK introduction. They worked and didn’t really need to much being 30-40 pounds lighter than the other 800 twin’s on the market and a reliable, flickable platform for mountain riders.
In fact, with Ski-Doo launching their 2013 Lineup at the end of February; Polaris has decided to steal some thunder and introduce an early release 2013 Polaris 800 Pro-RMK 155″ on February 10, 2012!
Watch for a combination of engine, power train and chassis improvements making an even lighter, more powerful Pro-RMK. Since 2008, the Polaris’ Liberty 795cc 2-stroke, liquid-cooled, Cleanfire fuel injected (CFI) twin cylinder motor has been the flagship power plant for Polaris mountain sleds. They started out with major quirks and were plagued with engine failures. Every year, the Liberty CFI 800 engines have improved every year. The 2012 seems to be spot on.
Big Time 2013 Polaris RMK Predictions
Watch for a big boost in engine performance for 2013, possibly 10 – 15 more horsepower. Look for an all new belt drive system to replace the traditional chaincase with chain and sprockets. Crazy Mountain Extreme has a kit for Polaris, Ski-Doo and Arctic Cat that reduces weight by 10 – 12 pounds. The kit is $2,400 if you want to upgrade your 2012, but watch for a new belt drive system to come as standard equipment on 2013 Polaris and 2013 Ski-Doo snowmobiles. Also, watch for chassis improvements like better running boards with more open area to clean out snow and improved traction. Ski’s and track could also be updated to drop weight and improve traction and maneuverability.
In summary, I’m predicting the 2013 Polaris 800 Pro RMK will have:
- Belt Drive System like the CMX setup (replacing Chaincase, Chain, Sprockets)
- Even more engine performance boosting peak horsepower to 160-165 horsepower
- Chassis improvements like new running boards, ski’s and track
Overall, Polaris will have compelling reasons to snowcheck a new 2013 with possibly the most innovative and fun sled to ride in the mountains ever built.
Sign up early at http://www.snowcheckdirect.com to get your new 2013 Polaris snowmobile for the upcoming season. Place a $500.00 secure deposit online and get No Bull pricing with rebates and dealer discount applied to the price. Also, get custom options for a more unique look and setup for your riding style by the best factory trained technicians in the business. Then pick up your new sled in the Fall and get ready for the ultimate riding experiences during the 2012-2013 riding season!
2013 Snowmobile Quotes Online at SnowCheckDirect.com
