Here it is on a scale

[WVTurboLTX]

Is R-motion that good? fyi, haven't ridden (other than locally in fields) for about three years, none on a Ski-Doo.

It's like everything else skidoo pounds their chest about. If you are running the sled to the ragged limit in horrible conditions, then yes, the R-motion is a great rear suspension. At the same time 99% of the people who bought them will never push it that hard. On nice trails I prefer the slide action rear though. No suspension or weight reduction will get me to look past the unreliable rotax 2 strokes or the atrocious throttle lag on their 4 strokes though. This is all coming from someone that rode only doo for 20 years. Ski Doo guys seem worse than Harley guys when it comes to thinking their stuff is the end all be all.

 

[rupprider]

I know this a derail on O/T, but my main years riding were in the '70's, 80's and 90's. Remember the "thermos jug" front suspensions, and how Mike Knapp did a hell-of-a-job running his Yamaha's. Rupp

 

[Big_Phil]

Ski-Doo 1200 Renegade X is 518 lbs. dry and 604 full wet stock and fueled to the max.

Now add a MCX turbo kit at 19 lbs. and subtract 11 lbs for the lightweight battery and who is it going to shake again? LOL! Lets not get too cocky. Couple buddies of mine bought this season, we'll have plenty of time to compare and ride each others machines.

Ya, add an MCX turbo kit with no warranty, no built and decompressed motor and no knock protection.

 

[Dealerjohn]

I found my old Renegade X rode a lot better than my XTX SE Viper. I really miss it actually.. and they say the r motion is a lot better than before.

 

[super_rash]

I found my old Renegade X rode a lot better than my XTX SE Viper. I really miss it actually.. and they say the r motion is a lot better than before.

if your viper had fox float shocks.. there's the answer.. ever se fox floats on a BRP??? NEVER...

 

[cannondale27]

Do doubt the Yamaha engine is going to be a step up from the lawn mowing twin cylinder Suzuki turbo, but Cat would have to come a long ways in the chassis and suspension dept. to get on par with Doos handling and excellent ride of the R-Motion. I hope its an excellent machine, because if Doo doesn't come with a comparable turbo HP wise, I just may be on a Sidewinder if they are on par handling and ride wise when its time to replace my 1200. I just have my doubts on getting up there with the R-Motion.

Wait till you ride the Qs3 setup. Only advantage a R motion with the race shocks has over it is slightly less need to adjust for conditions. To get full benefit of the Qs3 you need to use the clickers. So easy though to adjust.

 

[stevewithOCD]

It's like everything else skidoo pounds their chest about. If you are running the sled to the ragged limit in horrible conditions, then yes, the R-motion is a great rear suspension. At the same time 99% of the people who bought them will never push it that hard. On nice trails I prefer the slide action rear though. No suspension or weight reduction will get me to look past the unreliable rotax 2 strokes or the atrocious throttle lag on their 4 strokes though. This is all coming from someone that rode only doo for 20 years. Ski Doo guys seem worse than Harley guys when it comes to thinking their stuff is the end all be all.

Well said. I really like Ski-Doo, but like Harley's, they are the the most blind closed minded of all.

 

[WVTurboLTX]

Well said. I really like Ski-Doo, but like Harley's, they are the the most blind closed minded of all.

At the same time I also ride a Harley. Ha ha. However mine sits higher, has compression, rebound and preload adjustments, is revalved for agressive riding and has enough torque at the tire to stand it on it's tail through 3rd gear. Most harley guys just shake their head when they see me ride.

 

[Dealerjohn]

if your viper had fox float shocks.. there's the answer.. ever se fox floats on a BRP??? NEVER...

I agree, I have a strong dislike for fox air shocks in my skid. especially for doing adjustments.. ski shocks they seem to be ok. and easier to adjust.

 

[KnappAttack]

It's like everything else skidoo pounds their chest about. If you are running the sled to the ragged limit in horrible conditions, then yes, the R-motion is a great rear suspension. At the same time 99% of the people who bought them will never push it that hard. On nice trails I prefer the slide action rear though. No suspension or weight reduction will get me to look past the unreliable rotax 2 strokes or the atrocious throttle lag on their 4 strokes though. This is all coming from someone that rode only doo for 20 years. Ski Doo guys seem worse than Harley guys when it comes to thinking their stuff is the end all be all.

Obviously you've never ridden a 1200 or an R-Motion Ski Doo. They have ZERO throttle lag and will be first off the line EVERYTIME. The lag you READ about is when coming off the throttle when transitioning onto the idle air control valve. Its a NON ISSUE when you ride it normal, but if you're a two-stroke throttle blipper at idle it will seem laggy, but that's not how we ride them.

R-Motion is bar none the best rear suspension ever put into a snowmobile and will ride better with less bottoming than anything to date. The Cat slide-action is not even close the R-Motion yet! The monoshock, forget it. You don't need to ride hard to see the added comfort and anti-bottoming of the R-Motion. I've owned them all with the exception of Polaris and nothing compares to the R-Motion.

Ya, add an MCX turbo kit with no warranty, no built and decompressed motor and no knock protection.

That's why I'm thinking about a Sidewinder when its time to replace my 1200, but don't think a decompressed engine will accelerate hard or be as responsive. I've built tons of turbo Yamahas, low compression and high compression, the decompressed engines get weak down low and though you can make more power on the dyno, the higher compression engine with less HP will out accelerate it in the field, in other words, you can do more with less. Knock control is awesome and the reason I have added it to my 1200.

Wait till you ride the Qs3 setup. Only advantage a R motion with the race shocks has over it is slightly less need to adjust for conditions. To get full benefit of the Qs3 you need to use the clickers. So easy though to adjust.

I've ridden it, and although the Cat has gotten better, so far it is not up to the ride of the R-Motion. Like I said they have a ways to go yet, hopefully for 2017 it is even better yet, but I'm sure the r-motion will be as well. the problem with Cats suspension is it is a falling rate rear suspension, something shocks can not cure. They have to re-do the geometry and make it a rising rate to get it to the caliber of the R-Motion IMO. Polaris did for the ne assault this season, and they did it for a reason.

 

[WVTurboLTX]

Obviously you've never ridden a 1200 or an R-Motion Ski Doo. They have ZERO throttle lag and will be first off the line EVERYTIME. The lag you READ about is when coming off the throttle when transitioning onto the idle air control valve. Its a NON ISSUE when you ride it normal, but if you're a two-stroke throttle blipper at idle it will seem laggy, but that's not how we ride them.

R-Motion is bar none the best rear suspension ever put into a snowmobile and will ride better with less bottoming than anything to date. The Cat slide-action is not even close the R-Motion yet! The monoshock, forget it. You don't need to ride hard to see the added comfort and anti-bottoming of the R-Motion. I've owned them all with the exception of Polaris and nothing compares to the R-Motion.





That's why I'm thinking about a Sidewinder when its time to replace my 1200, but don't think a decompressed engine will accelerate hard or be as responsive. I've built tons of turbo Yamahas, low compression and high compression, the decompressed engines get weak down low and though you can make more power on the dyno, the higher compression engine with less HP will out accelerate it in the field, in other words, you can do more with less. Knock control is awesome and the reason I have added it to my 1200.




I've ridden it, and although the Cat has gotten better, so far it is not up to the ride of the R-Motion. Like I said they have a ways to go yet, hopefully for 2017 it is even better yet, but I'm sure the r-motion will be as well. the problem with Cats suspension is it is a falling rate rear suspension, something shocks can not cure. They have to re-do the geometry and make it a rising rate to get it to the caliber of the R-Motion IMO. Polaris did for the ne assault this season, and they did it for a reason.

I've ridden the 1200 and the 900 ace and I couldn't get off them fast enough. Maybe you dont notice the lag it but I did and couldn't stand it. There is no doubt the rmotion is a better technology. My point was I don't ride where I'm worried about bottoming my suspension on these sleds. These are high milage groomed trail machines for me and a rear suspension isn't enough to make we want to deal with the negatives of the doo. To each their own though. If you like it, awesome. I wasn't that impressed. If I was still cross country racing then sure but that's not what I do on these any more. If the trails are beat to the point that I'm bottoming then I'm riding in the wrong place. That stuff is no fun to me any more.

 

[cannondale27]

Let's talk front suspension and handling then. This front it's the best. So the little you think the rear has trouble with the front more than makes up for. Also unless it's the XRS the R motion will bottom hard if ridden aggressive. These Qs3 just click to 3 in the really bad stuff. i just don't see complaining when there is no trail I have ever found that I could not safely go through pinned right to the bars. Just lifting for corners. I rode a lot with a cat 800 all stock with Qs3 and he could do same as long as he adjusted the clickers to two or three sometimes. Oh and you could do it staying to the right and signaling if traffic came. All while sitting!

 

[KnappAttack]

Let's talk front suspension and handling then. This front it's the best. So the little you think the rear has trouble with the front more than makes up for. Also unless it's the XRS the R motion will bottom hard if ridden aggressive. These Qs3 just click to 3 in the really bad stuff. i just don't see complaining when there is no trail I have ever found that I could not safely go through pinned right to the bars. Just lifting for corners. I rode a lot with a cat 800 all stock with Qs3 and he could do same as long as he adjusted the clickers to two or three sometimes. Oh and you could do it staying to the right and signaling if traffic came. All while sitting!

No doubt there. the front rides awesome on the ProCross. The trouble I have with the ProCross is for sure the ride in the rear, its rough in the stutters yet too soft in the big bumps. Also the fact it just feels way too top heavy and wants to high side in the corners, plus its build quality was horrible in the early years. I hear its gotten better but wonder if its enough to get on par with the Doo.

I hope the Sidewinder is a home run as it will push Doo to bring the turbo to the 1200. If Doo ignores the hypersled market and the sidewinder is all that and a bag of chips, then I'll go that route when its time, but for now I'm not falling for it until I get some quality time on one and it proves itself. After a couple failed Cat and Yamaha purchases, I feel burned enough to never go that blind route again. At one point I said I'd never ever buy another Cat again, especially a Procross, the earlier years had lots of imperfections, issues and warts. Never again untill I see something better than the Doo I'm currently riding.

 

[cannondale27]

No doubt there. the front rides awesome on the ProCross. The trouble I have with the ProCross is for sure the ride in the rear, its rough in the stutters yet too soft in the big bumps. Also the fact it just feels way too top heavy and wants to high side in the corners, plus its build quality was horrible in the early years. I hear its gotten better but wonder if its enough to get on par with the Doo.

I hope the Sidewinder is a home run as it will push Doo to bring the turbo to the 1200. If Doo ignores the hypersled market and the sidewinder is all that and a bag of chips, then I'll go that route when its time, but for now I'm not falling for it until I get some quality time on one and it proves itself. After a couple failed Cat and Yamaha purchases, I feel burned enough to never go that blind route again. At one point I said I'd never ever buy another Cat again, especially a Procross, the earlier years had lots of imperfections, issues and warts. Never again untill I see something better than the Doo I'm currently riding.

Yup that's where the clickers come in handy. Hope you ride and play with them.

 

[super_rash]

i had both the 1200 x and the procross chassis with QS3 in the past two seasons.. i will say, the Doo's rear is the best of all i have tried, and the arctic cat's front is better then the doo's front 4 stroke but comparable to the doo's 2 storke ... both are good, but last year's QS3's need better bottoming out resistance without the harshness... suppposidly this year they are revalved differently but they don't match doo's rear skid yet...