Hey FlipFlop,
I'm still doing some research but I wanted to let you know that I was working on it.
Are you talking about two people riding as in you and another adult or you and a child. Small frame, medium frame, large frame?This information will help me with my research...
What kind of budget are you thinking about? 2k, 5k, 10k
Generally, "Two-Ups" - are sleds that are made for two people and they don't handle well off of groomed trails. We have a 1998 Polaris Indy Touring which is a really nice ride on groomed trails with two people and can be an "adequate" ride for one person off of groomed trails - certainly not nimble, but capable. I would not likely go hill climbing with this tank of a sled.
Most importantly the sled has to be built to handle the weight it is carrying - two adults on a standard sled will likely cause suspension issues and will cause unwanted extra maintenance not to mention poor handling because the weight might be distributed inappropriately. Some suspension can be "beefed up" to handle the extra weight, but handling will still be awkward at best off of the groomed trails.
The weight of the sled, cleat depth on the track, the track length and front suspension will determine how well a sled handles in deep snow off of groomed trails.
Light sled, deep cleats, long track & late model suspension = powder dream.
Heavy sled, shallow cleats, short track, older suspension = powder nightmare.
Most touring models come with "shallow" tracks and won't be able to propel very well in deep powder but make a nice fat "footprint" and is less likely to sink as long as you keep the momentum moving forward. Stopping a touring sled in deep powder almost always guarantees at least an hour of "dig out" time.
Most all two-ups come with reverse and electric start capabilities - both of which add weight to the sled.
I have a 1999 Arctic Cat Powder Special. This is a powerful machine (700cc) but still quite a heavy sled compared to today's standards. I have a 144" track with 2" cleats. I would imagine that my sled can easily carry about 275 pounds of passengers and gear without too many problems. I go everywhere with this sled (except extreme deep powder) with about 5 years riding experience. Sometimes it's not pretty to watch, but that's my lack of riding skill, not the sled's fault.
We also have a 2000 Polaris RMK 700 with a 144" track and 2" cleats that adequately carried a 300+ lb rider plus gear for 5 years with no major problems (lots and lots of miles logged). This sled can go absolutely EVERYWHERE.
The more weight you put on a sled the "lower" it rides. The "lower" it rides, the harder it has to work -- ie, more wear and tear. Instead of easily skimming across the top of the snow - it's digging in deep and having to move more snow...
Post up to the questions above and I will try to find some more detailed answers for you...
PS: I'm sorry about the tight "firewall' on the Mt. Hood Snowmobile Club website. I just put a call into the club President, Todd Call, and he promised that we would review that issue at the next board meeting on Monday (10-19-09).
Crystal