The Perfect Sled II

Chuck Maas on "Perfect Sled"

The Perfect Sled II

by Chuck Maas, AMDS Asst. General Sales Manager

My first “Perfect Sled” was a 1999 Summit 600 with M-10 suspension and other extensive modifications that made for a wonderful “do everything” machine. Fast, elegant, and a dream to ride, it was as good as it gets for a couple of years. Then along came the 2001 Summit 800 Highmark with that marvelous big engine and long track and the handwriting was one the wall. So a very lucky person got the 600 and I built a new “Perfect Sled.”

The snowmachine that fits my style of riding equates closely to what used to be described in auto enthusiast circles as “grand touring” – very comfortable, yet capable of very high performance for sustained periods of time. Think of a Porsche 928 and you’ve got the picture. I set out to make what I’d achieved with the 600 even better.

Why the 800 Highmark? Several reasons. The motor is wonderful. It makes huge torque right from the bottom and builds horsepower in a linear fashion that is truly seductive. If you’re used to pipey, narrow power band machines with a high engagement speed, this is a whole new experience. The 800 is as easy to ride slowly as it is fast – not something you can say for a number of other models, and a fact that has endeared itself to a whole new cadre of riders. Supremely capable, yet easy to ride…that sure sounds like part of the GT equation to me.

Then you have the 151” track. For effortless boondocking and deep powder exploring, the 151”/800 makes a marvelous combination. The hookup is outstanding, and in any real-world riding environment you just don’t notice any turning deficiency due to a few more inches of track on the snow. If this is a concern, relieve your mind – only those who haven’t ridden a 151” track worry about its turning ability.

So what’s to improve from the excellent stock sled? Mostly suspension. Summit rear suspensions, by design, are optimized for powder, and are therefore not the most trail-friendly. They’ve gotten a lot better in the last couple of years, but are still not as comfortable as a fully coupled rear end using high quality shocks. Such designs don’t come cheap, and that’s also part of the reason they’re not in every sled. But if you want to ante up, you can build an incredible ride.

Here’s what I’ve done to mine:

	M-10 rear suspension with Ohlins shocks from Fast, Inc. I chose M-Valve shock tuning and a device called TAG link that tensions the track throughout the long vertical travel.
	40" front widening kit This is important on my 2001 for just a bit more lateral stability at high velocities without detracting much from maneuvering in powder. You wouldn’t need this with 2002s due to the new convertible ski stance.
	HPG take-apart front shocks These balance the highly capable rear suspension. A little harsh in the slow stuff, they really come into their own at higher velocities.
	Simmons skis Simmons has led the pack for several years in to quality aftermarket skis. A tunnel design, they provide a little extra flotation and all but eliminate darting. I’ve set mine up with cutting carbides on the inside runner of each ski. Ski-Doo’s new “Performance” ski is also a tunnel ski that should perform very well for this application.
	Electric temperature gauge Small item, but very useful in terms of actually knowing what’s going on with the engine. Having flown a number of high performance airplanes I like having good engine instruments.
	Item I’m working on and would really like to have FloScan fuel flow gauge. I’m working with FloScan to see if they can build a 2.5” form factor gauge that would fit directly into to starboard slot on the gauge cluster to the right of the tach that would show fuel flow rate in gallons per hour and total fuel used from last fill up. If you have in interest in this too, let me know.

Rear Suspension - M-Valve and Tag Link Details

Ride Report

Since I had the sled built in March 2001, I only got a couple hundred miles on it before the end of the season, but here are my first impressions.

Engine Wonderful! Before riding (and now owning) and 800 I would not in my wildest dreams have imagined I’d want one. I’ve always liked the small engine, lean and mean approach. But this one has completely changed my mind. Power delivery is like a rheostat…the more you push, the more your get. Smooth, effortless; makes routine tasks a passing thought and difficult ones look easy. Mileage is good too for so many cubes, though the big mill will consume more if you just go out and hold the throttle to the bar.

Handling You have to ride it to believe it. Soaks up bumps voraciously. Gone entirely is that annoying kick up the spine you get from an uncoupled suspension. Front end is highly stable, yet maneuverable. Very well balanced. This is the kind of machine you can run hard all day and not feel worn out. Even novice riders have no difficulty riding it. In my experience, the mark of a truly well built car is that it makes you feel as though you’re going slower than you really are. That’s what this sled is like – in spades!

Bottom line A home run. Proof again that as good as stock Ski-doos are, with careful choices they can often be improved, especially if one is tailoring a machine to a particular style of riding that is not addressed in the standard lineup. My Summit 600 “Perfect Sled” was great, but this modified Summit 800 Highmark is a full evolution better. I wonder what the future will bring?

~Chuck Maas

Addendum

I think Ski-doo has been listening. Witness the 2002 MX Z Renegade. I rode the prototype and it’s very, very good. Actually, at modest velocities it’s a little plusher than PS II. Of course it’s on a 136” platform. Makes one wonder what a Renegade 800 with 144” SC10 III suspension would be like. Anyone think there’s a market for one?

11-18-01