The 09 will be the best M series yet.
The 07 M8 has serious power-robbing properties .
For example: It is very hard to make an 07 M8 run with the 08 M8 in terms of sheer speed. But those same engine mods when compared to another 07 M8 will show some serious performance improvement. We saw 7-10 lengths comparing 07 M8 to 07 M8 after we mod it. But compared to the 08 M8..the Mod 07 M8 is barely ahead. IMHO it is the 07 M8 Diamond drive that robs serious power transfer from the engine to the track. The 07 M10 does not suffer from this issue. So, this leads me to believe it is a gear issue in the 07 M8 DD drive.
You can mod an 07 M8 and it will bearly out pull a stock 08 M8.. The engine's (stock) make within 2 HP of each other but onthe hill it is more like 20HP.. WHY? Not 100% sure, but it is not the engine , pipe, or CDI.. That is for sure.. We have had both atthe same time and swapped parts and they always run the same.. So, that leads me to believe that it is in the Diamond Drive.
NOW.. take those same engine mods that you did to the 07 M8 and put them on the 08 M8 and it will clean up on the 07 M8.. like it was running against a 600 class sled..
The 08 M8 has another issue that the 07 M8 does not.. That is the rear skid.. The 08 rear skid is not as good in fluff powder as the 07 M8 skid but is better on the hard packed.. While the float shocks and all thatlook great and are much lighter.. the transfer in the fluff suffers badly.
So, enter the 09... MUCH better track.. Seems thay have done some adjustments to the rear skid (thanks to Holz).. We tested the Power Claw last season against ALL tracks and it is like adding 20HP to the sled.. The 09 with the power-claw track will make mod 07 and 08 M8's look stupid on the hill, in the powder and on the hard packed.. People with the 09 wil be very happy and people with the 08 will be buying a Power Claw if they want to high-mark with the 09's.
I suspect it will be very frustrating for the non power claw equipped people when they stock 09's high mark their modded engine sleds. The truth is that it will have nothing to due with the engine's power output of the 07 or 08's and everything to due with the track and chassis geometry of the 09's. Just like the "hold back" iin the 07 M8's when comparing them to the 08 M8's. even with more engine power in the 07 M8 (mods etc), the 08's will excel over the 07 almost every time when put to the test on the hill..
The 09 M sleds, even in stock form, will hand it to many a mod sled this season.. But making the assumption that this , whoppin', will be due to power output of the engine, would be an incorrect assumption..
IMHO, of course
Kelsey
