Ski-Doo Product Updates for 2019

There have been several improvements to the 2019 Ski-Doo snowmobiles since their introduction last Spring, some of which have been noticed by dealers and consumers alike as these sleds have been arriving at the dealerships.

Ski-Doo had announced some of these changes at their dealer meeting in February, but Ski-Doo recently sent out a communication to their dealers to better clarify and finalize the changes.

The most easily noticed change will be an air intake vent on the left side panel for all Summit, Freeride, MXZ, Backcountry and most Renegade E-TEC powered models (Renegade Enduro will not have this). This is a product improvement being made to these 2019 models for additional CVT system cooling, and likely the only outward visual cue customers will see as they visit dealer showrooms.

Behind the left side panel there is also additional ducting and a new belt guard that directs air for cooling from the new intake vent to the secondary pulley. There have been some early comments on social media channels about the vent, but contrary to many of those comments, this is an intake cooling vent, not an exhaust vent.

There are more specific improvements that have been made to each model based on their expected use, which include combinations of new engine mounts (specific designs for mountain or trail use), a finned secondary pulley, new pulley calibrations and the additional intake ducting mentioned above. All Summit and Freeride 850 E-TEC models receive new pulley calibration (both sea level and high altitude versions). The exact changes depend on the exact model in question. All models get the new belt guard, and all models except the Renegade Enduro get the side panel duct. All deep-snow models get the finned secondary, but only the extreme deep-snow sleds get the MAG engine mount. Finally, all models get the new PTO engine mount, with the Summit, Freeeride and Backcountry 2.0” sleds getting mountain-specific versions. Again, these specific improvements have been made to each model based on their expected use.

For those with REV Gen4 snowmobiles that experienced premature belt failure, Ski-Doo invites them to visit their dealership. Warranty Bulletin 2018-10 has been issued to provide assistance in resolving any issues. Investigation of 2018 sleds that experienced premature failures identified the issue was localized in very specific conditions (altitude, snow conditions and riding styles) and related to engine movement plus clutch clamping force; the new mounts along with an updated CVT calibration are expected to resolve this.