It's all pretty subjective, but I think the generally accepted idea of a 50/50 crossover is that it does neither well but is still enjoyable in either scenario.

A long track + a trail front end is a true 50/50 crossover in my opinion. The wide front end makes it more flat in the trails, but the long track/deep lug make it harder to manage. The long track/deep lug is better for deep snow but the wide front end makes it hard to get up on it's side. If you have a mid-width front end with a long track, now you're 60/40 off trail bias. If you have a wide front end + a shorter track, you're 60/40 on trail bias.

With that being said, I just want to reiterate that it's subjective and no one is right or wrong.

 

50:50 is a lot to ask for. I think the more accurate choice would be a 30:70 or a 70:30.

 

good points... trail front IMHO pushes it way past the 50/50 in favor or trails.. more like 80/20. Where the narrower front is maybe swayed in the other direction.

Good thing for offset spindles....

 

It's subjective. You decide what you like. Manufacturers are offering products up to see if you'll like them. If not they change. And they do.

 

The definition is wishy washy.
I have a '24 Backcountry X. When the '25 Backcountry dropped last week instead of the usual sense of wondering if i should have waited for one more year i actually felt relief. Short of the 10.25 screen upgrades literally everything featured on the '25 takes away from the playful machine i wanted.
To me the 2024 is really 70% off-trail 30% on and the 2025 Backcountry is more like 20% off-trail and 80% on and would ride like a long track mxz. Not what i'm looking for.

 

The definition is wishy washy.
I have a '24 Backcountry X. When the '25 Backcountry dropped last week instead of the usual sense of wondering if i should have waited for one more year i actually felt relief. Short of the 10.25 screen upgrades literally everything featured on the '25 takes away from the playful machine i wanted.
To me the 2024 is really 70% off-trail 30% on and the 2025 Backcountry is more like 20% off-trail and 80% on and would ride like a long track mxz. Not what i'm looking for.

2025 is available with either width front end. My idea of 50/ 50 is someone who equally values off trail handling and on trail handling and any full width front end will be more focused on trail cornering ability and that is okay many folks want a sled that is excellent on trail and can lift the skis and wheelie and still get around corners fast but also has enough track and uncoupled skid to play around off trail in deep snow without getting stuck too easily. The assault is perfect for that and a full width front end backcountry will be too. Glad to see ski doo offering both front ends smart move everyone can have what they want win win

 

I think some of this conversation is also driven off where you’re located. On the east coast, it’s pretty tough to find a 30-40 degree slope that your going to side hill across. With that being said, I think the wide trail front end has less impact on the flatland/east coast off trail riding. The uncoupled rear skid and the longer track have more impact for these guys.

On the other end of the spectrum, guys running in the mountains out west that can find some of the steeper side hilling, will really benefit from the narrow front.

My take on a 50/50 cross over is a wide trail front end, with an uncoupled 137” or 146” skid.
In years past, the Lynx Xterrain filled this spot, but now the BC’s have the option.

Even most of the wide front ends have the ability to narrow up the skis some.

 

Totally personal and subjective choice. My take it’s jack of all trades master of none. Kinda like an all season tire on a vehicle. So it is up to you as the buyer to decide what features and setup is more important to you. I personally think the crossover sled market was really developed to sell sleds to guys that wanna look like a long track mountain sled but don’t have any mountains to ride in and only have a trail.

I’ve worked with many groups that bring a crossover out west for their first time. They are in the understanding it can go “off trail”. It usually ends in misery, limited access and completely exhausted people in a couple hours of riding. You have to muscle them around.

The better question might be “what is off trail to you”. That will determine what sled you should really own. Also don’t be afraid to throw some aftermarket parts at it. Had a couple guys with SBA 146s a couple weeks ago, they had 2” track and RMK front ends on them. They had a blast doing what they wanted to do, which was meadow bashing, small hills, and a couple pulls up a large steep mountain that was tracked up. You do you and just get out and have fun! Don’t get caught in the marketing drama the manufacturers put together to put you in a box.

 

Well - the problem is that "cross over" is so vague of a term now that it should just be eliminated. Just in SkiDoo alone you have a Renegade, Backcountry, and the Expedition as crossovers. One is a trail / flatland off trail crossover, one is a trail / off trail / mountain crossover, and one is a trail, climb anything pulling a fish house crossover (for the record - I have an Expeidtion Xtreme 850 - it is the best "do anything sled" I have owned, and I've owned a lot of 136, 144 and 154' sleds).

Unfortunately - what gets people in trouble, particualrly in the Backcountry - they take a trip or two out west once a year or every other year. They live in the midwest and ride 1500 trail miles a year, where to be honest, the Backcountry is a big compromise in handling, but hey - they get their 300 mile trip out west in every year. They would be better off to have a Gade, leave it at home and rent a sled out west for the 3 days a year they go.

The best answer is a sled aimed at every condition you intend to ride, cause who didn't see a guy with 3-4 sleds that wasn't happy?

 

Renting out west.... This is how i've always done it for years 06-2015 or so, then i had kids, now i have time to go again.... Used to always think the shorter the track the better in MN, had a blast for years doing that and renting out west. But we used to be able to rent out west for about $170/day and that included lodging and sled rental (summit 800). Also included the oil.

Now... $300/day to rent sled only... add oil/insurance on top of that plus lodging. I'll be riding for 5 days. that would be around $3K... i get the "pay to play" but to me that's too much money and i wouldn't go. So i bought a BC XRS 154. This will be my first trip out west with it. 2.5" track should do great. Plan next fall is to toss a 1.6"IC on it and Zbroz offset spindles for MN. I'm also in my mid-40s now and okay with going a little slower in the corners.

We'll see how it all works out. OH, still have a 4stroke, and 400lbs TNT in the stable for fun as well.

that's when i hear. "put a trail front on a crossover" from a large publication i'm yelling... "NO, DON'T RUIN THIS CLASS OF SLED". haha

 

Yesterday i was watching a sled review by a well known review company on the Cat Riot... A solid chunk of the video was a rant that cat doesn't offer a trail front end on a Riot so it's not a true crossover because, "a crossover needs to be as good on trail as a trail sled" I made a comment that what they are seeking is simply a longer tracked trail sled with uncoupled rear skid, trail biased...

I was then called out by the video creator stating i'm trying to redefine what a crossover is and that no one wants what I describe as a crossover.

So, my definition of a cross over sled: Longer and deeper lugged track then a typical trail sled, the front end is wider than a mountain, yet narrower than a trail sled. Not necessarily great at any aspect, but good at all. Slow down a little on trails, for a more playful experience off trail.

Funny thing is... I had a SBA back in 2019... after taking it to the mountains after 4 days of riding i was absolutely done with that thing off trail. I get that they are not intended to be mountain sleds, but I love trail riding in MN, and finding the occasional side hill in a ditch to hang a ski. I found the SBA really was not good/great at this. The Backcountry i find much better for the way i ride. Way easier to side hill. The irony is that this reviewing youtube channel claims Polaris is the only company with a true 50/50 sled with the SBA, where me a consumer only see the SKS from their lineup as a 50/50 but you are limited to a 650 only in that model.

With the 25s now out i see doo added a trail front as an option on the backcountries.... But.... They lable it as "trail biased" where the 39" front is 50/50.

So with all that said... at least BRP agrees with me. LOL

I thought you provided a pretty good explanation of a cross-over. I find that in general folks on DooTalk have a definition of things that are closer to each other than other areas. And that is why I focus on DooTalk.

 

It's all subjective and you can debate different width front ends, coupling or no coupling and exact track lengths all day long. In my world, the only true facts about crossover sleds are:

• A crossover sled is a worse trail sled than a real trail sled.
• A crossover sled is a worse mountain sled than a real mountain sled.

Then you are always going to encounter clowns claiming their crossover sled is "as good as"...Just keep calm and pretend you are listening...

 

True statement but so half empty in nature. There is no perfect sled that does all and most know that the only way to cover all the bases is have a fleet of 3 sleds of various lengths and choose accordingly. If you cant afford that then get one that does the best all around and understand that it is a compromise and make the best of it.

 

No sled with taller lugs than 44mm, (1,75"?) will work well on a packed trail, neither will the track cope with the lack of cooling snow at higher speed. I've had a Boonocker RE with ridiculously capable suspension that still couldn't be ridden faster than about 100km/h (60Mph), du to the "powder track". In addition to not handling speed the tall lugs will fold during braking making the tall lug sleds have considerably longer stopping distance than sleds with tracks having half as tall lugs.

So if I, (me myself and none other), would build a crossover I'd make it 146" or perhaps 154/5", 40" front end and 38-44mm lugs and top shelf suspension. A sled like that will do well on trail as long as it's not extremely twisty and it is long enough to float off trail, at least as long as it's not too steep.

It will be out climbed by the mountain sleds by a noticeable margin byt you will be able to have a blast off trail, and it will be left behind by a similarly speced dedicated trail sled but only just.

Tall lug tracks, 2"-ish and over, are joy killers on trail!

My Öhlins equipped Freeride is almost useless on trail despite the premium chocks and that is 85% due to the 3" track and 15% due to the front suspension, (narrow and with the idiotic nervous Summit spindles).

 

My definition for 50/50 is a 146" with wide front end. It does everything well for the most part in the flat lands where a crossover would be most likely to be found. There are exceptions to this where obviously your trail system or off trail system would dictate which way to lean more in your front end width. I would not go over 2" track on the trail but for the most part our 2" 146's work perfectly fine trail riding at any pace. We generally have snowy trails however and also know when they are groomed rock hard they are slippery for us. Again to me a true x over has more lug I prefer 1.75" as the all around best thing the Hurricane is tough to beat.

From spending 1000 km on a comp turbo last weekend and swapping to a 24 bcx I would take the bcx any day, the playful suspension, the instant snap when you smash the throttle, its just a more balanced fun sled that feels ready to play.

 

Well - you used to be able to buy a loaf of bred for a nickel as well. But you cant hold lodging and insurance costs against the rental unless you plan to camp and dont insure the sled you bring with you. Have several freinds with Backcountrys here in MN who sold their Gades to buy their "swiss army knife" just to find out it is a Ok mountain sled with really poor trail manners. Its a shame as 90% of the riding they do is on hard packed groomed trails.

Combine in the cost to drive a 3/4 Ton truck 2000 miles round trip vs taking a car or SUV out and that alone will damn near offset the costs.

What is funny as the two guys with the Backcountry's who saw my Expedition for the first time told me I was just going to ruin their trips getting it unstuck, are the ones who ask me when they get stuck to come make tracks for them to get out (it hoenstly is a better "do anything" sled than anything I have seen - either here OR out west)

2013 Summit Addr was $13.5k... 2025 Summit Addr 850 is $14.5K.... the doubling of rental prices isn't justified. I've got a MXZ/Gade in the barn i can still throw a leg over.

BTW, never underestimate my ability to get "unstuck"