Luke dives in deep into the inner workings of Polaris’ DYNAMIX Semi-Active snowmobile suspension and how this technology, which was originally developed for off-road, has been successfully adapted to snow providing even smoother ride and handling.

Then Luke takes a closer look at MBRP’s all-new auxiliary lighting kits for your snowmobile that adds considerable illumination delivering a safer ride and a clearer view while riding at night or in low light conditions.

Then in TEST RIDE AJ reviews Ski-Doo’s in-season trail option, the 2025 MXZ Adrenaline 600R E-TEC featuring the all-new RAS RX front suspension.

Are you loving all the SHOOTOUTS this season?! This week we’re pitting three of the highest tech, 850-class, naturally aspirated snowmobiles offered this season against one another.

The fellas break things out into into several categories evaluating how our contenders perform in each and then select an overall winner, featuring the MXZ XRS 850 with SMART-SHOX, the Patriot 850 Indy VR1 with DYNAMIX and the ZR 858 CATALYST with ATAC!

However, this latest iteration with a more or less “custom” powerplant changes the game and elevates the cache of the XCR moniker in a significant way. The 9R engine boasts oh-so-close to 180-hp with huge torque numbers in the midrange while its running mate the Patriot BOOST makes arguably just a touch more than 180-hp. These numbers are extrapolated from dyno reports on the base Patriot 850 engine that produces 165-hp. 

Moreover, Polaris didn’t call us up and tell us our estimates are wrong – which is not unlike being right. Not to worry. The XCR 9R is a formidable weapon delivering agile handling, amazing bump control and lake-shredding top end thrust. 

Now, let’s talk about the Indy VR1 with DYNAMIX. This is truly one of MY25’s standout new models. Polaris has been working with semi-active offroad suspension for more than five years, debuting the technology on their ridiculously popular RZR Pure Sport Side x Side. DYNAMIX is completely different than any other adjustable snowmobile suspension. While competitive semi-active snowmobile suspensions use a series of sensors mounted on the shocks, DYNAMIX uses a sophisticated chassis-mounted “IMU” (Inertial Measurement Unit) that measures the inertia of the sled. 

The IMU processes chassis pitch, roll and yaw as well as the sled’s ground speed to garner the best response from the snowmobile’s shocks under the widest range of circumstances. In particular, DYNAMIX monitors 3 key active events. (i) Acceleration and Deceleration, (ii) Cornering and (iii) Air Born (or when there is less than 1G of force to the ground). The system constantly monitors and adapts resulting in flat, controlled, and predictable handling. 

There’s more. DYNAMIX is the only semi-active snowmobile suspension controlling all four electronic shocks, specifically, the front arm coilover shock. Employing this mid-chassis damper is especially noticeable for the MATRYX chassis with its Bite vs Lite handling characteristics. 

Is DYNAMIX the best working semi-active suspension system for snowmobiles? Further evaluation this coming winter will answer that, but we can categorically say DYNAMIX makes a positively profound impact on handling. 

One more thing – and it’s a biggy: There are three selectable DYNAMIX modes the rider can choose from as terrain dictates. These modes and exactly what they’re doing underneath you can be tracked instantaneously on the 7S display. That, my friends, is too cool.

It’s no secret Polaris has been working with semi-active suspension control in its off-road side-x-side vehicles for quite some time now. We’ve been driving DYNAMIX-equipped RZRs since about 2018 and after this much exposure to DYNAMIX and its benefits we have to say we have the highest respect for this technology and we suspect that after one ride, you will too.

You might be wondering if DYNAMIX is the same as SMART-SHOX and here’s the important detail that sets DYNAMIX apart. While SMART-SHOX gathers, processes and adjusts both compression and rebound damping using accelerometers on the front IFS and rear arm shocks, DYNAMIX is notably different as it gathers suspension inputs using a chassis-mounted Inertial Measurement Unit or IMU.

The shocks on the front IFS, front arm and rear arm do not assimilate information to the IMU. The IMU is constantly reading the movements of the sled’s chassis. Things like roll, pitch, accelerative G-forces and braking effects on the chassis. All this information is processed by the IMU, then communicated to all four shocks making necessary compression adjustments to all four to keep the chassis level fore, aft and side to side.

A simple example is what DYNAMIX does on a WOT (wide open throttle) take-off. As the sled’s track gets bite, the IMU senses the rear of the chassis squatting under accelerative forces and immediately stiffens the rear arm to control chassis pitch. You can actually feel this intervention.

The same situation occurs when the sled is pushed into a turn at speed. The chassis will start to roll to the outside causing the IMU to increase damping on the outside front IFS shock – effectively levelling the chassis side to side.

Catch a bit of air and the IMU makes adjustments to all four shocks to compensate for harsh landings based on speed and hang time.

This kinda stuff is happening hundreds of times a second. The good news? You can feel it and you’ll be a more confident rider because of it.

Making the system even more impressive is the rider’s ability to track what each shock is doing right on the 7S screen in each mode you select. Toggle between COMFORT, RALLY and EXTREME based on your riding style and you can actually see compensation levels rise and fall for each shock represented on screen.

That’s a brief and elementary run through DYNAMIX. What it is and does is overwhelmingly impressive and we’ll be sure to share more about this technology with you in the weeks ahead.

Check out ALL the 2025 Polaris Sleds HERE!

For the record, Sneak Peek is held in late January or early February at a top secret location each one of the OEMs selects annually. It’s not a West Yellowstone Snow Shoot event as each OEMs runs a private party with only select in-sport media invited. As you can imagine, the list of media participants has been getting somewhat shorter the past few years.

So here goes with what we think Polaris may show us at its 2024 Sneak Peek.

DYNAMIX

We think Polaris will unveil its highly effective, semi-active Dynamix suspension system on at least the Indy MATRYX VR-1. The snowmobile intro of this technology is actually about a year overdue with Ski-Doo, Arctic Cat and Yamaha offering their own semi-active systems.

This technology is not cheap to develop or produce, so expect it to be available only on top-of-the-segment models and only on Snow Checked Polaris models.

TURBO 4-STROKE

We’ve rumored we expect Polaris to take its 4-stroke program (S4) to more models in 20224. However, we think it is not beyond the realm of possibility for the new 1000cc Pro Star S4 to get the Boost treatment.

Think about this: The 1000cc Pro Star engine used in the S4 has been turbocharged to produce 180 HP in select RZR off-road SxS vehicles.

Simply put, that engine can inhale copious quantities of compressed air literally jammed down its throat with nary as much as a cough. Bolting a turbo onto the Pro Star S4 mill can’t be too difficult… can it?

XCR BOOST

Next issue requiring speculation: The insertion of the Boost 850 Patriot into the XCR platform. We think this is a no-brainer with the ditch banging crowd always looking for more lift-off power on the “approaches”.

While the Boost 850 VR-1 fits nicely into the rider profile it’s intended for, there’s more than just “lake racers looking for a Boost-equipped bump runner”.

The XCR Boost should come with a 137 out back like the VR-1 Boost. A 1.5 Camso Shredder would be practical on an XCR Boost.

GAUGE TECH

Here’s a long shot, but, hey, this is what we do at Sneak Peek time. I think we might see a new standard gauge to replace the long-in-the-tooth PID cluster. Ski-Doo not only upped its deluxe display to 10.2 inches but it improved its “base model “info center for 2023.

The PID does not allow easy access to the settings supporting the new Smart Grip thumb and handwarmers. A new display would surely include improved access to the excellent heaters similar to the S-7.

That’s about it for our Polaris predictions and wishes for MY 2024. Maybe you have a few guesses too so let’s hear it!

What About Dynamix? Clearly, Polaris and Ski-Doo are in an intense season of competitive product intros. There’s little doubt Polaris has evaluated Ski-Doo’s (and Can-Am’s) Smart-Shox semi-active suspension control system.

Dynamix is fully developed and, more importantly, highly effective on numerous RZR SxS off-road models in MY 2022. Sliding the entire system including myriad sensors, electronic controls and sophisticated switchgear onto the MATRYX platform should be – mostly – a no- brainer. Okay, it does take a lot of fertile brains to develop active suspension.

Ski-Doo has had ridiculous success with its Smart-Shox option. How successful? Smart-Shox availability was sold out before Spring Break concluded last April. Truth is, if you had the opportunity to try a Smart-Shox equipped MX-Z or Renegade you were likely overwhelmed by the tangible improvement the set-up delivers.

Frankly, we think Dynamix and Smart-Shox for dirt-destined off-road vehicles is impressive but Smart-Shox on a Ski-Doo is more impressive than on a Can-Am. We would expect the same degree of effectiveness from a Dynamix system tweaked for snowmobile use.

For those who may not be up to speed on exactly what semi-active suspension is about, let’s discuss it briefly. Ski-Doos with Smart-Shox have accelerometers on the front ski shocks. If you look closely at the front suspension of a G-5 Ski-Doo, you’ll see what looks like another sway bar drop link. It’s not. It’s a linkage connected to a sensor (accelerometer) that reads both velocity and the amount of movement of the right and left front suspension when encountering terrain. The info is passed to a Smart-Shox specific ECU which responds to suspension movement by stiffening or softening the front suspension shocks damping. It doesn’t end there. The ECU talks to the rear suspension front arm and rear arm shocks simultaneously and makes them ready for whatever terrain the front IFS just swallowed. Another accelerometer is attached to the rear shock for exactly the same purpose as the front suspension sensor.

All of this whiz-bang techno sophistication produces what we at SnowTrax and Supertrax have proclaimed is the hands down best ride quality of any snowmobile built today. Ski-Doo developed the Smart-Shox system and KYB produces it. Polaris Dynamix was developed in tandem with Fox.

With Polaris intent on continuing a market share battle with Ski-Doo, we have to think the next big thing for them is the adaptation of its SxS Dynamix suspension technology to its snowmobiles.

Stay tuned.