Something to consider power wise is that when comparing the 800 to the 1000, the resistance to overcome or in other words the horsepower it takes to drive the machine at a steady pace (what an accountant might call in money matters the 'fixed costs') is not much different from the 800 to the 1000. The 1000 weighs a little more and will have a bit more motor frictional losses sure, but not much.
It's the extra power left over from this base load that is your window of 'performance' or potential acceleration.
Both engines pay the same fixed cost of horsepower to push the SXS, and what's left over in each case is the 'jam'.
If you have to 'pay' let's say 25 horsepower in combined rolling resistance, engine and drive train resistance (CVTs are notoriously inefficient costing 18% or so of the motor's output in drag), wind resistance etc. to go at a given speed, then you have to subtract that virtually same amount off the available output for either SXS.
62 horsepower-25 on one machine compared to 79 horsepower-25 on the other. All hypothetical numbers but that's the principal.
That'll make the real difference between 62 horse and 79 horse more profound than the numbers look like on the respective spec sheets. I'll bet the 1000 does feel like it has a lot more gitty-up.
Not that I need it myself, the 800 has plenty enough for my humble needs.
