[HemiChallenger]

I'm starting this thread as general log, B.S. spot and my personal opinions and impressions with my 2019 renegade 900 N/A. 165 miles so far.

I'm coming off a 2010 renegade 600etec. Excellent sled, best sled ive ever owned. Put close to 2,000 miles on it. Everyone who rides it loves it regardless of age size or weight. Its an easy sled to ride, steer, ride easy or ride aggressivley. I'll wager it stays in the "friends circle" some how. Probably have to wait till fall when people start thinking about sleds again.

My experience with newer sleds (2008-up) is limited. I have ridden and owned a ton of older stuff. Newest sled i've been on besides this is a 2014 F5. What a TURD. Also demoed some 4 stroke yamahas back in the day (2010?) on a lake when they went all 4T. I'll never own an arctic choke or yamihaha in my life.

#1: If because the G4 4 strokes are only offered in a 137" sled DO NOT LET THIS KEEP YOU FROM GETTING A G4!

I like short tracks better. I would prefer this sled in a 129. I bought it for the engine more than anything. I can not tell it has a 137" track at all. Its clear from the first 10 miles, the chassis is designed around a 137" and longer track. I've never ridden an XS sled, however, on my XP I can tell that extra track is back there. Not the case with the G4.

#2: Its a cold ride. I typically have hot feet, even in -10*F on my XP and even worse in the '03-'07 revs. My feet never got hot on the G4. Also I like that the toe holds are open and I can move around more. The wider more aggressive rails also suit me better than my XP. The wind from mid body-up is pretty brutal. However my cold guards work/mount better on this sled than my XP.

#3: The fact that this thing needs a windshield, mirrors, wind diflectors, heated shield plug and 12v plug kind of irritates me. This is basic stuff. The windshield I get, because different riders have different wants/tastes. But the lack of a heated shield plug and panel mounted wind diflectors kind of irritates me. A 12v outlet, shield plug and mirrors should be standard on every sled IMHO. Its safety related stuff.

#4: Its heavy. I notice the weight when off trail. Got stuck once and I could barely left the rear skid up. Never had that problem on my old stuff. Maybe the weight is better balanced on this sled? I havent even tried to lift the front yet.

#5: 5.7 pilot skis with the factory 4" carbide rock on this thing on the trail. I plan to move the factory carbides to the outside and install some 6" down the center with some navigators. Can anyone recommend a carbide? I know there is a good 5.7 pilot recipe floating all over around here.

#6: I need to do some suspension tweaking. Ive bottomed it out a few times already and the steering is pretty heavy compared to what i'm used to. I'll pass judgement on this until I get it tuned in more.

#7: Box stock no one or any sled in my group will touch me on a trail in this thing. It's so fast and I dont even have to work at it to go fast. I can sit back and lean a little and just fly. I notice less standing up over whoops and bumps compared to my XP. However my XP is due for skid shock rebuilds.

#8: power. I'm in self inflicted eco mode until break in is complete. Its pretty surprising for "95hp."

Any ricky racer wanna-be who says the 900 doesnt have the power or isnt fast enough (compared to a 600) is a D-bag. Its so quiet most morons probably dont realize the ground speed. Its crept up on me more than a few times already. I drive truck on the side a fair amount and ground speed (visual/seat of the pants) is important because you cant be looking at guages when your loaded navigating traffic. I'm not the most experienced but I know it well enough that this 900 ace flys compared to my 600 up to 65mph. Ill add more opinions once shes broken in.

#9: ITC. Anyone who complains about it, learn how to control a throttle.

#10: 18mpg riding more aggressivley than I should be during break-in. I will give her a steady 93 diet unless 93/91 isnt available. Then I wont worry if it isnt!

#11: Noise. The quietness is a big part of why I purchased this sled. I like to see wildlife out in the bush and on the trails. Well, its so quiet I ran across 15+ deer on my last ride. 1 almost hit me. 30+ turkeys. 1 very large raven? or Hawk? Rabbits and a opossium. The deer just stand there and stare. On a 2T they would be out of sight before you got close. I'll have to watch for wildlife more now because its so quiet

#12: Oil change looks super simple. No removal of exhaust needed. Belt is super simple. Havent played with the air box yet. Exhaust manifold is a "log" type and looks like improvement is easy. WAYYY more room under the panels than a XP or XS. I can adjust the valves in the sled when the time comes, at least it looks that way.

#13: Storage is good with the box and compartment under the seat. Surprising for BRP.

Can wait to ride it again!

 

[crk133]

Reading that post I take it you average 200 miles a year? Hopefully this sled allows you to get out more and enjoy it. Congrats

 

[Judge64]

#2: Its a cold ride. I typically have hot feet, even in -10*F on my XP and even worse in the '03-'07 revs. My feet never got hot on the G4. Also I like that the toe holds are open and I can move around more. The wider more aggressive rails also suit me better than my XP. The wind from mid body-up is pretty brutal. However my cold guards work/mount better on this sled than my XP.

#3: The fact that this thing needs a windshield, mirrors, wind diflectors, heated shield plug and 12v plug kind of irritates me. This is basic stuff. The windshield I get, because different riders have different wants/tastes. But the lack of a heated shield plug and panel mounted wind diflectors kind of irritates me. A 12v outlet, shield plug and mirrors should be standard on every sled IMHO. Its safety related stuff.

#4: Its heavy. I notice the weight when off trail. Got stuck once and I could barely left the rear skid up. Never had that problem on my old stuff. Maybe the weight is better balanced on this sled? I havent even tried to lift the front yet.

#5: 5.7 pilot skis with the factory 4" carbide rock on this thing on the trail. I plan to move the factory carbides to the outside and install some 6" down the center with some navigators. Can anyone recommend a carbide? I know there is a good 5.7 pilot recipe floating all over around here.

Great write up! Thanks or taking the time to do it! :righton

Let me answer question #5. I use Bergstrom Triple Point carbides and move the stock carbide to the outside. He will also send you a set of Ski Savers and Shims with the carbides. I ran those with my 5.7's and really liked them. Here is thee website so you can read about the carbides, Ski Savers, and shims.

http://www.bergstromskegs.com/

I'm one of the guys who wants to see a 900NA in the 129 so your write-up is helpful to me. I'm going to be sticking with my stable of 900 XS's for a while and I hope they fix a few things with the G4 by the time I have to buy a new sled.

I have read other posts about the G4 being much colder than the XS, especially on the feet. That won't fly for my wife so hopefully they figure it out. I usually add the GT windshield, wide deflectors and mirrors to my sleds so maybe the higher windshield and wider deflectors would help with the mid-body cold.

One of my complaints about no 900 in the 129 is also about weight in addition to the length of the 137. It is tough to lift the front end of the 900NA at my age. I can't imagine the 900T. I know the weight difference between a 129 to 137 is only about 15lbs generally but every bit helps. It is good to hear you feel the sled is balanced better so that you can't tell much of a difference. I can tell a difference between the XS 137 to the XS 129 on tight and twisty trails.

I'll be looking forward to more reports as you put more miles on and tweak and tune your suspension.

 

[xltbest]

Congrats on the new sled. Just a friendly note on #12, the 900 has hydraulic lifters so no valve adjustment.

 

[wisledr]

Item #8 keeping it in ECO mode during break in? Forget that, put it in Standard or Sport and enjoy the 900 motor!

Will follow your post as like Judge64 I have an XS chassis 900ACE and hoping to see Doo comes out with a 129" G4 900N/A.

Windshield-one thing that concerns me is if I do move up to a G4, it appears the optional windscreens may be an issue when fitting it in a clamshell-style enclosed Triton trailer, have a height of 53" inside.

 

[RFH]

X2 on getting it in standard and sport mode. You aren't going to hurt it. I have a 16 Enduro 900 ACE and found that the stock track and skis are just about useless off trail. You'll get used to being stuck if you venture off in any amount of powder.

 

[HemiChallenger]

I'll respond without quotes.

I'll have to wait till next season for more suspension and carbide changes. We are gonna put on some miles this weekend.

I doubt the 900 will come in a 129" g4, ever. Others have stated it here and i'm going to re-affirm their guesses, I doubt it too. G4 137" flat out works.

I like the colder feet, as most sleds are hot on my feet. But i also wear wool socks with baffin boots.

Good to hear the 900 is hydraulic, I had no idea.

I'll keep her in eco mode and try to take her easy(er) at least for 4/500 miles. I want it to last. I purchased a new 4 wheeler that I heat cycled and broke in properly. Bud with the same machine was always 1-2 lengths behind me. Swap riders and same results. I believe in heat cycles and break-in. I heat cycled this one 4 times, tech at the dealer was really cool and did the first one for me and agreed with me.

Doo offers 2 adjustible windshields for the G4. Med-high and high-ultra high. I purchased the med-high adj., diflectors and mirrors. Once I recieve and install them I will take some measurements for you guys for height.

Current suspension set-up is box stock, coupler blocks at 3. I might try bumping the front spring up 1-2 positions this sat. on our ride and see how she goes.

 

[HemiChallenger]

I need to figure out where my stupid 3"x5" registration sticker is going to go. It looks so clean now and that big dumb sticker is going to ruin my nice sicker free sled.

First thing I did was remove stickers before I rode it.

Oh and the BRP knee pads only work in 3 positions. The reverse lever interferes with one of the right side pads. I trimmed it to fit.

 

[dimrod]

I'm not the strongest guy out on the snow by a wide margin. I often go riding alone out in the trailless regions of Alaska. Freeing a stuck machine by yourself can sometimes be almost impossible. I never leave home without my high jacker. I have a bracket on every machine I own to mount it should I switch rigs. The jack along with a a small shovel are game changers. Stick the track?- just lift it up by the rear bumper, spin the track, shovel some snow under it, and drive away. Stick a front ski?- lift by the A-arm. Stick it nose uphill?- lift by one A-arm multiple times while pulling the front downhill. It comes in a 72" length. I cut 14" off of mine.
www.highliftjack.com

Worth every penny in my opinion. Saves my back and allows me to self rescue. That is the answer to your ability to lift your machine.

 

[440x]

Good to hear the 900 is hydraulic, I had no idea.

I'll keep her in eco mode and try to take her easy(er) at least for 4/500 miles. I want it to last. I purchased a new 4 wheeler that I heat cycled and broke in properly. Bud with the same machine was always 1-2 lengths behind me. Swap riders and same results. I believe in heat cycles and break-in. I heat cycled this one 4 times, tech at the dealer was really cool and did the first one for me and agreed with me.

Do some research on 4 stroke break in. Majority will say an easy break in is not what you want. At this point it won't really matter though.

 

[HemiChallenger]

Do some research on 4 stroke break in. Majority will say an easy break in is not what you want. At this point it won't really matter though.

I'm all ears. Please share. I'm an experienced tech as well so id genuinely like to hear.

Typical dyno break-ins for 4 stroke 4/6/8/10 cyl engines usually are varying loads under 60% at varying throttle openings for a set amount of time. 1-4hrs is common but as low as 30 min. in some instances.

 

[440x]

I'm all ears. Please share. I'm an experienced tech as well so id genuinely like to hear.

Typical dyno break-ins for 4 stroke 4/6/8/10 cyl engines usually are varying loads under 60% at varying throttle openings for a set amount of time. 1-4hrs is common but as low as 30 min. in some instances.

It's one of those things like "which oil is better". If it works for you, that's all that matters, because you won't know if the other way is really any better once you choose a method. I went the other way(load her hard) based on my research when i got my 1200.

 

[HemiChallenger]

With modern machining and metals/engineering that method can work as well. However 100% load and 100% throttle still isnt a good idea imho.

At the end of the day if its gonna blow its gonna blow or if its gonna live its gonna live. Do what you wish.

I'm just glad I made the right decision with my purchase based heavily on research here. Just hope I can give my views to others so they can decide for themselves. My big selling points were quietness and longevity and not buying oil. I think thats why most people go 4 stroke. Its nice to see the performance and reliability doesnt need to be lost to have what you want.

 

[Dave in WI]

Please post up pics of your windshield and mirror combo when you get them mounted up.

I've got the stock medium shield and had the dealer mount the accessory mirrors to the stock deflectors. I was hoping the shield would be good but I'm going to need a taller one. The high is 6 inches taller than the medium, I hope I can get away with it because it uses the stock side deflectors. I believe the extra high and adjustable don't use the side deflectors. Not sure if my mirrors would work with them.

I really want to avoid buying the high, then finding out I need to go bigger and have to buy yet another shield.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FlavorDave]

Do some research on 4 stroke break in. Majority will say an easy break in is not what you want. At this point it won't really matter though.

Bingo. Long pulls with idle down in between. Force those rings out against the cylinder walls, then idle down to let the oil wash debris away.

 

[skidont]

I am 5' 10 " and have the high shield but to do it over I would have the high - ultra high adjustable , high still hits in the helmet

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[wisledr]

"#3: The fact that this thing needs a windshield, mirrors, wind diflectors, heated shield plug and 12v plug kind of irritates me. This is basic stuff. The windshield I get, because different riders have different wants/tastes. But the lack of a heated shield plug and panel mounted wind diflectors kind of irritates me. A 12v outlet, shield plug and mirrors should be standard on every "trail" sled."

This would be what the GSX model was, included these items as well as the premium gauge. It's too bad the don't offer that model any longer. I don't want or need what the Enduro model has.

I agree with heat cycling of the engine, very good idea for sure-for any engine.

 

[snowshreder]

I started with a fixed mid but needed a bit more and got the med/high adjustable and love it and it works really well in all weather conditions

 

[HemiChallenger]

I have the mid-high shield, diflectors and mirrors on their way. I also noticed a post by someone on here who mentioned a koso temp guage. I will be ordering one of those as well.

I'm 5'9" So I hope it will work well for me. The kid at the dealer said its fine and that unless your really tall all his customers have been happy with the med-high shield. He also said that the G4 windshields are tricky to size for the rider because they lean back so much. Not as straight forward as the older sleds to select a shield.

Bit of a rant... I'm getting really tired of all the "you wont like the 900, its not as fast as the 600 2T" or "900 doesnt handle as good as the 600" comments around here. G4 to G4 600 vs. 900 n/a I'm sure theres no comparison. However 900 n/a vs. xp/xs 600etec they are about the same, if not an edge to the 900 0-60. I'll have to do some pulls. Bud (no oil artie) has a really good running 100% stock '04 500ss. His sled feels faster (seat of the pants) than my '10 etec. Were riding sat.

 

[HemiChallenger]

I started with a fixed mid but needed a bit more and got the med/high adjustable and love it and it works really well in all weather conditions

Did it work fine with the stock diflectors?