Spiderman Posted March 5 Posted March 5 1 hour ago, stoney said: Ya, I get that and am just like you - it took a while of sitting on the fence to do it, but the difference is such an improvement, it’s what the 900T-R should have been from the factory. You mean a 2 stroke? No argument here 1 Quote
stoney Posted March 5 Posted March 5 42 minutes ago, Spiderman said: You mean a 2 stroke? No argument here LOL, no - they have a couple of other options if you prefer a 2-stroke in literally almost the same chassis! The pep and jump that the sled now has makes it very "flickable" like a 2-stroke, but with all the joys of a 4-stroke. Cruising trails in this sled is absolute pure joy! The vast majority of sleds seen on recent trip are Yami-cat and doo 4-strokes - the only 2-strokes are what appears to be locals running the trails - so I think the general consensus is that a 4-stroke sled is the one most are choosing 2 Quote
04nightfire Posted March 5 Posted March 5 14 minutes ago, stoney said: LOL, no - they have a couple of other options if you prefer a 2-stroke in literally almost the same chassis! The pep and jump that the sled now has makes it very "flickable" like a 2-stroke, but with all the joys of a 4-stroke. Cruising trails in this sled is absolute pure joy! The vast majority of sleds seen on recent trip are Yami-cat and doo 4-strokes - the only 2-strokes are what appears to be locals running the trails - so I think the general consensus is that a 4-stroke sled is the one most are choosing I like my 2 strokes but.....Nothing beats cruising at a higher speed on a tuned 4 stroke that is barely working the engine. 1 Quote
Candubrain Posted March 5 Posted March 5 Miss my 4 stroke for cruising, but don't miss the weight. Inquired about a new XRS, my 2 week old 2026 Lynx Rave depreciated 10G, nixed the idea and will ride it again next year 2 Quote
Spiderman Posted March 5 Posted March 5 2 hours ago, stoney said: LOL, no - they have a couple of other options if you prefer a 2-stroke in literally almost the same chassis! The pep and jump that the sled now has makes it very "flickable" like a 2-stroke, but with all the joys of a 4-stroke. Cruising trails in this sled is absolute pure joy! The vast majority of sleds seen on recent trip are Yami-cat and doo 4-strokes - the only 2-strokes are what appears to be locals running the trails - so I think the general consensus is that a 4-stroke sled is the one most are choosing I don't know - I certainly don't look to the area where you were riding for any type of guidance on what society in general should believe, so I am not about to start with the sleds they ride either. Quote
stoney Posted March 5 Posted March 5 2 hours ago, 04nightfire said: I like my 2 strokes but.....Nothing beats cruising at a higher speed on a tuned 4 stroke that is barely working the engine. Yep, would be nice to have each one and be able to ride both enough to justify it! 4 minutes ago, Spiderman said: I don't know - I certainly don't look to the area where you were riding for any type of guidance on what society in general should believe, so I am not about to start with the sleds they ride either. Not about what society should believe, it is what you want/desire - come on spidy, far from a conformist/sheep, just like you are not! Reality is most riding the area I was are doing multi-day trips and based on this and the type of trails, 4-stroke is the go to sled and for good reason, IMO. Would a 2-stroke be just as much fun, no doubt it would be, but I can say for me, the switch has been very welcomed that I was on fence about making the switch for a number of years.....I really like my current sled and the setup. 2 hours ago, Candubrain said: Miss my 4 stroke for cruising, but don't miss the weight. Inquired about a new XRS, my 2 week old 2026 Lynx Rave depreciated 10G, nixed the idea and will ride it again next year I really do not find the weight bad - but that is based on what I ride now a days - I can see how it might be though if I was hitting tight twisty mogul'd out trails every week. 5 Quote
scottyr Posted March 5 Posted March 5 3 hours ago, Candubrain said: Miss my 4 stroke for cruising, but don't miss the weight. Inquired about a new XRS, my 2 week old 2026 Lynx Rave depreciated 10G, nixed the idea and will ride it again next year That is my big beef with Lynx. I never lost so much money on a sled as I did on my 24 Rave. They are more money than an MXZ XRS new and resale for less on the used market. I loved my RAVE but would only buy another one if I knew I was keeping it for 3 years. 1 Quote
Spiderman Posted March 5 Posted March 5 1 hour ago, stoney said: Yep, would be nice to have each one and be able to ride both enough to justify it! Not about what society should believe, it is what you want/desire - come on spidy, far from a conformist/sheep, just like you are not! Reality is most riding the area I was are doing multi-day trips and based on this and the type of trails, 4-stroke is the go to sled and for good reason, IMO. Would a 2-stroke be just as much fun, no doubt it would be, but I can say for me, the switch has been very welcomed that I was on fence about making the switch for a number of years.....I really like my current sled and the setup. I really do not find the weight bad - but that is based on what I ride now a days - I can see how it might be though if I was hitting tight twisty mogul'd out trails every week. I get it, just busting some balls. For where I spend most of my time riding, lightweight 2 stroke makes the most sense. I am not going to change, sleds might, but that’s what makes sense riding district 7. Quote
Steve F6 Posted March 6 Posted March 6 IMO the weight is noticeable at 46lbs between a rene x900t and mxz x 600. I think of it as 1 bag+ of concrete sitting up front. The 900turbo and the 2 strokes are both really awesome and its amazing how much different they are to ride. Funny enough I found the 900t with smart shocks easier to ride in quebec and almost boring compared to my 850 where im out of the seat and use alot more body english to rail corners. With that being said there is a brake, slide, point and shoot snocross technique that MJ does on a 900t around corners that i dont have the guts or talent to try myself lol! . An 850 comp on the other hand is a whole other animal that has zero problems hanging with 900T's on the high speed trails, and gets up to speed faster too. If money is no object and you want fast and scary fun, the comp is where its at. Fast and luxury 900t all the way. 2 hours ago, scottyr said: They are more money than an MXZ XRS new and resale for less on the used market. Ya they are a tough used market sell being advertised as aggresive mogul eaters i guess scares people away. I noticed in the spec books the 27 850 na Rave weighs in at 527lbs. The 27 xrs 850 na weighs in at 495lbs in a 129 track and 504lbs in a 137. Thats alot of difference between the two. For reference the rene x 900t is 529lbs, 2lbs heavier. Possibly a misprint i dont know. Quote
scottyr Posted March 6 Posted March 6 11 hours ago, Steve F6 said: Ya they are a tough used market sell being advertised as aggresive mogul eaters i guess scares people away. I noticed in the spec books the 27 850 na Rave weighs in at 527lbs. The 27 xrs 850 na weighs in at 495lbs in a 129 track and 504lbs in a 137. Thats alot of difference between the two. For reference the rene x 900t is 529lbs, 2lbs heavier. Possibly a misprint i dont know. That is not a typo. The Rave is noticeably heavier. You can feel it instantly after swapping with an MXZ. it’s still a great sled but has its shortcomings. The PPS skid doesn’t roll as easy as an RM skid as well. The RAVE 850 maxes out at least 10km/h slower than an MXZ850 on a long stretch. I loved the seating position on the RAVE. So much I think I will buy the 27 MXZ seat for my 26 as it looks like it will feel similar to the RAVE. Quote
Mach Z Posted March 6 Posted March 6 23 hours ago, scottyr said: That is my big beef with Lynx. I never lost so much money on a sled as I did on my 24 Rave. They are more money than an MXZ XRS new and resale for less on the used market. I loved my RAVE but would only buy another one if I knew I was keeping it for 3 years. Unfortunately Lynx resale is a horror show. 23 hours ago, Spiderman said: I get it, just busting some balls. For where I spend most of my time riding, lightweight 2 stroke makes the most sense. I am not going to change, sleds might, but that’s what makes sense riding district 7. Dont miss my two two stroke and my 900T feels almost the same as my old 800 twins. The two stroke smell is annoying now. As its all i can smell when one is around or im riding behind one. Frig im getting old. 2 3 Quote
Baylaker Posted March 6 Posted March 6 21 minutes ago, mach Z said: Unfortunately Lynx resale is a horror show. Dont miss my two two stroke and my 900T feels almost the same as my old 800 twins. The two stroke smell is annoying now. As its all i can smell when one is around or im riding behind one. Frig im getting old. I’ll never go back to a 2 stroke for this reason alone, can’t stand the smell anymore. If your riding in our group with a 2 stroke, your at the back lol 3 Quote
Steve F6 Posted March 7 Posted March 7 13 hours ago, scottyr said: I loved the seating position on the RAVE. So much I think I will buy the 27 MXZ seat for my 26 as it looks like it will feel similar to the RAVE. They have a prototype 27 XRS in the showroom at stonge right now. Sitting on it the seat is an improvement. They had a demo ride the other day, did anyone on here go? 1 Quote
95rxl650 Posted March 7 Posted March 7 2 stroke sleds dont bother me other than running it in the shop or trailer where your gear gets pretty rank. I went to 4 stroke years ago on the boat because we spend so much time at idle where your at the mercy of the wind and more often than not, you have passengers. The Mrs. actually enjoys being on the water now. 2 Quote
stoney Posted March 7 Posted March 7 16 hours ago, mach Z said: Dont miss my two two stroke and my 900T feels almost the same as my old 800 twins. The two stroke smell is annoying now. As its all i can smell when one is around or im riding behind one. Frig im getting old. this is kind of funny when you consider the past couple of decades. the 2 strokes are now so much better, cleaner, etc….compared to what, 10 or so years ago and longer. you really can tell when there is one that is either ahead of you or passes you the other way in the trail though, and without seeing the sled, pretty good idea of its age 😂 3 1 Quote
Spiderman Posted March 7 Posted March 7 2 stroke is probably my favorite smell. it will never ever bother me. 3 Quote
Baylaker Posted March 7 Posted March 7 4 hours ago, Spiderman said: 2 stroke is probably my favorite smell. it will never ever bother me. It’s tolerable when it ls IPone Quote
04nightfire Posted March 9 Posted March 9 On 3/7/2026 at 7:57 AM, stoney said: this is kind of funny when you consider the past couple of decades. the 2 strokes are now so much better, cleaner, etc….compared to what, 10 or so years ago and longer. you really can tell when there is one that is either ahead of you or passes you the other way in the trail though, and without seeing the sled, pretty good idea of its age 😂 Pretty much how I look in my helmet when I can smell a 2 stroke up ahead on the trail. 4 Quote
signfan Posted March 28 Posted March 28 Everyone has their own preferences and it’s good we have choices. Here’s my take. - I buy for dependability and reliability. There is no comparison here. I hear of blown up 2 strokes all the time. Few and far between to find 4 strokes with motor issues - I had the chance to jump between my 2019 900 T and a 2024 850 etec last week. I felt the turbo has more low end torque where I needed it. The 850 was sluggish until you got it over 50 and got the exhaust valves opened up - handling has so much to do with setup. In this instance my 900 handled better than the 850 despite the weight. Could that be changed with some setup on the 850? Yes. But so many ppl don’t spend the time or get the knowledge to make things handle at their capability Reduced smells and noise are a bonus as well. Lots of opinions on both sides. 4 stroke is the sled for me. 4 Quote
stoney Posted March 28 Posted March 28 I agree setup makes so much of a difference - when you have the chance to jump from sled a to b, it is normally quite the difference in trail manners. Speaking of noises, I finally used music this year while riding, what a difference, been meaning to use it for years and finally did. 1 Quote
95rxl650 Posted March 29 Posted March 29 13 hours ago, stoney said: I agree setup makes so much of a difference - when you have the chance to jump from sled a to b, it is normally quite the difference in trail manners. I'll say it again. Setup is the difference between "oh shyte" all day and "whoo hoo" all day. Being wore out after a few hundred miles or ready to keep going. I figure 90% of riders I come up on in the trails are riding ill handling sleds. I always wonder why they dont take the time to learn. Confidence in your sled makes snowmobiling so much more fun and gives the rider confidence in their ability. It's all "win win" 3 Quote
Mach Z Posted March 30 Posted March 30 On 3/28/2026 at 3:03 PM, stoney said: I agree setup makes so much of a difference - when you have the chance to jump from sled a to b, it is normally quite the difference in trail manners. Speaking of noises, I finally used music this year while riding, what a difference, been meaning to use it for years and finally did. been riding with music for a long time. Its great On 3/29/2026 at 4:47 AM, 95rxl650 said: I'll say it again. Setup is the difference between "oh shyte" all day and "whoo hoo" all day. Being wore out after a few hundred miles or ready to keep going. I figure 90% of riders I come up on in the trails are riding ill handling sleds. I always wonder why they dont take the time to learn. Confidence in your sled makes snowmobiling so much more fun and gives the rider confidence in their ability. It's all "win win" Hate the setup on my mach. Still rides well. But i have to do something about it. 1 Quote
Steve F6 Posted March 30 Posted March 30 Couple pics of the new adjustable seats. Felt firmer but not uncomfortable and less bouncy than the current mxz seats. Really easy to change the height. Looks kinda like some of the lynx seats i think. The storage underneath for a spare belt i like. 6 Quote
scottyr Posted March 31 Posted March 31 Any idea how much those seats are going to cost next season? Quote
stoney Posted March 31 Posted March 31 So is that a copyright infringement on the Cat adjustable seat that used to be on the Barneys...........LOL Curious, how much does it adjust compared to the stock MXZ seat......how much higher can it raise? Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.