like stated above i have quite a few years on ac, my M was a highly modded 07. 50 pound weight loss and running right around 170 hp so it was no slouch. i ride 1500-2000 miles a year so i get some standing
time. absolutely loved my M, always said they hadn't made a sled yet that i would sell it for. was in the position of either dumping another 2-3 grand into the M or buying a new one or changing brands. we are tree riders so huge hp is just really a waste, and thats what i was planning on adding to the 07 more hp. this was gonna cause me to run race fuel, causing me great pain since i ride so many miles each year. couldn't see paying 11k plus for the sled i already own so i started looking...
first i thought maybe i'd just buy a 10 m1000 and lighten it up, but once again i'd basically be buying the same sled with more weight and the same hp, just a lot more grunt
if ac would've come out with the proclimb this year i would be riding one right now but they waited soooooooooooooo long to change the chassis. a buddie had been looking at the pro, first thing that caught my ear was the weight, when poo first stated the weight i laughed, figured proto's were that light sure but when they hit production i could see a 20-30 pound gain. not to be, weight dead on to the pound of what they quoted. then the hp deal had me all worried, how could i be happy with a 145ish sled after running 170 and wanting even a little more than that? seemed silly.
luckily one of my best riding buds just happens to be a polaris dealer, we have the same aggresive riding style and both love the trees. so he wins a weekend riding last spring with chris and the new pros. he knows just what i like in a sled and likes the same "feel" as i do. well he just couldn't say enough about the new pro, called me from the trip and said this would be the sled for me. i have great respect for his opinion, but was not ready to stop bleeding green.
got to be sept. and was getting ready to pull the trigger on the M1000, had a deal all setup and was going to pick it up in about a week. my buddie calls and tells me he'll have the first of his new pros in a couple of weeks and he would sell me one at the buddie deal
and gaurantee i would love it. so i figure it couldn't hurt to at least wait and see this "great" sled, was the best decision i ever made. had only seen vids of the sled and a few pics, when i walked into his shop and saw it the first thing i thought was WOW this thing is really narrow and short in the front!!! then i stood on it, i'm 5'10"
and it felt like home from the start. bars were dead on where i'd want them, perfect, then i went to yank it up on its side and almost pulled it over on the floor, man you really could tell the weight, could lift the rear end off the ground with one hand. then started looking at the way it was built. i'm a mechanic and aboslutely loved the way it was bolted together and the cast bulkhead was just unbelievealbe!!!! a-arms that can be changed without removing one piece of plastic, obviously someone had spent some serious time designing this sled. but could i live not riding an ac???
went home and thought about it, couldn't stop thinking about that 431 pounds, i'm 45 and have ridden my entire life and love to ride hard all day. that 40 pound lighter sled could keep me in my riding style a year or 2 longer, so thought what the heck i'll grab one. at the deal i was getting could easily resale it and maybe even make a little extra if i didn't like it. always had my M.
had already done 2 rides this season on my M, we usually get our first ride in at the end of october. so for the first ride on the pro there was just a small base but a good 2-3 feet of pow, not bad for a first ride. first thing i noticed was there was no drag going through the pow, came up to the first intersection and carved a circle to stop in and had no idea i was leaving a 3 foot trench, the thing floated so well you just didn't feel it
felt so light, was unreal!!! thing would take right off and not trench, my buddie on his M1000 was having a heck of a time taking off. was nice to have a M right there on the first ride to compare. in fact my buddie with the M1000 didn't even ride the pro that day but saw how much better it got around and sold his ac and bought a pro!!! steering was soooo much better, felt like it took half as much strength to turn the bars. then the power, yeah baby smooth and linear and plenty of it. nothing lacking in that department, wasted way too much time thinking about that!!! thing carved sooo easy, i always say in the deep i just blink and head that direction
the way the thing will keep carving sharper the more you turn it, you can head straight for a tree and then bang, pull a 90 degree turn so easily. know on my M towards the end of the day you'd get a little tired and sometimes when you had to cut hard you just wouldn't quite make it. with the pro you just know you'll make it, gives you the confidence that even if your whipped it will roll, just blink
in fact you have to get used to how sharp the thing will carve, know sometimes the sled will carve sharper than i can!!! sweet...
in the trees this thing really shines, that cast bulkhead makes for one stiff chassis and makes going between treewells a dream. floats so well you'll be pulling lines you never thought about before. the thing climbs and climbs and climbs, stays on top of the pow and doesn't loose all its mo half way up, just keeps going. carves downhill just like up, have never rode any sled that will go downhill and pull a uturn and head right back so easily. i jump from side to side even less than on my M, the chassis and skid just work. less tired at the end of the day, PRICELESS!!!
i would compare the move like when i changed from my mountain cat to the M, a whole new generation of sled. the M was a GREAT SLED for its day, but its day has passed. could still ride one all day long and have a blast but would be knowing it would be even better if i was on my pro. after that first ride put the cat up for sale, new i would rather ride the pro in any condition. was a sad day when i loaded it up in the other guys trailer, will aways be a special place in my heart for that sled!!!
all i can say is ride a pro back to back with a cat, if your riding style is like mine the M will feel great but the pro will just be that much better.
