ferniesnow
I'm doo-ing it!
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2008
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- beautiful, downtown Salmon Arm, BC
Not everyone reads the XP sled thread so I thought I would also post this review here....
i've ridden fairly high miles on the Summit 2008XPX, 10 Everest, and the 2012 SP so far this year. The XM is a winner!
Snopro pretty well summed it up and gave a great review. The more the merrier, correct.
To start it off, I was disappointed in the fact that there were no 163's available for testing. The young guys full of testosterone and having big balls can work at full throttle through the trees but not everyone's brain and reflexes work that fast. Some of us require the 163 for a little more forgiveness in those tight trees (not that the trees were tight in Eagles as they are quite forgiving compared to the East Kootenays).
I am also very happy that we have electric start on both of our sleds...........enough said about that one!
I will qualify my findings: I am not a finicky rider nor a great rider. If there is a little vibration, a small noise, or the storage isn't big enough, or the heaters don't come on 'til 2000RPM's it doesn't really bother me. I will check out noises for problems before they are issues but I'm not a fanatic. I buy a machine and ride it.
The 2013 XM 154 was a sweet ride. The most obvious improvement, IMHO, is the running boards. The holes are huge, the reinforcing excellent, and I think the powder coating also helps. It was not a problem cleaning the sticky heavy snow off them (it will save a lot of boots!!!!). Out of the machines we saw at Carl's there were no bent or crooked boards. The extra foot room was a comfy feature and got one into position or quite in tune with the bars. The bars on the XM are a pro-taper and not straight like on the SP. They are also a little narrower with less gadgetry on them (just the ES/R button, kill switch, and I'm thinking the high beam) (but I forget about that one as I didn't use it). The tapered bars are putting your hands closer to the post for easier side hill/tight places steering. The steering post has two adjustable positions; a little more forward or a little more further back. That is the post not the riser. The warmers are on the console. ES/REV is on the top of the bar and I can see a problem similar to the "kill switch" being tripped with tree branches and/or inadvertent hand placement. It is in-set so it may not be a problem. Maybe BRP could in-set the "kill switch"?
The stabilizer bars were all installed on the demo machines. This did not seem to be a problem and I don't know how easy it would be if the quick releases were undone. Just telling it the way it was.
The storage is improving. The behind the seat storage looks a little smaller than the 2012 but a nice accessory is available to greatly increase this feature. A nice improvement to the closure tab for the 2013's as compared to the 2012's. The storage area behind the gauges was unfinished on the inside and will probably have a vented bag installed on the production runs. A nice place for goggles or some electronics. While on the storage aspect, BRP has come out with a new system of clasps that hold a new gas caddy and storage bags on the tunnel. The main holder (2 pieces per function) bolts to the top of the tunnel and then another cam-locking device slips into them and locks the gas caddy and storage bag into place. Carl assured us they were bullet proof. They also have a special attachment that works with the system and one can customize a holder while utilizing the main fixtures. So a chainsaw or snowshoe holder can be locked on nicely and be secure. With the great gas mileage, one can use 2 storage bags and leave the extra gas at home on most days.
The T-motion was really noticeable for my wife and her carving. It was effortless and she had a ball carving up and down the lakes. No need to be WOT, just the nice rhythmic carving with snow over the windshield and a big smile on her face. The Etec throttle control (ease of use and responsiveness) is a blessing and very workable in this dimension. There is a snow deflector that fits in place of the windshield but that might be for the pansies and my wife ain't no pansy!!! I found the T-motion great and the side hilling was much easier. That and the flexibility of the track (with the narrow rear wheels) was very noticeable in the trees; much more control. I wasn't as comfortable going uphill with the deep powder and no 163" under me so most of my tree riding was parallel to the lakes and it was a blast. Carl mentioned that the new skis, T-motion, and the flexible track smoothed out the old ruts on the side hills and didn't cause the throwing around of previous years. I did not notice any different but I qualified that statement at the beginning when I said I wasn't one of those finicky riders. The ruts still threw me around as my technique is not in the same realm as a Carl Kuster nor Rob Alford.
The tail flap is similar to the Poo's; flexible and full of holes. It is in two pieces for 2013 instead of combined with the taillight. The taillight has a lower profile and is LED. Good improvement. The BRP decal on the back of the tunnel is a plastic decal and not a "paper stick on"; sweet BRP!
The air intakes are still a concern. They were still plugging/covered with snow but I did not notice any bogging (maybe because I do not do my carving at WOT). They are in about the same location on the 2013's but are vertical instead of slanted like the 2012's. They could still address this prior to production, IMHO.
Another new ski; shorter and narrower at the back for ease of side hilling and the keel is deeper. I think Carl mentioned that the spindle was another inch backward but I'm not sure about that one. I did not notice the 2013 SM any smoother on the trail and it may have been worse than the 2012SP163". I hate bumps and will not ride the tops!! For an area that gets lots of kudos for grooming, I was majorly disappointed in Eagles and Owls.
So to sum it up: carving, boondocking, and side hilling were great (much easier than in 2008 and easier again than the S36 package). Storage greatly improved. BRP accessories for tunnel storage are going to be awesome. Am I the guy that has to buy two new machines this year????
I was impressed and so was my wife!
i've ridden fairly high miles on the Summit 2008XPX, 10 Everest, and the 2012 SP so far this year. The XM is a winner!
Snopro pretty well summed it up and gave a great review. The more the merrier, correct.
To start it off, I was disappointed in the fact that there were no 163's available for testing. The young guys full of testosterone and having big balls can work at full throttle through the trees but not everyone's brain and reflexes work that fast. Some of us require the 163 for a little more forgiveness in those tight trees (not that the trees were tight in Eagles as they are quite forgiving compared to the East Kootenays).
I am also very happy that we have electric start on both of our sleds...........enough said about that one!
I will qualify my findings: I am not a finicky rider nor a great rider. If there is a little vibration, a small noise, or the storage isn't big enough, or the heaters don't come on 'til 2000RPM's it doesn't really bother me. I will check out noises for problems before they are issues but I'm not a fanatic. I buy a machine and ride it.
The 2013 XM 154 was a sweet ride. The most obvious improvement, IMHO, is the running boards. The holes are huge, the reinforcing excellent, and I think the powder coating also helps. It was not a problem cleaning the sticky heavy snow off them (it will save a lot of boots!!!!). Out of the machines we saw at Carl's there were no bent or crooked boards. The extra foot room was a comfy feature and got one into position or quite in tune with the bars. The bars on the XM are a pro-taper and not straight like on the SP. They are also a little narrower with less gadgetry on them (just the ES/R button, kill switch, and I'm thinking the high beam) (but I forget about that one as I didn't use it). The tapered bars are putting your hands closer to the post for easier side hill/tight places steering. The steering post has two adjustable positions; a little more forward or a little more further back. That is the post not the riser. The warmers are on the console. ES/REV is on the top of the bar and I can see a problem similar to the "kill switch" being tripped with tree branches and/or inadvertent hand placement. It is in-set so it may not be a problem. Maybe BRP could in-set the "kill switch"?
The stabilizer bars were all installed on the demo machines. This did not seem to be a problem and I don't know how easy it would be if the quick releases were undone. Just telling it the way it was.
The storage is improving. The behind the seat storage looks a little smaller than the 2012 but a nice accessory is available to greatly increase this feature. A nice improvement to the closure tab for the 2013's as compared to the 2012's. The storage area behind the gauges was unfinished on the inside and will probably have a vented bag installed on the production runs. A nice place for goggles or some electronics. While on the storage aspect, BRP has come out with a new system of clasps that hold a new gas caddy and storage bags on the tunnel. The main holder (2 pieces per function) bolts to the top of the tunnel and then another cam-locking device slips into them and locks the gas caddy and storage bag into place. Carl assured us they were bullet proof. They also have a special attachment that works with the system and one can customize a holder while utilizing the main fixtures. So a chainsaw or snowshoe holder can be locked on nicely and be secure. With the great gas mileage, one can use 2 storage bags and leave the extra gas at home on most days.
The T-motion was really noticeable for my wife and her carving. It was effortless and she had a ball carving up and down the lakes. No need to be WOT, just the nice rhythmic carving with snow over the windshield and a big smile on her face. The Etec throttle control (ease of use and responsiveness) is a blessing and very workable in this dimension. There is a snow deflector that fits in place of the windshield but that might be for the pansies and my wife ain't no pansy!!! I found the T-motion great and the side hilling was much easier. That and the flexibility of the track (with the narrow rear wheels) was very noticeable in the trees; much more control. I wasn't as comfortable going uphill with the deep powder and no 163" under me so most of my tree riding was parallel to the lakes and it was a blast. Carl mentioned that the new skis, T-motion, and the flexible track smoothed out the old ruts on the side hills and didn't cause the throwing around of previous years. I did not notice any different but I qualified that statement at the beginning when I said I wasn't one of those finicky riders. The ruts still threw me around as my technique is not in the same realm as a Carl Kuster nor Rob Alford.
The tail flap is similar to the Poo's; flexible and full of holes. It is in two pieces for 2013 instead of combined with the taillight. The taillight has a lower profile and is LED. Good improvement. The BRP decal on the back of the tunnel is a plastic decal and not a "paper stick on"; sweet BRP!
The air intakes are still a concern. They were still plugging/covered with snow but I did not notice any bogging (maybe because I do not do my carving at WOT). They are in about the same location on the 2013's but are vertical instead of slanted like the 2012's. They could still address this prior to production, IMHO.
Another new ski; shorter and narrower at the back for ease of side hilling and the keel is deeper. I think Carl mentioned that the spindle was another inch backward but I'm not sure about that one. I did not notice the 2013 SM any smoother on the trail and it may have been worse than the 2012SP163". I hate bumps and will not ride the tops!! For an area that gets lots of kudos for grooming, I was majorly disappointed in Eagles and Owls.
So to sum it up: carving, boondocking, and side hilling were great (much easier than in 2008 and easier again than the S36 package). Storage greatly improved. BRP accessories for tunnel storage are going to be awesome. Am I the guy that has to buy two new machines this year????
I was impressed and so was my wife!
