I finally pulled the trigger 09 M8 Sno Pro - now what mods do I need to get started?

[Frostbite]

Guys, there are some incredible deals out there right now. I promised the wife I'd wait to see what was offered by all the OEMs before I'd pull the trigger on a new sled. But.... a dealer locally met my demands (which shocked the manure out of me because I thought they were unreasonable).

So, I have a 2009 M8 Sno Pro 153" being taken out of the crate and being put together tommorow. I'm excited about buying the sled but, now I have the oh oh, I'm going to feel like heck if they introduce something I just have to have. Oh well, whatever comes out I sure won't be getting it with mods for under $8,000. Heck I bet I could buy a pump gas turbo for this 09 and still be less than the retail price of the new 2010 M8 Hi-Po. At least that's how I'm rationalizing it right now.

So now for the questions.

Vents - I know I will need vents. What brands are prefered for the lower side cowl panels? I think I like the Cutlers and the is it too cool or something like that out of Mountain Home Idaho.

I also like the idea of the gauge chimney from AMP or the rear hood lift.

I will be getting a BDX air intake, I guess I should get it with all the vent covers too?

I'll need some shock tower vents too. What do you recommend? SLP?

Clutching

Secondary - I have a BDX 42/36 helix being installed with the SLP pipe setup from the dealer. I understand I need something called a "shift assist" is it best to get it from D&D or BDX or elsewhere?
Is the stock secondary spring ok?

Primary- What do you recommend for 4 to 7,000 feet? I'm guessing 72 or 73 gram weights? With the stock primary spring? What about roller diameter?

Where should I buy my clutch alignment tool?

Suspension- I read a little bit about the air pressures for the front and rear. What do you recommend front and rear for a 170 lb rider?

Wasn't there something about lowering the front bolt of the rear skid to a hole that needed to be drilled from inside the tunnel?

Skis- Powder Pros? SLP SLTs? USI? What do you suggest?

Is there a particular drive belt that works better than the rest?

I had better stop. Like always, I have tons of questions.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Frosty

 

[mtn_extreme]

Call shain at twisted turbo's and get a turbo put on it, the kit comes with venting, clutching, air intake, everything you need to go ride!

If not, 2cool vents. I like my simmons ski's. timbersled intakes. vanamburg tunnel extension and 162" powderclaw


Congrats on the new sled, sounds like a he11 of a deal..

 

[Frostbite]

Thanks Mnt-extreme. It's funny, everytime I see your avtar it reminds me of the only sports DVD I have ever bought. The 2007 Feista bowl. Enough said.

Yup, there's also a Boss seat included in the deal. I'm shocked but pleased.

Now, I have to start ordering goodies.

 

[Megadeth]

USI triple threats for skis!

 

[kane13]

I had ordered cutler side vents they werer taking a bit to get then i stumbled onto others on a post, it was kinda funny because they both came the same day anyways with both in hand i had to make a decision i chose the ones that 1100cat sells they will take much more abuse the mesh is actually hot glued or something onto the back side and there is no way for it to come apart its strong i grabbed the cutler and pulled the mesh right of the back with no effort, check these out they are good vents i got the side,hood,and i am going to get rid of my sticky back gators and put the riveted nose vents on here's a link make sure to pm him if you are interested, timbersled intake makes a huge difference also.
http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103254

 

[1080paul]

Your getting the only mod you need...the BOSS seat! Just ride it and have FUN the way it is!! I love mine...it's a great sled. Now the M1200 just sits in my garage.

Paul

 

[Woody67]

Frosty's got a new ride

Congratulations Frosty!!! Your gonna love that sled. And Paul you really need to get that 1200 dialed in. You won't leave it sit in the garage.

 

[polaris660rmk]

way to go frosty its about time. goggle holder is a must. ice scaters then to go fast parts. boondocker box. stock y pipe. stock pipe. skinz ultra q silencer. and timbersled intake. rk tek head work hood vents xxxmodrods for all the vents u need then save your money for the boost.

 

[drc270]

Guys, there are some incredible deals out there right now. I promised the wife I'd wait to see what was offered by all the OEMs before I'd pull the trigger on a new sled. But.... a dealer locally met my demands (which shocked the manure out of me because I thought they were unreasonable).

So, I have a 2009 M8 Sno Pro 153" being taken out of the crate and being put together tommorow. I'm excited about buying the sled but, now I have the oh oh, I'm going to feel like heck if they introduce something I just have to have. Oh well, whatever comes out I sure won't be getting it with mods for under $8,000. Heck I bet I could buy a pump gas turbo for this 09 and still be less than the retail price of the new 2010 M8 Hi-Po. At least that's how I'm rationalizing it right now.

So now for the questions.

Vents - I know I will need vents. What brands are prefered for the lower side cowl panels? I think I like the Cutlers and the is it too cool or something like that out of Mountain Home Idaho.

I also like the idea of the gauge chimney from AMP or the rear hood lift.

I will be getting a BDX air intake, I guess I should get it with all the vent covers too?

I'll need some shock tower vents too. What do you recommend? SLP?

Clutching

Secondary - I have a BDX 42/36 helix being installed with the SLP pipe setup from the dealer. I understand I need something called a "shift assist" is it best to get it from D&D or BDX or elsewhere?
Is the stock secondary spring ok?

Primary- What do you recommend for 4 to 7,000 feet? I'm guessing 72 or 73 gram weights? With the stock primary spring? What about roller diameter?

Where should I buy my clutch alignment tool?

Suspension- I read a little bit about the air pressures for the front and rear. What do you recommend front and rear for a 170 lb rider?

Wasn't there something about lowering the front bolt of the rear skid to a hole that needed to be drilled from inside the tunnel?

Skis- Powder Pros? SLP SLTs? USI? What do you suggest?

Is there a particular drive belt that works better than the rest?

I had better stop. Like always, I have tons of questions.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Frosty

Congratulations Frosty, you should be delighted w/ this sled!!!
First off, if the dealer didnt tell you, there is a service recall to tighten
the nut on the fuel pump wires that go in the motor side of the tank.
The AMP gauge cage lets hot air out as well as tilts your gauge up so
you can see it while standing.
Too cool side vents/ slp flowrites for shock tower.
Shift assist is 20.00 doesnt matter where you get it
stock orange secondary is good/ 73 gram weights
stock belt
the rear skid set-up is rider pref.
50-55lbs front shocks/125lbs rear shock, limiter out all the way
Good luck, it should be a nice change for you.

 

[offtrail]

So how much was the smokin deal you got? I'm looking to do the same. Just wondering if my dealer is treating me right.

 

[sledbilly]

Congratulations Frosty, you should be delighted w/ this sled!!!
First off, if the dealer didnt tell you, there is a service recall to tighten
the nut on the fuel pump wires that go in the motor side of the tank.
The AMP gauge cage lets hot air out as well as tilts your gauge up so
you can see it while standing.
Too cool side vents/ slp flowrites for shock tower.
Shift assist is 20.00 doesnt matter where you get it
stock orange secondary is good/ 73 gram weights
stock belt
the rear skid set-up is rider pref.
50-55lbs front shocks/125lbs rear shock, limiter out all the way
Good luck, it should be a nice change for you.

to add to the above

coolant overflow hose
sticking oil pump cam arm, you can see it from topside
loose bracket with rubber seat that pipe sits on, my sled
loose exhaust servo bracket, my sled
check power valve cable length
check routing of pipe sensor wire, reports wire is delicate
my clutch cover rattled, small adjustment
motor will vibrate at idle like a mother for first couple hundred miles

I have run the fastlane side and tower vents on several sleds. nice product at a reasonable price.
www.flaneinc.com

I was not impressed with the genI fox floats. there is a good thread on the F7 forum on HCS about the nextech and fett bros air chambers for the air shox. I installed the nextechs front and rear and it made a remarkable difference in the handling of the sled. might not make as big a difference in the steep/deep but I ride in all kinds of conditions. some of the best dough I've ever spent on a sled.

I used to get all into the mod thing with a new sled. on my 09 800 xfire I decided to leave stock (motor and clutch) and just do some simple things first like the vents, shift assist, and the air chambers and then just run sled for a while. very happy with the sled so far. My clutch alignment must be spot on as I have close to 900 miles on the original belt and that is with several radar runs and a grass drag this past weekend. I think the listed HP for the 800 is around 140 but the low/mid grunt on these things sure feels like 150hp.

 

[Frostbite]

Great info, thanks.

Ok, where to start?

I missed a lot of sleep last night because I started thinking. I bet the dealer (since he's such a great guy) will let me order my mods at dealer cost (plus a little) so I had better get that list compiled and to him while the iron is still hot.

Here's what I have so far:

1. Shock tower vents either Skid Mini Flow,fastlane mini flows, SLP Flow rites
2. AMP Gauge Cage
3. AMP 09 Bar Riser
4. AMP Belt deflector - for changing belt
5. AMP Shift assist
6. Black front bumper
7. Black front belly pan
8. Goggle holder
9. Cutler or 2 cool side vent panels
10. Knee pads - do i get these directly from Arctic Cat?
11. Black diamond rock rollers or hi torque rollers?
12. BDX airbox and screen filters


Now the other things on my list that I'm looking at:

1. AMP fuel pressure regulator - do i need one out of the chute?
2. KOSO EGT gauge
3. Cutler Quick adjust clutch weights
4. Skid plate - do I need one?
5. Gas rack - who's looks the cleanest?
6. Hand guards - which ones?
7. Bikeman exhaust valve spacers? Do these work on a M8?
8. Boysen Rage cage or V force? Worth the trouble?
9. Left hand throttle - what do you recommend?
10.Ice scratchers - which brand are best with reverse?
11.Legend oil or Blue Marble? (I have Blue Marble already for my other sleds)


Geesh - that's a lot of stuff.

So, which should be on the initial buy list and what can wait for a bit?

 

[bonz50]

USI triple threats for skis!

this plus some vents and call it a day for this year... ride da piss out of it...

during the off-season though

 

[snoballssnoglory]

Now the other things on my list that I'm looking at:

1. AMP fuel pressure regulator - do i need one out of the chute?
2. KOSO EGT gauge
3. Cutler Quick adjust clutch weights
4. Skid plate - do I need one?
5. Gas rack - who's looks the cleanest?
6. Hand guards - which ones?
7. Bikeman exhaust valve spacers? Do these work on a M8?
8. Boysen Rage cage or V force? Worth the trouble?
9. Left hand throttle - what do you recommend?
10.Ice scratchers - which brand are best with reverse?
11.Legend oil or Blue Marble? (I have Blue Marble already for my other sleds

#1 or #2, for baseline purposes would be convenient but w/ your mods I don't think you need either at this point.
#4 No. You don't need one.
#5 Mountain Addiction is definitely the cleanest mount I've seen. Have them on mine and get compliments on them all the time. To be honest though I haven't put gas in my sled once. When I run that baby out of fuel I'm beat!
#6 Personal pref. All about how you like the look.
#8 From what I have heard it is the biggest waste of money you can spend on mods.
#9 Depending on your skill level. I can tell you that it will make you a better rider if you leave it off entirely.
#10 None work well w/ reverse. You might get lucky a couple of times but they will bend eventually if you keep trying to go backwards w/ them down.
#11 None of these oils will make your sled go faster or last longer. I use Cat oil.

Congrats man. Enjoy the sled, it is a treat.

 

[Frostbite]

Thanks Snoballs.

I guess I just need to look at more pictures on websites to see how things look to me, for some of this stuff.

 

[smoothdawg]

Frosty I think we are all glad you FINALLY bought a new sled! I know you are going to be happy with it. Run the AC ice scratchers, knee\console pads, gas can rack, and the Goldfinger LH throttle. The SLP shock tower vents are easier to install and do a good job. Pick your poison on the side vent panels, I have run the SLP and the MO-FLO's. Save your money on the reeds, not worth it. I have had 4 M sleds and have never needed or ran a skid plate, just personal prefference. I would ask your dealer to check your fuel pressure before you take delivery. If it is what SLP tested for [44lbs I think] I don't see the need for a fuel reg, but have it checked. I like the AMP gauge cage as well, plan on ordering one soon. BTW where did you buy it? That was a great deal! Welome to the darkside!!!

 

[Frostbite]

For crying out loud. The list of stuff I have have the dealer check before I take the sled home is getting longer than my mod list.

1. coolant overflow hose - what am i looking for here?
2. sticking oil pump cam arm, you can see it from topside - what's the fix?
3. loose bracket with rubber seat that pipe sits on, my sled
4. loose exhaust servo bracket, my sled
5. check power valve cable length
6. check routing of pipe sensor wire, reports wire is delicate
7. my clutch cover rattled, small adjustment
8. Wasn't there a recall/ update for some washer in the secondary clutch
9. The dealer is installing my SLP pipe too so I have make sure the rubber block under the pipe is trimmed a bit so the hood doesn't melt.
10. I have make sure the VSB bar mounts are tight and the one just forward of the track on the belly pan is tight also.
11. I have to make sure I get a shock air pressure gauge.
12. ......................what else?

 

[Braaap12]

wow thats lots of stuff, threw a can on mine and rode it as is! It Ripped!! Now all i've added is a y-pipe,scratchers, Float guards(HIGHLY reccomend those, dropped my sled off the ramp once and it landed right on the shock, would have ruined them if it wasnt for those guards!) And a windshield.
I'd Get the AMP stuff but hold off on the clutching and everything, I'd ride for a bit first then make adjust your list, I was the same when I first bought my M8 I wanted EVERYTHING and after riding it I found it rips as is, Oh and make sure they do check your oilpump, on my 2nd one with 400 miles

 

[Cory BR Tech]

Venting

Hey there Congrats on the sled! Maybe we can help you out with some venting?! Or we just got done with our M-Series hood that is made of our lightweight lexan. For more info call 1-800-536-1841 or check out our website www.brtechracing.com or just email me!

 

[Frostbite]

Nice stuff Cory.

I'd want black rivets with the vents though. Is that possible?