First time I rode an XM was when I met up with Norona while on a tour. When I jumped on Dave’s XM the first thing I noticed was no snow on the running board. The pow was only knee deep but I was still needing to kick it off my 2012. I spent the next 20 minutes riding some trees and it was definitely easier to handle than my 2012. The 2012 is already a pretty easy sled to ride in the powder but the T-motion with the flexible track and inner wheels really made a difference while boon docking. The other thing I noticed that I haven’t heard anyone talk about is that there is a bit more track vibration. Maybe this is due to it being a preproduction demo. It not much but it is there and unless you jump from a 12 to a XM you probably wouldn’t notice it.
I got to ride Dave’s sled a few days later again when the pow was all tracked up and this is where you could really notice the improvement in the T-motion. You could lay it over easier and it was more stable when you had it on edge. When you would ride through a rut the sled did not get tossed around and would cut through it like it wasn’t there. I think the sled skiers are really going to appreciate this when doubling up a rutted up track. The new stiffer mountain handle will help when riding double upped. When I rode it out on the whooped out trail I didn’t notice any adverse effects of the T-motion. One thing I did notice was the geometry of the ski bolt being inline with the A-arms there wasn’t any steering feed back going around whooped out corners. The other is that the glove box needs a padded compartmented bag to go inside to keep everything in there from getting rattled around. I really like the glove box on the XM as well as the seat storage which is way better than what is on the 12. I like the smaller seat on the XM as well, much easier to go from side to side.
Dan Treadway was kind enough to lend me his XM for 3 straight days. This was when we were getting pounded with powder and it was waist deep when I had it. Again the first thing I noticed was virtually no snow on the running boards. The second was the air intakes would not plug up like the 2012. My two biggest complaints about my 2012 is that in deep powder the intakes constantly get plugged with snow and you have to constantly wipe them off as well as constantly kick snow from the running boards. With the intakes up higher and with nothing for the snow to build up on the snow virtually falls away on the XM. Is it perfect, no. It still would get ½” of snow sticking but the air seemed to pass through it OK. There is still a risk with a branch poking the screen and I would like to see the foam filter system that was on the 09-10 put on.
The XM is amazing in deep powder. I love the way my 12’s handle in the deep but the XM handles and out climbs them better. One of my long time clients who could never get counter steering down managed to figure it out on the XM. For the ladies and smaller riders they will find this so much easier to ride.
The one issue I had in the deep was that doing right handed donuts with the exhaust buried in the snow the engine would cut out. Dan had a MBRP can on his and I think with cutting the back half of the pipe to let the exhaust gas escape would fix this hiccup. The stock suitcase might not do it. I really liked the sound of the MBRP can on the XM, hardly notice any louder noise until the RAVE opened up.
One of the things that bugged me about BRP is that they would take stuff from trail sleds and use them on the summits. Mountain riders stand when they ride and the controls and gauges need to be usable when standing. I don’t often look at my gauge and in deep powder it still will be buried in snow but the new gauge placement on the XM is an improvement. There are riders that like the minimalist handle bar controls like on the 12X’s but I am not one of them. When I am pounding down the whooped up trail at the end of the day I don’t want to have to look down or reach down to change the handle bar heater settings. The switch controls on the 08-11 were too big and stuck out and needed to be changed. I like the new high beam button on the XM; it is protected from getting knocked off and is small but useable. The reverse switch could be smaller to allow room for the heater controls. I don’t like the heater controls on the console, to use them you have to look and reach down to adjust them. The odometer switches on the gauge only works for me. I actually use my tether and wear it around my left hand. At first I thought with the DESS now on the right it would be a problem but it actual makes the tether less likely to get caught by a branch. The kill switch needs a major update. It is at least 20 years old and again comes from trail sleds. I noticed Dan had already knocked his off on his Freeride by his second ride of the season. What I would like to see is some kind of rocker switch and until then at least be able to buy the 2 buck button separately.
I have been running the 600 ETECS since 09 and like the better fuel/oil mileage as well as reliability. On my previous 800’s I have never gotten over 5300KM on a motor and I have gone through at least 10 of them. With 2012 being the first year on an 800ETEC I was hoping to improve upon that. At 4300KM the piston in my 163 decide to become 2 pieces. BRP has come a long way with the handling with the XM and has made huge improvements with gas and oil mileage with the ETEC and now it time for them to start making them last a bit longer. I don’t think a 55 year old asking to get a seasons use out of a motor is too much to ask even if it is a 10,000KM season. If I can stand up to that many KM in a season so should a motor. At least the warranty is good.
BRP has come out with a great sled and is going to sell a ton of these, I bought a bunch more for next season myself. A few changes for 2014 and it could be close to a perfect out of the box stock sled.
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