Artic Cat M6000 vs M8000
- Thread starter quiacato
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Just an effy. My 80 pound son on a 16 M6000 with Hillclimb ECU flash pulls my buddy on a brand new Alpha in fresh on an uphill climb.
When I ride it to get him up hills that he is not comfortable with, it packs the skis hard. 600 sleds rock.
When I ride it to get him up hills that he is not comfortable with, it packs the skis hard. 600 sleds rock.
We just had this exact discussion with a friend yesterday on my second ride on the 6000. He has a 2019 M 8000 that is the exact same as the one my husband wants to trade the 6000 in for ( because I already do not like having less power, it has not been a problem, yet, but I LIKE the feeling of more power) Any how, our friend rode mine for awhile and i got to ride his 2019... I was immediately WAY more comfortable and rode much faster.
He said the shocks on mine are all the way up which is why I keep getting tossed all over the place. I pretty much half to sit on this sled because I almost fall off just going over bumps in the trail . We aired the fronts down a bit on the trail a little, it helped, but I still feel like I cannot steer the damn thing - so I am guessing that is what you are talking about with the skis??
I pretty much have decided to just bite the bullet and trade it in for the 2019 Mountain Cat 8000, my husband is all for doing it. I just wanted a chance to ride one before buying/trading again. Since I had that chance I am comfortable spending the extra $2,000 to get me something I will be happier with. You only live once after all!
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Why go spend $12k-$14k on a toy that you don't know if she's going to really enjoy or ride more than 4 times a year? I can find a different way to spend $12k-$14K on her that she'll enjoy more. Yes my wife loves to ride, but we now live in an area where its 2.5-3 hrs one way to travel for every ride which takes a toll (we were spoiled 25 minutes from unloading), yes I know its nothing for those in the Midwest to come out West.
Ouch. Long drive. My wife is perfectly happy on the old beavertail MXZ800 for the 4 times she rides a year.
Buddy who's GF has a 600 Alpha says that it RIPS. Silly fast.
Buddy who's GF has a 600 Alpha says that it RIPS. Silly fast.
I was going to hold off on a new sled until next year but hubby got a deal on a 2019 M8000 Mountain Cat he could not pass up. Got it out twice this weekend and LOVE it. My riding has already improved and we are both much happier. If I had never rode an 800 I think I would have been ok with a 600 but hard to go down in power. I am amazed at the difference in handling from 2019 to 2017. SO easy to get the 2019 over....now to learn how to keep it there 
Does the M8000 have e-start? If not, can you start it?
After reading this thread, and being frustrated with the sled I built for my wife, we decided to pull the trigger on a newer sled for her. I found a'14 Pro-RMK 600 for a good price and picked it up, hoping it would be a good fit for her.
It turned out to be a terrible fit for her, and the guys on our week in West Yellowstone all took turns riding it (and getting our butts kicked) while she rode one of our two M8's, and did pretty well.
So much for that... We just offed it after less than a month of owning it and we're heading up to West Yellowstone mid-March to pick up a '17 M6000 Sno Pro ES. We're buying it from a rental place that let us take it out in a field while we were there and put some time on it. It was obvious right away that she was way better off on the cat. She had it on edge in no time, and the ES will be nice for her.
For our ride, the battery was out, so it was pull start only. I
was surprised how hard it was to pull! I don't think my wife could do it, and I'm thankful she won't have to.
Given that there is just about zero weight difference between a 600 and 800, I'd not hesitate to put her on an M8000 if that's what we had found, but the Cat 600 is getting great reviews for being smooth and powerful, and I'm sure it'll have more power than she ever needs.
I'm still on one of our '09 M8's, but the newer (to me) one has a turbo, so it's fun. I don't feel like I need a newer sled yet, but an Alpha would sure be nice. Actually, if she likes the M6000, we might sell off the non-turbo M8 and use the money to convert hers to an Alpha... Then in a couple years, I might be ready for a new sled too.
Thanks for starting this thread!!
After reading this thread, and being frustrated with the sled I built for my wife, we decided to pull the trigger on a newer sled for her. I found a'14 Pro-RMK 600 for a good price and picked it up, hoping it would be a good fit for her.
It turned out to be a terrible fit for her, and the guys on our week in West Yellowstone all took turns riding it (and getting our butts kicked) while she rode one of our two M8's, and did pretty well.
So much for that... We just offed it after less than a month of owning it and we're heading up to West Yellowstone mid-March to pick up a '17 M6000 Sno Pro ES. We're buying it from a rental place that let us take it out in a field while we were there and put some time on it. It was obvious right away that she was way better off on the cat. She had it on edge in no time, and the ES will be nice for her.
For our ride, the battery was out, so it was pull start only. I
was surprised how hard it was to pull! I don't think my wife could do it, and I'm thankful she won't have to.
Given that there is just about zero weight difference between a 600 and 800, I'd not hesitate to put her on an M8000 if that's what we had found, but the Cat 600 is getting great reviews for being smooth and powerful, and I'm sure it'll have more power than she ever needs.
I'm still on one of our '09 M8's, but the newer (to me) one has a turbo, so it's fun. I don't feel like I need a newer sled yet, but an Alpha would sure be nice. Actually, if she likes the M6000, we might sell off the non-turbo M8 and use the money to convert hers to an Alpha... Then in a couple years, I might be ready for a new sled too.
Thanks for starting this thread!!
BTW, I don't think there's any chassis difference that would account for the difference you experience between the '17 and '19... It's all a matter of setup.
I saw earlier that your hubby's buddy said the sled was "cranked up". There is NO excuse for that, IMO.
Tell your husband to either read up and make adjustments for you, or give up on him and learn to make them yourself. Riding a sled with the shocks all cranked up for a heavier rider ruins your ride experience. It makes for a rough ride, makes getting up on edge much harder, sidehilling more difficult, etc.
Setting the suspension for the rider is the very first thing that should be done. It can be an iterative process... For your weight, either consult the manual for initial settings, or simply back everything all the way of and go from there. There are plenty of threads on setting up suspension, and what changes have what effects.
Once you get that dialed in to your riding style, you'll be even more comfortable and confident!
Good Luck!!
I saw earlier that your hubby's buddy said the sled was "cranked up". There is NO excuse for that, IMO.
Tell your husband to either read up and make adjustments for you, or give up on him and learn to make them yourself. Riding a sled with the shocks all cranked up for a heavier rider ruins your ride experience. It makes for a rough ride, makes getting up on edge much harder, sidehilling more difficult, etc.
Setting the suspension for the rider is the very first thing that should be done. It can be an iterative process... For your weight, either consult the manual for initial settings, or simply back everything all the way of and go from there. There are plenty of threads on setting up suspension, and what changes have what effects.
Once you get that dialed in to your riding style, you'll be even more comfortable and confident!
Good Luck!!
Mine does not have e-start - my husband has to do the initial pull when unloading the sled but after that I do not have any problems starting it...I think if it was life or death though I could start it cold. I think just depends on how strong she is, I know some ladies that can start their own and some that cannot.
Does the M8000 have e-start? If not, can you start it?
I'm still on one of our '09 M8's, but the newer (to me) one has a turbo, so it's fun. I don't feel like I need a newer sled yet, but an Alpha would sure be nice. Actually, if she likes the M6000, we might sell off the non-turbo M8 and use the money to convert hers to an Alpha... Then in a couple years, I might be ready for a new sled too.
The Alpha is too much for me personally, my husband talked about getting a 20 for himself and giving me his 19 but it is just TOO tippy for my level of riding. I would just make sure she rides on a few times before taking that plunge!
We did this before I rode the 2019 and basically had to take it all the way down for my weight. We adjusted the 2017 too and I rode it once after that, I still liked the 2019 better, found it easier to get over and just more responsive - or I could just be getting better at riding and being less of a wuss
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