Which Track Length Is Right For You?

It wasn’t too many years ago your basic track length choices were 121” (short tracks) and 136” (mountain sleds). While the aftermarket dabbled with longer tracks, it wasn’t until Yamaha introduced their 141” Mountain Max 700 that the track length wars really began on the OEM level.
Part of the growing popularity of longer tracks can also be attributed to the newer, more powerful engines. Back in 1988 a 500cc Polaris liquid cooled was pretty powerful; their top dog was a 650 triple, making not much more than 100 HP in stock form! Big power was needed to spin tracks that were longer and heavier than 136”. Triple-piped triples could make the power, but suffered from the extra weight of the extra cylinder and associated hardware and plumbing. Now days, lighter 800 and 900 twins crank out anywhere from 140-160 HP, and now we have track lengths all the way up to the absurd; 159” and 162”!

So how do you decide between a 121”, 128”, 136”, 141”, 144”, 151”, 159” and 162” track lengths? Quite simply and generally, shorter is better for turning in sharp corners and tight trails, while longer provides more flotation. Everything in-between is a matter of balance from tight-turning agility and bottomless powder flotation. Shorter is lighter, longer is heavier. Shorter requires less engine power to spin the track, while longer tracks suck up more power for an equal track speed.

Shorter generally turns tighter and quicker, making them the length of choice for most packed or groomed trail conditions. As the trails get wider, added length does increase the stability and an improved ride comfort from the “bridging” effect of the longer wheelbase. But a longer length is almost always selected for a desired amount of flotation. Getting through the deep snow is what it’s all about. Picking your way through the trees at slow ground speeds through deep, fresh powder without the rear of the sled trenching down is something the longest tracks do so very well.

So if we ride in the mountains, why don’t we just go for the longest track available and be done with it? Because the longer the track is, the more of a tendency the sled will have to go straight rather than turn. This could be noticed as pushing in a corner, or in the amount of rider input required to side hill, turn or aggressively maneuver through the snow. For instance: a sled with a 144” track will be much easier to maneuver than a sled with a 151” track, and the same applies when going from a 151” to a 159” track. Polaris models reduce this tendency on harder packed snow with their “tipped up” rails that lift the rear of the rails up off the snow, but in deeper or heavier snow this still applies.

It’s kind of a “Catch 22” where, on the longer track in deep snow, you can slow down without getting stuck, but it definitely takes more effort to turn and maneuver it. A more aggressive ski will help to reduce the effort required, but this requires a match of rider effort and snow conditions to the track length.

To pull the 159” and 162” tracks, you need the most power you can get. This means top dollar units from the OEMs or aftermarket. Yes, the longest tracks will provide the ultimate flotation in bottomless snow, but they are a longer “train” that requires a higher skill level of rider to stay out of trouble. But wait! Wouldn’t the longest track make it easier for a less experienced rider to get around? To a point, yes, but herein lies the problem. These units are the highest powered offered, not something for beginners. They do deliver a level of performance in that you can take it to places that require experience to recognize danger and the ability to get back out of!

These monster length tracks are not exactly corner-carving on tight forest roads, let alone flat-cornering motoring down a trail. Typically, the rear suspensions are set up for plenty of weight transfer to the rear when you goose it, lifting the skis to carry them up and over the deep snow. Again, not as controllable on forest roads and trails.

And there is the subject of turn-outs. This is where experience makes the difference between knowing when to turn-out and come back down the hill and when to keep climbing and when to bury the back end so you and the sled don’t go rolling to the bottom. Higher-powered sleds with longer tracks climb higher, and they take a bit more time effort to get pointed down hill when you decide you’re high enough. Here, rider skill and experience should closely follow the track length. Generally, the longer the track the greater the amount of rider input required.

Past rider skill, perhaps the biggest qualifier would be the typical snow conditions where you ride. Areas that receive copious amounts of deep, fresh powder know full well how the added track length allows them to float through deeper snow every year. For them, packed trails and flat-cornering are about as irrelevant as sand on the beach at Hawaii.

So maybe you don’t live right in BC or don’t ride in the super-deep December powder enough to need the extra weight and length of the longest tracks. Do you go with a 151” or a 144”? All other things being equal, the longer 151” will provide better flotation than a 144” track in very deep snow. In many cases, a 144” sled will out climb the 151” in conditions where the snow isn’t as deep or fluffy, primarily due to the engine’s ability to maintain a higher track speed. Depending on the snow conditions (or time of the day, soft/hard snow) track speed outweighs flotation.

The 144” track length has pretty much been the better balance between deep snow (not bottomless) and performance on loose snow covered trails. For many areas, this length is the better performer in hill climbing due to the increased track speed – again, as the snow gets deeper, the track speed advantage gives way to the added flotation from an even longer track length. This length is best suited for less experienced mountain riders or first-time mountain sled buyers, typically with an engine that isn’t as all-out powerful as the bigger cc power plants found in the longer track sleds. Here we find more 600s and 700s, with the 800s and the 900s and 1000s in the longer 151s and 159s (and now 162s).

But if you’re more of a mountain rider and despise riding forest roads and trails, you’ll likely find the 151” track length to be the better “all around mountain sled”. Still able to ride down the trail, but clearly better when it snows three feet that night.

So far, all of these track lengths we’ve been talking about have been in the 2” lug height category, There are also 144” and 136” track lengths offered by the OEMs with a lower 1.25” lug height. These are clearly designed for a higher percentage of use on packed trails. This lower lug height is required to provide adequate hyfax and suspension lubrication when used at higher speeds on packed snow. This single requirement can be an instant disqualifier for many who may be considering a 2” lug height for use on trails or forest roads. With a new track somewhere well over $500, it still amazes us to see the number of people who ride a 2” mountain track on hardpacked trails. This not only quickly melts the hyfax, as the lugs keep the track belts up out of the snow and their desperately needed lubrication, but more importantly causes the internal temperature of the track to increase. This leads to ripped and torn off lugs, and internal damage to the inner components of the track. Heat ruins tracks! For this reason, 2” lug tracks are greatly frowned up for use on packed trails. Stupid!

The 136” and 144” track lengths with 1.25” lug heights are gaining in popularity, especially for the 2004 model year. For a while, only Polaris offered their SKS models in this vein, followed by Ski-Doo’s MX Z Renegade models. Now for 2004, Yamaha adds a 136” x 1.25” version of their four-stroke 1000cc RX-1 (RX Warrior) and Arctic Cat brings back their EXT moniker in the form of EXT (144”) versions of their Firecat and Sabercat models.

All of these longer-tracked trail sleds offer added flotation as the snow gets deeper, but perhaps as attractive is the improved ride comfort and stability from the added length. And yes, as the trails or forest roads get tighter and narrow, the amount of effort is slightly increased to get the longer sled around the corners. Bigger, stronger riders have less of an issue with this than smaller, lighter and less physically endowed riders, making these sleds better suited for “big guys” than the runt of the litter.

Generally, if you spend a vast majority of your time on groomed trails, the longer track is more of a ride and stability thing. This is a super popular set-up for those who ride thousands of miles each year on very long rides. If the percentage of lake and off-trail use is greater, or you ride in a blessed area that gets more than their fair share of snow, you can take advantage of the added flotation while retaining adequate cornering capabilities.

Hey, we forgot to talk about wider tracks! Also new for 2004 is Ski-Doo’s wider 16” tracks. While we’ve got a few miles on Summits fitted with various lengths of these wider tracks, it is pretty safe to say each sled acts more like a longer tracked one in terms of flotation; a 144” x 16” acts more like a 151” x 15”, yet is more maneuverable due to the shorter length. For this reason, we doubt tracks will get longer - we’ll most likely see more models with wider tracks in an effort to better balance flotation with manuverability.

Ultimately, riders need to find the perfect fit for their weight and riding style verses the track length that they prefer. Exclusive trail users ride 121” sleds. Exclusive powder hounds know longer is better. The rest of use who ride a combination of places and conditions select something in between, based on prevailing snow conditions, riding styles, personal preferences, how fast we want to go and how deep our pockets are. If any packed trail use is going to happen, don’t go taller than 1.25” lug height. If you’re a mountain rider, balance the snow conditions with how you ride and your experience level to determine the best length for you. Some days you will have the right length, some days you won’t. The trick is to predict which sled will be the best sled more days than not. And despite your best educated guess, sometimes good old Mother Nature will be the deciding factor.