ROACHED 1991 Yamaha Venture
We inspected it so you don’t have too!
The On Snow Magazine and Snowmobiler TV crew is always on the road going to various swap meets and events through the off season and we can’t believe how many Roached out sleds that are for sale. There’s so many that we could write an entire coffee table book on these old blisters. For this issue we zeroed in on a spiffy looking 1991 Yamaha Venture. Fairly priced at $400 CDN or $49 US. As usual when you are deep in the Swap with fresh bills in your pocket the seasoned swappers can smell you coming and have all the persuasive sales pitched rolling off their tongues.
The front bash cone has been well used. You can tell this trail monster has shoved a few sleds out of its way. We were told that if we added a few rivets and a aluminum plate the rest will buff out or we could just add a “cool” sticker.
Sure the front window is missing but that was done to save weight and to pick up a few more miles an hour at your local radar run back in the mid 90s. This was a no brainer back and no need to fact check. Everyone was doing this. The good news is that the push screws have all been kept in place in case you ever find or want to replace it. Talk about thinking ahead.
Stickers and reflectors have all been accounted for and are near mint condition. This is important for when you are pulled over or broken down on the side of the trail at night.
Care of ownership is everything when looking to buy any used vehicle. Check out the tape job here. They were even able to match up the paint near perfect. The swapper told us that if he didn’t show us this damage, we’d never have noticed. Minor fiberglass damage can always be fixed and in the swap a bit of Tuck Tape and Turtle wax goes a long way.
The shifter itself was in good shape. We moved it back and forth and it did move but we weren’t sure if it was actually doing anything. The swapper assured us that Yamaha’s like this one that was built in Japan and were known for their buttery shifting capabilities.
The pogo sticks or Telescopic Strut System (TSS) upfront worked although they squeaked like a dying hamster. Even new TSS back in the day didn’t work ideally in the rough stuff so other than the noise is there any reason to worry about that.
The cockpit on the Venture is simply stunning especially with the uncracked plastic door covering the gas cap giving it some sweet clean lines. Notice the toggle switches for the thumb and handlebar warmers. It just doesn’t get any slicker.
The handlebars and steering post can speak a lot of vehicle history upon inspection. The fancy cover has been removed to show the craftmanship of the custom bar bend to help with highspeed cornering. The removal of the cover also helps to shed some weight for your 90s radar runs. We couldn’t see any cracks in the welds which is where you must look to make sure that there weren’t any severe barrel rolls. A few zip ties to secure the wire mess and this is getting closer to a showroom finish.
We were told that there was no need to open the hood as this engine was fabricated in Japan by the Yamaha Motor Co. Back in the day when new the stock 485cc engine was known to sing like a sewing machine. Normally we would agree with this shifty looking swapper however for $400, we’d like to know if it’s an actual runner.
So much rear travel its ridiculous. We were told that this rear suspension will stand up to everything especially when loaded with two adults. Don’t worry all of the bearings in those wheels are original and so is the shock that has “never had the need to have been replaced”.
MBY MARK BONCHER
an it was a long time coming, but now that we’ve experienced several winter’s on the Catalyst chassis we couldn’t be happier. The newest motor, the 858, has made its way across the Arctic lineup, but we’ve honestly spent more time on the trails with these rippers than anywhere else. That may be why we have written enough articles on them to fill a sled crate!
PRECISE CORNERING AND FANTASTIC PREDICTABILITY MAKE THE CATALYST QUICK AND MANEUVERABLE IN THE TRAILS.
Finally the Cat faithful have a new 160+ hp motor in the trails in a chassis that not only keeps up with the competition, but often surpasses. We’ve talked on and on about the motor, so we are going to keep our comments on that to a minimum here and focus on some other aspects… more importantly what is important to us as riders.
These new Cats have come to market with tons of cool choices, technology, accessories, and everything else that consumers are constantly clamoring for more of. But the biggest takeaway that we (and Cat riders for years) have most importantly put handling at the top of the ‘wish list’… Cat got that part sooo right and we will dive into what that means to sledders across North America.
It starts with the bones!
What we mean is the chassis and underlying engineering that goes into how to best make a sled turn, transition, roll, yaw, fly straight, and not beat you up over a 250 mile day through multiple conditions. The Catalyst chassis is a lightweight aluminum sub-frame and there’s weight savings all around from the seat to the composite running boards, and more. The consolidation of parts and more rigidity throughout the frame, tunnel, and other pieces was a big change from the several iterations of the ProRide chassis. It seemed as though that chassis just kept getting revamped, and revamped to the point that not much else could be done. That’s what made waiting so long for the new chassis difficult on the masses. But the Catalyst is just as good as advertised!
Little things not often seen were then added to the Catalyst like a highly redesigned fuel tank to best distribute the weight of the fuel inside at any given time to cut down on roll and help with predictability. One of the biggest factors in predictability is getting the motor low in the chassis as well. That’s something that the 858 has in spades! The motor is basically the same weight as the earlier released 600, but both use the Cat angled-back ‘laydown’ design and the Catalyst was purpose built to house this as close to the snow as possible on the trails. Many people mistakenly attribute predictable cornering and flat easy movement throughout moguls with shocks first, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. It all starts which a well thought out chassis taking into account all kinds of distributions of weight including rider positioning and many factors.
I’ve had the opportunity to speak with folks from Bosch, Hayes Brakes, and many other behind the scenes companies in powersports making the advanced technologies we see coming into not only snowmobiling, but starting with things like motorcycles, UTVs, etc. is amazing. The computers can do a great job of predicting things like full-vehicle stability, or anti-lock braking, but it’s only as good as what the machine starts off as. Cat’s new chassis is only getting better with the addition of the ATAC shock system, but it was already stellar.
Your next trail sleds have arrived!
It’s been quite a few years since I have debated throwing money down on a new Arctic Cat, and the Catalyst ZR sleds have made me think long and hard about stealing my wife’s bathroom remodeling money out of the savings account. So what are your 858 powered options? Well, let’s start with the Ricky Racers! The ZR R-XC is the cross-country race sled for 2025 and is available to the public with the 858 C-tec motor option. This gets the Fox QS3R racing shocks up front and a Fox 1.5 Zero QS3 in the front track shock, and finally another 2-inch diameter Fox Zero QS3R racing shock in back. This is a stiffer ride for those riders who like to pound the bumps, launch off doubles, and send it to space on those Minnesota farm field road approaches… personal experience, those things can catch ya sleeping!
Next up are the three ZR 858 sleds made for ‘meat of the market’, the ZR 858 with ATAC, the ZR 858 Sno Pro, and the ZR 858. The sled I have had my eyes ever since I rode it is the ZR 858 with ATAC… shocker right? With three electronically controlled suspension modes you can tap and toggle to whatever you feel like, and the piggyback Fox Zero IQS shocks
do the rest! Honestly, I roll about 170 pounds these days and I stayed in the Medium setting, riding not too hot and not too cold, and this ‘best little green riding hood’ setting was used almost the entire time I’ve ridden this sled. Dropping down to the soft ‘plush couch’ setting wasn’t enough on many bumps at speed, and the top ‘firm’ setting should really be more like the ‘Dwayne Johnson Rock’ setting. Joking aside, I’m sure I would use all the settings throughout a winter, in a multitude of scenarios.
The G8 Garmin digital display was the step up we all knew had to happen as well… and is very welcomed on this machine, and a bunch of other Arctic Cat vehicles! Built in GPS, trail maps, connectivity, group ride, and more are things that a lot of people have asked for. Personally, I really only use the maps because I want to disconnect from everything when I’m riding and just take it all in. No music, no phone, nothing suggesting I do something different, just me (and my buddies) on a ‘choose your own adventure’ ride… that’s the experience I like! One more thing, I would get the 137-inch version of all these sleds as you lose less than 1% of
WHAT MAKES THE SNO PRO THE ‘MIDDLE CHILD’ IS THAT IT DOESN’T QUITE HAVE THE SUPER BEEFY SHOCKS OF THE R-XC, OR THE FANCY ATAC SYSTEM, BUT IT DOES HAVE EXTREMELY CAPABLE AC5S PIGGYBACK COMPRESSION ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS ALL THE WAY AROUND.
the turning ability and make up way more in traction, room for accessories, bump bridging ability, and just enough track to not get stuck turning around off-trail in Northern Ontario.
The middle of the pack of these three ZR sleds is the 858 Sno Pro. When I say ‘middle’, I’m a middle child so I ‘identify’ with this sled closely. I’m not about to make people call me ‘Sno Pro’ as my pronoun, but this sled is definitely worthy of the iconic name. The progressive ratio steering on all these sleds make them a breeze to pilot as it not only responds quickly, but predictably. If you work really hard you can feel the electronic power steering working on sleds like the Thundercat, but these ZR 858 sleds make you feel even more connected. There is much less effort than any previous Cat trail sleds, and enough feedback to let you judge trail changes quickly. We love the power-steering, but this is arguably better because you do not have the additional weight from a true EPS system. Combined with the AWS 42 front suspension (that has an adjustable ski stance) this sled is primed for the trail.
What makes the Sno Pro the ‘middle child’ is that it doesn’t quite have the super beefy shocks of the R-XC, or the fancy ATAC system, but it does have extremely capable AC5S piggyback compression adjustable shocks all the way around. I say this all the time, but just a few years ago these would have been the absolute top of the line absorbers so it’s not like you are losing any capability to your buddy who spent thousands more on something else. Like so many things on sleds, shocks and suspension have been ‘dumbed down’ so that there is no real effort that goes into setting up a suspension for you. The middle child often has to put a little more effort in, but at the end of the day it comes down to talent and tenacity, and this sled is a wolf in seemingly sheep’s marketing.
The final sled in this group is the standard ZR 858. This one is the best looking sleds of all the ZR’s for 2025. In matte and glossy black finish with red and grey accents, you would think this was actually the top feline of these kittens. It has IFP shocks in each location, and my many hours on this sled were more than enjoyable. Now, if you weigh 350 pounds
ZERO IQS SHOCKS IN THE ATAC SYSTEM ALLOW YOU TO CHANGE SETTINGS ON THE FLY WITH NO TOOLS OR GETTING OFF THE SLED
THE BARS AND CONTROLS ARE MINIMALISTIC, BUT INTUITIVE, AND THE PROGRESSIVE RATE STEERING MAKES TURNING A BREEZE
THE SMOOTH AND POWERFUL C-TEC 858 MOTOR PROVIDES 160+ RELIABLE HP AT THE SQUEEZE OF THE FLIPPER
WE KEEP GOING BACK TO SMALL THINGS THAT WEREN’T NECESSARILY EVEN NEEDED TO KEEP UP WITH THE COMPETITION, BUT WERE INCREDIBLY SMART! LIKE THE TIME IT TAKES, WITHOUT TOOLS, TO REMOVE THE PANELS AND FULL HOOD ASSEMBLY
and drive like this is the Bandit-mobile then maybe you might want to opt for a bigger rear spring, but you get all the power of an 850+ motor, belt drive system, slide-action rear suspension, and plenty of fun will be had on this ripper! One thing Cat did that was very smart was to put the ATACH system on the rear of all their Catalyst sleds. This one has it too and the system is fantastic! It was one area that Cat (and Yamaha) always lacked behind Polaris and Ski-Doo, but not anymore. In some ways (like the low-profile look and the locking features) this system is superior.
How it really rides?
When you go from a 600-only lineup in a chassis, to offering a much bigger horsepower, 858cc machine, the standard quips always follow. It will vibrate, it will be heavy, it will have more roll and then ski-lift in the corners, it will get worse fuel economy, insurance will be higher, etc. Well, the only one of those things that is true is the
insurance… and let’s be honest, it’s a snowmobile, and if you got to spend $30 more a year in insurance who cares!?!? The 858 does not weigh any more than the 600 did, does not vibrate like the old F1000, is not top heavy with massive steering effort, has incredibly predictable inside ski-lift in the corners (actually it’s difficult to get ski lift until you narrow up the front suspension), has roughly 10% less dry-weight than the ProRide, and the front end and slide-action rear suspension work together like we always wished they would on an Arctic sled. We keep going back to small things that weren’t necessarily even needed to keep up with the competition, but were incredibly smart! Like the time it takes, without tools, to remove the panels AND full hood assembly. People might say what they will about the colors this year, but we’re more worried about making all aspects of the ride better and more enjoyable. If we are lucky enough to have another Cat demo sled this year, it will be in my garage and I’m not sharing it!
BY JASON KAWCZYNSKI
For the model year 2025 season, the theme in snowmobile-land is certainly not “New”. Previously consecutive years of competitive new releases and the changing environment of the industry certainly were factors but there just wasn’t a whole lot of exciting things across the board this year. One of the few new gems that stood out and is at the top of the pack for 2025 is the Backcountry XRS Turbo-R from Ski-Doo. Sometimes putting two things together just makes sense - like peanut butter and jam, ham and cheese, french fries and gravy or Darryl Hall and John Oates. Putting your top of the line 2-stroke turbo motor in a snowmobile commonly used in the mountains is, of course, one of these fantastic matches!
IFyou read On Snow Magazine a lot you likely recall our endless rejoicing regarding the Backcountry line of sleds. If so, you may already be thinking that we are going to deliver more middle school lust on this sled… and you’re not mistaken. Since the Renegade Backcountry came out in the early 2000’s this has been a machine that can do it all and has continued to be a pinnacle of exactly that, one of our favorites for every season since. Strangely enough, the Backcountry is also seemingly the red-headed stepchild of BRP that gets that last slice of dessert in the family. We’re not sure why as the snowmobile media, and riders across the earth, have sung its praises for years. Enthusiasts were forced to wait a season for both the G4/G5 chassis
and again last year for the Turbo-R model offered in both trail and mountain segments. Not breaking this trend of putting our Cinderella baby in the corner, Ski-Doo has finally brought all the goodies on year two of the trail-oriented Turbo-R offerings, to our fave ride in one super awesome fantastic package.
For 2025, there are four main sub-segments of Backcountry models and within these are a lot of different choices for tech, track lengths, sizes, and lots of color choices. But if your eyes are on a turbo, options are limited. There is not much flexibility to order some of the eclectic oddball custom packages available in other sleds. This season you can only get the X-RS in two track choices, that are paired with completely different front suspensions.
THE FRONT END STARTS WITH A BRAND-NEW SPINDLE WHICH GIVES THE LOWER A-ARM ½-INCH DISTANCE HIGHER AND THE UPPER A-ARM MOUNT IS 1-INCH HIGHER.
What’s New?
For 2025 on the Backcountry there is the option of the 43-inch RAS RX front suspension. This is a wider, trail width design dropped into a crossover sled. We can’t help but think this is a late arriving clone of the Polaris Assault that they have been running for many years. It has a wider full width trail oriented long track end but with a shorter lug height. The wider front end has a lot of new tech and BRP focused on making this a super flat cornering sled. It shares a lot of its inspiration and design with their RS race buggy with some tweaks that make this one of the better on-trail, long track models when you look across the spectrum.
The front end starts with a brandnew spindle which gives the lower A-arm ½-inch distance higher and the upper A-arm mount is 1-inch higher. These changes make it noticeably further off the ground. Because of this increased height, the upper A-arm is also different with a curve in it to make sure it clears the body panels. The shock mount has also been moved slightly further out to the widest point allowing it to be situated on the lower arm.
Another big change is the deviation from the 1.6” Cobra track, which was used for years as a base track on most in-season Backcountry models. While the Cobra did do its job, we always felt that it was rather unimpressive. This is being replaced by the new Ski-Doo Storm 1.5 track setup which is a HUGE improvement for the trailish riders. This track has a multi height lugs with a shorter 1.25” height at the outer edges and 1.5” in the center. The design allows it to slide a lot more in a corner than your typical long track sled while still giving you the bite to move some deep-ish snow with the center. We’ve installed 1.5 lug tracks on 137-inch sleds for years with great success running in areas like New Brunswick, Northern Ontario, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, basically locations that are mostly trail, but get plenty of snow.
This edit isn’t about talking about
Polaris, however, one of our biggest complaints with the Assault is that 50/50 riding isn’t always done best with a wide front end. If you are off-trail riding on a deep-snow fire-road in rather straight and sweeping corners, then you were happy with it. But riders that wanted to ride their crossover to be more like a mountain sled
THE 39” VARIANT OF THE BACKCOUNTRY TURBO IS THE PERFECTLY BALANCED CROSSOVER FOR ANY SITUATION YOU CAN THROW AT IT
end. You do have the option to get the mid-width 39” front end on the XRS model. This comes paired only with a 2-inch Powdermax track as the sole option. The Powdermax track has been around for a few years and if this is your thing you already likely know it as well. It’s a great
NONE OF THE BELLS AND WHISTLES WERE SACRIFICED ON THIS FULLY LOADED X-RS
good, while also being able to hang with most mountain sleds when it gets steep and deep. Ski-Doo has given both groups (trail and off-trail) exactly what they want (hint to Polaris) in two entirely different but similarly named packages, and both ride great in their own respect.
Enough of all the talk of the new front end, let’s not forget the most important option is the 850 Turbo-R motor. The Backcountry X-RS comes with the methanol injection tank setup like the other trail sleds from last year which makes a consistent 180hp at any elevation up to 8000 feet then tapers down as you get higher. We
mountains over the past few years and it really is a game changer and does not run out of power when you really need it. At sea level it only gives you about 15hp more than the standard 850 motor, but it feels like more than that with its instant power and zippy acceleration.
Both X-RS variants return mostly unchanged otherwise with KYB Pro shock package, the C-Motion 146” rear skid, and the 10.25” color touchscreen display with BRP connect. There are no complaints here but not much to talk about otherwise. Color choices are limited as always in the X-RS and you get two here. The uber
BOTH X-RS VARIANTS RETURN MOSTLY UNCHANGED OTHERWISE WITH KYB PRO SHOCK PACKAGE, THE C-MOTION 146” REAR SKID, AND THE 10.25” COLOR TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY WITH BRP CONNECT.
popular blacked out package which is slightly different with a mix of black and very dark grey panels, or “Flare Yellow” colorway.
Last Look
We did find a few oddball things that we shook our heads at. First, while you can still get the Backcountry X-RS in the 154-inch track length, you cannot get it with the Turbo motor which seemed like the most likely place that the turbo should have been placed. Even stranger than that, NONE of the backcountry models (including the flagship X-RS) come with the new 4-piston brake caliber that they released
in 2024… they have the old style 2-piston caliper.
At an MSRP of $22,199 US or $25,549 CAD, sleds of this price may be reserved for only those who own castles as they are priced about the same you paid for a new loaded Chevy Z71 4x4 truck twenty years ago. However, in this day and age, this sled comes in a few hundred dollars cheaper than competitive 2-stroke turbo crossover sleds so I guess you can call that a deal if you need to sell the spouse on your purchase. If that’s not enough, you can always pitch that this one sled can replace two in your garage as it is one of the true crossover machines that can really do it all!
RIDER REVIEW
There’s few sleds that I would steal the tether from my riding buddy, but this is one of them! I was not necessarily keen on the wider front end, but it handles fairly similar to the original Backcountry sleds that had a shorter track... which I loved. I’ve spent more demo sled time on Backcountry sleds than any other Ski-Doo machines for a reason, and the 2025 machines continue to be a go-to for me in our cadre of sleds.
CINDERELLA’S CHARIOT GETS MORE ATTENTION
Also new for 2025 is the Pilot RX ski. This is a complete redesign and only available in the 43” front end variant of the Backcountry X-RS. Its overall a wider width with a 2-stage keel, that is much deeper at the front than the previous Pilot ski, tapers lower as you get to the back of the ski for a better on-trail ride.
The sway bar is also a new 2-stage design where it has less ski pressure as you move further into its action. It will initially give you max pressure at the start of the turn but less as you get further into it. This helps give you initial flat cornering but doesn’t cause as much unpredictable ski lift when you really rally through a turn. Basically, it dials out that ‘hook’ you sometimes feel when the ski comes up unexpectedly. The change, in combination with the other updates in geometry, gives you 20% less body roll, per the Ski-Doo engineers, than the previous setup from 2024.
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