SnowTech editor's take on the new ACE 900
Sounds like a favorable review on the 900 ACE...
SnowTech magazine editor Kevin Bielke has put more than 1,600 miles/2 575 km on a prototype 2014 Renegade model powered by our new Rotax ACE 900 engine with iTC (intelligent Throttle Control). He sent us this e-mail to communicate his impressions of the sled so far:
BRP,
My favorite sled – whatever it is — has the rMotion rear suspension. That is the best, no contest. I thought it was our E-TEC 800R Renegade X, or maybe the E-TEC 600 H.O. MX Z X, but we just got a 2014 prototype Renegade ACE 900 4-stroke. This sled is amazing. On paper it says it has only 90 HP, but on the snow it pulls great with a wide torque band and it is so smooth, so tractable, so quiet, easy to ride, and gets like 20+ MPG. It is the first 4-stroke that isn’t nose heavy. It just blows my mind at how good it runs, and is actually a very fast sled up to 80 mph. It pulls hard out of the corners but doesn’t spin the track.
You hear more track noise than the engine – you would swear it is an electric snowmobile.
Everyone that rides it says it is the Lexus of snowmobiles. It just plain works. Puts all other 4-strokes to shame. Only the 600 & 800 E-TECs are even close, or a 1200 4-TEC. Or maybe the 600 ACE, but that just doesn’t have quite enough power. The 900 does. Forget HP, it is all about the torque. This is usable power, even in two feet of fresh lake effect snow, it goes and goes. You will not believe what this sled is capable of.
Best sled we have ever had, if I dare make that claim. I must be nuts, but it is that impressive. The ride quality from the 2014 rMotion is unmatched, rough trails are a total non-issue. Got the sled last Wednesday and we already have 1,600 miles on it. And it burns 87 octane fuel – that’s 50 cents a gallon less than premium right now. This sled will change the way you think of 4-strokes, and will change the way you think a snowmobile should be.
Ski-Doo has just changed the rules, yet again.