I’m looking at upgrading from my 2012 M8 which has been a flawless awesome machine to either an 850 Doo or 2017-2018 cat. All my buddies are doo riders and I got to try a new 850 and man are they impressive. My biggest thing is how smooth they are to ride. How does the newer cats compare? My 12 is way nicer to ride than my 09 so I’m wondering if the newer cats are smoother yet?
2017/2018 M8000 ride
- Thread starter Slamnek
- Start date
I think you may have heard my opinion of the 850 doo.
They are a performer for sure and are the best handling doo yet!
Climb like a goat.
The sledding queen of gadget options.
But....burn enough gas and oil to equal at least $25 a day more - this is typical to every 850 I have ridden with including the one I had for two years.
If you hit a belt burner you are screwed and likely on your own.
But hitting a good 850 is a great experience and a ton of fun.
Doo are much improved with the updates from original 17 for durability but still a bit of gamble.
Rode with enough cats last winter to see that another doo was just not the right move.
Cat way easer on gas an oil and trouble free in comparison.
Handle great, climb as good as a stock 850.
At least same power from the cat 18 motor if not more.
Motor durability and power of the 18, clutches, shocks, bulkhead, D&R drivers, gauges plus new rear skid of Cat a few leaps ahead of the Doo.
Really need to test ride yourself though.
Both are great performers.
I can not out ride either one for sure.
Based on reputation and OEM support.....Cat is the winner for me.
They are a performer for sure and are the best handling doo yet!
Climb like a goat.
The sledding queen of gadget options.
But....burn enough gas and oil to equal at least $25 a day more - this is typical to every 850 I have ridden with including the one I had for two years.
If you hit a belt burner you are screwed and likely on your own.
But hitting a good 850 is a great experience and a ton of fun.
Doo are much improved with the updates from original 17 for durability but still a bit of gamble.
Rode with enough cats last winter to see that another doo was just not the right move.
Cat way easer on gas an oil and trouble free in comparison.
Handle great, climb as good as a stock 850.
At least same power from the cat 18 motor if not more.
Motor durability and power of the 18, clutches, shocks, bulkhead, D&R drivers, gauges plus new rear skid of Cat a few leaps ahead of the Doo.
Really need to test ride yourself though.
Both are great performers.
I can not out ride either one for sure.
Based on reputation and OEM support.....Cat is the winner for me.
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Prairie Dog
Active VIP Member
I bought an 18 and put about 1600miles on it this year. Also rode an 850 for 4 days. I had a blast on the 850.....no issues any day. Good power. Handled the bumps good. But I would take my mtn cat any day over the 850. Felt it was more predictable. Mileage was about the same between them. I think the 850 has the edge in the power department but by very little. All in all my vote is for the mtn cat.
mountianguy
Active VIP Member
I have rode both the 850 Doo and 18 Cat either one is more than capable. I found the Cat to be more predictable but liked the seat on the Doo better. You really need to ride both to compare whats right for you. Personally I became a better more confident rider while on the Cat. To be fair I had the Cat for the weekend and only rode the Doo for a few hrs. The conditions were much better when riding the Doo 2/3 feet of powder, where the Cat trip was more hard packed. I would personally go with the Cat due to a lot of the previous mentioned advantages and I know a very good Cat dealer. If a 17 is in the future the Mountain Cat would be the only way for me, the drop and roll is a huge improvement in performance and handling.
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- #6
AGGRESIVEZEBRA
Active VIP Member
The cat is much nicer especially the 18 MC with the qs3 shocks. nice groomed trail take the 2 seconds to stiffen them up get little body roll. whooped out trail put them to there softest setting and it soaks them up like there not even there. The doo rear suspension still uses the old gas shock and spring suspension because of the t-motion. not near as easy to set up for the rider weight and get it dialed in. cat is super easy to adjust with the air pump. both need scratches as they ore setup for mountain riding in the cooling department. that said i pulled my buddys pro down the trail in golden and only had to pull over 2 times to let it cool, never had it come on just riding and i have gone up with half a km of dirt followed by solid ice for 2 km.
mountianguy
Active VIP Member
If your willing to get off and turn the knob on the shocks it will be considerably smoother, if not you probably wont notice much difference between the two. The 18 MC is leaps and bounds better than the 16/17 (non mc). The 16/17 was way better than the 14/15 and so on. The 12 may look similar but it is not comparable, the Ascender is a completely different animal. The other nice option on the MC is the Alpha, it is a simple conversion if a guys wants to go that route.
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tmo1620
Active VIP Member
You would not be disappointed if you went with the 18 mtn cat, the new ctec 800 absolutely rips, clutching is good and the sled handles with ease, it does everything very well, shocks are the best stock offering from the big 4 ,very easy to adjust, and the lockout in the rear skid is an awesome feature, I came off a 2014 m8 with a 156 3” and a perfectly set up speedwerx stage 2 kit plus lots of other goodies and this 18 cat beats it right out of the box, bone stock, it’s the real deal
ThrottleOps
Active VIP Member
There's no difference in handling from a 17 mtn cat and the 18's, I find my 17 backshifts and comes down hills better then the 18's.
The 18's I've rode are very nice but I'm going to ride my 17 mtn cat again it currently has 3600 miles on it so I should get another big season out of it.
The new ctec motor is way smoother then the Suzuki motors but time will tell if it's got the longevity that the zuke does!
The 18's I've rode are very nice but I'm going to ride my 17 mtn cat again it currently has 3600 miles on it so I should get another big season out of it.
The new ctec motor is way smoother then the Suzuki motors but time will tell if it's got the longevity that the zuke does!
tmo1620
Active VIP Member
I would beg to differ on that, yes they both have the drop and roll, skinnier boards, 36 " front end and same track but the 18 handles better, sidehills better, especially in steep set up snow due to the skinnier panels, not near the wash out. The clutching and motor is better and a way smoother power band, so that makes it more predictable in tight situations and makes things that much easier. As for the backshifting, yes it does not backshift great when new and hangs up a bit, but once the clutches get some hours on them they smooth right out and the backshifting is a non issue and actually seems better than previous team clutches used. Belt life is way better on the 18's vs 17's and 16's from our groups experience. Its lighter and has much better and easier to set up suspension which is a huge plus because lets face it, 90% of people cant set up shocks to save their life, and shock set up can make a HUGE difference in handling. You may not feel its that much better to upgrade your 17 but dont steer a guy in the direction of a 17 to save a couple thousand because of that, they will regret it if they step on an 18 after buying a 17. Ive had plenty of seat time on all years of proclimbs including a 17 mtn cat and the 18 is more than worth the extra scratch
There's no difference in handling from a 17 mtn cat and the 18's, I find my 17 backshifts and comes down hills better then the 18's.
The 18's I've rode are very nice but I'm going to ride my 17 mtn cat again it currently has 3600 miles on it so I should get another big season out of it.
The new ctec motor is way smoother then the Suzuki motors but time will tell if it's got the longevity that the zuke does!
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skegpro
Active VIP Member
18 is hands down better handling than the 17.
- Thread starter
- #13
tmo1620
Active VIP Member
Good choice, you’ll love it, best sled ive ever ridden
kawasakikx250
Active VIP Member
I picked up an 18 MC 153 electric start for 12.600 plus taxes last weekend. Cant wait for snow now! I dont think you can go wrong with this sled. It seems to have all the right stuff on it to make it work in the backcountry.
Eldereldo
Active VIP Member
Depending on the snow conditions you ride in you might want to budget for replacement boards. Light snow doesn’t seem to be problem, heavy west coast can pack on pretty bad.
- Thread starter
- #17
tmo1620
Active VIP Member
You love that beauty
Where did you get it and how much as I am looking for one as well. Did you only want the short track?
Where did you get it and how much as I am looking for one as well. Did you only want the short track?
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