Dear SnowTrax:
I have a couples of questions for either Luke or AJ concerning the highs and lows on the Arctic Cat XF 1100 Turbo SnoPro and on the XF 1100 SnoPro.
What is your overall reviews on those two snowmobile?
I am looking to upgrade from my f1000 SnoPro to one of those two and I am a litttle bit unsure of which one to go with and would appreciate your opinion.
Thank you for your time and thanks in advance for your response.
Steve
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your question about the XF 1100 and XF 1100 Turbo SnoPro sleds. I’ve ridden both and truly enjoy them in their own way. The 1100 naturally aspirated is a great motor, gets very acceptable milage and produces adequate 600 two stroke comparable power at 123 HP.
Seeing as you’re coming off an F1000 I’m going to assume you like a little more power than the 600 class sleds provide. The 1100 naturally aspirated won’t give you the eye popping, arm stretching performance, but will deliver smooth and consistent power and truly is a very enjoyable sled to trail ride.
Now the 1100 Turbo is a whole different monster and I mean that in a friendly monster kind of way. It’s the biggest power-plant in the industry, but surprisingly it’s totally usable and not the least bit over bearing to ride.
Throttle modulation isn’t like a toggle switch where it’s either on boost or off, the power comes through crisp and smooth with very little noticeable turbo lag. You can squeeze the throttle in the tight twisty trails and power goes to the ground when you want it, will it snap you backwards if you grab too much!
The 177hp stuffed in the XF chassis is of Corvette level performance, it’s fast and it’s light. If I sound more excited about the Turbo it’s because I am. I truly enjoy everything about the Turbo motor, it my opinion it’s the best 4 stroke package (meaning chassis and motor) out there.
Yamaha still makes the tightest most refined 4 strokes but the AC turbo will go past an Apex so fast it’ll peel the stickers off the hood – ok not literally but it’s in a class of it’s own no matter what manufacturer you compare it too.
Your F1000 was a great sled for trial riding but the truth about the F is that it was heavy and the 1000 didn’t deliver the performance we all expected. The XF is totally different.
The 123hp 1100 feels quick and light and the turbo feels insanely fast and light. They handle like a a SnoPro should, carve corners like your on rails and don’t beat you up or leave you feeling like the sled was riding you.
The Torque Control Link smoothes out the power delivery and makes harsh vibrations a think of the past. Up front the SnoPro’s Fox Float 2’s work really well, they are a far cry from the old Float 1’s as I’ll call them. They don’t nose over and stiction of the outer and inner tubes is no longer an issue.
The geometry of the race style front end works perfect on the trail, and actually I believe the front end is the best part of the suspension on the XF’s.
Out back I am a little more reserved, I like the slide action 141″ skid because it’s light by removing the torsion springs and using a Fox Float with air spring however it does not produce a ride like the Polaris Switchback or the Ski-Doo Renegade. It takes quite a bit of tweaking to find a setting most users find compliant, they typically ride a little stiff.
The LXR and base version uses a similar skid but a coil-over Fox shock where the Float would be on the SnoPro. The coil-over is a better set up in my opinion (and the rest of the crew here at SnowTrax and Supertrax for that matter).
It rides smoother and is more compliant through the bumps, while the Float equipped SnoPro is lighter it’s not as comfortable for long rides. The 141″ design does bridge bumps better then a 121 or 128 but I don’t believe that skid frame to be in the same category as Ski-Doo’s R-Motion Renegade. That would be my #1 pick for rear suspension in a crossover, however I like Arctic Cats front suspension better than Ski-Doo’s.
If you know you want a long tracker then it’s all about how you ride. If you’re an aggressive ditch banger and really push the sled hard you may like the stiffer rear suspension. If you’re not in that category and don’t require the extra track length I believe you might prefer the F1100 SnoPro or F1100 Turbo SnoPro as they do truly ride better on a wider variety of trail conditions and also have less push in the corners due to the reduced footprint of the track.
Hope this helps, if you have any other questions send them over and I’ll do my best to help.
As a reference we currently have a 2012 F1100 Turbo Sno-Pro limited as our SnowTrax Project sled for this season and I love the way it works. I thought I would want the XF but truth be told I’ve got a soft spot for the short tracker – something a flatland off-trail enthusiast like me finds hard to admit!
Thanks for your question,
AJ
