Nice write up VX1R!!
Yes the oem’s used to bring copious amounts of innovation back in the day, the triples being one of my faves.
There’s actual reasons why Jaguar makes a V12 and your vehicles you drive around town aren’t one or two cylinders.
Why do you think the V-max 4 dominated its class and even classes above it?
Why does a boosted Apex make more power than 998t (same boost) although they are equal displacement?
Cylinder filling and linear piston speed that’s why. Smooth power delivery is the added bonus.
Your post is 99% correct, just one little tweak.
In 1998 Polaris wasn’t taking any chances on what the “sheep” would buy into... so they came to market with both twins and triples.
The highly rated XC 700 & 600 non-power valved twins, marketed and advertised like crazy. The other contestant in 1999 was the XCR 700 & 800 power valved triples with virtually no marketing or PR related to these beast sleds. To this day nobody talks about them. Virtually nobody bought them in 1999. Really the only way to see one was to go to the dealer. Imo they were testing the sheep to see the impacts of marketing. The sheep did not disappoint. They oversold the cheaper non-power valved twins and the XCR’s were sitting around waiting too be sold.
It’s a shame because that 700 & 800 XCR motor was beasty! It was the only 700 triple that would run side by side with the SRX 700. I still have my old 1999 XCR with the premium fuel switch, and I can tell you bone stock it will beat up an SRX after the jetting clutching are corrected, no $hit they jetted this sled for -40 Fahrenheit!
The engine block was much stronger than the yamaha triples and the reed cages are HUGE!
As for the formula 3 there has never been a production 600cc snowmobile that makes the horsepower than the F3 made. Rated at 125hp, and it was truly 125 if not more. It was proven at Dynojet years ago and is still the king. The SRX and ZRT both come in at under 120hp. I want to say the 580 XLT was under 100hp but I’m not sure? I’ve proven this claim racing every 600 I could, and still have never been beat, especially the new iron.