AJ does a deep-dive into the extensive Polaris 2-stroke snowmobile engine lineup including the Patriot 650, 850, BOOST and 9R highlighting each engine’s unique attributes and strengths over previous generations of Polaris engines.

Then Luke explores the expanded versatility of the Ski-Doo Backcountry snowmobile line-up and how there’s pretty much a Backcountry model for just about any level of rider whether your focus is riding mostly on-trail or off.

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.    

Although there’s no official rule that 850ccs should be the largest allowable displacement for a 2-stroke sled’s engine, Arctic Cat, Polaris and Ski-Doo have all ended up at this number. The question is: Why has “850” almost universally become the benchmark?

From the conversations I’ve had with people who are in the know, people who eat, breath and sleep snowmobiles and the technology required it takes to build them, the 850 zone provides what is largely accepted as the biggest displacement you can use to build a 2-stroke twin without having it vibrate you and the sled it’s mounted in right off the trail and into the ditch.

This seems like a compelling enough argument, except for one thing. Until Ski-Doo introduced the G5 REV platform and Polaris landed the Patriot 850 in the MATRYX, both these manufacturers had an 850 with some uncontrolled shaking.

Flying in the face of these last couple paragraphs Polaris goes full speed ahead developing a Patriot-based variant called the 9R. Its team knew full well the risks of creating an uncivilized engine when the 9R project embarked. The engine is every bit as smooth and buttery as the 850 Patriot mounted in a MATRYX chassis due in part to two unrelated issues.

First, Polaris developed a new motor mounting system employing five mounts. This looks after any and all vibrations emanating from the naturally aspirated 850, Patriot BOOST and now the 9R. Second, the 9R uses a special lightened crankshaft which further calms the engine making it feel completely refined.

Here’s the issue on everyone’s mind. What’s the power output of the 9R when compared to the other two 850 Patriot variants? Let’s assume the naturally aspirated 850 makes 165 HP. Polaris claims the Patriot BOOST produces 12 more horsepower than that, which for sake of argument let’s say that amounts to just shy of 180 horsepower. So what about the 9R in comparison? Polaris claims the 9R produces 9 more ponies than the naturally aspirated 850, which we can say amounts to approximately 175 horses.

Unfortunately, at this spring’s Snowshoot event in West Yellowstone we couldn’t accurately perform any meaningful comparisons of the BOOST versus the 9R. Why? The Boosted (turbocharged) 850 doesn’t know it’s at 6600 feet elevation in West Yellowstone. It automatically adjusts its wastegate to bring the engine back to its maximum programmed horsepower.

The 9R doesn’t use a hairdryer to make power so any of the numbers posited above mean absolutely nothing at 6600 feet. Truth is the 9R is faster than an 850 but to compare it to the BOOST would be meaningless until we get our hands on both engines in comparable chassis like an XCR 9R 136 and a VR1 BOOST 137 at sea level.

So, here’s what I can tell you. The 9R knocked our socks off with its low inertia crank spooling up like its telepathically hooked to your thumb. The engine feels super smooth at both idle and engagement. At trail speeds it would be impossible to perceive any difference between the civility of the 9R and a stock Patriot 850 except for one noticeable trait. Throttle response felt extra urgent and strong at trail velocities. Corner-to-corner acceleration is immediate and without humps or bumps.

Would I pony up the extra cash to buy a 9R? Yep, I would. There’s so much cache with having one of these rockets, I find it pretty much irresistible.

So, would I walk by the 9R for an 850 Boost? Doggone it, that right there might be the toughest question for MY25.

AJ is joined by SUPERTRAX Magazine Test Pilot Jon Legato as they seek out the ultimate backcountry adventure offered by Grizzly Lodge in the snow-covered wonderland of western Canada.

In a special TRAIL TECH segment, AJ demonstrates the advantages of outfitting your truck or SUV with a set of Hercules Avalanche TT winter tires, which are designed to get you through winter’s most extreme conditions.

Then in TEST RIDE, Luke pushes the limit of the 2024 Polaris 650 Indy XCR to see how well this race-bred, high-performance sled attacks the toughest terrain.