We’ve had a couple Titan press units over the past few years starting with an 800 Liberty powered, AXYS based unit. That very first Titan we were exposed to set the bar pretty high. However, this latest MATRYX Titan Adventure leaves all former iterations in the weeds.

Frankly I wondered how the 2025 Titan powered by the potent Patriot 650 2-stroke would measure up when ridden 2-up in untrampled snow on the myriad of lakes we have here in Ontario. Last season we were issued a Titan S4 with Polaris’ brand new 4-stroke, 90-plus horsepower ProStar S4 mill, which pulled the big Titan around capably with buttery smoothness. Although it was capable in deep snow, the Titan S4 was no trail rocket. 

Our exposure to Polaris’ Patriot 650 2-stroke has repeatedly left us shaking our heads with its 800-caliber thrust and smooth demeanor. No doubt this motor is an overachiever in every metric of comparison and competitive 600cc engines can’t keep the Patriot 650 in sight. Understand this – I’m speaking about conventional 15 wide trail sleds with 129 and 137-inch tracks. The Titan adds an appreciable amount of weight to the equation and alongside an enormous amount of standard features. 

So, does the Patriot 650 impress when slid under the hood of the Titan? I’m here to tell you the 650 is all the power you’ll need for adventure riding and touring. The sled spools up to a mellow 4500 RPM (give or take) engagement and pulls strong to an 8 grand shift RPM. I’ve yet to sense the 650 is overloaded in the Titan platform. 

Worth noting is the ability of the sled to get on top of and through deep snow. You can literally drive windshield-deep in powder then gently throttle on-top of the fluff. The ProStar S4 powered Titan had strong low-end torque but simply can’t match the 650 2-stroke’s jam.

Interesting features defining what the Titan is about include an ultra-slick-shifting chain case transmission providing high/low/neutral/reverse. There’s a lot of ATVs and SXS vehicles that can’t match the “snick-snick” actuation of this setup. 

Need to reverse when you’re wedged in a tight spot? The Titan’s all-new BackTrak20 rear suspension has a flipped rear track segment that delivers a genuine “angle of attack” in reverse that climbs on top of the snow going forward or in reverse. The next-in-line rear tires act as if they are the rear axle tires. The result? This sled is unstoppable going backwards.

Most potential buyers of a Titan Adventure wonder what riding a 20-wide snowmobile might be like. Good question! The Titan requires you to open your legs wider in the saddle. There’s no side stepping this reality. When mounting you have to avoid the rear passenger hand holds while swinging a leg over the seat and get lined up for landing on the rider’s perch, but once you become accustomed to its 5-inch wider tunnel and seat, you’ll forget about the additional width.

Because the 2025 Titan Adventure is a MATRYX, the inclusion of Polaris’ incomparable 7S interactive display is a premium feature and is easy to operate – even for tech dummies. The rider’s perch is comfy and super warm behind the standard tall windshield and Polaris proprietary Smart Grips are easy to set up and operate underway. 

The removable Lock & Ride 2-up passenger seat features 2-speed heated grips and is super cushy and comfortable and the rear rack can hold copious amounts of whatever you want. Oh, and yes, a super tough rear hitch is standard.

So how does it ride and handle? The Titan takes trail rollers and square edge sucker bumps with nary a shudder. This long and wide track provide enormous mogul bridging ability rider and passenger will immediately appreciate. Handling is more mainstream than you might expect and initial turn-in transitioned easily and predictably into solid mid-turn bite causing little-to-no inside ski lift thanks to the Titan’s all-new TrailBreaker skis.  With a track this long and wide I was expecting a measure of understeer with the skis plowing to initiate corners. Not so. A 150-mile day on trails would be comfortable, predictable and pleasant. 

There’s little doubt snowmobiles – like everything else in the power sports world – are becoming increasingly specialized and the 2025 Polaris 650 Titan Adventure 155 is proof positive of this trend. If deep snow navigation, utility chores and touring prowess are on your specialized list then the Titan deserves a look.    

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Luke was going to ride with me but ended up taking his kids swimming and promised to ride with me the next day when it warms up to minus 9 Celcius.

AJ was on a getaway with his wife and therefore had an excuse. Vern was in Minneapolis at the ISOC Canterbury race and I think he would have ridden with me. He’s into challenges.

However, it was pretty obvious a lot of riders in Central Ontario decided to stay indoors on January 6th 2018 even though the sun was bright, trails had been improving every day and the snow base was solid.

Yet, I probably met less than 20 sleds on a ride that would normally see a Saturday number of 200 to 300 sleds on the trails.

So here’s my point: We are northern people. I mean you and I, the people who ride snowmobiles in the US and Canadian snow belts.

We are built for cold weather and are blessed with the knowledge and equipment to conquer it. Today I rode at temperatures ranging from minus 30 Celcius to a daytime high of minus 22. Was I cold? A little. However I had the luxury of choosing a sled with an enormous windshield, a Polaris Titan Adventure.

This was without a doubt the most important component in allowing me a pleasurable ride. If I had picked a sled with any lower windshield I would not have been able to stay warm, particularly when I was running lakes at high speeds.

We are fortunate to have a sponsorship relationship with a quality clothing supplier. FXR makes quality snow-mo-clothing that’s innovative and exceptionally good looking.

They also produce a new item that made my cold weather ride pleasant. FXR’s new electric gloves are quite simply the best idea I’ve seen in years and this year, with over three weeks of record-breaking cold, they’ve proven 100-percent effective.

If you struggle with cold hands, get a pair of these quality fingered gloves. They are not cheap but one hour into a ride at minus 18 Celcius (zero Fahrenheit), all of sudden, they’re cheap.

This isn’t a commercial, it’s a statement about snowmobiling. I actually rode areas today at speeds generating wind chills close to what NASA astronauts on a space walk are subject to.

I remember a winter like this one with minus 30 Celcius temps. It was about 35 years ago and it was at a time when many sleds didn’t come with hot grips. We rode then, too.

One more thing: I did this ride because I can’t do this in July.