High Mileage M7

pinko said:

I'm going to look at an '06 M7 with a Cutler 800 in it in a few days. The chassis has 8000 kms on it. Is there anything I should be looking for on this sled. This would be my first Cat and just wondering where to look. The motor only has 1800 on it so I'm not too worried about that. Thanks

Forgot to mention that the DD bearings were replaced at 6000

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Your 8000km is about 5,000 miles. Top end should be rebuilt around 4,000 miles. Look at when the cutler 800 was done.
I changed my track at that mileage because it was folding over and took set.
Look for a tork arm relocation in the suspension.
Fox shocks? Get the air pump for the front. Make sure the rear rebounds.
Check hours against the miles. Mine shows 4363 miles with 196 Hrs. That is 22 MPH. I ran one year with the Speedo not working. I have over 5,000 miles on mine which bumps it to about 25 MPH.
Look at the plastic. If it doesn't fit right with good lines something is bent.
The tunnel should not have any waves. Look for distortion on the sides where you put your feet.
The hood will show a lot. Trees scratch and that is fine but cracks are from sudden stops or rolls.
I have seen the price form $2500 with a blown engine to $5,000. He has close to $2000 into the 800. Miles will eat that dollar amount up quickly but still add some as long as the compression is close to equal on each side. What the compression should be is something I don't know for the 800.
It will be awesome with the 800 in it. Good luck.

Having run a Cutler BB for many years now, I'd tell you that with 1,800km on the motor it is about due for a new top end. Cutler says around 1,500 miles or so. Know this also that if you do buy it and rebuild it, the break-in procedure is VERY VERY important to follow or you'll sieze the motor for sure. You can get the info on how to break-in on Cutler's website if you do or pm me and I can give you the gist of it. Also he has a lot more than $2,000 in the motor, more like $5,000. I'd find out why he had the 1000cc and then went to the 800cc. In fact to go from a 1000 to a 800 he has spent closer to $8,000 or $9,000 in motor back and forth. He must have had some troubles that I'd want to know about. I'd also find out more about the diamond drive. I went thru 3 the first season after the BB and have had some problems since. If he hasn't done anything to it since the bearing replacement it may be shot. Ask him how often he at least changed the oil in it. It should be done at least once per season, but with the BB it should be done more like twice a season.

Unfortunately there isn't a good way to check the diamond drive for trouble. When mine would start to go out, it usually (but not always) would start to make a whinning sound. The first time it locked up so the track wouldn't turn and the other two times it locked and unlocked. The only sure way of knowing if it's in good shape is to tear it apart. So I'd just ask him how often he changed the oil, and also if that is all he did or if he pulled it apart to inspect the gears. After my 3 failures, I bought an aftermarket Black Diamond diamond drive and have had fewer problems since then, but still have had some. I think the way you ride is what really kills them. If you are on the gas and then hard on the brakes and back on, or if you like to ride fast in rough terrain the constant impact puts a lot of strain on it. I've toned down how I ride in those conditions and I think that has helped a lot.

You had also find out (if you're really interested) what all else has been done to the motor. I've advanced my timing by 4 degrees and have a high compression dome head insert and because of that I've got to run a mix of premium gas and race fuel for the altitude I ride at. Cutler has 3 choices of head inserts, low compression (for pump gas), high compression (that takes a mix), and ultra high compression (straight race gas). Advanced timing will increase the need for higher octane also, and you should know at what altitudes it has been ridden at so you can adjust your mixture if you ride at different altitudes. I don't know if you've owned modified sleds before but it definitely isn't just pull and go unless you know what you're doing and have it already set up correctly. The alternative is expensive!!!

The boondocker box is nice to be able to change mixture at the push of a button but lots of times I wish I was running carbs. The problem I see with the box is that it gives you too much adjustment. You have low, mid, high, and trim settings at several different rpms. I have no doubt that if you spent months of doing nothing but getting all of those numbers just where they need to be it would be far superior to the jetting of a carb, but with a carb you have different jet sizes and needle positions and that's about it. IMO simple can be a lot easier and too much adjustability can just be a headache and fine tuning nightmare.