Sno Pro or NO Sno Pro, That is the Question

[Frostbite]

I still haven't pulled the trigger on a new M8 just yet. I am very, very close with multiple options to chose from at this point. I know I am going to need a Boss seat and a SLP pipe.

I have to say I just love the look of the white Sno Pros and I want one very badly but, I thought I liked the telescoping VSB bars but, after riding with them and feeling all that slop in the steering post, I was thinking I might have to replace the steering post at some point? I also think I'd want to add the AMP 2" riser to the bars.

I like the weight loss of the Fox Floats but, do they work as well as the coil over shocks on the M8 standard? How often do you have to air them up? Do they leak down frequently?

So, if I bought a 09 M8 standard. I'm not a fan of green so I'd have to replace or paint the green coil over springs, paint the rear skid arms and remove the green decals from the black hood or try to find a white hood.

Then again, maybe someone would be willing to trade their sno pro hood for a black one?

I know the standard M8s are less expensive and weigh a bit more than the Sno Pros. What are your thoughts on the subject?

 

[570MC]

Floats are definitly worth it. We have an 06 King Cat that came with floats and have not had to mess with them yet. Huge difference between my King with out floats and that King. If the steering post is not holding up then just change it but get the sno-pro

 

[m7]

I am sure if you went to your local cat dealer and told them exactly what you want i asure you they would be more than happy to switch parts with a non sno pro. They would just charge an up grade on the other sled. They might even take some off the price of the one you are buying.

 

[cobaltpilot]

For your needs maybe buy a SnoPro in white and then sell the Floats and buy some other front shocks.

Floats1s stink. You couldn't give me a pair of them over a decent coil over. Adjustability and compression stroke suck with them. I've had three pairs on various sleds over the years and I still shake my head at them. Evol's look to function well but then you've lost most of the weight savings so... Maybe find some Zero Pros and get the silver Ti HCR springs for your M.

Look at any pics of any hillclimb event, or snowcross event, and you will see each and every one using coil over shocks. These guys know how to work a shock hard and should tell you everything you need to know.

The AMP risers are excellent both for the telescopic bars and the fixed bars. Anytime you get an aerospace parts company building sled parts you know the quality is there.

I'm hearing too many people bend these new telescopic steering post assemblies, and if mine bends I'm putting a cro-mo fixed BDX post in.

 

[KMMAC]

Frosty,, good question been wondering same thing. Not a fan of any moving part in the steering system at the stem. Does the standard come with the adjustable stem also? As far as shocks go have not heard real good things about the gen 1 floats, hard to tune seem to change with elevation. As far as seat goes they are in the swap meet from time to time. I like the idea of a motocross type seat mounted to some kind of tube frame and the frame being enclosed for storage. Thought of this years ago. The stock spring shocks are not that good either but I think some after markets that style would be good. Not too concerned about getting every ounce off a sled. Ya, I understand the whole unsprung weight thing just don't plan on racing where it would make that much difference. Would spend more time and money else where removing weight. Cobaltpilot you have too many toys......

 

[polaris660rmk]

frosty i would get a sno pro first it is white that you want. the floats are nice to have. and the resale is always more for a sno pro over std. you could always buy coil overs and put them on and if you decide to sell it throw the float back on. some dealers are including the boss still with purchase of the snopro just my 2 cents

 

[Frostbite]

Thanks guys,

I remembered the other thing on the Sno Pro that would have to go, the white front bumper. My close encounters of the tree kind would leave it dirty with pitch.

Don't get me wrong I love the Sno Pro but, if a guy ends up having to change the shocks, the front bumper, the steering post and still has to buy a Boss seat. Then how much more is a Sno Pro really worth?

Hum???

 

[indy28]

I was in the exact same boat as you a few weeks ago. I REALLY liked the white sno-oro. The float floats look better IMO (performace seems better also), and liked the idea of the adjustable steering post. THEN heard about some of the problems with the slop in the steering post, heard some good things with the floats, but didn't hear that many (if any) negatives with the coil overs. AND I, like you bump off of trees from time to time, do lots of brush running, and have a white truck that I am constantly washing the damn thing. I ended up with a standard, love the looks, the performance of the front end is still great, put a handle bar riser on, looking for a boss seat, and a damn air pump because althought AC gives you a float in the rear skid they DON'T give you an air pump! lol. All in all really digging the black and green, I too wasn't a huge fan of the green, but it seems to grow on me. Either way you can't/won't go wrong with this thing, good luck and have fun! :beer;

 

[WMD]

I faced the same decision a couple of weeks ago.

Save yourself some money and buy the standard M8.

Spend the money on a good set of ski's, seat, riser, and skidplate. Don't waste it on floats.

I bought a std but I like black sleds just fine.

 

[hogster008]

I made the big purchase of a new M8 sno pro this fall, yes if you use trees to redirect you sap does stay on bumper and you will be washing your sled often. As for the fox floats, I have not had a problem with them leaking air. The only thing was to get them to a point were they would not bottom out when jumping and still be soft enough to make for decent riding. I have bottomed them out sever times with no air leaking out and from what I have seen the pressure does not change alot(live in edmonton ride here and at the top of boulder in Revy they still had the same pressure). From my point you can't go wrong with either one.

 

[hogster008]

P.S. from what I have felt you do not notice the slop in the steering post while riding just when you are sitting on it and thinking about it. The slop has not effected me at all, and you would have to really try to bend it. Just my thoughts.

 

[1M800]

Hey Frosty...you still haven't bought a sled. I have been coming across your threads about buying a new sled for weeks...maybe months? You will be happy with either one if you ever make up your mind! I bought a standard, and I love it! Would I have loved a SP...I'm sure I would...but I haven't ridden one. I cant imagine that there is that much difference riding them. Go buy one so you have some time to ride it this winter!

 

[KMMAC]

The problem with the floats isn't that they lose air it has to do with barometric pressure. Sounds like that, as you gain elevation the shocks lose pressure. Now this is what I was told, and with no experience with them have no real idea. To that point, is the loss of air noticeable? Who knows, from the sounds of it this generation of float is not as good as the next gen. You can send the floats on the sled now to Tom's snowmobile I think that's what it's called and they can do an up date to the first gen shocks that make them work much better. Saw one of his ads in snowest mag a couple months back.

 

[bonz50]

The problem with the floats isn't that they lose air it has to do with barometric pressure. Sounds like that, as you gain elevation the shocks lose pressure. Now this is what I was told, and with no experience with them have no real idea. To that point, is the loss of air noticeable? Who knows, from the sounds of it this generation of float is not as good as the next gen. You can send the floats on the sled now to Tom's snowmobile I think that's what it's called and they can do an up date to the first gen shocks that make them work much better. Saw one of his ads in snowest mag a couple months back.

this 'shouldn't' happen cuz the shocks are a sealed system with rigid exteriors... ambient RAD (relative air density) should have nearly zero effect on 'em... if they are losing pressure its cuz the seals are leaking and the shocks need to be serviced...

edit to add - I'd just get the sno pro... it looks kick *** and has everything I'd want on a sled (cept the boss seat)...

 

[208_RMK]

I agree it seems this dude has been looking for a sled ever since I joined this forum. But yeah from what I have read from his original post- everything he wants is on a sno pro. As far as the floats changing from elevation variances thats why they are adjustable. I am very happy with my sno pro especially the floats. By the time he changes the hood and or shock package I think he'd spend as much or more than getting what he wanted in the first place- a sno pro. Also I think the slp pipe is not mandatory, hop up the secondary clutch first.

 

[KMMAC]

Like I said,,,, about the air pressure thing, that is what I was TOLD not my opinion on the matter. I like the idea of floats, thing is this type of shock has been used before. Clear back in 79 I had a CR 125 that I put a set of shocks on from fox that were not much different than the ones they sell today. Back then they worked well, but I never had much chance to tune them because I bought mine through a Honda dealer who wanted more money for the pump which I found out later was supposed to come with the shocks. Ya, I was young (20) so never experimented with them at that time but the way they were setup worked pretty well even though I couldn't adjust the air pressure.

 

[Dam Dave]

I am glad I don't have this much difficulty choosing a new sled, all the new sleds are awesome, the season is getting shorter, pick one and go ride, you wont regret either sled,

I had a 08 M8 standard 162 and now have a 09 M8 Sno Pro 162, I have 1000 miles of boon docking on it and love it, best sled I have owned. The floats work at least as well as the std shocks and are lighter, the std shocks are not high quality either. there both mass production shocks made for the avg rider.

 

[05snopro440]

I have an 08 M1 SP and love the float shocks. I haven't had any issues with changes in air pressure due to elevation. They don't leak down, and it does take a little bit of fine tuning to get them how you like them on the first couple rides but that is the same as any other shock. You can put the telescoping bar assembly on older M's, so why wouldn't you be able to take it off the new one? If it were me I would take it off and put a 3 or 4 inch fixed riser on. There shouldn't be any need to change the complete steering post. If you are looking at 09 sleds now, the difference between a standard and a sno pro should be getting pretty little. When I bought my 08 there was about $400 difference between a standar and sno pro. No brainer to me, go Sno Pro.

 

[Frostbite]

Yup, you guys are right. This "dude" has been looking for a new sled for quite a while.

This isn't easy for me. I have been a Yamaha guy for years and still have a shop full of them. I had to wait until after February 10th to make sure Yamaha didn't release a direct injected two stroke or something else I just had to have, they didn't.

My second choice in sleds has always been Skidoo (since my dad worked at a dealership when I was a kid and I grew up riding them). So I started focusing on the 09 Summit X 800 but, with all the engine and clutch (belt) related issues, I ran away screaming.

Then I looked at the 2009 Polaris Dragon 800. I had no idea they had a huge amount of engine related issues this year as well.

I have never really cared for Arctic Cats (until now). For years I have called them "Ditch Pickles" and Arctic Cat green has always seemed let's say, less than attractive to me. But once I started doing research on two stroke engine durability and ease of use off trail and in deep powder it was clear that Cat had a winner with the M series. I went on the demo ride to figure which M sled and I got that nailed down (give me some credit So, I now I have had to face facts and put away my Yamaha blue pride and focus on the white M series (I just answered my own question, didn't I).

I'm finding my wife is WAY more brand loyal than I am. She's more than a little freaked out that I want to change brands (especially Cat) and strongly suggests I wait until all the 2010 models are released to save me from getting buyer's remorse (again) by buying something just before the new sleds (or motorcycles) are released.

So, yes I'm slow but, boy do I do my research. The good thing is, the longer I seem to wait, the cheaper the sleds are getting. I have already saved a couple grand by not buying a sled yet. I'm certainly in no hurry, I'll just ride my Yammy until I find the right deal.