Polaris!! Thanks and No Thanks!!!

[rockinmranch]

First all of all have to give a sincere thanks to Polaris for building a great product over the years. I started a rental business here in Alpine Wyoming in the winter of 1997. I bought 8 trail tourings from two top rentals in West Yellowstone with 5000+ miles. I ran these sleds until 13,000 miles with not a single engine failure and only one clutch rebuild per sled in that time frame. I've ran 10-15 Polaris sleds every year since then. Until the 800 this year, I had never had a Polaris liquid cooled motor go down. Polaris has been the best rental sled out there. That is why you will notice so many rental companys renting them. Simple engineering, cheap parts, good longevity, ans easy to work on.

No thanks Polaris!!! If I was not in the rental business, I would not consider a change, for I still love the sleds compared to the other brands. Unfortunately I am feeling like Polaris is not wanting to promote the snowmobile rental program like they used to. I will argue the Polaris 600 RMK is probably the best sled on the snow of any class. It has great power for a 600. Great reliability and longevity. Great performance. The 600 is the core of the rental sleds. The 550 motor has had some troubles along with the 800's
So a rental fleet had a 19% discount two years ago, 15% last year, and 10% next year. In addition the 600 RMK went up $600 from last year meaning the rental company now pays $800 more than last year with the reduced discount. In addition, the poor economy is bringing $500-$1000 less upon resale at the end of the season. Compared to 2 years ago the loss of a 600 RMK is over $1500 more than two years ago. And parts!!! Yes most of the wrecks are paid for by renters but it is never good for business to pass on an outrageous bill to the renter for what should have been a relatively small wreck. Polaris don't think that we didn't notice your price increase this year. A-arm last year in the $130's now $180's. Nose cone in December $99 now $149. Winshield $98.
Just venting. As anyone can see Polaris is making it nearly impossible to run a viable rental business with their product. The corporate swivel-butt who made these decisions should seriously reconsider their pricing if they want their sleds to be part of the rental fleets around the country. Unfortunatly I'm off to AC or SKI-DOO.
No Thanks Polaris!!!

 

[augerin]

Unfortunatly you won't be the first. A rental outfit here that runs about 50 sleds switched to Ski Doo 5 years ago.

 

[EricW]

I sure hope someone above 'ol swivel butt takes a look at this thread. You didn't even mention the 900 issues and all the owners/rentals with heartache on that one. This is just too many issues in too short a time in my opinion. I do really love my 800 Dragon, I hope someone steps up to the plate and keeps my shop full of Polaris's. My decisions for fall purchases will be hanging on Polaris's response to the 800 issues. As for the parts increase, I felt that too, made me a better more creative plastic welder. Waiting to see.......EW

 

[crix]

Rockinmranch-You are not the only one who has felt the pain of polaris. I dont run a rental outfit but I know exactly what you are talking about ! The biggest problem is that Polaris as a whole does not care about the customer. They got used to having customers that are "loyal" and buy sled every other year or yearly ect. well I for one have been burned too many times by them and their poor representation of local dealers who just do NOT care after the sale is done. My polaris let me down at least once a trip the last trip twice. When you drive from minnesota to wyoming to ride 4 days and spend 1 day pulling a broke down sled and another in a panic at a dealer trying to save one your trip it really starts to anger you. We drive over 1000 miles to get to good riding we ride bone stock sleds besides venting and other necessary mods so we dont have to worry about breaking down. My 800 never ran more than 2 riding days without issue. This past season was absolutly a joke and the worst ive had. Like you rockM I am bailing on polaris I will be getting a cat or doo just because of how unwilling and difficult the dealers are hereits sad to say Ive only ridden polaris since I could walk and will probably never buy another again

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

I too have been a polaris guy..love the dragon..but polaris's support of both the dealer and the customer sucks bad....I had most of my friends who had left poo for cat or doo headed back until the dealer did the 09 update on my sled..since then it has been very erratic and unreliable...If polaris is smart they will step up on these dragon issues and fix them(not put a bandaid on them)...or they will loose not only customers in big numbers but they may end up with a class action from all the dragon owners..How much do you think that would cost em?polaris really needs a group of mechanics/support peeps that travel from dealer to dealer fixing problem sleds and repairing their badly tarnished reputation......

 

[crix]

I too have been a polaris guy..love the dragon..but polaris's support of both the dealer and the customer sucks bad....I had most of my friends who had left poo for cat or doo headed back until the dealer did the 09 update on my sled..since then it has been very erratic and unreliable...If polaris is smart they will step up on these dragon issues and fix them(not put a bandaid on them)...or they will loose not only customers in big numbers but they may end up with a class action from all the dragon owners..How much do you think that would cost em?polaris really needs a group of mechanics/support peeps that travel from dealer to dealer fixing problem sleds and repairing their badly tarnished reputation......

I agree 100% I kept saying this is the last issue this is the last issue well she finally had a meltdown!!! the dealer no help polaris customer service IS ABSOLUTLY CRAP they told me to bring it in... well my dealer after dodging calls and my trying to figure whats going on calls me friday Hey!! your sled ready. I have never been this angry in my life I cant even talk about the sled cause it make me so mad IT RUINED MY WHOLE RIDING YEAR !!!!!!

If anyone from polaris reads this feel free to PM me I will give you my number and let you know how I feel about this $10000 pile and where you can put it

Sorry guys im never like this

Ak if you hear about a class action suit let me know I would love to put my name on it

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

I agree 100% I kept saying this is the last issue this is the last issue well she finally had a meltdown!!! the dealer no help polaris customer service IS ABSOLUTLY CRAP they told me to bring it in... well my dealer after dodging calls and my trying to figure whats going on calls me friday Hey!! your sled ready. I have never been this angry in my life I cant even talk about the sled cause it make me so mad IT RUINED MY WHOLE RIDING YEAR !!!!!!

If anyone from polaris reads this feel free to PM me I will give you my number and let you know how I feel about this $10000 pile and where you can put it

Sorry guys im never like this

Ak if you hear about a class action suit let me know I would love to put my name on it

I have heard rumors out there that some one in the northwest is trying to get one going..........could you imagine what it would cost polaris to buy back 2 yrs of D-8s..pay lawyer fees, as well as damages?..the Ceo of polaris needs to do some public notifications, form a hotline/task squad to deal with customers and most of all if they cant fix them right right now..provide us with aftermarket parts installed free of charge to make them live till they do fix them(IE a PC-3 controller or carls flash)mine is acting up again after 75 miles....so it sits cause the dealer doesnt even want to see it till polaris gets the fix out..so I am done riding for the year it looks like...

 

[happylilcuss]

Guys I feel for you and wouldnt wish the pain poo is putting on you on my worst enemy... However since I am not riding new iron and have some really cool ideas for mod IQR sleds and I am soo pissed a company can treat its customers the way polaris has I hope they do have to buy back 2 years of sleds..
According to everything I keep reading the mtn market is just a small percentage of their overall sales.. Well, when they have to buy back all the rmk 800s they have sold they are going to think that the mtn market is much more important. Plus the tarnish that there reputation is going to get is going to cause the used market to be almost impossible to sell a sled. Then when that happens I can buy some used sleds cheap, make some killer mods and have the sled that polaris should have built in the first place.

Yeah I am dreaming cause the 800-900 deabacle wont touch the racer sales. So in that case FU poo How dare you treat your customers the way you have.. I hope they get burnt bad and then get rebuilt because out of the ashes a better company should arrise.. I bleed blue but would buy a cat before I bought a new 800 "dragon" (dragon it on a rope is about all the dragon it is)
Rant to be continued.....

 

[INDEEP]

Good dealers is the only thing keeping alot of people around. They better have a good fix for the 800 issues or I'm afraid for some it's going to be the last straw.

 

[RMK313]

Dragon

I agree with (INDEEP) if it wasnt for all the support from my dealer ( herried sporting center in SD) i would have never bought a dragon ! hope polaris gets these things fixed

 

[sleddin pete]

Smooth move Polaris,drop the reliable 700 motor for 2010 when you haven't got a reliable 800 motor.Upping the price on 2010 sleds isn't going to help you either.

Who is in charge the same people running Chrysler/Dodge.

 

[MtnMasher]

My dad bought a left over 2006 Rmk 900 and as everyone knows, they had a few problems. Well long story short, he is STILL riding his 03 RMK 800 Vert. Escp. Now in good persuasive writing form: the counter piont. Seth M. my frequent riding partner runs a BONE stock snow check 2008 dragon 800 and it has over 2000 miles on it with no problems and no updates. I also know a couple of other guys who only had a few issues with their 700's and 800 but they abuse them more than I have seen anyone abuse a sled (Dan is painting trees on his hood like pilots put the national flag of the planes they have destryed) I hope Polaris gets things sorted out

 

[Dogmeat]

I guess technically you could consider me a Yamaha customer prior to 2005.

My family bought 3 Polaris sleds in 2005, a 1999 (used) 700 RMK, a 2005 550 Trail RMK, and then a 2006 600 HO RMK ...

Then the year after that we bought another 2006 600 HO RMK as well as a 2006 900 RMK ...

I don't even need to talk about the trials and tribulations I've had with my 900 RMK, and the '99 700 RMK has been rock solid ... BUT ...

As of 2005, Polaris it seems to me really kind of left a lot to be desired. Let's face it, in stock form the 900's were a complete joke and the 600's while having an excellent motor, the chassis/suspension package in 2006 was also a joke.

Polaris subsequently fixed an awful lot of the problems in 2007, but then in 2008 apparently with the new 800's they still couldn't get it right with a quality reliable motor (800 burn downs) ..

I would have infinatley preferred to buy Made in the USA sleds, but quite frankly after dumping god only knows how much $$$ into my 900 to get it to work comparably to late-model M8's and Summit 8's I have a very bad taste in my mouth from Polaris.

Suffice to say, as well as the IQ/RAW chassis handeles and as well as I *FINALLY* got my 900 running this season, I will most definatley _NOT_ be buying another Polaris sled any time soon ... I'll be going with an Arctic Cat or a Skidoo.

 

[thefullmonte]

This is an extremely bad state of affairs for Polaris. I am reading things from some of you that I never thought I would read in 100yrs. Polaris loyal through and through I would have considered most of you. Well, It is certainly looking like everyone has had enough. Although I'm keeping my D8 (for my girlfriend) I'm hoping to pick up a Nytro for next season.
This kind of crap is just very difficult to deal with. As Crix stated poor company/dealer support. And worse yet, try finding a knowledgeable dealer in MN the state they are made in. I drive all the way to Rapid City, SD to deal with Greg and Jason (great dealer) at Four Season's Sports Center. Not the most convenient.
My guess is even after the "FIX" we will still need an aftermarket fuel controller for these things to really run right.
I don't understand why Polaris Engineers are having such problems with all this? I understand there are EPA regulations and other things they must abide by, but this is ridiculous. Look at how many issues Snowest members have found on their own! IndyDan is saying the same things as other professional engine builders concerning engine design and fuel injection. Maybe they should hire them?
Maybe the board of directors could take some of their obviously undeserving wages and put more into R&D and product quality. Get their hands a little dirty and see what the customer is going through. CEO's are bankers rarely able to put themselves in the customers shoes. How can someone making $750,000 (or whatever it was) possibly understand how a person making $50,000 or less feels about spending $10,500 on a POS!
Sorry for more ranting
Happy Easter

 

[rmk727]

Monte ; good post as the emotions are calming I'm reading a lot better posts, the corporate thing is right on but before these guys jump ship remember all the 800 Doo problems, even the 09 xp we ride with was worked on every night on our trips plus he missed the last trip cause his headgasket was out and his ecu needed fixed, then Cat of course again this year has the best mountain sled just like the M8's were supposed to the last few years but didn't of course if you like getting stuck and want to ride plus work out at the same time Yam work good. Keep in mind that no one that installed a pc111 has had problems.Is it right to have to spend 350.00 to correct a factory f##up.No but just like vent kits YOU SHOULD HAVE ONE and enjoy the extra power plus ride with ease. I just bought an 08 d8 163 and have all the confidence in the world that I will have great fun on it for a long time, but I also think the Poo upper management needs a complete revamping in other words FIRED.

 

[go high fast]

Way too bad on the factory withdrawing from top quality service.

My take is that the Polaris, along AC, Skidoo and Yamaha, have tried so hard to keep up with one another or to differentiate thier product in some way that each new design never has a chance to be refined and perfected and so we (thier customer base) ends up doing the field testing that the folks at the factory R&D never did.

From chasis designs to clean engine technology to meet emission mandates.........everything on the newer sleds seems more complicated, finicky and less reliable. The average mechanic at the local dealer hasnt kept up with all new technology so when problems arise we (the consumer) are up a creek.

Sled designs are changing as fast as youth clothing styles. Soon the factories will be selling sleds through Abercrombie.

My bet is that, in 5 years, Yamaha comes out on top. Getting therm there will be a 4 stroke mountain sled with factory turbo.

 

[rockinmranch]

Yes it is a double edged sword for both the factory and the consumer. In 2000 an 800 RMK had 128 hp. Now 800's are expected 150-160. To get this they have to push the motor to limits never pushed before resulting in less reliability. If they don't get the hp numbers, we will not likely buy the sled. It seems like we have reached the reliable limits of hp on the 800 without boost or nos or gaining a substantial amount of weight. In general I would think that compared to most other motorsport industries, snowmobilers are some of the most mechanically involved and demanding consumers out there. It has to be hard to keep up to our demands from year to year, especially for a group of people spending more time in the office than on the snow.

 

[raceu4it]

so what does a polaris executive ride? maybe a chopper over the trails so that there warmer on "the way out". or do they each get a fleet of 20 sleds each, so they look like there always riding while the rest are being fixed.

i built a treehouse once when i was a kid does that qualify me as a polaris engineer, heck i even caught a fish with a homemade fish hook.

i hate bonehead ceo's and everyone else in the suit crowd patting themselves on the back for doing an awesome job, on the backs of a consumer, while waiting for their bonuses.

 

[sled_guy]

Mmm... did I mention polarisindustriessucks.com is for sale?

If you guys have been around here very long you know there is NO ONE that hates the 900 Polaris more than I do. And there are few that are as mad about the 800 big block crank breaking as me. Polaris for sure has fallen far from their glory days. Their PG&A prices are stupid rediculous.

But I will say that I saw an independant industry survey last month on visits to the dealer post sale for service per 100 sleds sold and since 2006 Polaris has been nearly on par with Yamaha. Cat slightly higher and Doo going through the friggin' roof.

I think the current round of 800 problems will be the turning point for Polaris. If they sort them out and make it right they will really show the market that they have changed course. If it becomes another 900 band aid, stick their heads in the sand, ignore it and it will go away thing then I wouldn't be surprised that it's the end for Polaris in the sled business.

sled_guy

 

[CATillak]

I have heard rumors out there that some one in the northwest is trying to get one going..........could you imagine what it would cost polaris to buy back 2 yrs of D-8s..pay lawyer fees, as well as damages?..the Ceo of polaris needs to do some public notifications, form a hotline/task squad to deal with customers and most of all if they cant fix them right right now..provide us with aftermarket parts installed free of charge to make them live till they do fix them(IE a PC-3 controller or carls flash)mine is acting up again after 75 miles....so it sits cause the dealer doesnt even want to see it till polaris gets the fix out..so I am done riding for the year it looks like...

Thats lame aksnowrider, was your sled bogging? My buddies Assault started boggin last weekend.. Hope its fixed by next season. Polaris isnt as bad as doo in this department though, theyve lost more 800s than anybody lol.

Rockinmranch, renting XPs probly isnt the best idea, newbie riders slamming into the smallest of things and thats a lot of down time in the shop waiting for a new bulk head, arms and nun. A company up here used XPs and they always seemed to come back bent. Isnt the best choice for letting unexperienced riders rally on i think.