Thinking of a new sled and it is between the XP 800R or 700 Dragon

Wondering what the owner of the 800R think of the sled? Good bad and ugly would like to have a honest report on mileage, oil consumption, and performance. Has it let you down or would you buy again.

First off I love the sled, handles like nothing else, ride is probably on par with Poo & Cat each one will shine in different terrain. The light weight is really noticeable, it's a lot of fun to rip around on. Gas mileage is really good for a 150+HP sled, anywhere from 10-20 depending on how you ride it. Oil consumption is high stock, you can back off the oil pump to get to a reasonable amount. Good luck finding a quicker stock or even lightly modded sled, these things fly.


I've had a few issues with the sled, chaffing wire harness, busted wheels, loose y pipe bolts, really annoying stuff but I like the sled so much I'm more willing to put up with it. I've ridden mostly everything else and nothing really interests me.

I'd do it again just wish Doo would address the QC issues, I kind of expected them on a first year sled though.

Unless your talking longtrack (switchback) there is no more 700 dragon in '09

I am talking about the 08 700 Dragon, or 08 XP800R

I agree with what SkiDooX said about gas and oil. I had the monifold bolts fall out, but it happened on my 05 REV as well. I had a wheel fall off and the drive shaft replaced, but the sled rides great. I ended up putting it in a tree on my last weekend ride of the year so I will be putting my order in for the 09. My buddy bought the same sled from the same dealer and had no issues with it at all. I think you would be safe to buy an 08 and never regret it.

They seem really quick on the lakes and turn awesome through the turns. A lot of the guys I ride with, ride F8's and they couldn't keep up on the lakes or turns.

I put 2200 miles on this year and my body never felt sore like it did when riding the older REV's or my old polaris.

Hey XC8, love that avatar of the blue/silver 05 Anniversary Fusion launching off the line.

As for the XP8R I don't own one but will soon. I've been watching Dootalk like a hawk to see how the 08s are. Near as I can tell they're the lightest and fastest stock sleds out there. Stock Vs Stock, 0-100mph, nothing out there even comes close. Some of the lake / top speed guys are a little dissapointed in the top speed #s though. But they will go over 100 and get there quicker than anything else out there. I've demo rode 3 diff 800R prototypes and I can tell you the acceleration / pull borders on scary and I'm used to the 800HO which is no slouch. As you can imagine there have been some first year teething issues. Most have been pretty minor though and have been limited to the early builds and the TNT / X Pkgs. If you do pick one up I highly advise that you shim your needles and verify clutch aligment and get it taken care of if it's out of whack. The majority were just fine but there were those with way off clutch aligment and they would go through belts like there's no tomorrow. Pretty much the only somewhat widespread and significant issue with the 08s was the driveshaft. But you can find step by step instructions for yanking it and welding it up properly on Dootallk.

The only issue I've had was the left hand warmer went out. Other than that, I just have put gas and oil in it and rode. I'm not a speed guy so 112 on the GPS is good enough for me. I did put on a 6.5" riser, medium windshield(for the cold days), and 84 studs. There is no storage on the x package so I bought a tunnel bag too. I've been seeing around 16 mpg and I haven't checked the oil consumption, but it's easy enough to adjust. Oh, I did take that stupid robotic bee off the side panels.

Best sled I have owned to date. I had a 3rd run/ November build sled. They had all the updates done (chaincase vent,wire harness problem fixed and the handwarmers) I have 1400 miles this season with not one problem to speak of. The sled got just under 140 miles to a tank taking it easy and around 100 miles to a tank when on the throttle hard. I plan on getting the oil pump turned down on next seasons pre season service. Next year's sled will be even better. Go for it!

ive ridden an 800R, sled is very fast out of the whole and has a great mid range, but i felt that the top end speed wasnt there. it toped out on the lake at around 105. My ZRT ran 107.3mph. But it has great weight transfer and it pull pull the skis the whole way across the lake. The sled felt light and easy to handle. Very easy to lift around and roll in and out of carve's and corners. Great sled, but i wouldnt spend 12k on one. The polaris is shit. All polaris sleds are shitt. dont waste your money on a polaris. go with the doo

Obviously with your high mileage seasons, antique sled, and lack of common sense and experience, you have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to sleds. I like the 800R too but to bash "all Polaris sleds" you are clueless. Have you even ridden an IQ ? You really can't go wrong with either sled IMO - gas mileage and top speed is better on the XP as well as price. That's about it.

I have 1600 hard miles on mine. So far i like many things about it. In powder and going up hills it's unreal. Im not inpressed with the speed but i think with the right clutching it should be good. I have howards stage II on order as we speak. The gas miliage is great.Oil consumption is not. I went through a lot of oil this year. I might back off the pump. Handling and jumps its great. The shocks are not as stiff as i would want but they are good for the average rider. The problems i had so far were,handwarmers,oil tank leak and i notice a clicking sound near my brakes on hard acceleration. The dealer ordered a brake disc to address that. So far i rate my sled 8 of 10 but as soon as i figure out this speed issue it will be a 9.

I love my 08 800R Gade X, best sled I've ridden, my wife has an 06 600 SDI Gade, night and day difference. This thing rips, only problem was the handwarmers blown at 300 miles, replaced under warranty and the oil reservoir leaked and consumed lots of oil. Dealer turned down the adjuster and replaced the cap, since then, oil consumption has been great....gas mileage is great, beats all the other sleds I ride with, and I'm in the powder alot (off trail), similar to the wifes 600 SDI, but the gas gauge isn't very accurate, get the low fuel light with over 10 litres (2 gallons approx) remaining, so I reset the odo every ride and try to get gas around the 100 mile mark...pull the trigger, you'll be happy!!

Oh yeah, don't read all the internet hype, you won't enjoy your ride as much, I'm constantly expecting something to go wrong...too bad, 'cause it's such a great sled overall!!!

I am on my second xp this year and they are as good as everybody comments they are.
the corner to corner acceleration is something you really have experience and to me the most impressive part of that is coming out of a corner at 60 mph and nailing it and doing a wheelie and real quickly your doing 85 or 90 mph and then you had better be on top of things and getting ready for the next corner [these things are not for the novice]. As most people are saying and I totally agree with is how much FUN they are and that is what it is all about. Yes they are that much better.

I really love my XP. One of my favourite sleds I have ever owned. Just so fun on tight, twistie trails. When you come to a crest in a hill on a trail, you crack the throttle, and you just float. It flies so straight and level its rediculous. I do think its stupid that they went down to one carbide, but you can put another one in as I did.( stud boy shaper bars work amazing on this sled)

It corners flatter than anything you've ever seen. Just look a the engine, and you will see how low the engine is in the chassis. Just awesome.

The X package is alot stiffer than previous X's and it took some tinkering to get it setup the way I like it. It is very stiff, and I find if you don't jump it alot than it is pretty stiff. If you dont bottom out every once in a while, you are not using all the travel to your advantage. As of now, I have everything backed off to the softest setting. I dont like the seat to much because it just isn't plush enough (I am used to the seat on my rev<--- so soft!)

I know that alot of you guys have been getting good mileage, and so have I.
Riding very hard - 14-15 mpg
Riding somwhat hard - 16-17 mpg
Riding normally- 19+ mpg (believe it or not)

During break in period the oil consumption was bad, But honestly now it is getting better than my sdi. I know this is accurate becauser when someone is riding it with me (I still have it) I always put les in my 800R than my sdi.

But honestly, this is the most amazing sled ever. Everything just feels so tight, and proper, its amazing!

I have 13 or 1400 miles on my 08 800x xp. My season is now finished and not one problem with the seld. I replaced the seat witha gsx seat and its way better. Stock seat foam is terrible. The skidframe shock valving is way off. I got over 19mpg in canda and average 15 in old forge/tug hill. The sled is fun to ride and flick around.

i would go with the xp800..even tho I am selling mine due to the fact that i just snow checked an '09 polaris dragon SP. The doo was not quick enuff or fast enuff for me..but quicker and faster than a 700 dragon.

i will sell you my '08 doo xp mxzx 800r for $7495..1400 miles...includes saddlebag, extra belt, nice doo cover, elec shield hook up, shock covers and med windshield with side deflectors. PM me if interested.

you guys that think this xp 800 is so amazingly fast ....i have a question: have you been riding 500's all your life?? this sled is no big whoop...IMO.

I agree. If you have been riding top of the line for years......It's all the same year after year.

Those are some great quotes!!! My 2000 xcr 800 bone stock, waxes in my book, any 800 rev! 150+ hp well better figure out how to get that hp on the snow pack! thats 7 to 8 years of technology ahead of mine but yet no competition! the friend of mine that i have raced with an 07 800 twin also has the manifold bolt falling out and have fun putting them back in!! they got the engine sunk deep plus the manifold gets in the way when tightening the bolts back in!

Please if it's bone stock it's not even remotely close to 100, top end I'll give to the XCR more often then not, both bone stock of course. Any of the newer decent running big twins hand it to the triples in the shorter runs. You need to get out more if you think otherwise.

actually yours is a great quote.....! lol!

And the poo poo 800 will be a slug just like in the past. Box stock nothing will beat the xp800 in a thousand feet!!! There is a reason they have 40%plus market share. My xp has been awesome and i was a die hard polaris guy for years. Just couldnt deal with poo poo poor quality and crapy product. People can say want they want but doo sets the bar and the rest follow...

I don't know about you but usually I ride more than just a thousand feet at a time. I don't really care how fast they go, it's how they handle and how they hold up to the abuse that counts at the end of the day.

dude, your iq 800, will be no faster than the xp, so why do you say that the xp is not fast enough. the iq may have a couple more hp but the xp is a mere 50 lbs lighter lol

XCR 800's...roll right by me on my xp800 after about 70 mph..I know cuz' I ride with one..a 1998 at that!!
Again..for those of you who think that the xp8 has this arm-stretching pull and power and amazing quickness and midrange....what have you been riding in the past?? 500cc machines..the xp8 is no big whoop..IMO. It might get to 100 faster than other sleds(that weight 75-100lbs more) by 2-4 sled lengths..pretty poor for a 150HP sled that weighs 100 pounds less and 100mph is about all it has...fast/quick enuff for some...but not for me...

I do not care about 1000ft...I care about after 1000ft.....the trails where I ride are far longer than 1000ft long..don't kow about where you ride.....The new POO POO may give a sled or so to the xp8 to 1000ft.....then the POO will be rolling by the Ski-Don't......top end is what I like...not hole shots..as I spend my day riding on the trails (not sitting on the lake waing for the next guy to race).....and when riding on the trails at speeds of 60-100+mph is where I want my power.....the power to pass another sled coming out of a corner....power to roll by another sled at 90mph....to each his own....all I can say is that i was not impressed with the performance of the engine of my xp8(handled AWESOME tho)..and may not be impressed with the new poo either..but..I have to continue to try different sleds till Ifind one that satisfies me....for 2010..it may be the CAT turbo for me...will have to see...or could be a yammie....will have to see what they do.....I am not a brand loyalist(as my s/n would suggest)..i like to change it up...but I have never liked Ski-Don't..but figured I would try one this year since it was supposed to be the next best thing since sliced bread(NOT).....and if I find a sled I like then I will keep it a few years.....had my ZR9 for 4 years..great sled....it dominated for that time period..but it was time to move on...we will see next year when I run my 800 poo against my friend on his xp8...then I will see for myself real world results..not internet B.S.

And lets not confuse "fast" with "quick" quick is ok(gets up to speed in a hurry)...fast is better(has top end mph)..quick and fast is best(still waiting for that combination, but you usually can't have both..so I want FAST)

and you are right the xp is only a MERE 50lbs lighter. you do know what mere means right??

You seem to be the kind of person who cares alot about top end. I recommend a yammie with a turbo.

You're welcome to make your opinion known, but please don't derail the thread and please keep it civil. It's obvious you didn't like your XP, but there's plenty of people on this forum who do. You don't need to prove to them that your opinion is right.

99 wuz the first year of the aggressive chassis 800 triples. then from 2000 to 2003 they were gen 2! so now for some facts the dry weight #'s xcr 800's 555 lbs the rev xp's 425 lbs. horsepower xcr low 150's and xp's low 150's is wut ive been reading. so y are these things so damn slow??? these stats say you should be walking on the fat triples!!!

let me know when you wanna lead your group!

I think you need a new X-Fire R 1000. 490 pounds and way more power than any other sled besides the new Jag but alot less weight.

I am sold on the light weight and handling of the XP. I like to play in the powder and light is right in the soft stuff. The XP is so easy to ride that you don't think about how your going to get there you just do. It tips, carves and holds an off camber line better than any other sled I have ridden. At the end of the day your not tired from muscling the sled around.

The 800R is a nice improvment over the 800ho or p-tek, better throttle response and better mileage. My problems have been, hand warmers and clutch aligment. I don't have faith in two wheels so I did a 4-wheel conversion and I have welded my drive shaft hoping that it will be okay. The X suspension undercarriage is not as good as it could be but not really hard to live with. The 09s have a revised shock ratio in the skid which give a more progressive or rising rate; which makes a lot of sense based on my experience. I ride with plenty of revs and would not go back to a rev after getting used to my XP. A unexpected benefit is how easy it is to pull over the 800r (compared to any other 800 twin) and how quickly it starts. Belwo zero it starts on the third pull and starts on half a pull the rest of the day.

Polaris has enough time on the IQ / Dragon chassis to have it working well. I would like to try one of the new 800s, but I cannot imagine taking the weight penalty to own one.

the Gen 2 was out in 99 sir. i think 98 or so was the Last year of the aggresive.

It's well documented your sled does not run very well. Does not mean that they're all that way, I've had plenty of good running sleds that had lots of money dumped into them, the XP is by far the most impressive stock sled I've ever seen and we have plenty of big iron in the group. We have two other XP's that run very good as well.

oooooooo..now your talkin'!!!! I would probably go with a supercharger instead of a turbo.....It is definately in my future.........just have to do a little more research as to wear issues with the add-ons. See how they are holding up.

1998 was the first year for the Agressive chasis for an xcr 800...my brother has one. i think '97 they only offered the ultra 700.

I do not feelmy sled does not run well..as much as I feel that there ARE SOME xp8's that really go. You get that with what ever brand or product you buy. There will always be SOME that run exceptionally well. It is a well known fact(from reading in ski-don't forums) that xp8's under ideal conditions(stock sled..out of the box) will only run 101-103gps. Mine ran 99.8gps on hard pack with 2-3 inches of soft on top and 30 degrees ou..with no studs(the only day I brought my gps with me)...so I believe MY xp8 runs as well as MOST out there but not as well as SOME.

AllMakesRider- in 98 the 800 triple was a storm, NOT an xcr. In 99 they were still in the aggressive chassis, but came with variable exhaust and were called XCR 800.

Kev - The gen 2 chassis DID come out in 99, but was not used with the xcr 800 until 2000. So the last year of the aggressive chassis would have been 1999. All of this information is only a website away, www.polarisman.com

You ever stop to think that maybe the stock clutching is as bad as it is for a reason? The story is that the stock clutching does not load the motor to it's capability to cut down on emissions for the EPA tests, I don't know if it's absolutely true but it seems to make sense. I mean as far as trail clutching goes it's pretty good but top end is lacking for those who like to lake race.

You can get more top end by adding some pin weight to stock clutching or by swapping to a helix that does a better job of loading the motor. My sled with a Cudney kit and the stock 1.25" track would roll to 115-116 speedo in a little over 1000', on ice and with more room I felt it would keep pulling. Now with a Billy Howard kit and a 1" track it runs much much better but have not made any runs on glare ice since the change. On hardpack snow our XP's come out of the hole better than most sleds but really have similar top end to sleds like Apex's, ZR 900's, F1000's etc etc so not much usually goes by top end.

There's more to be had with jetting, airbox & oil pump adjustments. It's a high performance two stroke that needs to live in the world of EPA requirements, a little massaging is necessary if you want it to run the way it's capable.

were did you get that info from!!! i think you have the gen II and aggressive chassis backwards. the aggressive wuz a heavy sum bitch but they could move! the gen II wasn't much lighter but it can

handle high rates of speed phenominally! thats all these things know is high rates of speed!

Sorry...my bad you are right..my nrothers sled is a red '99 xcr800...DUH!!

yeah I guess so..but I do not want to, or have the time to be tinkering around with this and that on a new sled. I just want a sled out of the box that is set up to use the full potential of a motor, that is jetted right, clutched right etc etc....is this too much to ask?? I have never has to tinker(other than jetting ) with any of my sleds for over 30 years..why do I have to start now. My hope is, and I will probably be disappointed, is that my new POO is set up pretty much dead on out of the box. If this sled is not..then it will have to be a yammie with a supercharger next time....thanks for the info...tho you told me nothing that I did not already know.

Maybe the Poo will be better, I doubt it as the 700 has had it's issues. My buddy's Poo's have always been poor out of the box but always responded well to simple jetting and clutching enhancements.

If you don't like to tinker a 4 stroke on boost is not a good choice. The guys I know with them have had nothing but trouble getting them right, spent lot of money getting them right after spending a bunch of money to buy the stuff. I would like one too but I'm not familiar enough with 4 stroke motors, super chargers, or turbos to take the leap just yet. They're not as turn key as they should be.

Good luck.