This Season's Ride: 2009 Ski Doo Tundra LT V800

In Praise for the Four Stroke

Preferring light and nimble snowmobiles I've always been reluctant to ride a four-stroke powered snowmobile. But when BRP decided to lower a four-stroke into a Tundra I decided it was time to venture into the realm of four-stroke power.

The Tundra name is synonymous with the small lightweight, single cylinder, rugged and simple machines that have been penetrating the snowy wilderness for years. However this latest rendition, Tundra LT V800, is anything but simple with a liquid-cooled four-stroke motor, electric start, and fuel injection. While it breaks out of the traditional Tundra mold I don’t have to log many miles before finding some distinct advantages to four-stroke power.

Mileage

I haven’t seen any published mileage claims for the 800cc Tundra but real world mileage is pretty impressive. On a recent fishing trip I hauled a sled load of ice fishing gear about 75 km and more than half the time we were running at high speeds through more than eight inches of powder. Plus I was joined on the sled by my 11-year-old daughter and our dog. By my calculations I still got close to 20 miles per gallon.

Smell

I have always accepted that breathing blue smoke and smelling like gasoline hours after a ride was part of the snowmobiling experience. But with the four-stroke Tundra that aspect is gone and I can’t say I miss it. Add that low emissions are better for the environment we ride through and the clean burning four-stroke really is a breath of fresh air.

Noise

I’ve never really minded the whine of a pulling two-stroke but one of the first things I notice when starting the four-stroke is how quiet it is. Driver and passenger can actually have conversations as they ride. There is a throaty growl on acceleration but basically the only thing we hear as we ride is the sound of the wind rushing by.

Power

An 800cc is a big motor by any measure but with approximately 65 hp it does not compare to the greater horsepower of a similar-sized two-stroke engine. It does however have gobs of torque available instantly at low engine rpms, well suited to pulling heavily loaded sleds or ice shacks over slushy lakes. In this lightweight machine acceleration is strong and steady from take off up to a top speed of well over 120 kph. Fast enough for what is essentially a fishing and utility sled.

Weight

While four strokes are reputed to be heavy, manufacturers are working to get the weight down and with the Tundra we can make a direct comparison. At 539 pounds the 800cc four-stroke liquid-cooled sled is only 40 pounds heavier than the same machine equipped with a 550cc fan cooled engine. Much of that weight can be accounted for in the cooling fins required for liquid cooling in the tunnel and the mechanical reverse necessary in the four-stroke. Even with this large motor comparable weight means the machine feels light and nimble and floats well on soft snow.

Off Trail Performance

While the four-stroke displays advantages in virtually every regard the one big question is how it performs on the job. One of the first things I notice is instant throttle response. With its low end torque there is no need for the engine to rev up before the clutch kicks in. This makes a big difference when riding in the soft snow of an unbroken trail. Low end torque works in concert with the clutch to allow the track to spin slowly when breaking trail. Precise control of track spin gives maximum traction to the 16-inch wide 156-inch long track with 1.5 inch lugs. It’s a refreshing change from some two-stroke and clutch combinations that engage at high revs, spin wildly and dig themselves a hole to get stuck in.

Anyone whose spent time breaking trail knows that stopping and reversing over your track is a good method of giving yourself a little stretch of packed trail prior to a hill or tricky section. I don’t know any machine that will move as well in reverse as in forward, but with an articulating track that sucks up uneven terrain and draws the machine up inclines, the Tundra comes close.

In conclusion

No single machine can do it all. However, with a two-up seat and heated grips the four-stroke Tundra is as comfortable breaking trail through deep powder as it is carrying a passenger along a groomed trail. Can a four-stroke work in a lightweight utility sled? You bet it can and much more.

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James Smedley Outdoors - P.O. Box 558 - Wawa, Ontario - POS 1KO -705 856 7498 - james.smedley@shaw.ca