During a few days with the Destination Monts-Valin team, one of the rental snowmobiles was a fabulous 2021 Ski-Doo Expedition Xtreme. This gave me a chance to reconnect with one of my favorite snowmobiles. Although this snowmobile is not a novelty, it still deserves to be seen for its qualities; Versatility, power, agility, comfort, … It has everything to seduce many.
What kind of snowmobiler is it really for? To analyze it properly, I would evaluate it on 3 main aspects: its utility snowmobile capabilities, its performance on trails and its off-trail abilities.
Efficient as a utility snowmobile?
Classified in the utility snowmobile family, the Expedition Xtreme stands out with its more aggressive look than its counterparts in the same category. Moreover, its 165 horsepower gives it an inordinate amount of power compared to its primary vocation of work, and you quickly realize that you’re dealing with a snowmobile in a class of its own, that of the “utility-sports” snowmobiles. As for its ability to accomplish tasks, this snowmobile has everything it needs… or almost.
The heart of the Expedition Xtreme is the Rotax 850 E-TEC 2-stroke direct injection engine, which needs no introduction. In this version, it of course offers all the power needed to accomplish the toughest tasks that cross our minds. As an added bonus, a radiator has been installed in the front under the hood to increase cooling at all times, and it’s virtually impossible to overheat. The best example of this is during the sugar season when the temperature easily fluctuates above zero. I have never had a warning for the temperature being too high.
Another great aspect of the Expedition Xtreme’s utility capabilities is the large rear platform, Multi-LinQ. This allows the Expedition Xtreme to be equipped with a multitude of quick-release accessories. So you’ve got everything you need to get the job done faster and more efficiently.
In addition, the Expedition Xtreme pairs its mechanics with an Easy Shift transmission. This transmission offers both high and low gears to provide even more versatility in the different tasks to be accomplished. The choice to equip this machine with a transmission is a wise one as it offers the best of both worlds between working use and not compromising the “fun factor” too much.
With such a mechanism in your hands, it would be very easy to pull loads up to 1500lb. However, there is a catch. The Expedition Xtreme comes standard with the “standard” rear bumper and it is impossible to pull anything with it. And don’t even think about putting a hitch directly on it, it’s not done and the original bumper is not designed to support forces. So, you have to change the whole rear bumper and then install a hitch to pull it. For a few hundred dollars… At this level, I would have preferred that the manufacturer opt for a bumper and hitch kit to equip this model as standard.
The Expedition Xtreme in trails…
The first thing that comes to mind when you think of riding a 20″ machine on the trails is that you won’t have much fun… Think again! The Expedition Xtreme offers very interesting performance on the trails and blurs the preconceived ideas that we have about big tracks vs. handling. First of all, you get a good feeling on the trails thanks to the powerful 2-stroke Rotax 850 E-Tec engine with direct injection. You can easily feel all 165 horsepower when you hit the throttle, and the track has plenty of bite with its 1.8-inch studs. Acceleration is brisk and acceleration is muscular. All of this is accompanied by the intoxicating sound that is so familiar to the 850 E-TEC.
Although this machine’s size is imposing, especially considering its oversized track, its handling on trails is amazing compared to what we know of other snowmobiles on the market. You can even adopt a driving style that could be considered quite sporty without putting too much effort into it. Granted, the huge 20″ x 154″ track is not as suitable as a 15″ wide track. Also, you feel the extra weight compared to trail snowmobiles. Therefore, you will sometimes feel like you are understeering because the track pushes hard and you have to use more energy to drive. However, the difference is not so great and the pleasure returned to the rider is more than appreciable for a snowmobile equipped with a 20″ wide track.
Speaking of the huge track, the increased traction provides front-end lift every time you give the throttle a generous squeeze. At first, you have to be wary of cornering. However, you learn to manage the throttle at the right moments and I found myself having a lot of fun lifting the front end. This way, you can make beautiful and very long wheelies while feeling completely in control.
For control, the Pilot DS 3 skis come standard on the Expedition Xtreme. These skis are usually installed on mountain snowmobiles. They provide good flotation in powder, but above all, they have a deep center-keel design with a fairly aggressive rail. This way, the skis grip well in turns and curves are easy to negotiate. Handling is also due to the RAS 3 hybrid front suspension with HPG Plus shocks. For the rear, the SC-5U articulated suspension offers noteworthy flexibility and comfort with the KYB Pro 36 shock that can be adjusted efficiently for compression in 22 clicks. The shocks are very well calibrated and the assembly provides a good firmness at medium speed as well as a noticeable softness when the trails are degraded by ”floating” easily over the bumps.
In short, when it comes to trail riding, the Ski-Doo Expedition Xtreme has high-quality mechanical components, well thought-out ergonomics and high performance. So, despite being in the utility segment, this snowmobile is worth considering even if you spend some of your time on the trails.
Is it agile off the trail?
Off the beaten path, the Expedition Xtreme lets you feel at ease. It’s even great fun in heavy snow. With its huge 20″ x 154″ Cobra WT track and 1.8″ studs, you’ll have excellent flotation and plenty of traction in almost any situation. By using the LOW ratio of the Easy Shift transmission, plenty of power and torque are available at low speeds. So it’s easy to get out of the snow in seconds or just zigzag between trees without fear of getting stuck.
A strong point for the Expedition Xtreme is certainly its agility even though it is a big snowmobile equipped with a 20″ track. Indeed, it is really possible to have long hours of fun in off-trail. You can easily swing from left to right to slalom, counter-steer to side-hill, and even jump big obstacles. Of course, it takes more effort to achieve all these feats. However, much less effort than one would expect.
At the time of its launch, the manufacturer liked to say that you get the qualities of a Summit with a 20″ track. Let’s get this comparison straight… It’s true that with the powerful mechanics, the balance of the chassis and the ability to overcome very large obstacles, this comparison can be made. However, you can imagine that there is a “but”. When you want to climb a fairly steep hill, the heavier weight and 20″ track become a good handicap to effectively climb a mountain. I should point out that we are talking about a steep enough incline to stop it. Also, it is not conceivable to be stopped and suddenly start again when we are stopped on a slope. At this point, the butt is sinking fast and I hope you have good friends with you to get you out of this predicament. Nevertheless, if you keep a good momentum, you can climb some impressive climbs and the off-trail capabilities are very interesting
Off-roading is often synonymous with side hill, carving, steep climbs, … However, one should also consider simply moving off the beaten path like crossing frozen lakes or long trips on fresh snow. This is exactly the environment that the Expedition Xtreme was designed for. In these situations, it’s really easy to float on the snow with the skis and oversized track. In other words, a great snowmobile for exploring new snow areas or for the great outdoors without fear of getting stuck.
In order to give an overall picture and summary of my opinions on the Ski-Doo Expedition Xtreme, here is a list of the strengths as well as the improvements I would like to see;
2021 Ski-Doo Expedition Xtreme Test Drive:
Strong points
- Surprisingly capable on the trail and excellent off the beaten path.
- The REV Gen4 chassis offers amazing rigidity and balance for a 20″ tracked snowmobile.
- The huge track offers perfect flotation even in heavy powder snow and the track’s traction with its 1.8″ studs is well adapted.
- Impeccable quality of finish
Areas for improvement
- The Expedition Xtreme should be equipped with a heavy duty rear bumper and a towing hitch compared to the standard bumper. This would allow the Expedition Xtreme to fully utilize its utility vocation without having to pay more.
- The size of this machine is quite imposing. Therefore, the generous dimensions can become a handicap in narrow forest trails.
- No change between the 2020 and 2021 versions. The manufacturer could at least have offered different decals without necessarily having to redo the plastics in another color.
2021 Ski-Doo Expedition Xtreme Test Drive – Conclusion
When you sit on this machine, you feel at ease very quickly and its versatility to provide you with fun in all circumstances gives it a place of choice for many snowmobilers. The Ski-Doo Expedition Xtreme 2021 is definitely one of the most advanced and competent machines in the utility snowmobile segment… while offering the versatility to use it in many other scenarios. If you are someone who is looking for a snowmobile to get things done, to get you to your cabin in the woods, to ride on trails, to zigzag in the powder, etc., I would definitely recommend it! I recommend it without hesitation!
The Passion Motoneige team would like to thank Destination Monts-Valin for making this trial possible.
