Rotax Ace 900
- Thread starter fusionfool
- Start date
I don't think that is the target market for the Ace 900 more of a twisty family trail sled keep the kids & Mom under 45mph then dad can rip it on his own now & then. I'm sure it can do 65-70 but to cruise at that speed all day you would be much better off with 600 etech or the 1200. I see this market fit where the old Indy trail used to be for families in the 90s you wanted more hp back then you went to XC or XCR triples. If gas costs are a concern then Ace would be a good fit as well.
i would think the torque would be way better than a 600 smoker
Trackside "Greg" Cooksend lined up Ace 900 & 600 etec & of course 600 etec walked the Ace 900 in measured number of feet by I believe 8 sled lengths as it well should 120 hp 600 etec to 90hp 900 Ace. Then you bring in 1200 4s will walk all 3 as it well should at 135+hp. I think summerjet nailed it... "The torq was really good out of the hole and I think for anyone looking to do trail riding that falls into the 30-60mph range will be very pleased". Heck an old poo Fugi 340 2s will keep up with anything for 1st 60 feet but it is performance after 60 feet that concerns me.lol I want midrange punch 60-90+mph for passing to kept me out of trouble & just not there at 90-120 ponies. 900 Ace plenty for family rides & twistys but ends there. IMO
The 600 etc had picks and the 900 did not. I'am i right on that?
trackside "greg" cooksend lined up ace 900 & 600 etec & of course 600 etec walked the ace 900 in measured number of feet by i believe 8 sled lengths as it well should 120 hp 600 etec to 90hp 900 ace. Then you bring in 1200 4s will walk all 3 as it well should at 135+hp. I think summerjet nailed it... "the torq was really good out of the hole and i think for anyone looking to do trail riding that falls into the 30-60mph range will be very pleased". Heck an old poo fugi 340 2s will keep up with anything for 1st 60 feet but it is performance after 60 feet that concerns me.lol i want midrange punch 60-90+mph for passing to kept me out of trouble & just not there at 90-120 ponies. 900 ace plenty for family rides & twistys but ends there. Imo
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Deleted member 10829
Guest
Gotta agree with Whitedust here. While I think they will sell a ton of these, don't buy it if you are performance minded. Since SnowTech was quoted above, I will quote from American Snowmobiler's latest issue after testing the 900 ACE.
"First, this is NOT for racers and performance fanatics, this new 90-horse engine is aimed directly at families and newbies and riders wanting a sled with a lot of versatility to accommodate various riders in a family or group."
Yes the 600 etec had picks how many I don't know but 600etec targeted for the more performance minded rider the Ace 900 is not. The outcome would have been the same regardless of picks your talking 30 ponies & I'm not sure about weight but 600 etec probably is lighter too. 900 Ace not a hot rod sled good for moderate twisty trail speeds with excellent mpg but 600 etec not shabby on mpg either. Ace for newbies, families & budget minded riders. Doo dealers can say 600 etec too much how about this nice 900 Ace give you a better/ best market approach to customers? If the Ace takes 600 etec customers away you probably will see a 700 etec emerge at 140ish hp but I think Doo likes were the 900 Ace is positioned makes a lot of sense at 90hp niche but if the market shifts then doo will make product adjustments. In the end it will be up to the buyers if 600 etec buyers opt for Ace 900 this could change everything & show need for light 120+ doo 4s or just jump to 700 etec or 4s in the 140hpish. I think the 800s 160 HP sleds could start dropping back into the 145HP 4s zone in a nice light package much like the Viper & AC 7000 series. 150HP & up is a hyper trail sled to me you just don't need more than 150hp... 160s & 170s hp way over the top for trails.
When you talk about a 2stroke you look at horse power to move you because of the less torque but when you talk 4strock you also have to look at the torque you need less HP because of the more torque. Do think then the 900 would be more like the 500ss and the 600 sdi then ?
I would say the 900 ACE is more comparable to the 500ss or current 600 Sport by Ski Doo.
For those who have not ridden the 900, you may be surprised after once riding it.
cooksend
Active member
I would have to agree that the performance level is about the same as the 600 sport. Also I think in all fairness that a sled sitting at approx 90hp with this kind of torque will run with anything in the Northern WI trails! This sled will have no problem running all day long at the 60 to 70 mph mark with throttle left. It is sneaky fast and the HP numbers don't show it's true performance! When we lined this up against the 600 E-Tec it was a staggered start and the E-Tec was studded. We shut them down at just shy of 90mph and the ACE was behind by 8-10 sled lengths. Take 2 lengths off for the staggered start and a couple for the lack of studs and now you are only about 5 sled lengths shy of the E-Tec in our test! Put that power in the woods trails and no E-Tec will outperform a 900 ACE with equal drivers!
A very diverse industry with lot's of options! This New entry happens to be an outstanding option at that and great new tech. It is however not a hyper sled or one designed to go win races! It is designed to be a super clean, smooth and refined feeling ride! Yes it is a great 4-stroke option for those non race oriented trail riders currently running 600cc 2 strokes. Highlights: Smooth, Effiecient, light feel, predictable with the R-Motion rear suspension! A win win for anyone that understands it's position in the market!
Hmmmm....Guess I was wrong sounds more like a 4s choice for 600 etec crowd more inline with Yamaha & AC 120hp 4s sleds with class leading mpg nothing here for poo 4s wise. A very diverse sled overlapping many markets. Sounds like it will be a big seller & lead to more 4s converts!
So, are you saying if you ride twisty trails all day say near where you are in the northwoods of Wisconsin, it would do great, but if you want to do high speed on grades all day in the UP, it probably wouldn't quite cut it and you'd be better off on something else?
cooksend
Active member
I hate to ever say that it is a replacement for the 600 E-Tec crowd or the 600 Sport crowd or so on. I would rather classify this as a sled for someone that typically rides a 120hp class sled for its tech and premium suspension option but does not need or seldom uses all of its motor potential. The drag race shows it will not run even with a 600 E-Tec. It will however hold it's own corner to corner! It also is very capable of playing that 75 +/- mph game all day long on the U.P. railroad grade trails!
It is a great option for the majority of the trail riders on the snow! It is not a hyper sled or one that will win races all day long on the lakes! It's place in the market is easier to see if you think about the fact that it was not offered in a Summit, MXZ X or MXZ X-RS!
It is a great option for the majority of the trail riders on the snow! It is not a hyper sled or one that will win races all day long on the lakes! It's place in the market is easier to see if you think about the fact that it was not offered in a Summit, MXZ X or MXZ X-RS!
That's interesting. That covers about 80% of my riding. I haven't put the miles on the past 2-3 years due to young kids at home (probably 2000 total over 3 years), so the gas costs haven't stung me that much yet, but with gas prices where they are at, I bet they sell quite a few of these things provided they are priced right. If you're going to ride 2,000-3,000+ miles a year, I would think it would be hard to ignore the mileage...
I'm sure the 900 Ace will do VERY well in Twistys & to be honest a 440 2s had plenty of hp to spin in twistys & why for many years it was the race sled engine of choice. Me I like 4s for engine braking in Twistys but most OEMs engineering 4s engine braking out of the designs to feel like a 2s. I would not buy a 900 Ace to power cruise grades but my hp groove is 140-150hp 4s powerband & I like midrange punch at 50-90mph to pass. I'm not into jack rabbit starts just tears up trails & pulls my arms out of the sockets so I ease it up & then keep it there & like to have reserve power. Over all my interest in the 900 Ace is low but I think it is neat 4s tech & I like the fact that doo is willing to develope the 4s market & not just sit on 2s etec as class leading 2s engines. This indicates to me doo knows there is a vast 4s market for incremental sales where Poo does not even have a low, medium & high hp 4s product line. Seems to me Ac, doo & Yamaha are all seeing what Poo does not.
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Deleted member 10829
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What is this vast 4s market you speak of? I've always wanted to see sales figures but never can find any. I did read in American Snowmobiler's last issue where Polaris brass said that they see the number of 4 strokes sleds decreasing as a percentage of the industry. Now maybe they are saying that since they don't currently offer a good 4 stroke, or maybe they know something we don't. I don't think there is any doubt that 4 strokes are the future, but maybe not just quite yet. It would be nice to know what percentage of the market they currently have. I know in my group of riders, it's less than 10%. Once Polaris does build a 4 stroke in the Rush I'm sure I will get one again.