2012 summit x or 2012 800 PRO-RMK ?

[keepitrealeh]

I'm used to riding a 2009 summit everest 800 powertek with a clutch kit and can. I recently got to ride a 2012 summit x and wow what a difference. the '12 X handles way better, easier to flick around, required very little work to maneuver and the new seat feels way better too. I only rode for a few hours between the 09 everest and '12 X and not in any dee deep stuff so i cant give a full detailed comparison but i was VERY impressed with the differences...the X also was more smooth and steady over bumps on the trail ('12 X feels like a Porsche and the 09 everest feels like an old muscle car). The new skis seem to track very well.

The everest though felt quite a quit faster/more torquey but the X is completely stock and hasn't hit its break-in period yet so that probably that a lot to do with it.

anyways, i want to buy a sled either right now or wait and spring order a 2013...if i buy now I'm thinking either 2012 summit x or a 2012 pro rmk 800. Problem is I cant ride the polaris before buying and no one I know has one (everyone rides ski doos) and all the local rental places rent cats or ski doos, no polaris. Ive never ridden a polaris before but have read really great things about the new rmk's. I've also ridden a few cat m800s and I wasn't a big fan of them (no offense to cat owners, just personal preference).

or do i forget all of this and wait to spring order a '13 doo or poo?? thanks in advance for honest, non biased replies from people with experience with these two sleds and not just spewing their brand loyalty. thanks.

 

[lognomore]

It's to bad you're not able to test ride a Pro. Great sled, but then again I don't think you could go wrong with any of the three brands. I know this doesn't offer much help and I'm sure others will chime in on this. Hopefully they can give better info then me. I will say this, I really like my Pro!

 

[doo181]

I own a 2012 xp 163 and I really love it. That said I have ridden the pro and really liked it as well. I think it is fantastic that we have great mountain sleds from the factory without having to build them ourselves like the old days. If yo are really experienced then I think either one will be a good choice. If you are still skill building then the pro will will make you a better rider as it is easier to ride. There are some things that I like better about the xp for me.

 

[Doonbuggy12]

I've ridden ski doo all my life and love them. I recently went to Cooke and rented a pro rmk 800 155. I rode it for 2 full days. It was a nice sled but I just couldn't get the feel for it. It was extremely light which was nice. The floatation was great. But I could either turn very hard in the deep stuff or I would just tip right over. It didn't seem like there was a happy cruising medium. I'm not the greatest mountain rider but I know to me the doo feels much smoother and more predictable. I switched with a buddy on a freeride and I just felt at home. Effortless.

 

[Butta]

If you haven't spent time on a PRO, you'll be fine with the Doo. Doo riders seem to be content with their stability and tend to have troubles with the neutral handling that I love so much about the PRO.

It's all what you are accustomed to, that's why I say if you haven't spent time on a PRO, you'll be fine on the Doo.

I love the PRO, and can't break the code on the Doo for it's handling characteristics.

 

[Summitseeker]

It was a toss up for me this season too. I was seriously considering a Poo Pro but ended up going with the 2012 Doo. I have zero regrets! I have ridden the Poo and still love my Doo. If I compared my 2010 Doo with the Poo then I would say the Poo would have been my sled of choice. However the 2012 Etec just works! It has great power and handles better than any Doo I have ever ridden. You seriously cannot go wrong with either sled.

 

[jakey-boy]

I've never rode a doo long enough to get used to their strange feel but I can tell you that the polaris is extremely easy to ride. The complaint you will most often hear from doo owners that try the polaris is that it tips over too easy but what that is telling you is that they are used to working to hard. Once you get used to the polaris you figure out that it does exactly what the rider tells it to, never are you fighting it to make it do what you want. Everytime I have rode a doo I feel like it refuses to do what I want. One guy I ride with a lot jumped from a 2011 etech to the pro this year and he is extremely happy. The first few rides he said it felt weird but now that he's used to it, I've watched him pull lines that he never attempted on his doo. But where you are already used to the feel of the doo it may work better for you. The doo motor is better, polaris clutching and track better. All personal preference really don't think you can go wrong either way. Also you may want to ride a 2012 cat with both vert & horizonatal steering they really do feel like a mix between a doo & a polaris so might be a happy medium.

 

[Hurricane Tim]

People keep saying the Pro tips over too easy. That's what I love about it. It lays right over effortlessly, so you grab a handful of throttle and let it rip. Fun stuff man!

 

[Highmarker]

Keep in mind you can also get the Pro about $2,000 cheaper. At least that's the case around here

 

[ghostrider73]

The lower power you feel from the etec is from the fuel injection it gives a smoother more linear power rather than the snappy power of the ptec you will notice the torque increase on a climb thevetec will just keep pulling . But that being said any new fuel injected sled will feel sluggish compared to a carb sled kind of the way you made the reference of an old muscle car compared to new one. Old car loud and violent new car smooth quiet and fast.

 

[Hurricane Tim]

The lower power you feel from the etec is from the fuel injection it gives a smoother more linear power rather than the snappy power of the ptec you will notice the torque increase on a climb thevetec will just keep pulling . But that being said any new fuel injected sled will feel sluggish compared to a carb sled kind of the way you made the reference of an old muscle car compared to new one. Old car loud and violent new car smooth quiet and fast.

I have experienced the opposite on my E-Tec. It starts out climbing like crazy until you get halfway up the hill, and it starts losing RPM's to the point where either you sidehill out, or go back down. My 07 & 09 R motors just kept ripping until either you got stuck or ran out of talent. The E-Tec motor is probably fine, but the clutching is junk. I have an '11 E-Tec and a '12 Pro. The Pro is the better all around mountain sled in my book.

 

[tudizzle]

Seems like everybody in our group went with the PRO this year


I bought a new etec



soon after they all went out and bought turbos...go figure?

 

[adam8781]

keep your current sled, see what skidoo has in store for the new chassis next year.


A huge part of what makes the 2012 x so good is the narrow front end,

if you put a s36 front end kit
a few dollars into better shocks in the rear
and a nice set of front skis, it would be very similar to the 2012 x you rode.



I would wait personally, and the new pro is awesome, but you have to ride one to see if its what you want.

 

[907to406]

If you hold off til 2013 rumor has it Ski-doo is coming out with a new chassis....

 

[adam8781]

If you hold off til 2013 rumor has it Ski-doo is coming out with a new chassis....

history repeats itself. look at the 2007 rev, it got a brand new motor the 800r, new track, new seat etc then the next year out came the xp.

now the xp got the 800etec, new track, new seat, new front end.

noticing a trend yet? If i was brp i would jazz up the last model year of the xp to sell off the remaining sled chassis i had, then they go brand new the following year.

Writing is on the wall for new sled in 2013.

 

[Hurricane Tim]

My '07 XRS was probably my favorite sled to this point (other than the Pro), but it struggled with poor factory clutching. I like alot of things on my '11 XP, but it also struggles with poor factory clutching. Why can't Ski Doo get this right? Yes, I know you can get the clutching to work better with different helixes, springs, clutch kits, etc. This is a mountain specific sled for crying out loud, build it with mountain specific (cough, Team, cough) clutching.

 

[bigbird]

I'm a yammie guy and got to ride both this weekend. Love the linear handling of the pro. Pro is definately better handling. Xp has noticeably more power and track speed. Stays on top a lot easier in 3 ft of snow with me on it. I'm on the heavier side, so with lighter riders who knows. If I had to pick, I'd take the doo. Having said that I think a turbo pro would be the funnest sled on snow

 

[keepitrealeh]

Thanks for all the replies so far...

When some of you are saying wait till 2013 cause skidoo may be coming out with new sleds...are u saying 2013 as in model year 2013 (ie: the spring release coming in a few months) or do you mean wait until the year 2013 for the 2014 models?

the narrower stance on the summit X was definitely noticeable and I much preferred it to the '09 everest..infact i preferred everything on the X over the everest except the throttle response/torque...the X just felt a step behind...but again the everest has a clutch kit and a can and the X hadn't been through the break-in period yet so perhaps this will change.

I'd really like to try a PRO for a few days to see how I like it...problem is around here (vancouver/whistler/pemberton area) everyone seems to ride skidoos...plus there is a really good dealer close by too. If we cross paths with 20 sleds in a day, at LEAST 15 are skidoos..and everyone i ride with rides skidoos and tells me to get a skidoo (good local dealer, everyone else has them so if ever need a belt or parts or something goes wrong they all know the machines inside and out) so the doo seems like the obvious choice....but for some reason the PRO is tempting me to be different and try something new lol

 

[Hurricane Tim]

Having a good dealer close by is huge. That, to me, is the deal maker. You can't really go wrong on any new sled now. They all have their plusses & minuses.

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

Thanks for all the replies so far...

When some of you are saying wait till 2013 cause skidoo may be coming out with new sleds...are u saying 2013 as in model year 2013 (ie: the spring release coming in a few months) or do you mean wait until the year 2013 for the 2014 models?

the narrower stance on the summit X was definitely noticeable and I much preferred it to the '09 everest..infact i preferred everything on the X over the everest except the throttle response/torque...the X just felt a step behind...but again the everest has a clutch kit and a can and the X hadn't been through the break-in period yet so perhaps this will change.

I'd really like to try a PRO for a few days to see how I like it...problem is around here (vancouver/whistler/pemberton area) everyone seems to ride skidoos...plus there is a really good dealer close by too. If we cross paths with 20 sleds in a day, at LEAST 15 are skidoos..and everyone i ride with rides skidoos and tells me to get a skidoo (good local dealer, everyone else has them so if ever need a belt or parts or something goes wrong they all know the machines inside and out) so the doo seems like the obvious choice....but for some reason the PRO is tempting me to be different and try something new lol

next time you come across one out on the trail...stop them and ask if you can take it for a spin..most peeps are more then happy to let you try their sled..just be careful with it...