after riding the 2013...thoughts

[fountaintirexp]

I pulled up to the lead rider with brett right beside me, tried to wave the guy down, he looked right at me and left. Thought it was pretty weird, I'm sure carl was the last sled in the group as one of the locals who was riding with us mentioned he recognized him from some shoots he had done with him. That would have been a pretty lopsided matchup unless brett jumped on a stock m8, he is a magician on a sled. Especially when he's got boost.

 

[snopro]

I pulled up to the lead rider with brett right beside me, tried to wave the guy down, he looked right at me and left. Thought it was pretty weird, I'm sure carl was the last sled in the group as one of the locals who was riding with us mentioned he recognized him from some shoots he had done with him. That would have been a pretty lopsided matchup unless brett jumped on a stock m8, he is a magician on a sled. Especially when he's got boost.

Yeah nothing but stockers in our group. Probably one of the customers on the ride. Don't think Carl would snub anyone. How many of us did you see? There were 12 of us. We had a couple guys wander away from the group and had to send a search party out for them.

 

[fountaintirexp]

I didn't count but there were quite a few, not really a big deal but i would have loved to get a pic of brett on a new doo!

 

[JoHNI_T]

I didn't count but there were quite a few, not really a big deal but i would have loved to get a pic of brett on a new doo!

well if that happened then who would cat have???? hahahaha

 

[scrfce]

well if that happened then who would cat have???? hahahaha

brad gilmour and kj to throw a couple out there :d. heard gilmour dropped a 170 footer in revy last week, if its tru thats sickly huge

 

[ferniesnow]

i've ridden fairly high miles on the 08, 10, and so far high on the 2012 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 I 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!

 

[snopro]

i've ridden fairly high miles on the 08, 10, and so far high on the 2012 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 I 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 Klassen 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!

Great review Doug and...........................who's Carl Klassen? Lol.

 

[ferniesnow]

Thanks Ken. I messed that one up, eh!

 

[mcxturbonytro]

Nice to see all the positive feedback from the demo rides, excited to get my chance to ride one when my sno-check gets here next fall. I was curious about if the rear suspension sagged out at all during the days ride, i use to ride an 04 summit rev and it use to drive me crazy how the suspension would sag out after the trail ride into the mountains.

 

[snopro]

Nice to see all the positive feedback from the demo rides, excited to get my chance to ride one when my sno-check gets here next fall. I was curious about if the rear suspension sagged out at all during the days ride, i use to ride an 04 summit rev and it use to drive me crazy how the suspension would sag out after the trail ride into the mountains.

No sag issues on my ride. If Kuster cant make it sag then no one can IMHO.

 

[mcxturbonytro]

Nice to know, thanks for the reply

 

[fredw]

so what was said about adding a three inch track, will it have enought support for that, or what about a turbo, the current stock skid does not have enought and needs to be upgraded

 

[CUSO]

Fred, are you asking a question? I don't mean to be rude, but I don't understand.

so what was said about adding a three inch track, will it have enought support for that, or what about a turbo, the current stock skid does not have enought and needs to be upgraded

 

[fredw]

yes i am wondering if the three inch track with the tmotion is to much for the stock xm skid, how much hp will it hold up to...

 

[oler1234]

my review...

i will put it up very basic and to the point. The 2013 reminds me alot on riding a prototype when the 08's come out, if you have the slighest bit of likeing to the sled you probably gonna love the production version. To me the power and tracktion was very "meh". Grant it is a 154 and these probably have had the bag ridin off them but it just seemed to be lacking. clutching seemed under par compared to the 12's IMO. As for handling definate improvement i thought. This thing with the sway bar in handles somewhat better than my 08 with it out. So kudos to that. The t-motion does work and can work to your advantage or disadvantage. If it gets the better side of you, it is difficult to bring it back, but if you remain in control its owrks great. Watching some of the demos rider guides run the thing, you can easily see what a little seat time will do for you. These guys run around in these things like dirt bikes, anywhere they want to go. The track with the 12" rods is a good idea but the compounds they use seem extremely soft as not only does the track slightly bend but the paddles more so. Hopefully not a maverick thing for producton. While on that note, track flex techehnology... really this is only going to work on hard surfaces. We leaned it over in the parking lot on asphalt, yea you can see a little flex. In the snow you see nothing.. Snow flap awasome idea. Storage is a mega plus. SKies still suck IMO. riding while seated feels like a 08, low on the seat with high bars. Ride down the trail was good. Rollover trick is your friend for ANY stuck situation. Side panels make a diffrence compared to the 08.

In regars to fredw's question, i question if you can fit a 3" in it. Clearence at the top of the tunnel seemed tight, about the same as my 08 with 7th drivers and a 3"

Ohh and for anyone interested comparing it to my BB with 3".... not even in the same league personnally. Comparing it to a fabcraft 1150 we had out... well it definately handles better than the fabcraft

 

[jaredszakacs]

done deal thank you ken! just layed down the cheddar on the new 2013 xm 163 x all black!!!! cant wait

 

[mountainhunter]

done deal thank you ken! just layed down the cheddar on the new 2013 xm 163 x all black!!!! cant wait

talked with kory the other day and exhaust from rpg will work off a 11/12 on a 13 .clutching could be different .

 

[jumpingjack]

Got my chance to demo a 2013 summit x 154 in Revy Sunday. The new changes were for the most part improvements but I would not say a game changer compaired to the 2011 or 2012 summits. Yes the you notice the difference the T-motion and flexible track makes. I would say that if you have a 11 or 12 with low miles its not worth upgrading when you could just change the track if you haven't already.
If your in the market to up grade than the 2013 Summit is the sled to go to. The handling is way better than the RMK Pro IMO.
IMO the clutching is still a disappointment for aggressive tree riding. The sled I rode had 1600kms on it with the clickers set on #3 and going up the trail it had a bad stumble if you hammered the throttle. At elevation the RPM's would hit 7800-7900 and hold for a bit while pulling a hill but during long pulls the RPM's would slowly fall off to 7400 RPM. This is probably a combination of starving for air, choked off exhaust and poor clutching because as mentioned this was only noticable during long pulls in deep powder.

Overall it is the best Summit BRP has built to date and is a hugh improvement for anyone riding anything older than a 2011 Summit 800etec.

 

[snopro]

done deal thank you ken! just layed down the cheddar on the new 2013 xm 163 x all black!!!! cant wait

It was a pleasure meeting you and your dad and doing business with you!.

 

[jaredszakacs]

talked with kory the other day and exhaust from rpg will work off a 11/12 on a 13 .clutching could be different .

looks like kory is gonna get a visit payed to him once the sled is in my hands lol