Ski-Doo says it’s to make boy racers feel like the real deal, but to us it’s just plain confusing. While we applaud them for filling this hole in the line, we’re a little curious about why the 440 F is virtually indistinguishable graphically from the 440 racer. Which MX Z Is It? – Last year we criticized Ski-Doo for not having a 440 fan. Ski-Doo did have a couple of different versions, though, so the final production model may be different and more functional yet. They claimed that adjusting from white snow to a white gauge would be easier on the eyes. Seeing Red – Ski-Doo was really high on their new white face gauges at the Rode Reports. For 1997, the C-7 is history and riders on all models can look forward to a plusher ride. Out With The Old … – The old C-7 suspension didn’t quite smooth out the bumps like Ski-Doo or its faithful would have hoped. Ski-Daddle consistently finds ways to squeeze peak power out of its roaring Rotax powerplants, and this monster machine is no exception. Vroom! Vroom! – You want power? The aptly-named Mach 1 delivers the ponies. With the flip of a switch, an onboard air compressor adjusts the suspension. The suspension device, found on the Grand Touring SE, allows infinite adjustability without ever leaving the driver’s seat. But hey, with a doohickey this neat, Ski-Doo can call it whatever they want. The Whattzit Called – Okay, so the Pneumatic Levelling Device is quite an unwieldy moniker. Coverage of 1997 Ski-Doo snowmobiles in the August 1996 issue of Snow Goer magazine. The Mountain Max machines have 7-inch wide ski skins standard, and the 2-inch difference is noticeable. If flotation was what they were looking for, they should have taken a cue from Yamaha. While the latter might be true (the baby climbs!), we can tell you that the former ain’t. Polaris claims they offer excellent flotation and sidehilling. The Real Skinny – Although we loved the Indy 700 RMK and don’t mean to take the narrow view, we do have a bone to pick: the 5-inch skis aren’t wide enough. Well sad to say, they have now been passed. [modern note: Polaris unveiled the late-release 1997 Indy 700 XC in December of 1996).īrake! – A long, long time ago, Polaris set the industry standard by providing the first hydraulic brake on a production machine. Now if they’d only combine that mill with a 121-inch track… Can you say “Late Release?” We knew you could. These two sweet sleds are the closest things to home grown we’ve seen since the Harley-Davidson and Evinrude days. Manufactured in Osceola, Wisconsin, the extraordinarily torquey powerplant got dropped into the Indy 700 RMK and SKS for ’97. – Polaris swung for the fences with their new 700cc twin and hit a grand slam. So, here’s a look back at what editors chose for Hits & Misses from Polaris, Ski-Doo and Yamaha after the initial testing of the 1997 models.ĮXCERPT FROM AUGUST 1996 SNOW GOER MAGAZINE: Coverage of 1997 Polaris snowmobiles in the August 1996 issue of Snow Goer magazine. Remember, Arctic Cat skipped the testing event that spring.
1997 Hits & MissesĪs was the tradition at Snow Goer for brands that appeared at Rode Reports we chose three “Hits” for their new model lines, and chose three “Misses” for each brand. Due to internal industry politics at the time, Arctic Cat didn’t fully participate in the 1997 Rode Reports, but this was the year the brand launched the Batteryless EFI system, expanded use of the Extra Travel Tunnel and introduced the Torque Sensing Link on the FasTrack rear suspension. Ski-Doo used 1997 to expand features it had previously introduced in models like the 1996 MX Z 583 deeper into its lineup – including moving all trail twins to the S-2000 chassis and dumping the heavy C-7 rear suspension in favor of the SC-10 in the Mach Z, Mach 1, Formula III and other machines.
#1997 indy 440 plus
Polaris countered that move by launching its new American-made 700cc twin, plus the Ultra SPX triple-piped triple. This is when Yamaha jumped into the “modern era” by dumping the pogo-stick TSS front suspension and launched the ProAction chassis with a trailing arm front end and a long travel rear, plus new 600- and 700-class triples in the sexy SX models. And for that, we turn to the Season Premier/August 1996 issue of Snow Goer magazine, which covered the Rode Reports testing of the new models. Please see our other listings for TWO, THREE, and FIVE packs.With the launch of the 2017 snowmobile models generating so much excitement this spring, it seems like a good time to flash back 20 years to review the buzz from when the 1997 new snowmobile models were released. Brand new, genuine Polaris drive clutch belt. This is a factory original equipment belt, not aftermarket. Interchanges with part numbers 32110066 which are double cog versions.