Looking for opinions on transitioning from Poo to Doo....

Butta · Oct 5, 2011

**first and foremost, I'm NOT trying to start a brand vs brand pissing match....looking for some real insight**

So I really like the way the Poo's handle and perform on the snow, but after owning a '10 that was FULL of motor problems, I'm more than reluctant to give Polaris any money. I've got a great 'Doo dealer in my area (Felkers) and have heard a lot of changes have been done to the original '08 XP chassis to make this new '12 model.

I've ridden the '11 Polaris Pro RMK, but haven't ridden anything newer than the '08 XP for Ski Doo. Before I plunk down a huge chunk of change on a new sled, I'd really like some opinions on the differences on the snow between these two machines.

I love the flickability of the Pro, and how it "gets on top of the snow". It didn't feel tippy to me, but very neutral. Does the newer ('11+ e-tech) Ski Doo have a similar neutral feel? The things I didn't care for on the '08 XP was the desire for the machine to have both skis on the snow. It would climb like a mountain goat, but it wore me out trying to fight the sidehill. I know there have been a few guys jump from Poo to Doo....what have your likes/dislikes been? Can a guy that's comfortable with the nimbleness of the Poo excel with the stability of the Doo?

Thanks in advance!

XPWY · Oct 5, 2011

It will just take some getting used to. The 2011-12 are very much improved since the 08 model. The rear suspension was changed in 2010 which included a longer center shock, and the shorter a-arms (s-36 package) were added in 2011 along with a center keel ski.

There is a very noticeable difference between the handling of the new XP's and the older ones. They do carve and sidehill better than before. That being said, there will be a learning curve. Once you get some time on one and learn the differences in the riding technique, you will love it! IMO, the majority of riders who are used to how a different brand handles and have trouble adjusting to the XP, try to ride it like their previous sled and don't spend enough time on one to REALLY learn the chassis.

My opinion may be biased, as I also own a 09' and have a blast sidehilling and carving on it, but I still wouldn't trade my etec for anything else! It all comes down to personal preference and what you feel the most comfortable on FWIW.

i'llDooit · Oct 5, 2011

not sure how well the new 2.5 track will work, but camo works well on my 2010. i would buy a X model, and if you want to save a bit of money, find a 2010x with a camo track and roosterbuilt clutching:face-icon-small-win Regardless,, imo doo is the king of the mtn. They take a few rides to figure out the leverage and body english of the sled, but handle like a dream. not hard to blow a doughnut in eigther direction. the sidehilling problem is a joke for tride and true doo "RIDERS", Ride a Doo and smile all year when passing the other pro sleds up the mtn:faint:

snowmobiler · Oct 5, 2011

if you couldnt sidehill the 08 and didnt like it,better stay on a poo.

AKSNOWRIDER · Oct 6, 2011

I have a pro, but have put some time on all yrs of xp's...the 10 xp is better then the 8-9 by a little..still wants to stay planted and does want to do a natural climb when sidehilling very far...
the 11 etec is a much much better sled..I can side hill it, it is fun to ride..but one thing I did notice if you come over the top of a hill and want to lay the sled over just as you start down (or even when you are going down and want to turn back up)it is much harder to do on the xp then a pro...I am a smaller guy at 5-8 160 pds..and I have to work to ride a doo vrs a pro..I wouldnt mind owning an etec, but still prefer the pro..just way more of a fun ride for me..good luck with your new sled whichever brand it is...

winter brew · Oct 6, 2011

The new XP's are night/day different feel from the '08-'09. I have only spent a short time on a PRORMK but IMO the Doo is actually easier to lay over and hold in a neutral line. I know those that get used to the PRO will disagree, but my point is once you are used to the sled it is VERY easy to handle, as is the PRO.
As with any sled, suspension setup and bar position is a HUGE factor. I have ridden XP's that were setup terrible....if that was my only experience I would never buy one.

Nytroty · Oct 6, 2011

winter brew said:
The new XP's are night/day different feel from the '08-'09. I have only spent a short time on a PRORMK but IMO the Doo is actually easier to lay over and hold in a neutral line. I know those that get used to the PRO will disagree, but my point is once you are used to the sled it is VERY easy to handle, as is the PRO.
As with any sled, suspension setup and bar position is a HUGE factor. I have ridden XP's that were setup terrible....if that was my only experience I would never buy one.

X2!!!!

I couldn't agree more. All everyone talks about is how easy a pro is to sidehill and hold a line and how bad a XP is. Well when you are used to a XP and can ride it anywhere and everywhere the other sleds go you aren't comfortable on a pro. I rode my 11 etec all last year and love how easy it handles compared to previous year XP's. I got on a pro for about 10 minutes and couldn't wait to get back on my XP. It's all what you get used too and if everything is setup right for you. I would say go for it!!! and just stick with it and you will love it!!!

Butta · Oct 6, 2011

Thank you guys for the solid responses! That puts my mind more at ease....I'll be hitting the snow show this weekend and plan to ask a bunch more questions.

lane:

i'llDooit · Oct 6, 2011

wider track, and more pony's....... period....... after you make the sled ur own and get comfortable on it,,,, you will love the wider track, and more pony's:face-icon-small-win

skibreeze · Oct 6, 2011

I was in the same boat as you last year. I bought an '11 summit and immediately noticed that I hated the stock shocks, very harsh. I put on Floats with Tom's rear suspension and it was very nice. It does take a few rides to get used to the handling as it is very different than the Polaris. I really liked the power, it floats like crazy, is very easy to get unstuck. It carved very well and didn't wash out like the IQ. I really liked the sled for the most part.

What I didn't like was that I just never had the amount of control that I wanted in the really tight treed sidehills. I think that I could eventually master it, as I only rode it 1/2 the season. It was definitely gonna need some vents as the belts cooked when worked, blew the first one right around 400 miles. Also I did hit a tree and bent the lower A arm which is the troubling part. I have bent tons and tons of A arms on my Poos and the new ones bolt right up. The XP however, ended up with the mounts bent to the point that getting the new A arm mounted was a real mother. My XP experience is limited to Tudizzle's 08 and mi '11 and just decided to go back to Polaris. I like the fact that the chassis is easier for me to ride, but you will never know what you like until you try it out. I'm glad that I did buy the Doo, it just didn't work out the way I had hoped.

sledwolf · Oct 6, 2011

Butta said:
**first and foremost, I'm NOT trying to start a brand vs brand pissing match....looking for some real insight**

So I really like the way the Poo's handle and perform on the snow, but after owning a '10 that was FULL of motor problems, I'm more than reluctant to give Polaris any money. I've got a great 'Doo dealer in my area (Felkers) and have heard a lot of changes have been done to the original '08 XP chassis to make this new '12 model.

I've ridden the '11 Polaris Pro RMK, but haven't ridden anything newer than the '08 XP for Ski Doo. Before I plunk down a huge chunk of change on a new sled, I'd really like some opinions on the differences on the snow between these two machines.

I love the flickability of the Pro, and how it "gets on top of the snow". It didn't feel tippy to me, but very neutral. Does the newer ('11+ e-tech) Ski Doo have a similar neutral feel? The things I didn't care for on the '08 XP was the desire for the machine to have both skis on the snow. It would climb like a mountain goat, but it wore me out trying to fight the sidehill. I know there have been a few guys jump from Poo to Doo....what have your likes/dislikes been? Can a guy that's comfortable with the nimbleness of the Poo excel with the stability of the Doo?

Thanks in advance!

My honest opinion, im not brand loyal and i get a new sled every year. Ive had them all. Last year i rode the XP 154 and in a nut shell heres what i noticed. The sled is not the best option for technical ridding. The front end is twitchy and if your in based up snow it can give you a real azz whoppin if you try to ride it like the RMK. Having said that out of the box track for track i do believe the doo will flat out climb the Poo in the steep and deep. It wont hold a candle to it on a tuff side hills with slope inconsistancys. The RMK is a much more solid platform. The Doo clutches suck in stock form, they run to hot and fade fast if pushed in the deep. Ive not noticed that to ever be a problem the the RMKs. Im a better rider on the RMK but the fun factor on the Doo while climbing is more fun. The skis tend to lift allot more and its just plain fun to ride. This year im running the Pro with the BD turbo. I think the RMK is heads and tails better for that application for a number of reasons. The most being how solid the platform is when you have more power than you can often manage. The Doo isnt forgiving ever. I love the fit and finish of the Doo it far exceeds the RMK in that light. Both great sleds you cant go wrong but in the end theres something to be said for buying American when the economy is so tuff for those guys who dont have the luxury of burning through the cash so they can go play in the snow. I trying to support my own right now. That makes it a pretty easy choice. The RMK is probably the best machine out there this year in all honesty.

550iq · Oct 6, 2011

The hardest transition I went through from Polaris was dealing with Ski-Doo world: different tools, learning Ski-Doo track change procedures, different clutch and pully design theory and construction, front end aluminum castings and A-arm care, can't get the windshield right issues, adaptation in other words. After 3,000 miles on the 011 600 Mxz X-rs I'll report that the Ski-Doo is a worthy snowmobile. Once you have yours, you too can be assimilated.

Matte Murder · Oct 7, 2011

First year sledding was last year. Bought new ETECs for myself, son and nephew(more like another son). Really happy with them. They were absolutely trouble free. Rode the Poo at Dan Adams clinic and liked it too. I don't think that there is a dramatic difference in side hilling between the 2. The Poo is better but just by shades. I bought new ETECs this year and a Pro RMK 163" so I could ride the sleds same day same conditions and make a fair comparison. I am not a trail rider but the Ski Doos have a much better suspension for ripping up whooped out trails on the way to the pow. They really climb too. I think Sledwolf made a pretty fair assessment too. I also think the Ski Doo has better build quality but I never had belt or clutch issues at all. All 3 sleds are still on their original belt. The ETEC has more power, starts easier, gets better mileage on both gas and oil and has a much smoother power delivery. I am going to mess with set up, shocks, skid and maybe track and improve the technical ability of the Ski Doo this year. That is really the only area that the Pro outshines the Doo and I think I can close the gap there with some mods.

sled_guy · Oct 7, 2011

Butta, how big of a guy are you and how tall?

I have found that the shorter and fatter you are the harder it is to ride the Doo.

Tall and skinny, easier.

That is compounded with the longer track you get on the Doo.

sled_guy

Butta · Oct 9, 2011

sled_guy said:
Butta, how big of a guy are you and how tall?

I have found that the shorter and fatter you are the harder it is to ride the Doo.

Tall and skinny, easier.

That is compounded with the longer track you get on the Doo.

sled_guy

I'll steal a quote from a buddy: "I'm undertall for my weight".... :face-icon-small-hap

I'm about 5'9" and 230, ready to ride. I wonder if the wider track makes the leverage a bigger requirement on the 'doo?

I.P.Yellow · Oct 9, 2011

The '11 xp is so much easier to ride than my '09. That being said I still have no problems pulling a side hill or tipping it on its side. If you are coming off a '10 Polaris you will love the way the Summit handles plus the power of the etec. You mentioned in your first post that you have Felkers as a dealer. That alone would seal the deal since I have heard they know how to set up the sleds they sell. That is huge IMO.

mantisman · Oct 9, 2011

I have a poo and bought a 11 doo etec I hope its as good as everyone says because i have never rode one.

Butta · Oct 10, 2011

I.P.Yellow said:
The '11 xp is so much easier to ride than my '09. That being said I still have no problems pulling a side hill or tipping it on its side. If you are coming off a '10 Polaris you will love the way the Summit handles plus the power of the etec. You mentioned in your first post that you have Felkers as a dealer. That alone would seal the deal since I have heard they know how to set up the sleds they sell. That is huge IMO.

I agree with the dealer comment. He knows his $hit for sure! The closest Poo dealer is an hour away, while his shop is 15 minutes from my house.

I really really wish I could have thrown a leg over a 'doo last season.....

gman086 · Oct 10, 2011

Butta said:
I'll steal a quote from a buddy: "I'm undertall for my weight".... :face-icon-small-hap

I'm about 5'9" and 230, ready to ride. I wonder if the wider track makes the leverage a bigger requirement on the 'doo?

Yes it does. That's why you hear all the taller riders singing the praises of the 16 wide while all of us shorter riders (I'm 5'9" too) do track mods!

G MAN Track mod (best mod to my sled and those that know me know that's quite a statement!): http://www.snowestonline.com/forum/showthread.php?t=269948

Have FUN!

G MAN

PS - Also, FWIW, I did the opposite of you and own a Pro now with ZERO regrets; Poo has worked out their motor issues and no sled gets on top of the snow or handles better. I am keeping my Summit tho - everyone needs a backup sooner or later!

Hurricane Tim · Oct 10, 2011

I have been a Doo rider for 10 years now, and I still have my 11' X - 154" E-tec. I snow checked a 12' Poo Retro 155" this spring though. The Doo is a great sled in alot of ways, and you wouldn't be disappointed with it. The Pro is just more fun to ride in my opinion. I spent 1 day riding an 800 Pro last winter, and I didn't want to get back on my E-Tec after riding the Poo. It feels less powerful on the bottom end than the Doo, but it really gets up and goes after that, and it just keeps going. It's amazing how well the Pro stays on top of the fluff. I like riding technical tree lined creek bottoms and ravines, and the Pro shines in that stuff. You just flick it wherever you want to go, and it goes there. When you cut a steep sidehill and hit a frozen rut, it doesn't want to pitch you downhill like the Doo does. It just cuts right through it, and you hardly notice the rut. I have to say that the Pro is the funnest stock sled that I have ridden. You can't go wrong with any of the brands, really, they are all excellent machines. I just think the Pro is the most fun for the way I ride.

Looking for opinions on transitioning from Poo to Doo....

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