Snowmobile - Performance

Performance

Performance of snowmobiles has improved exponentially since their inception with a sharp spike in performance in the last 15 or so years. The first snowmobiles made way with as little as 5 horsepower (3.7 kW) engines. Engine size and efficiency has grown considerably in the last 15 years. In the early 1990s, the biggest engines available (typically 600-650cc range) produced in the neighborhood of 115 hp (86 kW). Today several late model snowmobiles are available with engines sizes up to 1200 cc, producing 150+ hp, as well as several models with up to 1000 cc engines producing closer to 180 hp (130 kW). Snowmobiles are capable of moving across steep hillsides without sliding downslope if the rider transfers their weight towards the uphill side, a process called Sidehilling.

Mountain sleds permit access in remote areas with deep snow, which was nearly impossible a few decades ago. This is mainly due to alterations, enhancements, and additions of original trail model designs such as weight, weight distribution, track length, paddle depth, and power. Technology and design advances in mountain snowmobiles have skyrocketed since 2003 with Ski-Doo's introduction of the "REV" framework platform. Since then, all mountain snowmobile manufacturers have increased performance drastically. Most 2-stroke mountain snowmobiles have a top engine size of 800 cc's producing around 150 hp (110 kW), although some 1000 cc factory machines have been produced. These may not be as popular as many 800 cc models outperform them due to weight and an increase of unneeded power.

Cornices and other kinds of jumps are sought after for aerial maneuvers. Riders often search for un-tracked, virgin terrain and are known to "trailblaze" or "boondock" deep into remote territory where there is absolutely no visible path to follow. However, this type of trailblazing is not without hazards: Contact with buried rocks, logs and even frozen ground, can cause extensive damage to snowmobiles and injuries to the riders. Riders will often look for large open fields of fresh snow where they can carve. Some riders use extensively modified snowmobiles, customized with aftermarket accessories such as handle bar risers, handguards, custom/lightweight hoods, windshields, and seats, running board supports, studs, and numerous other modifications that increase power and maneuverability. Many of these customizations can now be purchased straight off the showroom floor on stock models.

Trail snowmobiles have had their fair share of improvements in the past 15 years as well (many of them borrowed from endeavors to produce winning mountain sleds). Heavy 'muscle sleds' can produce speeds in excess of 150 mph (240 km/h) due to powerful engines (up to 1200 cc stock, and custom engines exceeding 1200 cc), short tracks, and good traction on groomed trails. Sno-cross oriented snowmobiles often have an engine size cap of 440 or 600 cc, but lighter machines with redesigned stances, formats, and weight control have produced extremely fast and quickly accelerating race sleds.