Well I have my eye on a new 2010 800r renegade X. I have ridden a few 136" sleds in the trails before and feel that they do handle the bumps better. However I tend to mix in a lot of friendly drag racing with my riding, so I am not so concerned with the tight corners and jumping. I almost have my mind made up but there are still some doubts in my mind that pop up.


How much slower is a gade to a comparable short track? Theoretically shouldn't the long track sled hook better in loose conditions?

You certainly won't get the same top speed...but shouldn't all of the positives outweigh that one little (and arguably meaningless) aspect?

Well it certainly isn't meaningless to me. I dont care so much about all out top speed as I do acceleration and say 1000' runs. If the gades are 6 sled lengths slower than a short track, then I will be on a short track. But if they are pretty close, say a sled or two then I will get a gade. Going fast straight is important to me, hence the reason I still ride a triple.

I'm not sure as this will be my first year on a Gade but I'm counting on shear acceleration tipping the scales in my favor in short friendly drags, and corner to corner spurts. I would have to say that traction, and getting the power down would make it far quicker and make up for the short comings of a longer track, and reducing overall top speed.

I've owned and ridden many a drag sled and they were just that. One ride on a buddies stock 2002 800 Gade 2 years ago and I was amazed at the pull it had with a 1.25 track on groomed trails.

I can't wait for this season.

The triples and turbo 4strokes can have the lakes. They can get pretty boring going in straight lines looking for thrills.

First year for me on a Gade as well and am looking for that arm stretching corner to corner acceleration.I don't think I went wrong moving up from the shorty.If your not interested in full out lake runs,this will be the sled for you.

Depenging on snow conditions, you should right in there if not in front 500' - 700' runs. On Ice at 1000' given all sleds at studded equally, you may begin to see a few taillights. But in most any other riding terrain you should be grining ear to ear. If all out speed iswhat you want, look into a well set-up RT1000.

the gade is a cross over sled, it shines when you ride where the trail ends. If you ride trails and off trail ,or lakes with alot of snow on them it is great sled. It is not the sled for radar runs. The fastest I have had mine is 102 on g.p.s. Also the long tracks have a much better ride than short tracks---- means alot on long rides. Unless you gotta go 100 all the time, you will like this sled.

Well Im not so concerned with long runs across lakes. We usually do short runs in fields and on snow covered rivers. How much more top end does a shorty have over a gade? 5mph, 10mph 15mph??

maybe 10 m.p.h.---- I don't know. You gotta remember you are pulling alot bigger track, that is where the off trail performance comes from. You have to decide how you are going to ride--- there is no such thing as the perfect sled for all conditions. If your running rivers with ALOT of snow on them--- you maybe even faster. short tracks do not float on snow as well as long tracks

You could always change the gearing in the Gade to get a bit more out of it if you want.

I was in your same shoes last year trying to decide between gade or shorty. Ended up going with the gade and glad I did. Except for all out top end, I don't really see any down side by getting the gade over the shorty, especially based on what your riding priorities are. All things being somewhat equal (lug height, rider weight, amount of studs, clutching, motor mods, etc.), if you ever lose to a shorty by 6 lengths in a 1000' you most likely fell asleep off the line. Glare ice - the shorty will have a bigger advantage, but not so much if on snow. Holeshot is where the gade "should" get the advantage and it's a lot harder for other guy to play catch up....

Again with all things being somewhat similar, I don't buy in to a 10mph difference between the two - my guess is somewhere around 5mph at most (thats on snow-not ice)! At least that's been my experience. And by the time that extra mph for the shorty comes into play the race is already over.......

The 2010's come with the 15" wide track too so that will be even better for ya.

You answered your own question, that is what a gade is for- Handle the bumps better, you are giving it up in the corners, but really hooking up on hard or soft pack (Dragging). Downside will be top end speed, you'll fall off 5 MPH maybe more.
Neither sled is perfect, some days you want to race in the twisties, that is harder with a gade. But when you want to chill, cruise, and play in the powder, the long track is better.

I prefer gades myself.

I raced my 98 700 triple and my 05 600sdi gade on a lake. The renegade has so much more acceleration, that over 2.5 miles the 700 still didn't quite catch up. So I can't see you being disappointed with the speed of an 800.

I've got a good freind that has a XP800 shorty, I'm pretty sure he'd tell ya that the gade is no slouch whatsoever!! This thing about 5-6 mph ??? i don't think so. I also have another club member that has a 800 GSX with tall windsheild and he'd get 116 on the dream meter and i'd get 114, his was stock and mine had a Billy Howard Clutch kit with 26 top gear. The Gades are friggen awesome IMHO
Note: The 114 speed was before i had Trygstad "Freshen up my motor" (lol)

Doesn't matter. You'll be able to hole-shot a shorty and the extra speed he may carry will be spent catching up.

good point dont forget that the gade is geared different than the shorty

Well it seems like the general consensus is that the gade will hang right with or out accelerate a equally set-up short track, and will only be lacking in top speed by a few miles per hour. So I guess now all I have to do is try and find a black Renegade X.