Mdog,
I think you are right about why the air cooled quads stall. My question is: What is it about the Outlanders that give them the advantage in climbing, in the opinion of your riding group?

 

The frozen mountain trail is very tricky and dangerous because if you don't make it you start to slide backwords out of control trying to miss trees and rocks. The Outlanders make it I think because of stibility and the visco-loc front end it senses when the tires are slipping and switches power to the wheel or wheels that have traction, it goes to fully lock up and still steers easily at any speed. The Griz and 500 HO sometimes make it when its not so bad because they can go to full lock up but the Griz hits its rev limiter at 20 mph. and looses speed and momentum, the 500 HO and Griz get hard to steer in full lock up and loose momentum. This mountain has turns and off cambers so you need to carry speed then almost stop on the ice, turn and climb again, try to jump to a dry spot for more traction and go up again. Stability is a big advantage on the Outty(it's the most stabile) the others will loose to much speed while trying to go around some off camber corners.( they get tippy and have to slow down) The non locking machines never make it without winching. Two guys even studded their tires and still couldn't make it.

It's a nice feeling to make it to the top without help you think your a better rider but really it's the machine.