6 ENGAGEMENT Scholarships, Cat restocks leaders, remembering snowmobile legends
10FLASHBACK The 1980 Polaris Indy 400 sports a whole new personality
12 SNOWMOBILE CLUB SPOTLIGHT Sno-Bees of Barre
50 SERVICE & REPAIR Maintain the Ski-Doo pDrive Clutch
52 COLD TESTED Castle Freedom Monosuit and an Shocker Hitch
CONTENTS
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6 / V O L U M E 3 6 / N O. 0 4
REGULARS
28
FEATURES
14
28 36 40 48
Smack in the Middle: the 600s
We give the highlights of the 600cc Class of 2026, a motley collection of machines to fit a variety of budgets and wishes. We include ride evaluations of the Ski-Doo MXZ Neo + and MXZ X-RS 600R E-TEC, the Polaris 650 Indy XC and XCR – as well as overviews of the Lynx Rave RE 600R E-TEC and the Arctic Cat ZR 600.
Our Favorite Minnesota Trails
Take it from us: we know how to find a great trail in Minnesota. Why? We’ re based here, we ride here and we’ re engrained in the Minnesota snowmobile ecosystem. We share our favorite Minnesota rides from around the state.
The Vintage Scene at the Big East Classic
A stunning 1971 Skiroule RTX 800 becomes the darling of the Big East Classic vintage snowmobile show in Syracuse, New York, that featured 120 old, restored and oddball machines from the past.
The Full Rotax Experience
T. J. Krob gets a look behind the curtain of the Rotax facility in Austria. He talked to toplevel innovators, saw engine development in progress and took a wild ride on Rotaxpowered karts.
On The Scene from the Manawa Snodeo
Come to Manawa, Wisconsin, for a weekend of laketop racing for snowmobiles, cars, lawnmowers … and racers in swimsuits?
6 ENGAGEMENT Scholarships, Cat restocks leaders, remembering snowmobile legends
10FLASHBACK The 1980 Polaris Indy 400 sports a whole new personality
12 SNOWMOBILE CLUB SPOTLIGHT Sno-Bees of Barre
50 SERVICE & REPAIR Maintain the Ski-Doo pDrive Clutch
52 COLD TESTED Castle Freedom Monosuit and an Shocker Hitch
DEPARTMENTS
04........................ BREAKING TRAIL 54................................. WHAT’ S HOT
/ WHAT’ S NOT
call 763-383-4492