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Pros-cons 2023 X 900 R

1.8K views 83 replies 16 participants last post by  900R  
#1 · (Edited)
Hello everyone!!!! Its almost that time of year again, almost snow time, wuuuuuhoooo!!!
Anyway, although I am not a Doo owner as of yet I am seriously thinking on jumping ship from a 2017 Yamaha sidewinder to a very low mile sled 2023 X 900R ( 800 miles).
Originally I was thinking of upgrading to a newer Sidewinder as I love the motor but the rest of it not so much, lol! There are too many things that need to be upgraded to be reliable, such as upper chain case gear, shift fork pads, driveshaft saver, suspension axles (known to break) etc. Even after all that is done, there is still the chance that if you blow a belt it could causes the primary clutch stub shaft to move in closer to the engine putting the alignment out, heaven forbid the clutch hits the motor!!
Sorry about all that but was just wondering if these sleds have any gremlins if you will or they pretty much bullet proof? I just want something reliable that I can put 1,000's of miles and know I will make it home. Had many Polaris and Yamaha, never owned a Ski-doo, I am now 61 yrs old and maybe they are right, the older we get, the wiser we are lol!
Thanks to everyone in advance and remember, Keep the rubber side down!!!! :giggle:
 
#4 ·
Thank you! Ya I changed the skis on the Sidewinder as the stock skis were a bear to steer, went with Ski-doo pilots for that. I will definitely have a look to see what is on this machine that I am getting!!! Thanks!
 
#3 ·
With the exception of the freezing gauge (known issue, they now have a fix, it works) and a programming error with the smart shox, my '23 900R was otherwise flawless. Sneaky fast too. So darn smooth.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for positive reply, makes me want next Tuesday (banks are closed until then) to come that much quicker, lol!!! A freezing gauge that has a fix is minor compared to the "Sidewinder", issues, lol!
 
#6 ·
Hello and welcome, I think you will be very happy with the 900 R. My son and I both bought 900 Rs last winter they are incredible machines. About the only issues that I’m aware of is to try and not run the fuel tank low on fuel all the time as it can be hard on the fuel pump. And the rollers in the secondary can be an issue but that’s mostly a 2 stroke problem. Other than that these are fantastic engines and they will serve you well with proper maintenance.
 
#7 ·
Thanks MachZ!! So far I am getting pretty much all positive feedback, fricken awesome and did not expect this!!! Thanks for the "low fuel tip"! I bought a Linq 4 gallon fuel caddy last year for the Sidewinder but never installed it, it will be going on the Renegade for sure, hahahaha:D
 
#8 ·
The 900 is pretty sweet. I'll add before my 2023 900R (180hp) I had a 2021 900T (150hp). That one was 100% flawless from the day it came home until the day I sold it. They really are rock solid.
 
#9 ·
Hello everyone!!!! Its almost that time of year again, almost snow time, wuuuuuhoooo!!!
Anyway, although I am not a Doo owner as of yet I am seriously thinking on jumping ship from a 2017 Yamaha sidewinder to a very low mile sled 2023 X 900R ( 800 miles).
Originally I was thinking of upgrading to a newer Sidewinder as I love the motor but the rest of it not so much, lol! There are too many things that need to be upgraded to be reliable, such as upper chain case gear, shift fork pads, driveshaft saver, suspension axles (known to break) etc. Even after all that is done, there is still the chance that if you blow a belt it could causes the primary clutch stub shaft to move in closer to the engine putting the alignment out, heaven forbid the clutch hits the motor!!
Sorry about all that but was just wondering if these sleds have any gremlins if you will or they pretty much bullet proof? I just want something reliable that I can put 1,000's of miles and know I will make it home. Had many Polaris and Yamaha, never owned a Ski-doo, I am now 61 yrs old and maybe they are right, the older we get, the wiser we are lol!
Thanks to everyone in advance and remember, Keep the rubber side down!!!! :giggle:
Grease rollers in clutch every 1000 miles or so.
 
#12 ·
One question that is a bit off topic. The gentleman I am buying this sled from says the gauge cluster was replaced at 850 k.m and the new cluster shows 500= 1,350k.m total. I know there is no way to verify the k.m but is there away to get the running hours from the ecm without taking it to a dealer? He seems to be honest but I would like to check to be sure. Thanks :)
 
#13 ·
Ok, off topic question #2, lol!! I did lots of research on here about belts as that is always a common topic. I am currently using a Ultimax XS on the sidewinder and it seems very durable although it drags the RPM down a couple hundred RPM. Now I have to choose from Gboost WBB383 @ $300CDN, Ski-doo 571 @ $280cdn and the Ultimax XS821 @$220CDN. Which would be the best bang for the buck ? Everything is so darn expensive in Canada, lol
 
#20 ·
There is a problem with the new design of the xs 821. It stretches considerably in a very short amount of time. At this point i would not purchase a xs 821 until the issue is sorted out.
 
#22 ·
End of last season i posted information on this and my discussion with Timken.
They were great to deal with. The R.D department sent me replacements to test. They all had the same problem. It was being investigated.
 
#23 ·
End of last season i posted information on this and my discussion with Timken.
They were great to deal with. The R.D department sent me replacements to test. They all had the same problem. It was being investigated.
Ok, I wont need a belt for a couple months so hopefully they rectify the problem by then. Thanks for the heads up!!! :D
 
#24 ·
I can't speak about the new XS821.

That said, I absolutely hated my 900T (150hp) to the point was debating trading it fairly soon in the season. On a hail Mary I put a used 821 on it. Within 500 yards I couldn't stop smiling. That ended up being one of my all time favorite sleds.

I'm a big 821 fan and I sincerely hope Timkin has a change of heart and reintroduces the original style.
 
#25 ·
Oh wow, so the Ultimax out performed the OEM belt in your situation! Yes I would like to get one if they fix the current issue with them. The Gboost are supposed to be really good but dont feel like spending $300 on a belt
 
#26 ·
I came over to the 900R after 6 seasons on a Tuned Sidewinder. Here is what I like better about the Sidewinder.

Engine
Brakes
Headlight
Front Suspension

The 900R rides nicer, has better ergos, better MPG, feels lighter, and has way more accessories available. Oh and the clutch doesn’t rattle. I don’t miss that one bit.
 
#28 ·
Had a 19, 20, 21, 23 900t XRS and my 26 came in two weeks ago.
Zero running issues with any of them so far. Friend of mine owns the 21 now and has had a in tank fuel filter replaced and something in the rear suspension break. Sled has over 15 thousand miles at this point. Brp fixed the suspension under the best warranty. Treat these sleds right and they are very reliable.
 
#29 ·
Had a 19, 20, 21, 23 900t XRS and my 26 came in two weeks ago.
Zero running issues with any of them so far. Friend of mine owns the 21 now and has had a in tank fuel filter replaced and something in the rear suspension break. Sled has over 15 thousand miles at this point. Brp fixed the suspension under the best warranty. Treat these sleds right and they are very reliable.
Thats awesome!!! I have never read this kind of feedback on any other snowmobile in my life! Every other sled had their gremlins and week points! I do maintenance religiously on everything, especially oil changes as Turbos tend to shorten the life span of oil do to extreme heat. Thanks for your positive feedback!!
 
#33 ·
happy with my 900r as well, tuned it is even more fun too. ill be running an oem belt this winter to give it a try again. want to bump my rpms up a couple hundred again to see how i like it with the tune and will be able to run 8300 rpms. i have a whalen tune now, had an mcx box and when i was running 8300, it was rowdy for sure.

steve
 
#35 ·
How much HP you pulling out of her? I swore I wouldnt tune this after the Sidewinder but, lol!!! I will try it like it is and pretty sure I will be happy the way it is :)
 
#34 ·
Oh I forgot I have a 2018 maverick rock crawler with a 130 hp 900 turbo, to date, I swear , i have had NO issues what so ever. I have changed the oil and air filter and the belt at 1500 miles, just to be safe, that motor is a beast. All things can fail but my experience so far has been way above my expectations for sure
 
#37 ·
All I can say is WOW!!! Cant believe all the positive responses!!!! This is one of the best groups I have ever joined as lots of riders chime in and are a great help! Once I get some miles and experience on this sled ( whole new learning curve....again, lol) I will try to give back to the community and help others as well!
 
#40 ·
Over 13,000 km on the original belt!!! That gotta be some kind of record, lol!! That reminds me of my old Yamaha Apex but I didnt push it that far, hahaha . On long pulls on the lake or in powder do the clutches get pretty hot or always stay cool, warm? :p
 
#43 ·
Ok but the glowing Turbo is ok and normal right? lol! I here the trails in Quebec are amazing there! When I see used snowmobiles for sale the extremely high mileage ones are usually from there :D
 
#46 ·
One thing to be aware of that I'm not sure was mentioned is that Ski-Doo supplies a single ply track on your sled. Be careful studding. They only recommend 2 per bar and a length that bearly allows any penetration. I got a bit more aggressive with traction and ripped mine in half, luckily on a lake.
[/QUOTE]
Thanks ateick but I wont be studding the track. I might eventually get a 2 ply 1.5-1.6" track, see how this goes. Hopefully the single ply 1.25" track is reliable :rolleyes:
 
#57 ·
I have 6000 miles on my 2022 Mach Z and 4000 miles on my 2024 Lynx Xterrain (for sale) and they have been 100% trouble free. The Lynx is Precision EFI tuned and the Mach is stock. Absolute animals to ride. Me being me I'm going to tune my 2026 right when I get it.

And yes the turbos get hot - to the point where you get what looks like a red light shining on the snow underneath the sled at night. Turbo, mid-pipe, muffler..... down to the ground.... red light.... Haha she runs hot.
 
#63 ·
Turbo, mid-pipe, muffler..... down to the ground.... red light.... Haha she runs hot.
[/QUOTE]
Well, at least I now know it is supposed to do that and not panic that the darn thing is on fire, hahahaha :ROFLMAO:
 
#67 ·
I'm pretty sure I still have them. I'll try and get some pics.

I put the Yamaha Duponts on.

I had really great service and longevity out of the Duponts I put on my Expedition Sport and I rarely put down my scratchers because that sled had a radiator with a fan any would never overheat.
 
#69 ·
Ya had to run the duponts on the Apex, the cost was $$$ but worth not having to change them every 500 miles, lol! If this sled is hard on hyfax I will go to the duponts as well.