m8 vs Dragon 8 - break it down

[Freak]

These are just MY humble observations. This is not a bash thread, just an unbiased comparison. Feel free to list YOURS, just wondering if others are inline with me.

2009s-

M8 -
Cons - skis suck, seat sucks, powerband not as good, BNGs SUCK, reverse button sucks, sucks on the trail- with a turbo it will definitely need some changes as I feel would be dangerous.
Pros- less $, lighter(bout 15-20lbs for SP), approach angle better, a bit better to throw around bdocking, all reports indicate best track, telescoping bars great, easy to turbo, after I did my research I kinda decided this was the best all around choice for a turbo, but only by a slight margin

Dragon 8-
Cons - more $, heavier, approach angle a bit steep, seems to have higher center of gravity
pros -great power, great skis, great seat, best looking 8 class sled, good track, good handling on trail, drag race fast, easy to turbo, For someone who doesn't want to shell out for aftermarket stuff like skis seats etc the Dragon might be a better choice

But this is all just my thoughts.

Haven't had a chance to see how the m climbs, I suspect it may outclimb the Drag in deep and steep all things being equal, but I cant confirm that yet.

IMO these are the 2 best mtn sled out. I think its almost a toss up and you wont go wrong with either. I like the m but I miss the Dragon. If things werent a little tight right now, ya know the whole democrats running the economy into the ground ..... , I would have both.

 

[Wyoming T/A]

come on Dave-get 1 each so we can have a fair comparison have a good safe season

 

[iluv2fly]

Have you actually rode an M8. First off the power is very good especially on the new 09's, very comparable to the other 800's out there. Talked to terra alps in BC who said the dragon and M8 both dyno'd within a hp of each other. The looks thing is all preference as I love my M series and the added weight loss over the dragon 800 is a big plus. The ski's are not that bad I have rode them on my M7 for over 2 years and I don't see the big issue. The seat issue was resolved my I snowchecked mine and got a boss seat, I love the boss seat on it. Stock for Stock the machines will be very comparable. I talked to a dealer in colorado who also said the M8 has the highest top speed of any of them. Take your pick there all good but the M8 is a very nice sled especially for 09 and the torque to me is better on the m8 vs the dragon.

 

[CARBONDEATH]

"these are the two best mtn. sleds out there" Hey Freak have you ever heard of a little sled called the 800XP.

 

[M.M. 700]

Probably not alot of time on the 09's. But which one in 08 was better on fuel? Which one is more reliable? I have read a few threads on the D8 having motor issues/recalls.

Never ridden either, just questions...both look like great sleds.

 

[corex radnar]

Just to stir szhit up.... it's 10 to 1 BRP in every Slednecks film. Best mountain sled? I think there is a third contender.

 

[Heater15]

XP

"these are the two best mtn. sleds out there" Hey Freak have you ever heard of a little sled called the 800XP.

The only good thing about an XP is the weight! Other than that, POS. My near stock 07' M8 has never been outperformed by any XP, except maybe in top end speed and mileage. Which doesn't make sense. Cat is heavier with less ponies than the XP and it still schools the XP's. I rode Ski-doo my whole life until the came out with the ugliest sled ever called the XP. My last sled was a 07' 800R 151" and it cant touch what this cat does. M8's and Dragons are the only real competition on the market IMO.

 

[Freak]

"these are the two best mtn. sleds out there" Hey Freak have you ever heard of a little sled called the 800XP.

Feel free to make your case for the XP. I personally dont care for them. I like the light feel of the m and dragon.

 

[Freak]

Just to stir szhit up.... it's 10 to 1 BRP in every Slednecks film. Best mountain sled? I think there is a third contender.

LOL you think that matters? What about Chris Burandt, IMO best rider on the planet, what does he ride? We dont need videos and big riders to tell us what we like, if you do then you are a spode. I think we normal guys have logged enough hours on sleds to be able to make up an educated decision.

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

well I will give doo credit for the rev chassis and having so many riders..the xp is lite, but the best..I sure dont think so...and I have noticed this year a big resurrgence in both new M series and dragon riders..time will tell but I think all of the new sleds are pretty close with dealer and rider ability making the difference on the hill........................

 

[IQ?]

I must get into this intresting discussion!
I ride D8 and i try to be non biased in my opinions...
The XP is light and thats about all...And feels superstrong
in the midrange-But i have yet to see an XP perform like
D8 stock for stock Bad setups-Or out of tune idont know
Around 1000meters were we ride they dont even run with
the piped D7 s.And some of the XP riders are pretty fearless..
If i couldnt be on my -09 D8 my choice would be M-sleds
they are superior to xp s and almost as good as D8.
Despite the D s are a little heavier.
And when throwing turbo uder the hood No comments needed.
Cat and Poo are easy to turbo !!I have "rejetted" my BD Turbo 30 times
one day and never opened the hood.
Welcome to the 2 strokeTurbo revolution...

The only good thing about an XP is the weight! Other than that, POS. My near stock 07' M8 has never been outperformed by any XP, except maybe in top end speed and mileage. Which doesn't make sense. Cat is heavier with less ponies than the XP and it still schools the XP's. I rode Ski-doo my whole life until the came out with the ugliest sled ever called the XP. My last sled was a 07' 800R 151" and it cant touch what this cat does. M8's and Dragons are the only real competition on the market IMO.

 

[mgdjeepster]

LOL you think that matters? What about Chris Burandt, IMO best rider on the planet, what does he ride? We dont need videos and big riders to tell us what we like, if you do then you are a spode. I think we normal guys have logged enough hours on sleds to be able to make up an educated decision.

When Burandt was at our snowmobile kick off party a couple weeks ago, he said that he did not run into any problems with is M8 turbo that BD helped him build. Said it ran flawless all year long, what I found interesting is he said that his M8 turbo smoked his M1000 turbo hands down.

 

[WatchThis!!!]

WOW, you guys must SUCK at setting sleds up. Once you get the XP clutched right it's the King of stock 800 mountain sleds. (atleast what I saw while living and riding in Nevada and Wyoming)
BUT, Its JMHO. And its not becasue I ride one.

 

[WatchThis!!!]

The only good thing about an XP is the weight! Other than that, POS. My near stock 07' M8 has never been outperformed by any XP, except maybe in top end speed and mileage. Which doesn't make sense. Cat is heavier with less ponies than the XP and it still schools the XP's. I rode Ski-doo my whole life until the came out with the ugliest sled ever called the XP. My last sled was a 07' 800R 151" and it cant touch what this cat does. M8's and Dragons are the only real competition on the market IMO.

You really don't know what your talking about.

 

[swervin]

Which is best? It's all a matter of personal preference. They're all good. I personally like how the Dragon handles, although the M is close and that's what I ride. My riding buddy prefers how the XP handles. I can't understand why, but he does. I absolutely hate them. To me, it's like riding a tank. Heavy steering, horrible weight distribution. To him, my M feels unstable and wierd.

Bottom line: ride the one you like best! Isn't it nice to have a choice?

That said, there are some clear plusses and minuses for each. The XP is light, kicks butt in the SnoWest tests, and "feels" rigid, but the feeling of chassis strength is an illusion. Just don't roll one or hit a buried rock or stump. Examine how the A arms are mounted to Reynolds Wrap thickness aluminum. The Rev was bad enough; the XP is even worse. It doesn't take much to bend the "bulkhead" (if you can call it that; it weighs like three pounds or something) and if you do, the sled is totaled because it's so much labor to replace. And SkiDoo has sure had clutch QC problems the last couple of years! (They've gone from the best primary clutch to the worst.)

The Cat has the best track (they've gone from the worst to the best), their fuel injection has always been sweet, and the motors are stong (longest lasting crank of the three). They have sorted out most of the problems they had in early M years. BUT they're NEVER clutched right and the Diamond Drive secondary clutch is a piece of junk (they went from the best secondary clutch to the worst -- I finally bought a Paragon for mine this year!)

Overall, I think the Dragon is best out of the box. Polaris' are always clutched well. The chassis is strong. I rode one for 15 minutes last spring and LOVED how it handled. That's what I'd buy if I was in the market this year. But nobody's perfect: the new Polaris 800 motor bottom end is no stronger than their old one, so you can plan on a new crank after 2000 miles.

There's no sense in getting defensive. That's what's great about competition - it gives people a choice. I just hope the recession doesn't put any of the "Final Four" out of business. That would be a disaster. At least with three good mountain sleds (and a fourth that can be made into a monster mountain sled with lots of money) there's enough competition for them to invest in tech advances and keep prices from going through the roof.

 

[snowmobiler]

#1 m1000
2-xp
3-dragon
4-m8
theres my opinion

 

[winter brew]

I've owned and had time on the M's and XP's....will be spending time on a '09Dragoon soon. At this point IMO the XP will go far more places than the others, but not having actually spent time on the Dragon (only ridden with other Dragons) I will withhold my final judgement. Is it unfair if the Dragon is on boost? The XP just shines in the bottomless deep....when settup correctly!! stock calibration leaves alot on the table.

 

[WatchThis!!!]

#1 m1000-xp tie! <<<<<<<<<<<<<----------------------
3-dragon
4-m8
theres my opinion

Thats good for me, oh and the nytro not far behinfd the m8.

 

[MotoPsycho]

Until I crossed over to the darkside, I was 100% AC. I have been since I was a kid.

I am absolutely against ANY poo's.

That being said, those Dragons are BAD AZZ! If I had to choose between the M-8 and 800 Dragon, I would really be torn and would probably lean towards.... yeeeecccchhh....(I just threw up in my mouth a little) POO.

Never been a Doo fan, and rode with a lot the last few years with LOTS O' PROBLEMS.

 

[DARKO]

Between the 2 in question, I would choose the Dragon. For a stocker its a great package for an "all around" sled. M-series is an awesome chassis, but the suspension is TRASH (I have not rode the 09, so im commenting on 05 to 08). that skids like a pogo stick. Put some suspension on it from the factory and a seat as well and its an awesome sled. I went with an XP over the M8 and D8 because the chassis more rider forward. Looking over the hood on the M8 and D8 reminded me of my KK900 BOAT. Sounds pathetic, but i honestly think all the 800's this year are wicked, Im not brand loyal and I would be happy riding any of them for the year (If the Cat skid works better).