Snowmobile Ski Doo 600 Summit SP 2021
The new 600cc engine in the G4 Summit chassis feels like it has a slightly larger cubic capacity. And no wonder, because their next engine, the 850 cc, was built using exactly the same technology, so we can say with confidence that the 600 is the younger brother of the 850. But small doesn't mean small, as the new 2021 Ski Doo 600 Summit SP, available in two sizes - 146- and 154-inches - is an interesting and quite powerful sled that is built on the same chassis as the 850cc.
We invited the Arctic Cat 2021 Alpha One Mountain Cat and the 2021 Polaris Pro-RMK 850 to one of our 800cc sled comparisons, and we really wanted the Ski Doo G4 Summit X 165 to be included to compare it with the first two. And at the same time, we took the Ski Doo 600 Summit SP 2021 with us, like a younger brother who tagged along with his older brother to a party.
Make no mistake, the two 850cc sleds (the big Summit and Pro-RMK) and the 800cc sled (Alpha One) were a hell of a lot of fun. But the 600 cc Ski Doo G4 Summit SP, which turned out to be a “warm-up” for a more serious team, prepared the public to correctly perceive large devices.
First up in 2021 are the G4 Summit X and SP850. Then in 2018 Ski Doo released the G4 850 in Freeride and 175 configurations. But at various closed events we asked several times whether there would be a G4 Summit 600 or for example a 650 made on the same base as the 850? Every time we were told “Maybe” and “We are working on it” and “We need to do research on sales dynamics” and “We would not want to create just a low-power snowmobile for rental shops.”
All this is translated into ordinary human language as -Yes! One common large chassis and a range of engines of different cubic capacity. Wait and he will appear.
And he appeared.
The 600cc Ski Doo Summit SP 146 and 154 are identical in every aspect to the similarly sized 850cc Summit SP - the 850 SP features a PowderMax Lite track with three-inch lugs. When we said that the 600 is the youngest 850, we said it absolutely seriously. The E-TEC's liquid-cooled, direct-injection, two-stroke, 600cc engine is identical to the E-TEC 850 except for bore and stroke, and the 600 lacks intake booster injectors (which would be nice). Like the 850, it has eRAVE exhaust valves.
The cylinder diameter of the 600 is 72.3 mm, and the piston stroke is 73 mm. It spins up to a maximum of 8100 rpm, which is 200 more than the 850. Ski Doo claims the new 600 has 30% better throttle response than the previous 600. On the dyno, 125 horsepower was removed from this engine.
Several track options are available when purchasing the 600 SP: PowderMax II with FlexEdge technology and PowderMax Lite with FlexEdge technology. For PowderMax Lite, the toe height can be 2.5 inches or 3 inches. The best choice will likely be the PowderMax Lite with three-inch lugs. This 600cc baby spins the 16-inch high-hook track effortlessly.
Another good tip is to take the package with SHOT (Start Hot) - a capacitor electric start system, with which the first start of the day is carried out using a manual starter, and then during the day you can start the engine by pressing a button, while the weight of this system is significantly less than weight of a traditional electric starter.
The distance between the skis of the device is variable, a choice of 91 cm and 95 cm. The leading star for a length of 146 inches is eight-tooth, and for 154 inches it is six-tooth. The driving pulley is pDrive with clickers and the driven pulley is QRS.
The front suspension of the 600 is RAS 3 with HPG shock absorbers. The rear suspension is tMotion with HPG shock absorbers both front and rear. The rear suspension has 23.8 cm of travel and the slightly shorter front suspension has 21.6 cm of travel. The external spring HPG shock absorbers work excellently, absorbing bumps and keeping the skis firmly on the slope.
Let's turn to our test pilots and give you their thoughts on the 2021 Ski Doo 600 Summit SP.
Ski-Doo Summit SP 600HO E-TEC 154 – TEST
2014 onwards, 594.4 cm3, 120 l. s, 206 kg, 529,000 rub.
text: Yuri Solonovich photo: Roman Romanishin
in the photo: Yuri Solonovich
>>After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the development of technical sports in our country almost completely stalled. The meager funding of DOSAAF structures led to oblivion and the total disappearance of sports motorcycle and auto clubs, and even today, in the age of active and profitable trade in hydrocarbons, the situation in this area, unfortunately, remains virtually unchanged. The most unpleasant thing is that during this forced post-perestroika downtime, we have practically lost the main thing - the culture of educating our younger generation.
After all, it was in the Soviet semi-basement sections and workshop circles that the first rules of existence in human society were laid into the fragile and not yet intoxicated brain lobes of young technology lovers, instilled in the skills of handling working tools and passed on invaluable experience in the operation and repair of two- and four-wheeled equipment. Here, in the oily walls that smelled of gasoline and 2-stroke exhaust, the first worldly and not-so-wisdom was conveyed to the young blockheads, which in our time, unfortunately, not many people remember. For example, people have completely forgotten that when dealing with powerful sports equipment, you should always go from small to large, from a small rental kart to a Group A rally car, from a 50 cc two-stroke to an adult motocross motorcycle. It is precisely because of this “forgetfulness” that today “liter” sports bikes, 450 cc cross-country equipment and snowmobiles equipped with engines of maximum volume and power are especially honored...
The widespread development of mountain snowmobiling has led to the emergence of a completely new class of machines. Powerful and lightweight, equipped with long tracks and serious 2-stroke power plants. But, as it turned out, the use of such technology is justified only in a few cases: in the mountains, the slopes of which are covered with really deep snow (for such conditions, it would be nice to equip the snowmobile engine with a turbine or supercharger...), or when the rider has good theoretical and physical training. After all, not everyone needs the exorbitant performance characteristics of an “adult” mountain biker! For example, the use of a powerful snowmobile in low-snow areas of the Central region of Russia is generally not very justified... Or consider the case when a future star of the slopes (especially if it is a child or a woman) has just begun to master snowmobile technology. It is in these situations that the power of the 800cc 2-stroke engine will hinder rather than help the novice rider. This is where the entry-level “mountain bike” comes into the arena - the Ski-Doo Summit SP 600HO E-TEC 154. The “Baby Summit”, like its “big brother”, is built on the REV-XM platform. The rigid, lightweight chassis features double wishbone front suspension with HPG high-pressure gas shock absorbers and 200mm travel. The ski base is adjustable in the range of 1025–1080 mm, and it should be noted that this value is significantly greater than that of the “older” 800 cc model. This was done, most likely, for additional stability of the snowmobile, because if on the Summit 800, rolliness and excessive tipping are, rather, a blessing, then the younger model, for the sake of its use by beginners, was forced to “stand firmly on its feet.”
The snowmobile is equipped with New Pilot DS skis with a special skate in the middle. Their peculiarity is that on hard surfaces the device stands exclusively on this ledge and, due to the small support area, it is quite easy to steer. But when driving into deep snow, the contact patch increases significantly, which has a positive effect on the cross-country ability of a snow machine. Also installed in the front suspension is a stabilizer bar that can be switched off using the Quick Disconnect system; by removing or installing it and “playing” with the settings of the front shock absorbers, you can seriously change the behavior of the Summit SP 600HO over a wide range. Despite its status as the “junior” model in the Summit mountain family, the rear of the chassis features BRP’s top-of-the-line t-Motion suspension, which gives the snowmobile’s track an additional degree of lateral freedom. Additionally, the Summit 600 features Ski-Doo's PowderMax track with FlexEdge technology. Its peculiarity is that the edges of the 406 mm wide track are flexible, while the main body of the track is reinforced with fiberglass reinforcing bars that strengthen its 300 mm wide central part. The remaining “soft” edges of the track can be additionally bent when driving on a slope. The PowderMax lug height is 57.2 mm (versus 63 mm for the 800 cc “big brother”). Thus, t-Motion and FlexEdge allow even the most inexperienced rider to lean the snowmobile on a slope.
But the main difference between the “junior” model is, of course, the engine: the snowmobile is equipped with a 2-cylinder 2-stroke Rotax power plant with a displacement of only 594.4 cm3 and liquid cooling. Thanks to the use of E-Tec technology, fuel under enormous pressure is injected directly into the combustion chamber, which is designed in such a way that layer-by-layer and uniform combustion of the fuel-air mixture occurs. And this allows you to make the snowmobile more economical without having to sacrifice engine performance. The Ski-Doo Summit SP 600HO powerplant develops only 120 hp. s., which is significantly less than on the Summit 800. However, despite such a modest “horsepower”, the long-stroke engine is quite powerful. So why did such a seemingly controversial snowmobile appear in the BRP lineup? After all, the weight of the Summit SP 600HO is only a few kilograms less than that of the 800 cc model, and the engine is significantly weaker... If you think about it, the difference in price is not so huge - only about 60,000 rubles. Why buy a “younger” model if you can immediately buy an “adult” projectile for uncompromising boondocking? Having tested the Summit SP 600HO in the vicinity of Murmansk and the Khibiny mountain range, I seem to know the answer to this question. Thanks to the latest technologies, a progressive platform, New Pilot DS skis, t-Motion suspension and PowderMax track, the snowmobile, traditionally for the new Summits, handles well and rolls perfectly on its side on almost any slope. And, unlike competitors such as the M-Series from Arctic Cat or the RMK family from Polaris, the rider has to put in significantly less effort to do this. I think hardly anyone would argue that the new “mountain bikes” from Ski-Doo are much more forgiving of control errors than snowmobiles from other manufacturers. Add to this the power plant, which has a more friendly character compared to the 800 E-Tec - and you understand the beauty of this snowmobile!
Driving in very deep snow? Please! The flexible motor allows you to open the gas fully and at the same time not cut through the snow with the caterpillar right to the center of the Earth! To drive a “traverse” along a slope of almost any complexity, without having the skills to hold a powerful car on a straight path? You can also try! T-Motion and Flex Edge are here to help! So in the end, we get an almost ideal piece of equipment for beginning mountain snowmobilers, their wives, girlfriends and children - especially those who live in low-snow regions of our country. For getting your first boondocking and mountain riding skills, the Summit SP 600HO is almost the perfect option. Well, if progress in skating becomes clearly noticeable and you simply no longer have enough engine power, then you can always exchange the “Baby Summit” for its larger relative. Fortunately, the high liquidity of used Ski-Doo equipment will allow you to do this with ease. /
Ski Doo 600 Summit SP Reviews
First review:
I'd describe it as "amazing" - it's surprisingly powerful and responsive. Like its older brother, the engine runs smoothly and pulls great from the bottom. I’m not at all sure that you can blindly tell whether you’re driving a 600 or an 850.
The 600's specification states that its engine produces 125 horsepower. But compared to the 125 horsepower sleds of yesteryear, such as the 700cc sleds, the new 600 is superior in every way.
The 600cc engine pairs well with the G-4 chassis. The sled we were riding was 146 inches long and it handled great. I think it would behave the same in any conditions, with the exception of the most difficult ones such as the deepest snow and the longest climbs. Overall, this is a great snowmobile for those who want to save a little money while still getting a traditionally reliable 600cc machine.
Second review:
There was no shortage of new products in our comparison. But one device especially caught my attention - this is a 600 cc snowmobile based on the 850 cc machine with E-TEC released a couple of years ago, which includes all the same technologies, but in a slightly smaller cubic capacity.
In winter we test many different models, and among the 800 cc class there are sometimes 600s. Interestingly, there is a particularly high demand for 600s among our testers, and I won’t speak for everyone, but I personally have a thing for them.
Yes, the 600 is no 800 or 850, and there will be times when you'll find yourself a little short on traction on long, steep runs, but other than that, the 600 is pure fun.
I noticed earlier that when I ride at 600cc, I lean a little harder and steer a little sharper than at 800/850cc. Therefore, on paper the 850 Rotax may have more horses, but on the snow the 600 is almost more fun than the 850.
At first I limited myself, knowing that I was riding a 600. However, I soon gained confidence in the Summit SP 600 and rode harder... and was not disappointed.
I believe that the 600 is enough for most mountain riding enthusiasts, and specifically the Ski Doo Summit 600 is something you should definitely take a close look at when choosing a snowmobile.
