What to buy???

[charic09]

I am in the market for a new mountain sled and need a little help deciding which offer to accept. The first sled is a 2009 Dragon 800 163 with SLP single pipe and can and V Force reeds. It has 2010 updates and 2 year bumper to bumper. The other sled is a 2009 Summit X 800R 163 with a MBRP can and skid plate. Also with 2 year bumper to bumper. Out the door price is within $10 of eathother so price is no factor. I am a bigger guy 6'2" 275 lbs and was wondering which sled would be right for me.

Please help me!

 

[jim9006]

Get'em both. You'll be happier than a pig in ****.

 

[thefullmonte]

Well, being in the Polaris section most are going to tell you the IQ is the way to go. And that is what I'm going to tell you too. Comparing both sleds I like the IQ chassis better. Riding both I felt the Polaris just had better off trail handling manners. With the 2010 update it should be more reliable than the Doo too. Plus you know it has a brand new motor.
I do like the Ski Doo running boards better. You really aren't going to make a bad choice there. Are these private party or dealer? Sometimes the better dealer is the best decision.

 

[charic09]

Well, being in the Polaris section most are going to tell you the IQ is the way to go. And that is what I'm going to tell you too. Comparing both sleds I like the IQ chassis better. Riding both I felt the Polaris just had better off trail handling manners. With the 2010 update it should be more reliable than the Doo too. Plus you know it has a brand new motor.
I do like the Ski Doo running boards better. You really aren't going to make a bad choice there. Are these private party or dealer? Sometimes the better dealer is the best decision.

They are brand new 0 miles from a dealer. I own an 03 summit and am kind of turned off because of a lot of engine trouble. 2 cranks, a jug, and 3 sets of pistons in 2 seasons....I have a right to be turned off. I haven't ridden an XP before but I have had a short chance to test an IQ and I loved it. Honestly I think stock for stock the Summit would eat the Dragon but with the pipe, can and reeds its a different story.......hmmm still undecided.

 

[deepdiver]

Both sleds are new I believe I read? Wonder why the new Doo is piped and reeds. The reeds wont do much for you except maybe brake easier. I had an 03 Skidut and an 07. I rode the XP a lot the first year. The weight of the *** end on the Doo was nice and light. It sidehilled well and climbed well also. Flotation was no problem. The IQ which I ride now is tight. Takes a bit getting used to..way different feel the the Skidut. All things considered I think the Polaris is a better all mountain sled. It is solid in all catagories.

All in All they are both good sleds and you really will have a great machine either way. Anything can brake on any given day and both companies have their internal issues.

Good luck with your decision. Put a pic of both on the dart board and toss a dart blindfolded..then it isnt your fault if you make the wrong call.

Also consider dealerships and parts availability etc...

 

[charic09]

Yeah I am sorta leaning towards the Polaris. The dealer selling the dragon has a special promo on right now they are giving you the option to have an SLP single pipe and can with v force reeds for $1100 installed and still keep warranty.

 

[live2beel]

They are brand new 0 miles from a dealer. I own an 03 summit and am kind of turned off because of a lot of engine trouble. 2 cranks, a jug, and 3 sets of pistons in 2 seasons....I have a right to be turned off. I haven't ridden an XP before but I have had a short chance to test an IQ and I loved it. Honestly I think stock for stock the Summit would eat the Dragon but with the pipe, can and reeds its a different story.......hmmm still undecided.

I think you just answered your question

 

[the_dougdangerak]

The Polaris! Tell them not to install the reeds, they won't last long and they are a PITA to change. The XP is an impressive sled in the deep snow, but felt goofy to me(not used to it).

 

[Sako7STW]

They are brand new 0 miles from a dealer. I own an 03 summit and am kind of turned off because of a lot of engine trouble. 2 cranks, a jug, and 3 sets of pistons in 2 seasons....I have a right to be turned off. I haven't ridden an XP before but I have had a short chance to test an IQ and I loved it. Honestly I think stock for stock the Summit would eat the Dragon but with the pipe, can and reeds its a different story.......hmmm still undecided.

You sure about that??? Line the 2 up and you might just get told the real story. Take that $1100 and put it in the XP and there will be no need for further discussion till you start talking turbo's.

 

[AndrettiDog]

They are brand new 0 miles from a dealer. I own an 03 summit and am kind of turned off because of a lot of engine trouble. 2 cranks, a jug, and 3 sets of pistons in 2 seasons....I have a right to be turned off. I haven't ridden an XP before but I have had a short chance to test an IQ and I loved it. Honestly I think stock for stock the Summit would eat the Dragon but with the pipe, can and reeds its a different story.......hmmm still undecided.

You can do all the comparing on paper that you want. Both sleds put power down to the track in slightly different ways. Sounds funny, but you have to ride them to see. Both excel in certain areas and both are great mountain sleds. The bottom line is to ride the sleds and pick the one that you like best.

 

[PalousePoo]

A XP is a different handling sled. I can get on an M series and feel just like my dragon. Every XP owner I know says it takes getting used to it's handling. What little I was on one (xp) I couldn't pull it over on it's side to save my life!!!! I'm not going to spend a few hundred miles "getting used to" , or learning to ride one of those things!!! Winter is too short for that. Just my .02

 

[ne1cadrgn]

I also would say the dragon...But if you are a heavy guy you better get heavy duty springs put on. I have an 08 d7 163" and my "saggin dragon" was beggin me for the upgrade...done now...way better. In my opinion go with the Dragon you will not be dissapointed.

 

[jcrjet]

I own the Polaris, have spent a reasonable amount of time on the XP. I don't necessarily like one more than the other. I was concerned about the boards on the XP flexing alot under my 200lb plus weight, but you can buy stiffeners for that. The XP sure jumps nice and you notice the weight difference in the air and on climbs, but it is sure difficult to turn over on its side, its too stable. The Dragon pulls right over and makes it easy to sidehill to infinity. The XP is either upright or on its side, not much in between. If you go Polaris, skip the Dragon and get the RMK, its the same thing with better suspension in my opinion and alot less money. The Dragon suspension in too soft for the big boys.

 

[cowboymann02]

I have owned skidoo's for the last 7 years and 2 years ago i sold my 05 summit. when i rented last year i got an 09 xp to ride and had a hell of a time rolling the sled on its side, let alone doing circles... my buddy has an 07 shift with a carls 685 big bore in it and walker evan shocks and all i had to do was lift one foot to turn sideways or do circles. i bought an 08 rmk this year and just changed the shock to walker's and i couldn't be happier. we have a guy that runs an older srx triple 200+ horse holtz motor and even he couldn't lay the damn doo over. even the newest snow magazine comparing the 800's this year said skidoo is finally getting a handle on the flattening problem the doo's have. they still don't have it fixed like a dragon or rmk. buy the rmk and make the upgrades, saves you some money and you get the same sled as the dragon.....i never thought i'd buy a polaris,boy was i blind for a lot of years.. just my opinion

 

[Junkshow]

BUY the dragon put a powerclaw on it and then see how well your buddies on the doo's keep up.

 

[IDAHO HOT SHOT]

Yeah I am sorta leaning towards the Polaris. The dealer selling the dragon has a special promo on right now they are giving you the option to have an SLP single pipe and can with v force reeds for $1100 installed and still keep warranty.

Tell them $ 850.00 and they can keep the reeds. V-Force = POS

 

[milehighassassin]

I am hoping you posted this same question in the Ski Doo section as well. I just bought a new sled and chose the Polaris for a few reasons:

-I feel it is "stronger" sled, by that I mean it will hold up better. I have seen quite a few Ski Doos that hit rocks and other items that have taken on a TON of damage. I have seen some IQ's that hit some stuff as well and they seem to have held up much better.

-The Polaris is fuel injected. I would love to go with a turbo, not sure if I will have the $$ to do it but at least this way I won't have to deal with carbs. Carbs and turbo will work but not near as well as fuel injection. Fuel injection is better all around in my opinion. There is a reason you don't see any production cars with carbs anymore. With fuel injection you don't have to worry about jetting up or down, dealing with elevation changes etc. Sure if you get heavy into the mods you need an electronic box to control fuel but not that big of a deal and much easier than playing with jets and enrichment knobs.

-I also rode both and I like the Polaris chassis much better. Personal preference. The chassis was a lot more nimble easier to move around.

-In all honesty I think the Polaris is worth more, if I were buying the XP I would expect to be paying less. Just from what I have seen. There are a LOt of Xp's out there. Maybe it is just what I have seen locally??

Good luck!

 

[XC700116]

haha, wow looky there I actually agree with Milehigh on something

A lot of that decision for me would be based on 2 things, Dealer, and the ride itself. by that I mean, how it feels to me.

Honestly if you have any inkling of going to a turbo down the road save your $1100 on the dragon upgrades and keep it stock. Take that $1100 and put it towards chassis upgrades like a powerclaw or Challenger Extreme track and the correct springs in the skid for your weight. Also with your weight you'll need to either replace the WE shocks or have them worked on. WAY too soft for big guys. I'm 6'1" 250 and trust me on the softness of the stock setup. That's why I went with the base model RMK as you save even more $$ to put towards the proper shock and spring package for you.

As for the XP, they're a great running sled but not durable enough IMO especially for bigger guys. Seen a lot of broken ones already.

 

[Ron]

I had an 07 Doo, there were issues with everything important. It took 2 years to get the engine and clutches to a level that they were barely acceptable. Two years on the IQ now, far better sled and no engine issues in our area. Get the IQ but skip the VForce reeds...the petals only lasted 500-600 miles last year. I'd put the reed money into more intake air & underhood venting.