Polaris 850 vs Alpha vs 850 doo on the hill

[maxwell]

did someone highjack Maxwell's account???

well when i realized that cndredneck_t3 isnt going to buy another skidoo again all because of me. i was so devastated, i left work, went home, took 5, considered my options. and figured i better change my attitude.

LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[Caper11]

I was hoping cat was going to put there 3.5” pitch track on the regular twin rail suspension. I wanted to try a cat track on my G4, I was impressed with the alphas track on the one I rode.

 

[Bnorth]

the thing about the best performing sled is its whoever is behind the controls that makes it perform the way they do. Thats it. Then comes power and traction. There is No way any of these new machines are "beating up" on one another. They are all very close. They each have different flaws that equal out in different aspects. Switch the riders around and you get different results. Every single time

No question and that's how it works on the hill but put the same rider on each sled and you get different results. We're talking about sleds not riders, we already know half the riders on S&M can only sidehill one way.

 

[LennyR]

Doo was Number 1 in every segment in North America Lenny. In the deep snow segment which most people on this site are interested in they were number 1 in Canada and number 2 in the USA. Based on their rather large share in Canada of just north of 56% they came out number 1 in North America with 46.7% in this segment overall. The industry in a whole is down 2.5%. Now I expect there will be some backlash to these numbers but I ask you this? Why is Cat building 2020 product only for Snowmaggedon? And I was told that Polaris is building the 850 platform spring only again this year? If this is incorrect please correct me. And Yamaha is well....Yamaha. Spring only and no mountain sled. Yet Doo is still going full bore on unlimited ordering and all except X package sleds available in the fall? Flame away.

Uh huh ! Market share ??? Hyundai had market share in mid size SUV’ s not long ago, And I know how we all wanted one of those. I agree though , they had it , but seeing a ton of mountain riders switching from Doo and considering switching to either Poo or Cat , and I can certainly see why. And I guess the shareholders don’t care about performance of the sled , as long as the stocks perform. Let’s watch 2020 and 21 sales numbers, I think you’re gonna see change. They all have issues, but that Alpha and the 850 Poo are certainly a step up .
And hey relax , you’re still outperforming the Yammyn2 strokes !!

 

[snochuk]

Doo was Number 1 in every segment in North America Lenny. In the deep snow segment which most people on this site are interested in they were number 1 in Canada and number 2 in the USA. Based on their rather large share in Canada of just north of 56% they came out number 1 in North America with 46.7% in this segment overall. The industry in a whole is down 2.5%. Now I expect there will be some backlash to these numbers but I ask you this? Why is Cat building 2020 product only for Snowmaggedon? And I was told that Polaris is building the 850 platform spring only again this year? If this is incorrect please correct me. And Yamaha is well....Yamaha. Spring only and no mountain sled. Yet Doo is still going full bore on unlimited ordering and all except X package sleds available in the fall? Flame away.

I think doo will dominate the market for the foreseeable future even though the other two choices are as good or marginally better.
Doo puts out a decent sled with fawkin killer marketing and accessories second to none- this is where the huge difference is.
Sledders are mostly brand loyal but if doo fawks up on 2021 (or next game changer year) like they did on 2017 - not sure their marketing will save them if they dump on customers one more time.
There is a ton of doos on the hills and majority happy - market share will not see huge swings anytime soon.

And Maxwell is correct - sleds are so close sledders make the performance difference show on the hill.

Sorry snopro, no flame today.

 

[snopro]

Hey I am not going to deny that all 3 manufacturers are building good stuff right now. The Doo is a much better buy in 2018 and 2019 than it was in 2017 even though I believe what we saw at our store for belt issues was not what the 6 guys on snow and mud saw that kept those threads hopping. But thats the internet. Kudo's to Cat. I have watched those threads closely this year and the majority of the guys that bought them absolutely love them. I know Kibbels seemed very happy with his when I saw him in Revy last week and it seemed to be working very well from what Barry Danyluk told us when Stacey was up high on a slope checking for pine beetle infestations. Lol. I know some guys with 850 Polaris's and yes motors have been going down because of sealant and bearing issues but the motor seems strong and they will be 99% reliable next year I'm sure of it. Its a good time to be a mountain sledder for sure. Doo has always had stellar marketing and sells a lot of product. I'm more concerned with pricing issues than our product being pummelled on performance for 2020 by far. Anything I have seen this year is pretty much even up on simlar talented riders. They all have their strengths and weaknesses.

 

[Pistonbroke]

Hey I am not going to deny that all 3 manufacturers are building good stuff right now. The Doo is a much better buy in 2018 and 2019 than it was in 2017 even though I believe what we saw at our store for belt issues was not what the 6 guys on snow and mud saw that kept those threads hopping. But thats the internet. Kudo's to Cat. I have watched those threads closely this year and the majority of the guys that bought them absolutely love them. I know Kibbels seemed very happy with his when I saw him in Revy last week and it seemed to be working very well from what Barry Danyluk told us when Stacey was up high on a slope checking for pine beetle infestations. Lol. I know some guys with 850 Polaris's and yes motors have been going down because of sealant and bearing issues but the motor seems strong and they will be 99% reliable next year I'm sure of it. Its a good time to be a mountain sledder for sure. Doo has always had stellar marketing and sells a lot of product. I'm more concerned with pricing issues than our product being pummelled on performance for 2020 by far. Anything I have seen this year is pretty much even up on simlar talented riders. They all have their strengths and weaknesses.

I love how you guys fight over 2nd - 4th place.... it’s really cute. Carry on!

 

[timmus]

I think that the Alpha's track is what kept it in the game. Very impressive for an 800 machine. The 850 with the 2.6 combination worked well. We didn't have a 3" 850 to test with. As far as riders go, I did ride the 850 Doo, , and the 850 Polaris. The alpha was ridden by a very capable rider that was pretty much the same size as myself. Like I said before, it was very close between the Alpha and the 850 Polaris. Believe it or not, these are the results without brand bias. The 850 Polaris just had a new motor put in it last week, and it has about 6 hrs on the new motor. The Cat has about 300 miles on it.

I wouldn't say the 800 is impressive I would say the 850's are let downs

 

[Clode]

since the race classes have been set to 900cc, bring on a 900, why poo and doo only went up 50cc is

 

[Teth-Air]

Hey I am not going to deny that all 3 manufacturers are building good stuff right now. The Doo is a much better buy in 2018 and 2019 than it was in 2017 even though I believe what we saw at our store for belt issues was not what the 6 guys on snow and mud saw that kept those threads hopping. But thats the internet. Kudo's to Cat. I have watched those threads closely this year and the majority of the guys that bought them absolutely love them. I know Kibbels seemed very happy with his when I saw him in Revy last week and it seemed to be working very well from what Barry Danyluk told us when Stacey was up high on a slope checking for pine beetle infestations. Lol. I know some guys with 850 Polaris's and yes motors have been going down because of sealant and bearing issues but the motor seems strong and they will be 99% reliable next year I'm sure of it. Its a good time to be a mountain sledder for sure. Doo has always had stellar marketing and sells a lot of product. I'm more concerned with pricing issues than our product being pummelled on performance for 2020 by far. Anything I have seen this year is pretty much even up on simlar talented riders. They all have their strengths and weaknesses.

Doo has built a nice easy to ride package that appeals to many riders. Cat and Polaris are going for the more serious rider that demands performance and scalpel like control. Riding on edge has its rewards but demands a bit more effort. Every guy I know that rides Polaris has "Polaris Elbow". (AKA tennis elbow)
It comes down to market research of what the masses really want as to what really sells.

 

[Rene G]

since the race classes have been set to 900cc, bring on a 900, why poo and doo only went up 50cc is

Probably because Poo is scared of 900, can’t talk for Doo, maybe it’s too close to 1000

 

[snopro]

Doo has built a nice easy to ride package that appeals to many riders. Cat and Polaris are going for the more serious rider that demands performance and scalpel like control. Riding on edge has its rewards but demands a bit more effort. Every guy I know that rides Polaris has "Polaris Elbow". (AKA tennis elbow)
It comes down to market research of what the masses really want as to what really sells.

That's a pretty bold statement. Do you seriously believe what you just said? Or are you trolling? Lmao! You just threw a lot of really good riders under the bus Chris. I'm sure they would be quite amused watching you bang off trees trying to stay with them.

 

[LennyR]

That's a pretty bold statement. Do you seriously believe what you just said? Or are you trolling? Lmao! You just threw a lot of really good riders under the bus Chris. I'm sure they would be quite amused watching you bang off trees trying to stay with them.

I thought we were talking same rider on each sled ? Give em each half a day on each sled , then pick a challenge and let em go , from the newby to the video star . Probably impossible to keep the bias out of it I suppose. Usually depends who invited you or paid for your trip/demo/gear I think on most if these endeavours.

PS : All 3 great sleds but last couple years , Poo and Cat seem to be stepping it up a bit, (but Doo has Shot ).

 

[Caper11]

I like the way Brody explains it. Lol

 

[Shredder]

Doo has built a nice easy to ride package that appeals to many riders. Cat and Polaris are going for the more serious rider that demands performance and scalpel like control. Riding on edge has its rewards but demands a bit more effort..

There is alot of truth in this assessment. I am not brand loyal and coming off 2012 and 2014 ProClimb 162's, then a 2017 Axys 163. I can say I actually felt more comfortable on the ProClimbs than the Axys. So I just picked up new 2019 Doo 175 to see if it fits my riding style better than the Axys. I'm not into the re-entry, bounce off trees, slide around on my side panels stuff. Just kinda tour around; climb some hills, play in the trees a bit and enjoy my day. As I've gotten older I hate getting stuck or being completely knackered at the end of the day. So the "best sled" for one rider or type of riding might end up being the worst fit for another guy.

 

[Bnorth]

The doo has super impressive fit and finish and holds up best if you put on lots of km or ride a sled for multiple seasons IMO. Also tends to have the best resale. The other two handle better in complex terrain.

 

[rightsideup]

The doo has super impressive fit and finish and holds up best if you put on lots of km or ride a sled for multiple seasons IMO. Also tends to have the best resale. The other two handle better in complex terrain.

Does the durability comment apply to the g4 or are you referring to the xm?

 

[snopro]

For every guy that can't ride a Doo there is a guy that can't ride a Poo or a Cat or a Yamaha. Guys ride what they are comfortable riding. Just because I feel awkward on a Polaris doesn't mean I think it should be called inferior. Its just awkward for me personally with the difference in the steering. Do they work on the hill? Damn rights they do but to say all the best riders only ride Polaris or Cat is laughable at best. Ride what you are comfortable on and what puts a smile on your face.

 

[Bnorth]

Does the durability comment apply to the g4 or are you referring to the xm?

Particularly the XM but the G4 as well aside maybe from the 2017.

 

[drew562]

For every guy that can't ride a Doo there is a guy that can't ride a Poo or a Cat or a Yamaha. Guys ride what they are comfortable riding. Just because I feel awkward on a Polaris doesn't mean I think it should be called inferior. Its just awkward for me personally with the difference in the steering. Do they work on the hill? Damn rights they do but to say all the best riders only ride Polaris or Cat is laughable at best. Ride what you are comfortable on and what puts a smile on your face.

True. after a season on my cat’s riding doo’s feels weird now. It’s all what your used to. Sleds aren’t like pick up trucks. They are different than each other. If your doing technical riding you need to be comfortable to have fun. That takes time. Technical riding on a strange chassis is full of close calls and saves. Lol