2017 Ski-Doo Renegade Adrenaline XS

If you walked into a Ski-Doo dealer this Fall/Winter, what do you find? It’s all REV-XS and XM sleds, with the exception of a rare 850 TNT, Renegade Adrenaline or Summit SP. The reality is not everyone wants or needs an 850, or can afford one.

This is what we are faced with when people call and ask us about which new sled they should be looking at. We ask them several questions to qualify them, where and how they ride, what is important to them, how much they want to spend, all of the critical considerations. And while we get a large number of riders who constantly seek the wildest, most powerful new hardware available, the masses fall into a lesser category – asking instead what is the best sled they can get. They plan on owning it for several years and want something that will ride and handle well, something proven and reliable, something that we know and trust.

Inevitably they ask a very personal question – what would I buy? Knowing what I know, having ridden every new sled in the past 30 years logging right about 200,000 miles in the process, they seem to think that I can magically tell them exactly what kind of sled is the best match for them. Well, with a few questions, I can usually get them really close. That is my job.

Which brings us to the subject at hand – the 2017 Ski-Doo Renegade Adrenaline. These days it seems as if the 137” track length that we have been praising for so many years is now considered the “new” short track. Granted, if a rider is ONLY going to ride groomed trails then a 129” or 121” sled works perfectly fine, but the 137” Renegade adds to this the increased cargo capability, a more stable platform that won’t send the tail of the sled around you in a corner, and the big one – a sled that works far better if you get that six inches of new snow or if you should want to venture out on an ungroomed forest road. If the rider isn’t a small person down under 160 pounds, then one of the best options there is, year after year, is a 137” sled like the Renegade Adrenaline.

This should be no secret to any of you that have been reading SnowTech for any length of time. You know we like the Renegade Adrenaline. We could name it the best crossover trail sled ever made, and very few could argue the point. It’s like owning a crew cab pick-up truck. You can use it like a truck, use it like a car, it can pretty much do it all, and do it well.

The Ski-Doo Renegade models have become the industry standard when it comes to the most versatile machines on the snow. The combination of the REV-X platforms fitted with the now-legendary rMotion rear suspension and E-TEC (or 4-TEC) engines has proven to be the measuring stick by which all other crossover trail sleds are compared to.

The reason for this is the turn-key experience. These are sleds that truly require little more than gas and go. Turn the key and ride. Smooth, precise, powerful, predictable. And crazy fun.

With the recent addition of the RAS2 front suspension the skis maintain a slight bit of toe-out at full compression so the sled stays straight and true. This really settles the front end and reduces the steering effort, a perfect match for the industry-standard rMotion rear suspension. The machine handles better with less body roll and flatter cornering, making it an exceptional trail sled. Adding to the trail sled character is the Ripsaw I track, extremely durable and best suited for packed trails, light and fast.

The 2017 Renegade Adrenaline (on the REV-XS platform) now comes in three versions, with the 850 now on the just-introduced Gen4 REV platform replacing the 800R E-TEC. This includes the 900 ACE 4-stroke with 90 HP ($10,899), the popular 600 E-TEC with 120+ HP ($11,299) and the 1200 4-TEC ($11,949) producing 130+ HP. The 4-strokes both have the exclusive finger throttle where you can drive with your thumb or fingers by rotating the throttle block on the handlebars.

All of these engines deliver best in class fuel economy and running quality, and there is no wrong choice here. SnowTech test riders have logged thousands of miles on each of these engine packages and we can tell you they are all good. It really comes down to how much power you want, or need to get to where you are going. The 900 ACE is simply outstanding for groomed trail riding and can actually get around quite well in off trail excursions, it’s just not as fast as a 2-stroke. The E-TEC 600 is the best all-around package there is and incredibly light, but admittedly will not last as long as the 4-stroke versions over the long haul. You’ll notice the difference mostly off-trail when you’re trying to maneuver the sled around in the deep. On packed trails it is far less of an issue, so once again no right or wrong answer here, they are all REALLY good.

The icing on the cake is the world-class storage and cargo capability of these sleds. The tunnel length of the Renegade Adrenaline allows you to mount both a gas can and a cargo bag, or two cargo bags, or an accessory seat. The LinQ attachment system makes putting on and taking off the accessories as quick as it can be, with positive security. There is no better way to mount your cargo to a sled.

Adrenaline models are all fitted with non-adjustable high pressure gas shocks all around (rebuildable HPG Plus up front, sealed HPG in the rear), and the Adrenaline sleds also come with a standard gauge and a slightly lower height riser block for the handlebars, along with a decent height windshield, compared to the more aggressive models.

Add it all up – the best ride quality available with, precision handing, industry leading engine options, industry leading cargo and accessory options and we have the most versatile crossover trail sleds you can buy. Pick your engine, pick your color (orange crush or black) and know you have one of the finest snowmobiles ever built.