lifelong polaris rider switching to cat

Fitter · Feb 15, 2015

currently own 2013 pro rmk 800 , 2012 pro rmk 800 , and 2009 700 rmk. selling all and trying to decide on a cat. turbo 4 stroke or 2 stroke 800. will trade a tad of performance for reliability. very aggressive rider and don't want to be sucking hind tit. time to make a statement. any help would be appreciated.

stcatman · Feb 15, 2015

I have a 09 M-1000 turbo love that sled, also 13 cat 800 162 its a nice sled, don't care for cats heavy 4-stroke myself, some love them

armey37 · Feb 15, 2015

M8000 motor is awesome. Love my 14 162. I rode a 2013 pro Rmk and the power iis good but I like the cat power better, feels smoother and pulls hard.. The cat I feel is less nimble but once you flip the cat on its side she sticks to mountain.

Johnsdevil · Feb 15, 2015

Depends on what you are looking for..

If I were you and I wanted a stock sled that was going to ride like a champ, I would buy a Cat 800. 2015 or wait and spring order a 2016.
Cats arnt as nimble as the pros but a little suspension work goes a long way. Fox has upgraded Float 3 Evol's for the front and a setup for the rear. I would buy the sled, do some research on a can.. sound, weight, yeaadaa yeaaadaa yaa and reeds. The motor makes more than enough power. A solid platform is a good place to start.

Then would put a 2.4 ratio on a belt drive pull exactly 8050 rpm in the hills and boom.. perfect sled.

Fitter · Feb 15, 2015

rode one at Christmas and it felt pretty nimble. did everything I wanted it to do in 3' of pow. don't know how it would react in limited snow conditions.

0neoldfart · Feb 15, 2015

You need to ride them...

I have both a 2013 M800 S/P Ltd 162, and a 2013 M1100T S/P Ltd 162. The 800 is lighter, but the 4 stroke torque and power delivery (especially when boosted with EVO goodies) is amazing. I previously rode a modded M1000, and I don't feel that the 4S is any harder to handle in the trees. That said, if you are predominately a tree rider, stick with the 800. With some suspension work and a Jaws pipe set, they work well.

Fitter · Feb 15, 2015

is the throttle response on turbo the same as the 800 ? does it feel heavier with all that extra power ? whats the weight difference

Fitter · Feb 15, 2015

I always hear of "amazing" torque and power delivery yet people still stay with the 2 stroke. a friend of mine said I wouldn't like the 4 turbo but never gave me a reason. im curious why I wouldnt

gjp · Feb 15, 2015

Depends on what terrain you ride: Tight trees - get an 800 and lighten it up 30lbs with a ti can, hood/headlight delete, Gripper skis for $1200.
Add a belt drive for $900.

I hear the M7000 with the yami motor + MPI boost is stellar. You can lighten it too.

Fitter · Feb 15, 2015

I heard the same about the yami motor. another friend/ Polaris rider is going that route next winter

Tre4ISU · Feb 15, 2015

Depends on what you do. If you're in trees much at all I would go with the 800. Yeah, it might not be as nimble as your Pros but once it's on edge, it doesn't fall off unless you tell it to.

The turbo is a really fun sled to ride out in the open. Riding it through the trees for a day is just a lot of work.

0neoldfart · Feb 16, 2015

Totally different "feel"

Fitter said:
is the throttle response on turbo the same as the 800 ? does it feel heavier with all that extra power ? whats the weight difference

My 2013 M1100T weighs in at 637 lbs with a 3" track, 3.5 gal jerry can, tunnel bag and spare belt / tool kit. Throttle response isn't similar to a 2 stroke, just a steady pull from engagement until you hit WOT, at which point you'd better be hanging on tight. To be fair, this is a EVO Big Chute turbo upgrade running 260 hp on 94 octane fuel, so don't expect the exact same results from a stocker. I added a Kmod rear skid to keep the front end down on climbs, too. When you are on boost, the weight difference goes away quickly. To ride in the trees, it can be done, but you'd better be committed and be in decent shape. I'm pushing 50 soon, but am in decent shape for a guy my age, and I also hit the scales at 220 lbs in my shorts. So if you're out of shape, or a sub 200 lb rider, stay with the 800. If you can ride and want a sled that will push your abilities, go with the 1100 4 stroke.

leadfoot33 · Feb 16, 2015

i myself would get the 800 simply cuz of weight my bros has a 2013 4stroke and its a good sled dont get me wrong but they need some money thrown at them to help belt issue and i think you need to be abigger and stronger guy to ride the 4 i myself am too light and not strong enough to ride it all day.

philsummers21 · Feb 17, 2015

I just went to a cat this year after 3 years on a pro. Couldn't be happier. The 800 proclimb Is a great machine with new skis and a little weightloss. Can is huge weight savings. Best mod so far for me is gripper skis. I do have my 15 for sale tho. Damn snowbikes. Wish I could afford both.

kiliki · Feb 18, 2015

full slp pipe set with the pcv and grippers. now the 800 is kicken out 170 and down 25 lbs. Pull the rope and rip it.

Johnsdevil · Feb 18, 2015

4S turbo VS 800

In 2012 I bought the first year 1100T. Sled was a rocket on the trail. after two winters of playing with clutching and custom mods I ended up with a completely revalved rear skid running 3" on stock drivers. Deleted the reverse. Custom cold air intake, titanium wrapped full 2.5" evo pipe, EVO BRV and Charge tubes. 21/49 gearing. straight 40 helix with dalton Green/gold secondary spring. cat 87g weights. Cutler 130/305 gold spring. Head light delete. SLP PP skis, 3" C3 Post forward kit. I lost about 20 lbs up front and it was noticable. I vented the **** out of the sled and never had belt issues. I put 1600 miles on it the first year I had it and maybe blew 3 belts. the next season I put 1200 miles on it and still no issues, oh I did blow a Jackshaft while smashing down a trail at 85 mph.
Oh another thing, this sled was a monster for speed. it would pull 100 mph no problem with the stock track. 3' slowed it down into the 90's but for a big mountain sled that was fast.

No ECU flash, and this sled wasnt easily beat. Guys with the Flashes and 174s had trouble going where this beast went.

I sold the sled and bought a 14 800 was a sad day because the first time out on the 800 and it was topping out at 65... cat had these things limited big time.

The big turbo was manageable in the trees, but you were definitely tired after a day in the trees. When riding with a seasoned pack I found myself mid pack trying to pick my way around the leaders tough spots. When in a tight spot... you had one chance and one chance only. The 3" was a life saver.. it pulled me out of spots where I would have been for days had I let off and pussed out. My new 800 works awesome, after clutching and gearing changes the sled rips hard. Is easy to ride and soaks up the bumps on the way out.

The one thing I really enjoy about the cats is they take a beating, you can lay a smackdown on these sleds and they will ride out the trail the same way they came in. THe only time my cats didnt make it out was when I busted my Jackshaft and thats pretty good for about 4200 miles between them so far.

Hope this helps.

Fitter · Feb 19, 2015

94 octane would be the only issue. 91 is what they sell where I ride and hauling gas isn't an option

carycat6622 · Feb 19, 2015

HI FITTER, just a short answer to your post, we sno check every year, I am on my 17th cat, in my opinion it is a no brainer, M-8000 pro-climb...track length your choice, very similar to the pro in that regard's. Dependability is the cat selling point, we have both turbo 1100's and 8000's, I really believe you would be much happier with the zuk ho 800 after what you have been riding before, lose the stock exhaust, and then walk before you run with other after market option's,... remember...dependability!!!! we have a habit of pulling other brand's in at night, welcome to arctic cat!!!

kidwoo · Feb 19, 2015

Johnsdevil said:
I vented the **** out of the sled and never had belt issues. I put 1600 miles on it the first year I had it and maybe blew 3 belts.

That makes sense.

av8er · Feb 19, 2015

what is your height and weight?

makes a difference, where do u live, what kind of snow conditions where u ride?

lifelong polaris rider switching to cat

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