Do or dont buy a M8

Roger KTM

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I was thinking about buy a new m8. I have no idea on how realiable they are. What is your take on them? How many kms be for rebuilt time?
 

Crazy8

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Will this be for Sask. only riding or will it make lots of trips to the mountains?
 

sledneck_03

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I was thinking about buy a new m8. I have no idea on how realiable they are. What is your take on them? How many kms be for rebuilt time?

i know a couple polaris guys that moved to cat for
a) more hp
b) allot better reliability

and i will possibly be one more come the next year or two......i buy one or two years used not new and a nice used 2010 m8 or 09/10 m1000 cat in a year or two is what ill be looking at.
 

maxwell

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they are all the same. they are 2 stokes. some will grenade at 1000km some will grenade at 8000km

polaris on the other hand had some serious issues last year.
 

2manykids

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Call a few repair shops , ask what they work on the most. Ask what costs the most to repair. Ride one see how you feel on it. Most guys will be bias to what they ride. Unless you talk to someone who has ridden them all it is a personal choice
 

glengine

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From my experience the M8's are very tough and very reliable. We currently have 6 in our rentalk fleet and some are over 4000km's on them and they havnt had any issues.. I run an '08 M1000 and it had 5500km on it so i changed the pistons this summer and i was amazed there was only 2thou difference in ring end gap between the ones i took out and the new ones. The Cats work really well and are tough. But like others have said the best way is to try one out. We have lots of people that are lookin at changing brands come a rent one for a day so they can personally try it out.
 

Shibby!

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Will this be for Sask. only riding or will it make lots of trips to the mountains?

Are we the only ones who think logically?

If most of your riding is Sask, don't even consider a M, Summit, or any other mountain sled.

I was in Saskatoon this weekend and shuddered at how many mountain sleds I seen there. Guarantee most don't even see the foot hills. Big 2.75" paddle tracks for hard pack feilds? :confused:

Oh, but they look cool! Everybody needs a 12 ft long sled. But why does it top out at 120km/hr? My buddy's 02 **** short track beats me across the lake?! Whats wrong with my sled?!?!

Buy for what you ride. A 144 will work great in the mountain with a paddle track. Hell, I've seen 136 work amazingly well.
 

swabby

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my09 m8 sp 162 is just shy of 1000miles and so far add oil gas and pull the cord no issues yet, v force reeds y pipe can and bigger intake totaly woke da biotch up , cats all the way :beer:
 

Orrin

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Reliability has as much to do with the amount of mods and the level of maintenance you do as it does the make of the machine. Any modern machine treated right will last a long, long time even the Poplaris's wouldn't have had as many problems of the factory didn't try to squeeze as much out of them as they did. I'm happy as a clam with my 2010 M8, my only regret was that I didn't get the M1000.
 

Shortcut

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Always one or two bashing the cat, but how may cat owners have you heard of squeeking them? 09M8sp, gas oil, ripcord & wide open! (common sense optional)
 

maxwell

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my dads went at 1200km absolutely babied and in blue river this weekend a brand new cat went down aswell.

they are 2 strokes luck of the draw man. im a doo guy and all 2 strokes are just ticking time bombs
 

P_ZIZZ

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I agree with Maxwell. I have an 09 m1000 and its got 150 kms so I have no clue about the new ones but my old cats seemed to run in the 2000 to 3000 km range before they blew. My king cat popped a piston first trip out this year and I had the chance to ride an XP 800 with 5500 kms on it. Ran great pulled good never had a hicup but im a cat guy LOL. if you really want reliability I would lean towardds a 4 stroke other wise expect to be rebuilding at least every 2 or 3 seasons. Just my 2 cents.
 

Orrin

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my dads went at 1200km absolutely babied and in blue river this weekend a brand new cat went down aswell.

they are 2 strokes luck of the draw man. im a doo guy and all 2 strokes are just ticking time bombs

That brand new Cat is heavily modded and not so brand new at all. It has been ridden hard almost every weekend for the past two winters. Can't blame Cat for this one it has been a great sled, when both plugs were pulled most of the electrodes on the left side were burn't off. Don't know why yet.
 

kenvb

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talked to freind today from Fox Creek, his 2003 RX-1 has 30,000 kms on it, changed a few tracks, but motors never been touched. too bad there so heavy or I would have one too.he was at the Yamaha Demo ride today trying the new Power steering Apex short track with adjustable air suspension.
 

sledhead800

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I have a 2010 m8 162 snopro the only thing that had happen was the spring broke at 300 miles other then that this sled runs really good more than good i think any ways i got 550miles and hard miles let that be.this sled is the best sled that i ever had just got to wait for the turbo in a few mouths but that just my 2 cents worth....
 

maxwell

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That brand new Cat is heavily modded and not so brand new at all. It has been ridden hard almost every weekend for the past two winters. Can't blame Cat for this one it has been a great sled, when both plugs were pulled most of the electrodes on the left side were burn't off. Don't know why yet.

whatever its a newer cat and it went down. point being cats arent invincible.
 
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