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In its second year of production, the XP Summit 8 proved itself as a hardcore mountain sled, but one that remains controversial among many mountain riders. The Summit is certainly an in-control mogul masher, and its confident front suspension, rear skid, shock package, race-inspired handlebar position and rotation, and seat make it the vehicle of choice for trail riding.
Also, when in ultra-high deep snow, the Summit's 154-inch long, 16-inch wide Challenger track with 2.25 inch paddles, nicely lifts the Summit and moves the powder sled to float on top of deep snow. Sashaying through waist-deep powder was intoxicating! You could dip a shoulder, lift the opposite side foot, look, and the Summit XP would cut a sweet line.
Yet, when pulling a nasty sidehill cut or boondocking in tight trees on a steep grade, the Summit physically stressed us out. We could not boondock on the XP Summit like we could on a Dragon 800 or an M8. Yet, when we rode with Summit project manager Chris Ruske, he and his staff could carve and boondock on the XP Summit with precision, equal to any of us carving on Dragons and M8s. Similarly, these same XP Summit designers complain to us about the M8's and Dragon's less-than-favorable boondocking abilities, just as we voice the same about the Summit. So, where is the truth? We figure it lies somewhere in between.
Our only real mechanical problem with our 2009 Summit for the season was its fuel gauge. After the first ride, the gauge quit working. Bott Yamaha Ski-Doo/Sea-Doo, Idaho Falls, Idaho, the dealer who prepped the Summit for us, chased down a short in the fuel gauge sending unit and corrected the problem. Other than that, the Summit was flawless.
Through the season, the Rotax-built 800R Power TEK twin reacted nicely to driver input. The light XP chassis made getting unstuck seem effortless compared to the heavier 800s. Its ergos are great with a tall anti-slip seat and tall bars. The Summit's superb power-to-weight ratio gives it arm-stretching acceleration. Up the straight shoot, the Summit's 16-inch wide deep-lug track allowed it to scream up mountains.
But we come back to a point we've made several times and which revolves around the Summit's handlebar swing. The Summit's over-the-motor steering post makes the handlebars swing down from its 9-o'clock or 3-o'clock position down toward the fuel cell, similar to an automobile. We feel this makes sidehilling more difficult than on an M-Cat or an RMK. The Summit's rider-forward and centralized-mass riding position, and handlebar swing requires a rider to learn its unique riding style. When standing and rotating the bars into the mountain for a sidehill run, arm and hand position are not intuitive for efficient and easy leverage. Yet, for those who have mastered this style, they make it look easy.
Kevin Allred said, "Perhaps Ski-Doo should release an all-out boondocker by delivering the Summit with a 36- or 37-inch stance, no sway bar, and 15-inch wide track. I think this may cancel out some of its resistance to roll onto a ski and sidehill."
He added, "BRP's second year on the XP Summit proved to be winner as the '09 Summit hit the snow running hard and void of any clutching and belt issues from the previous year. Other than a minor fuel gauge fix, AmSnow's '09 Blue Doo was flawless - we went the entire season on the same belt and experienced no other issues. The 800R motor pulls hard and runs great. The XP Summit likes ultra-deep powder and powers up on top of the snow and keeps on going. Another personal favorite on the sled is the suspension. It's smooth and very predictable. The design of this sled and chassis is that it always seeks to stay flat with both skis on the snow. That's a good thing until it comes to sidehilling, and then it requires more driver input to keep it positive on the sidehill run. Other than that the Blue Doo is a winner."
Overall, the Summit has a hard-working motor, its chassis does not store weighty snow, and it has a confident front suspension and rear skid. Downers include a very stiff throttle pull, which make the right wrist and forearm quickly fatigue, and its boondocking and sidehilling capabilities aren't as good as the other 800s.