XP Review - BRP: PLEASE Build these RIGHT the First time!

[Beels]

Outstanding Writeup, I agree with you 100%.

Pretty sad isn't it .............................................

^ What Slim said ^ Couldn't agree more with you JROD. I'm in the same boat as you. I've been riding mods for a while now and am starting to hate the "walking on eggshells" feeling you get from riding them. Any number of things can go wrong at any time. I pander yearly to all the new sleds coming out and think about buying new again to get away from that. After the string of absolute crap that has came out the past while, I gave up looking at the new iron in the spring. The way I look at it, if I end up with a turd like the XP, I'm no further ahead. At least when I build something, I know what I need to change if it doesn't pan out, and know I can get parts. When a guy is paying a premium for a new sled, you expect it to work reasonably well and not fly apart in the first month.

Someone said it earlier. The ONLY way this will change is for people to quit buying every year. Why would any of the OEMs try any harder if they know there's a lineup of suckers waiting every single year? Go that extra mile and there'll be an unimaginable lineup.

 

[Insaneboltrounder/sjohns]

Thats pretty much the reason in riding a 2004

 

[JROD]

Mine is an 04 Mod Rev and with the exception of a few little things here and there, it's the best and funnest sled I've ever ridden. Good to hear I'm not the only one in that boat.

I even rebuilt the engine from the bottom up so basically
I'm riding a brand new 04 Rev with a rolled out chassis and it's 470lbs dry with a 162. Not extremely lightweight but still far better than anything brand new and for relatively the same cost.

Couldn't agree with you more BEELS about your thoughts. Sounds like a small number of us are doing the same thing and for good reason!

 

[BigFish BC]

yes it seems all the 4brands are trying to be the first with the new best lightest fastest & many other things i cant think of.there is allot of pressure on them to be #1 but this is where they are missing the boat ,they will sell allot more new sleds if everybody liked there sleds & they didnt have so many issues.all 4 brands need to start listening to what we as the customer want & make sure it works right before they release it to us.a extra year of r&d would save them millions in warranty claims i guess we just have to start talking allot louder so they can here us.

 

[Nikolai]

^ What Slim said ^ Couldn't agree more with you JROD. I'm in the same boat as you. I've been riding mods for a while now and am starting to hate the "walking on eggshells" feeling you get from riding them. Any number of things can go wrong at any time. I pander yearly to all the new sleds coming out and think about buying new again to get away from that. After the string of absolute crap that has came out the past while, I gave up looking at the new iron in the spring. The way I look at it, if I end up with a turd like the XP, I'm no further ahead. At least when I build something, I know what I need to change if it doesn't pan out, and know I can get parts. When a guy is paying a premium for a new sled, you expect it to work reasonably well and not fly apart in the first month.

Someone said it earlier. The ONLY way this will change is for people to quit buying every year. Why would any of the OEMs try any harder if they know there's a lineup of suckers waiting every single year? Go that extra mile and there'll be an unimaginable lineup.

This is why I bought my Nytro MTX. Mods are fun, but they eat up so much riding time it's rediculous. I got so sick of jetting and clutching, fixing sh!t that breaks, ect. I have almost 800 miles on my Nytro and all I've done is turn the key. Since it doesn't take oil every ride it costs me about $20 to ride it. It's not the lightest or fastest sled(didn't buy it to highmark), but this BY FAR the most fun winter I've ever had. I would never go back to a 2-stroke.

 

[Kong]

OK, first and foremost I must say with all honesty, I "Think" these XP's cannot be beat on the snow for steep & deep, for power, handling & climbing ability, (Turbo'd, Superchargered, & NOS sleds notwithstanding). I say "THINK" because I have ridden all the other contenders except the 800 Dragon, but reports I get from riders I respect say the Dragon wont hang in the steep & deep, Great sled they say and I dont doubt it since I honestly believe all the big four are good, ride the brand you liek and have a ball .......... Now .......................

Power: During breakin, I was giddy with the low end grunt, and most arm strecthing mid-range I have ever ridden. After breakin, point it, wick the throttle and ZOOM!

Handling; I was skeptical on owners saying they had difficulty getting it up for a side hill, I experienced same, however, after Setting the suspension for my style, it comes up on a rail instantly. Loosened the front limiter strap to the last hole, front shocks on the firmest setting (I weigh 175), front shock on rear suspension in the middle, rear adjusters on 2nd setting. I also pulled the sway bar completely, It does tend to dive to the inside a tad on trails when going thru a turn, But I didn't buy this for the trails, and this helps immensley for sidehilling.

Fit and finish was actually Nice, no loose ends,bolts etc.

Clutch Design: the clutchs obviously need help, BRP-WTF were you thinking, I have ours not eating belts, (500 miles on 3 different XP's) but this is pathetic having to do all your R&D on a $10,000 sled. We cut the secondary adjuster fingers, it works now, but belt delfection changes if you don't get the nipple tight. The factory set up for cluthes is shameable, BRP recommeded dealers to remove the pin weight prior to delivery, I had ours left in and ADDED another .7 to 1.7 depending on model rider etc. Primary springs are suspect, We have one w/ a 160/290, the other stock. The over reving is shamefull also, BRP recommends 8100- yet from trail to deep pull it can vary from 8600 on the trail to 7600 off trail and in the deep. The secondary cog design is PLASTIC with a ALUMINUM tightening nipple, um, PSSST.... these 2 materials DON'T MIX!

The idea of giving us a secondary that cannot be changed without a huge undertaking is idiotic, we buy these sleds to perform, in wanting them to perform, we like to TINKER and try things, this secondary should have been designed without having to pull the FRIKKING shaft!!!!

The heat issue is criminal, it is a MUST for us to go out and buy $250 vents, rip off all the plastic Noise EPA crap, and fiddle with pin weight just so the clutchs don't spontaneously catch FIRE they get so hot. At $10,000 a pop, we shoudln't have to doo diddly to them for this issue.

Give us the RIGHT belt, these are too long and you dang well know it.

Ergo's: The seat is good. The stock riser is good. (But at 6'3" adding the taller riser was needed). This is the COLDEST sled I have ever ridden, making it neccessary to go out and spend another $65 on handguards. I aint a sissy, but GEEZUS its cold, hurtfull actually.

OK, now for the really BAD...........

What is it with you BRP and your 800 motors?????
Mine just seized this morning, at EASY thottle use (6500-7500 rpm) This makes 3 different years 800 motors that have gone down. 01, 06 & 08, this aint my first rodeo, and I treat my machines right, spend the cash on Oil, service whatever, and these motors still die............ I love their power, but it is going to cost BRP on my sleds since I will always have a warrantied sled every 2 years, but the downtime is unacceptable.

I will continue to be a DOO rider since I honestly believe all 4 manufacturers have the same BS, they crank these "State of the Art" sleds out to get our dime at a sport we are all passionate about and we are suckers for it, but whats a Rider to doo??? Keep owning sleds with a warranty I spose.

My last comment: The SKI-DOO XP is an incredible performing sled when it runs, but it is a TUNER'S Sled, not a "Pull & GO" Sled, if you cant tinker and know what you are doing, PLUS have a good Dealer near-by, DON'T buy an XP, I mean this sincerely as I hate people blindly spending BIG money and having issues they cant contend with.......... Hell, I don't liek it myself.

Regards, Slim.

WOW what a conflicted review. How the he** can this sled "not be beat" when the clutching sucks and the engine seizes? Are we broadcasting a new standard to the manufacturers? Please get real. A $10,000 sled with a seized motor eating belts etc is not "can't be beat"

My M1000 hasn't had a thing done to it in 1600 miles except set the suspension adjustments. Just had the clutch checked and they didn't have to do a thing to it. I have only used two belts in that time.

Sounds like it's BRP's year to suck.

 

[Mafesto]

My 3 cents.......
I upgraded last year.
I had an '01 800 RMK (that I bought new & never had a problem) but you all on here had me wondering when (not if) the crank was gonna go.
I bought a carryover '06 800 Summit.
Worked flawless last season.
I watched & read as the keyboard jockeys determined that every '07 800r was crap, yet I rode with one that never skipped a beat.
Now the XPs are all crap?
In fact it seems all 800 Doos are destined to self destruct along with every pre '08 800 polaris?

The reason I bought the '06 is at the time they were hyped up to be the best out of the box mountain sled.

The fact that there are more XPs out than any of the others makes it likey that they will have the highest number of problems. (just like earlier 800 Polaris)

I'm sure there is SOME truth to this rhetoric, but let's try to seperate the wheat from the chaff people.

Now it seems to me that BRP has lost a grip on BASIC troubleshooting.
Regarding last years clutching......Did BRP ever determine the root cause?
To fix any problem, you 1st must know what you are fixing.
Has anyone experienced problems this year after having the recall done?
Since there hasn't been much about it here, I'd say they got it.
Good!

Now what exactly is causing excessive belt failure on the XP?
Heat?
Mis-alignment?
Flexing?
Poor belt quality?
I'm not saying it is our job to do R&D for BRP............
BUT if my new $11,000 sled was going through belts like creamed corn through a baby, I would be spending many nights in the garage trying new ideas instead of coming on here and bragging about how stupid I was for buying this P O S and then wondering why it keeps doing it.
Hello! If it goes through belts, and nothing is done to correct it, it will keep going through belts!

I'm not sure what my point even was any more, but I think it was that with all of the self proclaimed mechanical prowess around here, we should be posting solutions as well as problems.

 

[Xrider]

Someone said it earlier. The ONLY way this will change is for people to quit buying every year. Why would any of the OEMs try any harder if they know there's a lineup of suckers waiting every single year? Go that extra mile and there'll be an unimaginable lineup.

True. We're a funny bunch and you can bet that if Doo announced a new 900 motor for 2009 the herd of sheep would be standing in line with trembling hands on ther wallets just waiting to throw the green down. There's something about riding new iron that really attracts this crowd. My sled is a few years old, I maintain it religiously, it's lightweight and does pretty darn well. Will it highmark the new stuff, prolly not but at my age now I'm finally ok with that.

 

[lucky13]

This is why I bought my Nytro MTX. Mods are fun, but they eat up so much riding time it's rediculous. I got so sick of jetting and clutching, fixing sh!t that breaks, ect. I have almost 800 miles on my Nytro and all I've done is turn the key. Since it doesn't take oil every ride it costs me about $20 to ride it. It's not the lightest or fastest sled(didn't buy it to highmark), but this BY FAR the most fun winter I've ever had. I would never go back to a 2-stroke.

nikolai arent you singing a differant tune on ty, shocks, running boards, vents, stuff to keep snow out of the engine compartment, rear suspension change, that sounds like mods to me

 

[Ron]

BRP has had a long standing cost advantage over Cat & Poo because of a favorable exchange rate. Wonder what will happen now that it's gone the other way?
Rode an 07 Summit X last year & sold it in late January-saved myself $3000 because now you have to give them away. (And find someone with VERY yellow underwear in denial!) How do you feel about dealers selling new 07's for $7600-have seen 3 dealers selling on the cheap in just a 100 mile radius?
Bought a Polaris 800 Dragon this year. Zero issues with almost 500 miles-had to make some shock/suspension adjustments, add vents & clutching needed help. But I'm riding, not fixing & thats worth a lot to me. See a lot of Dragons getting some miles now & they seem to be working good. Wait til you run across one thats clutched right-late delivery left Poo a little behind in that dept.
It's hard to make a judgement on just one owner or one sled. But with these forums & day to day in the snow comparo's-the cream rises to the top.
Now some issues are mitigated by having a good dealer but most problems are a result of poor factory quality control. JROD, Slim & others have some good points-it's too bad that more don't put their money down demanding quality vs buying into factory hype.
Frankly I see BRP in the beginning of a downward spiral just like Polaris in 05/06. Until some people are fired don't look for anything but status quo! There aren't that many new suckers born every day....are there?

 

[Xrider]

Frankly I see BRP in the beginning of a downward spiral just like Polaris in 05/06

Maybe, but there's still a big difference in the 05/06 900 Poos and the XP. The Poos were heavy and doggy, the XPs just need the bugs fixed and they rip.

 

[exman04]

Being a heavy rider I wanted to belive in the XP and I had my dealer friend find me one. After reading the pages and pages of issues on this sled I backed out at the last minute and bought a Dragon 8. It cost me some bad feelings with my buddy but on a sled standpoint it WAS an EXCELLENT decision. I already have one ski doo in my trailer that I cant give away didnt need 2. Sold my '07 7 Dragon for 8k, cant dump the '07 8 Rev for 7k. I rode one and it vibrated like an RMK900 and rattled like a 30 year old VW. Saw the clutch compartment was full of belt debris and skid marks. The Dragon 8 is close in hill performance, better in some situations and so far is as close to perfect as a first year sled can get. BRP does not care about those who buy a new sled every year, if there is a prob they will take their own damn sweet time to fix it. It doesnt matter how much technology is in a sled, if its got this many problems out of the gate I dont want it.

I'm with you on this one freak, i got my dragon from idaho falls and went riding with the boondocker boys. They had an xp and my dragon with 30 miles on it would pull it up any hill, but in the deep deep pow it would go about 10 more feet then me, that is just cause of the track though i think. My dragon was only pulling about 7900 to 8000 so i think in canada it should be good with the elivation change. I love the chasis there is nothing better, i've rode everything there is and love my sled 100% confidence in it. The rev is my second choice just because i've seen some amazing stuff done on one.

 

[Beels]

This is why I bought my Nytro MTX. Mods are fun, but they eat up so much riding time it's rediculous. I got so sick of jetting and clutching, fixing sh!t that breaks, ect. I have almost 800 miles on my Nytro and all I've done is turn the key. Since it doesn't take oil every ride it costs me about $20 to ride it. It's not the lightest or fastest sled(didn't buy it to highmark), but this BY FAR the most fun winter I've ever had. I would never go back to a 2-stroke.

I'm waiting to see what Yamaha changes for next year before I make any decisions. I have a Yamaha dealer in town and the guy I traveled with in my snocross days is running a Yamaha dealership and isn't too far away either. I've got to the point in my life where I don't have endless hours to devote to building and maintaining like in the past. ("Growing up" is a beotch....)

I came off a little hard in my last post, but for the price of a new sled, I don't think it's too much to ask for a few seasons of reliability and performance.

 

[JROD]

Now it seems to me that BRP has lost a grip on BASIC troubleshooting.
Regarding last years clutching......Did BRP ever determine the root cause?
To fix any problem, you 1st must know what you are fixing.
Has anyone experienced problems this year after having the recall done?
Since there hasn't been much about it here, I'd say they got it.
Good!

Now what exactly is causing excessive belt failure on the XP?
Heat?
Mis-alignment?
Flexing?
Poor belt quality?
I'm not saying it is our job to do R&D for BRP............
BUT if my new $11,000 sled was going through belts like creamed corn through a baby, I would be spending many nights in the garage trying new ideas instead of coming on here and bragging about how stupid I was for buying this P O S and then wondering why it keeps doing it.
Hello! If it goes through belts, and nothing is done to correct it, it will keep going through belts!

Mafesto you make some good strong points here! I wouldn't go as far as to say that they've got everything fixed exactly with the recall as I'm still seeing plenty of clutching issues on the 07s coming out of the dealerships. But at least an effort is being put forth to try. Plus we all have to remember that we all have different riding styles and they have to try to clutch the sled for all around general conditions. Personally for what I do, I have to reclutch it anyway. Which brings me to my next point...

As far as what is causing excessive belt failure on the XPs, I think there has been a number of issues that one could attribute to this. First of all, there seems to be the issue of sloppy bushings in the primary. Doo is working with a few dealerships to get this figured out.

Secondly a lot of people are running out of adjustability in the secondary for their belt deflection. Could a new belt possibly fix this? Probably. It has also been noticed that if the front end takes much impact it won't necessarily cause a lot of damage but can drastically affect the belt alignment due to a small amount of "tweaking" of the chassis. This is proving to be quite a hard problem to fix.

It also would seem that the gearing is a little on the high side which seems to be the case on all makes of sleds but I've always been one to gear down so maybe thats my personal preference. It would help with excess strain on the belt and clutches though. The biggest problem with this is I have yet to find a chain that will allow much lower gearing without having a big loop over the tensioner. You can get away with a little bit but I'm still not overly comfortable with it.

If I bought any sled though, and it wasn't clutched right, I would definitely clutch it myself and fix the blowing up of belts. Yes, it's too bad you have to do this but you just spent $11,000 on a sled. Do you want to ride it continually blowing belts and arguing with warranty issues or spend a little extra, fix the problem, and chalk one up to poor R&D and move on?

All problems aside and fixed by the consumer and the XPs are an amazing sled. THERE IS STILL NO REASON THE CONSUMER SHOULD HAVE TO DO SKI-DOOS DIRTY WORK!

 

[MARV1]

It is called denial!

WOW what a conflicted review. How the he** can this sled "not be beat" when the clutching sucks and the engine seizes? Are we broadcasting a new standard to the manufacturers? Please get real. A $10,000 sled with a seized motor eating belts etc is not "can't be beat"

My M1000 hasn't had a thing done to it in 1600 miles except set the suspension adjustments. Just had the clutch checked and they didn't have to do a thing to it. I have only used two belts in that time.

Sounds like it's BRP's year to suck.

Same thing I've been saying about the Doo riders/owners past couple seasons. They'll just keep denying the problems they have/subpar setups and such. And they'll keep on forking over $12k to BRP every year hoping they'll do better, lol. Sad but true.

 

[PooSlinger]

Maybe, but there's still a big difference in the 05/06 900 Poos and the XP. The Poos were heavy and doggy, the XPs just need the bugs fixed and they rip.

I think he was more referring to problems within the company, not necessarily the problems with the sleds. BRP seems to have real quality issues. With the first REVs, the rings on the 600s were bad for 3 years. That's something that should be fixed after the first year. BRP just denied there was a problem up and down and the yellow panty crowd bought it hook, line, and sinker. This year is the second year of the 800r motor, yet it appears to have the same durability issues of last year's motor. Why hasn't it been fixed? Another dumb little nagging thing is the Y pipe bolts backing out. This has been a problem on their 800s for years and they haven't taken any measures to address it. Then there's the clutching problems... this year's seem even worse than last year's.

BRP seems to have become complacent the way Poo was earlier this decade. Just keep pumping out the same product with little overhauling and little improvement from year-to-year. Maybe complacency comes with being number 1???

 

[Xrider]

If they could just get a sled to be on par with dirt bikes we'd be one happy bunch. Just got back from a ride on my bike, a few mods and this thing absolutely rips your arms off, day after day, every day, electric start too. I ride alone a lot and would never do that on my sled.

 

[Dbook]

If they could just get a sled to be on par with dirt bikes we'd be one happy bunch. Just got back from a ride on my bike, a few mods and this thing absolutely rips your arms off, day after day, every day, electric start too. I ride alone a lot and would never do that on my sled.

What you dont have to change anything on your bike? Each year I get one I seem to have to put on a GOOD chain, Sprockets that are not made of butter, Suspension that works for me and wasnt valved for a 140 pnd novice, Handlebars with a decent bend. Spark arrestor if I am going to ride it anywhere other then a moto track. Good tire's cause the ones they seem to pick dont work in my area.

Then once I get it home I have to tear the whole thing down to lube it as there seems to be a grease shortage and they cant lube the linkage and steering stem at the factory. ADD a slipper clutch so I dont break clutch baskets and trannies oh the list goes on.

 

[MtnDoo]

Dbook - just like buying a new Komatsu eh?

 

[Xrider]

What you dont have to change anything on your bike?

Notice I said a "few mods".
Ok, bar risers, hand guards, seat, tires, smog removal, header and muffler, rejet....but once that's done it's way more dependable than a new sled. (unless of course you ride a KTM or Honda)