Not sold on XP over 07 Rev....

[Jaynelson]

Aight, 3 weekends in the last couple months I have been mixing it up with some 09 XP 154's. The first weekend was DEEP nearly bottomless pow 2 feet fresh overnight + another foot while riding. 2nd weekend was nice and sunny, almost a foot of fresh on a setup base. Weekend 3 was hardpack, no fresh whatsoever. So a pretty good mix of snow conditions. My sled is an 07 159X with a can, some vents, risers, and some clutching mods....nothing special, still stock Camo lite that everyone *****es about.

Weekend one:
Smaller but quite steep slope in the freshy....I was consistantly trading marks with the XP ridden by a guy 20lbs++ lighter than me. We were both marking over two 07 151's with challengers and an 04 159X. In the trees, XP seemed to float better on and off the throttle and not leave a trench like my sled....I would link that to my track most likely.

Weekend 2:
Avy risk maxed out, so we stuck to the rolling hills, trees and banging some jumps off the side of the lakes. Doing donuts and goofing around. 2 XP's and a bunch of other sleds....everyone who rode the 07 back to back with the XP found the 07 easier to lay over, more predictable on a sidehill and less of an "all or nothing" feeling when leaning over. You can ride the 07 on one ski for miles, even on the trail....I think you'd have a hard time doing that on the XP. The buzz is that pulling the swaybar makes it easier to throw around....however, the 07 still has the bar in too. People who hadn't ridden either sled thought the 07 was much easier and more fun to ride.

Weekend 3:
Hardpack....a 440 could have climbed to the moon, so no contest there. In some hill drags, the 07 would always get the jump....the XP would eventually run it down on the flats, but the steeper the hill, the more the 07 was out in front. Not a huge margin....but for the same motor, in a lighter chassis, and a smaller track....I would have thought it would spank me in hardpack drags.

So, a bunch of people, a bunch of different XP's and no concrete results. The only result is....that it isn't much of an upgrade over the rev, but hey it looks different. It's not a bad ride by any stretch, and I'm not saying I wouldn't buy one.....just hoping for more I suppose?

 

[winter brew]

An XP with the susp setup right and no sway bar is much easier and foregiving.....I know exactly what you mean by the "all or nothing" handling when they are stock, I couldn't stand the stock handling but this is easily fixable to make them handle even easier and more predictably than the REV...and I loved the REV! The XP's also need alot of help in the clutching dept.
I just sold my '07 and got a XP. In the setup snow the Rev does have a higher "fun factor" IMO, but from what I have seen the XP is FAR superior in the deep. Our XP's are all 163's and a 174, Rev's are 159 Camo 9941's.
And they are lighter when stuck for sure

 

[corex radnar]

Good thread. Here's what I noticed.
My 07 carves way nicer than my friends stock xp... but I changed some things that completely changed my sleds handling.

#1... Idlers out and back 2 inside the skid.

#2... sway bar out.

#3... snow eliminators (not just for snow but stiffness)

#4... loose starp (not great on climbs but great for turns)

It would be nice to compare an xp and an 07 dialed the same way, but when I switch sleds with the stock xp I can't wait to get my sled back. IMO if you can't ride to the cabin on one ski your sled isn't dialed.

 

[JSun]

I found quite similar results last january when i was in IP. The xp was a 146, and although the snow wasnt the greatest, it didnt really have any visible advantages over my xrs. I hope to ride a well set up xp one day and then make a final judgment, but for now i'll keep the xrsand possibly upgrade the track.

 

[concreteman]

Dial it in

I took off the sway bars set the limiter strap on 2nd to the last hole on the strap.Put more pressure on the suspension front shock and set the front shocks on 3 and the sled is a whole different ride all in the best possible way riding the sled in the stock setup it was like riding a sheet of plywood.now its unreal the difference in the ride.MY.2

 

[snowyo]

i agree fully i think i'll be keepin my 07 rev,and puttin small mods and upgrades on,nuthin special.

oh,and ordering up 2 new discs for my back.

 

[Beauford t]

I got both, the only time the xrs comes out is when the wife comes along or the xp is down!

 

[CATillak]

X2 for not being overly impressed with the XP. I blame most of it on the stock track.. They handle great but the feel of a rev just does it! Maybe 2011 will bring something new to the table

 

[09 Blue Ski-Doo]

I had them both to!

I traded up from a XRS 159 to a 09 163 and it was about a push untill i tweeked the XP some. Take out the sway bar, do some clutching and gearing and it's men against boys then! Spend just a little time updating the xp and you'll be a believer!

 

[coloradoman25]

This is my major problem with new sleds. We should not be having to tweak and change suspension components etc to get them to be more friendly. Performance changes sure but the ones I sat my *** on were unpredictable and the all or nothing factor I trunly understood.

For what they cost they should be set up much better from the start, I just think we are paying too much to be doin their R and D for them..

 

[winter brew]

This is my major problem with new sleds. We should not be having to tweak and change suspension components etc to get them to be more friendly. Performance changes sure but the ones I sat my *** on were unpredictable and the all or nothing factor I trunly understood.

For what they cost they should be set up much better from the start, I just think we are paying too much to be doin their R and D for them..

All the changes needed are within the factory adjustments.....even disconecting the sway bar. People just set them up goofy (or never play with the susp settings at all) and then blame the chassis.

 

[BackCountryBob]

I've got an 04 REV-X-151 stock engine, D^J's clutch kit and 35# weight loss. It runs neck and neck with two of my buddies XPs(154) BUT I can't ride it for miles on one ski. My front springs are on 2, no sway bar, the front skid spring is 3/4 stiff, the limiter strap is loose and the rear springs are full stiff, Simmons. What am I doing wrong, 6'-195 lbs.

I could ride my ZX on one ski and doo donuts all day. Maybe I'm just getting old?

PS, I prefer my REV 'cause its paid for

BCB

 

[frog]

All the changes needed are within the factory adjustments.....even disconecting the sway bar. People just set them up goofy (or never play with the susp settings at all) and then blame the chassis.

I tried everything including dropping the front arm in the tunnel 1 inch on my 09 and although it was a huge improvement and it worked rather well, it wasn't as comfortable or did not give me the confidence like the rev does when needing to side hill especially at slow speeds through very tight areas.

Had to replace a S module in my 08 because of this but, I ran the sled into the rock the sled did not do it.

 

[skidoojames151]

I've got an 04 REV-X-151 stock engine, D^J's clutch kit and 35# weight loss. It runs neck and neck with two of my buddies XPs(154) BUT I can't ride it for miles on one ski. My front springs are on 2, no sway bar, the front skid spring is 3/4 stiff, the limiter strap is loose and the rear springs are full stiff, Simmons. What am I doing wrong, 6'-195 lbs.

I could ride my ZX on one ski and doo donuts all day. Maybe I'm just getting old?

PS, I prefer my REV 'cause its paid for

BCB

I know exactly how that is...i could do the same thing on my old 670 and now on my rev 151 its tougher to get it on one ski...i took the sway bar out and it was easier but then it was a true bastard on the trail and almost scary, so i reconnected it...also i have simmons so maybe thats part of the problem seeing theat the keel isnt in the middle and they bite hard...

 

[Idaho Slim]

My front springs are on 2, no sway bar, the front skid spring is 3/4 stiff, the limiter strap is loose and the rear springs are full stiff, Simmons. What am I doing wrong, 6'-195 lbs.
BCB

Bob, try this;

Get rid of the SImmons -put on stock or SLYDOG's, put Front shocks on 5 (You have an "X" i assume?), Limiter strap on the second to loosest hole, remove sway bar, front skid spring on 1/3 "lightest" setting, the rear spring on next to firmest setting ................. you should be able to sidehill all day

p.s. ..... a similarly setup (correct) XP will make the XRS seem amateurish.

 

[BackCountryBob]

Thanks Slim. How is the flex in the Slydog? I've been riding Simmons since they came out and they have saved my front suspension too many times to remember--If the Slydogs have similar flex I'm in.

Thanks for your suggestions, you I trust

BCB

 

[JROD]

I've started to notice this same thing a lot lately. It looks like Ski-Doo is not having the engine failure that they were but I still am not sold.

My little old 04 Rev does well vs. the newer sleds. I've dropped some weight (440 Dry) and added some mods throughout the years and I keep getting more and more comfortable with it. And I have a tendency to get attached to my sleds too.

The XPs are good sleds but it's interesting to see the same mentality in fellow snowesters when it comes down to upgrading.

 

[vdog0531]

try a m series.

i had an 07 rev with no sway bar and and the slp package and my riding buddy has an 08 xpx with an slp package and quick sway bar dis connects. i used to get on his and think it was lighter and boondocked better. Then i bought my 09 m series and the xp feels like a tank even though its quite a bit lighter on paper. i love doo's... been riding doo's for 10 years but a couple hours on a m series and you'll think they boondock like a rx1

 

[DWHalverson]

I have been a Ski-Doo guy most of my life. When they dropped the 670 I didn't like what they were building and kept modding the old iron because of the Rev platform and the choice of engines. I have a turboed M and that thing is super smooth and handles good. I just have issues with Cat's build quality. Cheap components, thin paint and very cheap plastics. Just a cheaper built sled. I bought a used 08 XP 163 Summit X and at first, I hated it. I bought it to do turbo kits and after riding it I wondered if I was crazy for thinking this. The steering effort is increadable for a new sled. The thing just works unbelievable in the trees and climing though. I have tweeked some suspension setups and made the handleing better, but I do agree it does take some getting used to. I am going to install a 15'' wide track on it to help loosen up the rear end because I feel it is too stable. I just think it is sad that we pay this kind of money for these sleds and have to tweek them to get what we want out of them.

 

[BackCountryBob]

I have heard that installing a two wheel kit helps with side hilling. I think I'd try that before going to the expense of a 15" track--that's part of my 09/10 plan as well as ditching the Simmons.

BCB