New Ski Doo Snowmobile

ishoot308 · 02-05-2010, 09:00 PM

Ski Doo made the jump and have a few of their new 800 Etec snowmobiles out at their dealers!! This is a long awaited arrival for Ski Doo fans and I bet this new offering from BRP will be sled of the year! It's great fuel economy (19 MPG + or -), extremely low oil consumption all placed on top of their newer XP chasis makes this sled very desirable.

I currently own a 2009 600 Etec Adrenaline and can't say enough good things about it! But the 800 Etec sure is tempting!!

Anyone try one yet or have plans on buying one??

Dan

rider · 02-06-2010, 09:10 AM

by the 2011 Polaris Rush ProR-800

MAXUM · 02-07-2010, 01:06 PM

Do your research first, and not by looking at the sales brochure. The Ski Doos are notorious for electrical problems, and the new XPs are also known to have trouble keeping body panels on the body. I know a couple guys that own them and between the troubles they have had along with the three new XPs I've ran across this year DOA on the side of the trail, heh you can keep em. Plus I have heard through the grape vine (some buddies that work at a dealer) that the XPs are very easily damaged beyond the point of repair, especially if you manage to catch or hit the front suspension on anything. No surprise I've looked them over real close, they are not exactly made out of anything that could take any serious abuse.

Think the rush is the answer, well my same buddies tell me they aren't selling. Maybe it's the 10K plus price tag and I haven't seen but a couple on the trails this year and I do a ton of riding. So you want the 800 huh, well again do your research, ever since the re-introduction of the 800 Polaris has had all sorts of trouble with these engines blowing up. I think they are not up to 5 yes 5 computer flashes trying to fix what can only be described as a fundamentally flawed engine design. Polaris frankly has only put out a handful of bullet proof engines, the 340 Fan, 488 Fan, 500 and 600 liberty liquids. Beyond that you're tempting fate. Polaris doesn't make the 340 Fan, not enough power I guess, replaced the 488 with the 550 only to have that engine suffer catastrophic failures (yes I know first hand I had one that blew not just once but twice) the 500 liberty liquid for some unknown reason was dropped, no doubt because there are those who are more concerned about the number decal on the hood than anything else. Even though that 500 VES (which I happen to own one) will have no trouble keeping up with the big bores and sip gas doing so.

This BTW is authored by a die hard Polaris guy.

ishoot308 · 02-07-2010, 01:52 PM

Maxum;

I figure I did my research buy owning a 600 Etec on an XP for two years now. Pretty much trouble free and by far the smoothest, quickest, and best trail handling sled I have ever owned and I have owned quite a few. Yes there have been some minor issues with the newer technology Etecs and all of the more serious ones are from riders who try to add performance enhancements such as pipes and other engine mods. You simply cannot and should not do it with these new sleds as they are all computer controlled and most of these enhancements seriously affect these controls.

I think BRP has done a great job with their new Etec engine. My 600 has all the power and speed I need on any trail New England has to offer, but spending more time riding on the open lake now, the 800 Etec sure is tempting!! You can never have enough power!

Dan

MAXUM · 02-07-2010, 09:41 PM

Hey that's great, just pointing out that some have had electric problems, in fact this traces back to the onset of the REV chassis. Dunno, I don't know much about the doos, certainly not bashing them just know many have had troubles. All that matters is you like what you ride and get out there and enjoy the trails.

chipj29 · 02-08-2010, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Maxum;

I figure I did my research buy owning a 600 Etec on an XP for two years now. Pretty much trouble free and by far the smoothest, quickest, and best trail handling sled I have ever owned and I have owned quite a few. Yes there have been some minor issues with the newer technology Etecs and all of the more serious ones are from riders who try to add performance enhancements such as pipes and other engine mods. You simply cannot and should not do it with these new sleds as they are all computer controlled and most of these enhancements seriously affect these controls.

I think BRP has done a great job with their new Etec engine. My 600 has all the power and speed I need on any trail New England has to offer, but spending more time riding on the open lake now, the 800 Etec sure is tempting!! You can never have enough power!

Dan

I am with you Dan. I bought an '09 Renegade 600 etec last fall, and love it so far. Not that I have been able to do all that many miles yet, but so far so good.
I also have an '04 Rev 500ss that has been virtually trouble-free aside from the blown engine (top-end only) last winter. I can't blame Ski Doo for that one, as I did not clean my carbs pre-season, and I was going 90+ across a lake when it blew.

I would def try the 800 etec, but I am prefectly happy with a 600.

LIforrelaxin · 02-08-2010, 09:48 AM

I read threads like this, and here about the problems that are out there, And what some people see and don't see. Like boats Snowmobiles are season toys. How long they last and how much trouble someone has, is directly linked, to a how they enjoy them durring the season and off season. The more abuse you throw at a machine, the more likely it is to fail. Additionally, if you don't take the time to do the required maintence durring the season, or at the end / begining of the season you are likely to have more issues....

Last one has to remember these machines are designed and built by humans..... Mis-wiring causing issues, is a problem in everything we buy... and it doesn't have to be hooking something wrong to be a miswire... a wire with a nik in it grounding out to the chaise is just as bad....

In short take care of your machines, and you are less likely to fail.... All machines have issue... not all engines are designed, well, but how you treat them and how you maintain them has a lot to do with how much the flaws, are able to ruin your day.

codeman671 · 02-08-2010, 12:08 PM

Having both an 04 Rev X-800 (with some mods

) and a 2010 Cat snopro 500 (with some mods

) I am torn between the two brands. I swore off Polaris years ago and am just not into the Yamaha's. My rev is a screamer being set up by Bickfords but have been curious about trying an e-tec. Being a skidoo owner, a past club president and logging many miles a year I can honestly say that I always witnessed the BRP products breaking down more than the other brands. These days I dont have enough time to ride much so I cant see spending the money. I bought my cat because it was a smoking deal and plan to flip it, although I enjoyed riding it. Very nimble, quick and comfortable. The rev however just has great all out power and still handles solidly.

Dealer support is big for me, Rochester Sports Center being a local cat dealer always treats me like a king. There are no good skidoo dealers around unless I go out to Epsom which is out of the way for me. I dont have any experience with Irwin/Hillcrest however since I like my machines modded a bit I want to work with a dealer that has race experience.

I'll give it a while to see the kinks work out before I considered the new e-tec 800. I am hearing enough ups and downs about the current e-tec 600's and powertek 800's.

Irrigation Guy · 02-08-2010, 06:02 PM

See more Skidoo's broken down because there are more out there than any other sled. I usually see yamaha's broken myself.

We have a great skidoo dealer right here in Moultonboro. Their tech's are very knowledgable and they offer great customer service. Couldn't be happier. The 600 etech is loved by everyone I've talked to that has one or have seen post. Haven't heard any recurring problems either.

I haven't heard of many electrical problems either.

BTW - I've owned Cat's, Polaris's, and ski-doo's. The skidoo's are the most well put together and thought out machines out of the bunch.

They go very well and handle the bumps better than the rest too.

Formula · 02-08-2010, 06:55 PM

I have bought nothing but AC's until last year.
The prior year i bought a new AC Turbo T660 and had secondary clutch and belt issues from day one. It was in the shop 3-5 times the first winter. The dealer stated that they fixed it at the end of the winter. I stored the machine and low and behold i still ahd the same problem the beginning on the next season. The responce is we did all we could you will need to but and after market secondary clutch. I called AC manufacturer and they would not stand behind the problem. I will not buy another AC for that reason alone. Also i will niot use the dealer again on other brands. They should have stood with me to battle the manufacturer and they did not...they lost my business which by the way, i bought 4 AC's in 4 years!

Formula · 02-08-2010, 06:59 PM

I forgot to mention that last year i purchased a 2009 Skidoo MXZ 1200 and love it. Although i need more snow!!

woodynh · 02-08-2010, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAXUM

Do your research first, and not by looking at the sales brochure. The Ski Doos are notorious for electrical problems, and the new XPs are also known to have trouble keeping body panels on the body. I know a couple guys that own them and between the troubles they have had along with the three new XPs I've ran across this year DOA on the side of the trail, heh you can keep em. Plus I have heard through the grape vine (some buddies that work at a dealer) that the XPs are very easily damaged beyond the point of repair, especially if you manage to catch or hit the front suspension on anything. No surprise I've looked them over real close, they are not exactly made out of anything that could take any serious abuse.

Think the rush is the answer, well my same buddies tell me they aren't selling. Maybe it's the 10K plus price tag and I haven't seen but a couple on the trails this year and I do a ton of riding. So you want the 800 huh, well again do your research, ever since the re-introduction of the 800 Polaris has had all sorts of trouble with these engines blowing up. I think they are not up to 5 yes 5 computer flashes trying to fix what can only be described as a fundamentally flawed engine design. Polaris frankly has only put out a handful of bullet proof engines, the 340 Fan, 488 Fan, 500 and 600 liberty liquids. Beyond that you're tempting fate. Polaris doesn't make the 340 Fan, not enough power I guess, replaced the 488 with the 550 only to have that engine suffer catastrophic failures (yes I know first hand I had one that blew not just once but twice) the 500 liberty liquid for some unknown reason was dropped, no doubt because there are those who are more concerned about the number decal on the hood than anything else. Even though that 500 VES (which I happen to own one) will have no trouble keeping up with the big bores and sip gas doing so.

This BTW is authored by a die hard Polaris guy.

The 500 polaris sipping gas. That is funny. I have owned all four brands and cuurently have one of each in my garage except for a Polaris. My buddy I ride with had a 500 for the last 4 years and we ride normal not to the bars all the time and he got between 12 and 13 mpg. Once in a great while in Maine on wide open trails he would get 14 mpg. Not what I consider sipping.

Ski doo by far gets the best gas mileage and the last two seasons I have ridden four strokes. An AC 660 turbo last year and a Yamaha Apex this year and still use more gas then most Ski doo's.

Belmont Resident · 02-09-2010, 07:53 AM

My wife and I both said the same thing when viewing the new Polaris.
The thing is butt (butt end) ugly, and looks like they took off road bumper parts off their ATV line to assemble the thing.
I've read all the hype and it supposedly handles like a dream, but you still have to look at it.
As for Skidoo, they have been my brand since 96 but they doo seem to have a lower tolerance for the E-10 than other sleds. We ride in northern Maine and I hear of more Skidoo problems related to E-10 than any other brand.
I've gone thru an engine on each of my last 2 sleds and we do use stabilizer in each and every tank.

ishoot308 · 02-09-2010, 08:53 AM

The new Etecs are also very fuel efficient. I have been getting 20 MPG on my 600 and I am not easy on the throttle! The new 800 supposedly gets 19 MPG. They also sip oil. I filled my reservoir once last year. No exhaust fumes or smoke either!!

MAXUM · 02-10-2010, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belmont Resident

My wife and I both said the same thing when viewing the new Polaris.
The thing is butt (butt end) ugly, and looks like they took off road bumper parts off their ATV line to assemble the thing.
I've read all the hype and it supposedly handles like a dream, but you still have to look at it.

One way or another Polaris is going to figure that one out. Those new rush's are not selling and for good reason. They are ugly as sin, offer little to no wind protection, are not comfortable for a long day behind the bars, and the price tag. I have ridden one before and while a radical new design, left me shugging my shoulders and saying what's the big deal. Think lots of the hype is just because it's different, which doesn't always equate to better. They do handle the bumps well in a straight line, but I found it to be pretty tippy in the corners.

Think for the near term nobody is going to be able to touch the Doos, especially now they are pushing north of 20 MPG. Granted that is a pretty sophisticated power plant which is something to consider, if it breaks it's probably not something that you can deal with trail side.

Belmont Resident · 02-11-2010, 07:30 PM

I heard a belt change cannot be done on the trail.

I noticed that there did not appear to be much for wind protection, actually now that I think of it I do not remember seeing a windshield.
We were behind a group that had two of the new Polaris sleds in it.
Temps were cold enough that we had our gauntlets on and we ride with extra high windshields on our renegades.
Oh well there is always someone out there who is willing to plunk down the cash just to be the first kid on the block to own first edition.
Heck that's how they judge where the market is going, by using the consumer.
Me I like to wait until the bugs are worked out before trying the new toy.

boat_guy64 · 02-12-2010, 10:42 PM

I have a Rush in my garage (not mine but it does live with me) It is simple to change the belt. Exactly the same setup as my Dragon and FST. It would take about a minute to change the belt just like my other sleds.

It isn't the best looking sled. They do seem to be selling pretty well now that the price has come down. Polaris was charging a lot until the announced the 800 version. Since then they have come down significantly. I saw they have the price down to $8799 now. At least that was the price tage on the Rush at the Rockingham Snocross tonight.

I'm taking it to Pittsburg with me next week and I'll see how I like riding it.

I'd really like to ride one of those Etec Renegades sometime. They look pretty good.

02-05-2010, 09:00 PM	#1
ishoot308 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gilford, NH / Welch Island Posts: 5,926 Thanks: 2,285 Thanked 4,937 Times in 1,913 Posts	New Ski Doo Snowmobile Ski Doo made the jump and have a few of their new 800 Etec snowmobiles out at their dealers!! This is a long awaited arrival for Ski Doo fans and I bet this new offering from BRP will be sled of the year! It's great fuel economy (19 MPG + or -), extremely low oil consumption all placed on top of their newer XP chasis makes this sled very desirable. I currently own a 2009 600 Etec Adrenaline and can't say enough good things about it! But the 800 Etec sure is tempting!! Anyone try one yet or have plans on buying one?? Dan Last edited by ishoot308; 02-06-2010 at 06:19 AM.

02-06-2010, 09:10 AM	#2
rider Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 51 Thanks: 2 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Only to be trumped by the 2011 Polaris Rush ProR-800

02-08-2010, 09:48 AM	#7
LIforrelaxin Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Long Island, not that one, the one on Winnipesaukee Posts: 2,821 Thanks: 1,014 Thanked 880 Times in 514 Posts	I read threads like this, and here about the problems that are out there, And what some people see and don't see. Like boats Snowmobiles are season toys. How long they last and how much trouble someone has, is directly linked, to a how they enjoy them durring the season and off season. The more abuse you throw at a machine, the more likely it is to fail. Additionally, if you don't take the time to do the required maintence durring the season, or at the end / begining of the season you are likely to have more issues.... Last one has to remember these machines are designed and built by humans..... Mis-wiring causing issues, is a problem in everything we buy... and it doesn't have to be hooking something wrong to be a miswire... a wire with a nik in it grounding out to the chaise is just as bad.... In short take care of your machines, and you are less likely to fail.... All machines have issue... not all engines are designed, well, but how you treat them and how you maintain them has a lot to do with how much the flaws, are able to ruin your day. __________________ Life is about how much time you can spend relaxing... I do it on an island that isn't really an island.....

02-08-2010, 06:55 PM	#10
Formula Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 183 Thanks: 12 Thanked 28 Times in 16 Posts	AC snowmobiles I have bought nothing but AC's until last year. The prior year i bought a new AC Turbo T660 and had secondary clutch and belt issues from day one. It was in the shop 3-5 times the first winter. The dealer stated that they fixed it at the end of the winter. I stored the machine and low and behold i still ahd the same problem the beginning on the next season. The responce is we did all we could you will need to but and after market secondary clutch. I called AC manufacturer and they would not stand behind the problem. I will not buy another AC for that reason alone. Also i will niot use the dealer again on other brands. They should have stood with me to battle the manufacturer and they did not...they lost my business which by the way, i bought 4 AC's in 4 years!

02-08-2010, 06:59 PM	#11
Formula Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 183 Thanks: 12 Thanked 28 Times in 16 Posts	Forgot to mention I forgot to mention that last year i purchased a 2009 Skidoo MXZ 1200 and love it. Although i need more snow!!

02-07-2010, 01:06 PM	#3
MAXUM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kuna ID Posts: 2,755 Thanks: 246 Thanked 1,942 Times in 802 Posts	Do your research first, and not by looking at the sales brochure. The Ski Doos are notorious for electrical problems, and the new XPs are also known to have trouble keeping body panels on the body. I know a couple guys that own them and between the troubles they have had along with the three new XPs I've ran across this year DOA on the side of the trail, heh you can keep em. Plus I have heard through the grape vine (some buddies that work at a dealer) that the XPs are very easily damaged beyond the point of repair, especially if you manage to catch or hit the front suspension on anything. No surprise I've looked them over real close, they are not exactly made out of anything that could take any serious abuse. Think the rush is the answer, well my same buddies tell me they aren't selling. Maybe it's the 10K plus price tag and I haven't seen but a couple on the trails this year and I do a ton of riding. So you want the 800 huh, well again do your research, ever since the re-introduction of the 800 Polaris has had all sorts of trouble with these engines blowing up. I think they are not up to 5 yes 5 computer flashes trying to fix what can only be described as a fundamentally flawed engine design. Polaris frankly has only put out a handful of bullet proof engines, the 340 Fan, 488 Fan, 500 and 600 liberty liquids. Beyond that you're tempting fate. Polaris doesn't make the 340 Fan, not enough power I guess, replaced the 488 with the 550 only to have that engine suffer catastrophic failures (yes I know first hand I had one that blew not just once but twice) the 500 liberty liquid for some unknown reason was dropped, no doubt because there are those who are more concerned about the number decal on the hood than anything else. Even though that 500 VES (which I happen to own one) will have no trouble keeping up with the big bores and sip gas doing so. This BTW is authored by a die hard Polaris guy.

02-07-2010, 01:52 PM	#4
ishoot308 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gilford, NH / Welch Island Posts: 5,926 Thanks: 2,285 Thanked 4,937 Times in 1,913 Posts	Maxum; I figure I did my research buy owning a 600 Etec on an XP for two years now. Pretty much trouble free and by far the smoothest, quickest, and best trail handling sled I have ever owned and I have owned quite a few. Yes there have been some minor issues with the newer technology Etecs and all of the more serious ones are from riders who try to add performance enhancements such as pipes and other engine mods. You simply cannot and should not do it with these new sleds as they are all computer controlled and most of these enhancements seriously affect these controls. I think BRP has done a great job with their new Etec engine. My 600 has all the power and speed I need on any trail New England has to offer, but spending more time riding on the open lake now, the 800 Etec sure is tempting!! You can never have enough power! Dan

02-07-2010, 09:41 PM	#5
MAXUM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kuna ID Posts: 2,755 Thanks: 246 Thanked 1,942 Times in 802 Posts	Hey that's great, just pointing out that some have had electric problems, in fact this traces back to the onset of the REV chassis. Dunno, I don't know much about the doos, certainly not bashing them just know many have had troubles. All that matters is you like what you ride and get out there and enjoy the trails.

02-08-2010, 12:08 PM	#8
codeman671 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 3,360 Thanks: 209 Thanked 764 Times in 448 Posts	Having both an 04 Rev X-800 (with some mods ) and a 2010 Cat snopro 500 (with some mods ) I am torn between the two brands. I swore off Polaris years ago and am just not into the Yamaha's. My rev is a screamer being set up by Bickfords but have been curious about trying an e-tec. Being a skidoo owner, a past club president and logging many miles a year I can honestly say that I always witnessed the BRP products breaking down more than the other brands. These days I dont have enough time to ride much so I cant see spending the money. I bought my cat because it was a smoking deal and plan to flip it, although I enjoyed riding it. Very nimble, quick and comfortable. The rev however just has great all out power and still handles solidly. Dealer support is big for me, Rochester Sports Center being a local cat dealer always treats me like a king. There are no good skidoo dealers around unless I go out to Epsom which is out of the way for me. I dont have any experience with Irwin/Hillcrest however since I like my machines modded a bit I want to work with a dealer that has race experience. I'll give it a while to see the kinks work out before I considered the new e-tec 800. I am hearing enough ups and downs about the current e-tec 600's and powertek 800's.

02-08-2010, 06:02 PM	#9
Irrigation Guy Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Moultonborough, NH Posts: 484 Thanks: 89 Thanked 138 Times in 72 Posts	See more Skidoo's broken down because there are more out there than any other sled. I usually see yamaha's broken myself. We have a great skidoo dealer right here in Moultonboro. Their tech's are very knowledgable and they offer great customer service. Couldn't be happier. The 600 etech is loved by everyone I've talked to that has one or have seen post. Haven't heard any recurring problems either. I haven't heard of many electrical problems either. BTW - I've owned Cat's, Polaris's, and ski-doo's. The skidoo's are the most well put together and thought out machines out of the bunch. They go very well and handle the bumps better than the rest too.

02-09-2010, 07:53 AM	#13
Belmont Resident Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Belmont NH but prefer Jackman Maine Posts: 1,857 Thanks: 491 Thanked 409 Times in 251 Posts	is polaris done putting the new sled together? My wife and I both said the same thing when viewing the new Polaris. The thing is butt (butt end) ugly, and looks like they took off road bumper parts off their ATV line to assemble the thing. I've read all the hype and it supposedly handles like a dream, but you still have to look at it. As for Skidoo, they have been my brand since 96 but they doo seem to have a lower tolerance for the E-10 than other sleds. We ride in northern Maine and I hear of more Skidoo problems related to E-10 than any other brand. I've gone thru an engine on each of my last 2 sleds and we do use stabilizer in each and every tank.

02-09-2010, 08:53 AM	#14
ishoot308 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gilford, NH / Welch Island Posts: 5,926 Thanks: 2,285 Thanked 4,937 Times in 1,913 Posts	Great on gas and oil! The new Etecs are also very fuel efficient. I have been getting 20 MPG on my 600 and I am not easy on the throttle! The new 800 supposedly gets 19 MPG. They also sip oil. I filled my reservoir once last year. No exhaust fumes or smoke either!!

02-11-2010, 07:30 PM	#16
Belmont Resident Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Belmont NH but prefer Jackman Maine Posts: 1,857 Thanks: 491 Thanked 409 Times in 251 Posts	not sure if it's true but I heard a belt change cannot be done on the trail. I noticed that there did not appear to be much for wind protection, actually now that I think of it I do not remember seeing a windshield. We were behind a group that had two of the new Polaris sleds in it. Temps were cold enough that we had our gauntlets on and we ride with extra high windshields on our renegades. Oh well there is always someone out there who is willing to plunk down the cash just to be the first kid on the block to own first edition. Heck that's how they judge where the market is going, by using the consumer. Me I like to wait until the bugs are worked out before trying the new toy.

02-12-2010, 10:42 PM	#17
boat_guy64 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Windham and Meredith Posts: 225 Blog Entries: 5 Thanks: 33 Thanked 89 Times in 42 Posts	you can change the belt on the trail I have a Rush in my garage (not mine but it does live with me) It is simple to change the belt. Exactly the same setup as my Dragon and FST. It would take about a minute to change the belt just like my other sleds. It isn't the best looking sled. They do seem to be selling pretty well now that the price has come down. Polaris was charging a lot until the announced the 800 version. Since then they have come down significantly. I saw they have the price down to $8799 now. At least that was the price tage on the Rush at the Rockingham Snocross tonight. I'm taking it to Pittsburg with me next week and I'll see how I like riding it. I'd really like to ride one of those Etec Renegades sometime. They look pretty good.