COMPARISON / MOUNTAIN SLEDS
Ski-Doo Summit X 850 E-Tec 154
Ski-Doo Summit X 850 E-Tec Turbo R 154 Expert Package
HANDLING ⊲
This machine is classic Ski-Doo. It retains all of the good behavior that the Summit X has brought to the line. It’ s for the everyrider who wants the ride to blend seamlessly, regardless of the terrain type.
SKIS ⊲
DS3 skis give a little hook and pop flip to the outside when zooming a turn while also twitching a bit more on rough terrain.
MOUNTAINSIDE CHATTER Ski-Doo Summit X 850 E-Tec 154
SUSPENSION ⊲
The rear coilover is an awesome aim for reducing weight.
ENGINE ⊲
We’ ve been blinded by boost for so many years that this naturally aspirated sled brought back good feelings( especially with the weight savings that make the sled quicker). the A-arm( 0.5 pounds), the S module( 1.5 pounds), the airbox( 1 pound), rear shock( 2 pounds), track( 2 pounds), tunnel( 5 pounds) and snowflap( 0.06 pounds).
A lot of creative engineering went into the weight loss. The upper A-arm went from welded chromoly with a Heim joint to forged aluminum with a nice bearing. Finite element analysis identified places to shave weight from the S module, the structure that attaches the A-arms to the frame, such as using a truss system rather than full extrusions.
The X tunnel got cropped to resemble the Expert length and profile, with less tunnel hanging past the rear idler wheels. In addition, the heat exchanger reduces the amount of coolant needed by about a half-quart.
The rear skid abandoned its two torsion springs in favor of
26 / FEBRUARY 2026 / SNOWGOER. COM