2009 Ski-Doo Legend Touring Review

When it comes to building touring sleds, Ski-Doo enjoys an advantage unique among the four snowmobile manufacturers. Ski-Doo engineers and test riders can literally open the factory doors and head off on hundreds — if not thousands — of miles of the best groomed snowmobile trails in the world. Ski-Doo’s home court advantage of building sleds in Valcourt, Quebec, gives the pioneering snowmobile firm a distinct edge in understanding what touring riders want.

For 2009 Ski-Doo introduced an all-new 4-stroke touring machine with an all-new chassis and features luxury car owners covet — tilt steering, air controlled ride, and heated seat. Be assured that Ski-Doo’s GTX SE luxury touring machine with its Rotax 1200 4-TEC is the big news. Quite a bit further down the Ski-Doo food chain you’ll find the 2009 Legend Touring. It’s older news, but for many trail touring riders, it’s the best choice for piling on miles.

We say that because we’ve had the chance to play with the two-up Legend a bit here and there during the past few winters. Exciting? Hardly! Powerful? Hardly. But its Rotax-built 799.9cc V-Twin is surprising in a variety of ways. With a 67 horsepower peak at 7,200 revs, it’s the mildest of all the Rotax liquid-cooled sled engines. Speed and strong bursts of horsepower are not what this snowmobile is about. It is all about being smooth and efficient.

Smooth Drive Off

The Legend Touring’s engine kicks in gently at 2100 rpm via a Bombardier-designed TRA IV drive clutch. Drive offs are smooth and there seems to be ample low end torque to give the two-up touring machine a pleasant ability to stay with a touring group. Indeed, you are apt to see this sled populating many rental fleets where rental operators cherish durability and reliability more than speed and acceleration. This Rotax-powered sled with its efficient 80-degree Vee should be among the most durable of rental sleds, meaning it should suit most trail riders quite well.

We’re not talking about the showy touring types who need to make a statement. That touring rider wants the all-new GTX SE with all its bells and whistles. The Legend Touring rider wants economy. With its solid reputation for durability, Legend Touring offers owners a high reliability factor. The engine is smooth, but more importantly, it is extremely efficient. Ski-Doo claims the V-800 4-TEC twin can squeeze upwards of 25 miles out of a US gallon of fuel. At today’s fuel prices, that’s an attention grabber, especially when you estimate that the Touring’s nine-gallon fuel capacity gives it a potential range of 225-miles.

RF Platform

Based on the smallest rider-forward platform in the Ski-Doo model line, the Legend Touring makes the most of its stretched freestyle platform. Officially known as the RF platform, this aluminum chassis came from the budget-oriented Freestyle series that was designed to entice newer riders into the sport via low-price and lightweight design. The Legend Touring retains the sloped snout and tall front suspension of the original Freestyle. Like the 2009 Freestyle Backcountry, the Legend Touring relies on the action of Ski-Doo’s SC-136 rear suspension for ride comfort. The parallel rail slide design features a Motion Control shock on the front arm and a high-pressure gas shock on the rear arm to control the 13-inches of travel.

The front suspension consists of a single A-arm controlled by a Motion Control shock with coil spring assist. This simple, yet effective, front suspension delivers 6.3-inches of maximum travel. If you should find the base suspension shocks insufficient, you could opt for gas shocks, which are offered on the off-trail Backcountry model.

Ample Goodies

Don’t think that the Legend Touring is simply a totally basic touring sled. You get ample ‘goodies’. Handlebar and thumb warmer for the driver is a given. The passenger enjoys heated grips and a wind-cheating blocker. Rearview mirrors are standard as is the tall touring-oriented windscreen that tosses cold air over the rear rider, too.

Even though the chassis is based on the smallish RF platform, both rider and passenger will find ample foot room, including the added comfort of a raised step for the rear passenger. Behind the high-back rear of the seat is a cargo area with rack to bungee-cord your travel gear in place.

Reverse and electric key start both come standard with the liquid-cooled V-Twin. And there’s a tachometer allowing you to keep tabs on performance.

Let’s not pretend that this touring machine will be the fastest ride on the trail. It won’t be. But it’s fast enough to get you a speeding ticket on a Minnesota or Wisconsin corridor trail if you don’t pay attention to the standard issue speedometer. We’ve found the Legend Touring surprisingly quick on long open trail ways and well suited to easing through winding sections where scenery takes precedence over making miles.

Enjoy The Scenery

The Ski-Doo Legend Touring suits riders who are more interested in the experience of touring than the rider looking to keep score by racking up mileage. This is an easy sled to ride — simple and comfortable to operate.

With a claimed dry weight of just 525-pounds the Legend Touring is responsive and fun to boss around when you need to throw some body language into it to maneuver through a tight trail. At 39-inches measured from center-to-center, ski stance seems a bit narrow by today’s standards but is completely adequate for the RF platform.

Overall, this is a very underrated snowmobile that is well suited for trail touring types looking for an economical, yet value-laden mileage maker. The 2009 Ski-Doo Legend Touring comes outfitted with value and reliability. Its US$8,349 base price makes it a good value. Add in its potential for 25 mpg and 200-plus miles of range and a good value gets even better. This sled is a solid choice for serious touring riders. Plus, don’t forget that it was developed in the heart of Quebec’s snowmobile touring country by the company that invented the sport!