2000 700 rmk

The 700 RMK is a mainstay in the mountains. It drills the competition in competitive hillclimbs and keeps dealers and their customers high on mountain riding.

The 700 RMK for year 2000 came to consumers as a near new mountain sled from the ground up. A new deep-tapered tunnel with integrated heat exchangers in the running boards, tipped in trailing arms on the front suspension, gas rack with abuse-proof tail lamp, tall handlebars with snocross hooks, a sure-handed mountain strap, offset skis (for sidehilling), adjustable ski stance widths (37- or 39-inches) and a reconfigured seat and tank made it a popular seller, and rightfully so.

What the AmSnow mountain test staff liked about the 700 RMK is its motor. Down the trail, through the junk whoops, around the trees and up the slopes the motor pumps the RPM up and down with flawless response. The domestic twin kicks.

Tom Theil of Idaho Falls, Idaho, owns two RMKs, a 1999 600 and a 2000 700, here is what he said about his seat time on the 700 RMK.

"The handlebars with the hooks and the mountain strap really helped the comfort and the ride. I liked the seat- it is better for my style of riding. Now the runningboards, I really like them being heated, they're always clean. The whole sled seems to be built pretty good. Has great durability. Clutching is good, it does not grab all of a sudden. It is smooth."

By season's end Theil had 1000 miles on his RMK, and he relied on the original dealer out-of-the-box tune up.

Overall, from his 1999 600 Theil liked the improvements his 700 carried: the fuel rack and built-in stop lamp and its quieter pipe.

His only complaints lie with the motor's power and with the oil cap. He wants more oomph from a 700, "but it must come without sacrificing fuel mileage and increased noise levels." He says the oil cap needs larger spokes to grab.

Lastly, Theil liked the skis, but he also noticed the skis would force the sled to dive if cross-cutting a hill. "But, if a rider is smart, he can quickly overcome this by pulling on the bars and leveling the sled. I can do this quicker than on my '99 600.

Minneapolis, Minnesota native Marc Valeri said the AmSnow RMK was easier to handle than AmSnow's Summit. "The 39-inch ski stance and 144-inch track made it "easier to move around- how I wanted." Valeri rides 1400 miles a year on a Cat ZL 500. He said if he were to return to the West, he would rent an RMK as the mountain sled of his choice. "I would ride it without hesitation, it is close to a trail sled."

John Summers, customer relations representative for Klím Aggressive Sled Wear in Rigby, Idaho, said this about his 700 RMK. "I was very impressed with the snowmobile right out of the box. This was especially needed for a person like me who did not have time to do much tinkering." The 700 RMK is perfect for a rider who is not mechanically minded, Summers said.

He said his 700 went where the 800s went and did not give up much to the bigger motors.

His only complaint though, was after riding older RMKs. He did not feel the new center off-set skis made any difference from Polaris' older RMK skis.

The AmSnow RMK, delivered to Rexburg Motor Sports in Rexburg, Idaho, was babied quite well by chief mechanic Clint Cutright, who is a perfectionist and has insight for tuning. His experience was greatly appreciated.

There were only a few complaints the AmSnow mountain staff had for the RMK. First is its cowling. At times it beat shins and knees black and blue. The seat forced riders to ride close to the fuel cell, this in turn drove knees into the cowling. Furthermore, a driver's right knee smacks the pull rope handle. It needs to be tucked away in a different location. The seat needs higher and denser foam near the tank to keep the driver away from the cowling. Lastly, the fuel cell itself needs padding.

The only mechanical malfunction the AmSnow 700 RMK experienced was a stator with mood swings. Clint Cutright, our Rexburg Motor Sports mechanic, caught this and changed it.

The handlebars with its end-hooks are great outfitting tools. The mountain grab strap, with its bottom side nipples added to and increased rider feel on a highmark.

The heater switches were a little difficult to discover which was thumb and hand, but once figured, off, medium and high were easily called for. At night, the illuminated pin-sized indicators made the heater switches easy to find. Good call Polaris.

Polaris leads on the runningboard and toe hold concept. The only downside to heated runningboards is the thawed snow that freezes after the sleds sits off line for a while. Holes throughout the boards would eliminate this. But, when cranking through the powder, nothing keeps a foot where it ought to be better than on Polaris' heated boards. A great engineered idea.

The skis proved to be great for sidehilling. It allowed the 700 RMK to cut a swath effortlessly. But, one must master this ski; it can't be ridden like a standard center mounted ski. The skis will push its outer edge down when a driver is trying to cross-cut up and over one hill to another. The nose wants to dive. However, with some awareness, the sled can be rocked up on the uphill side and the nose flattened. And this is where the ski shines, roll the sled up, apply right or left rudder, trim the stabilizer, open up the throttle, inform the control tower of origin and go. It will fly straight on a sidehill. These skis help the RMK think. Also, when set at its 39-inch ski-stance, RMK believes it is running 37-inches.

Speaking of 39-inches, the RMK with its handlebar hooks rocks, as good a mountain sled can, at trail mashing. And the IFS with its tipped-in trailing arms work well. Half-way through the season Starting Line Products tossed AmSnow a pair of Straight Line Tracker skis with aggressive runners to try. The big 700 would stick and run like no one's business. Not a bad trail runner. Heck, it was a fun sled to ride.

Also at this time Polaris supplied to Rexburg Motor Sports a 144-inch kit for the RMK. Never did such a dramatic change come over sled. The eight-pound lighter and longer track and longer suspension forced the RMK to exceed beyond itself. According to RMS mechanic Cutright, most 144 kits were installed on 800 RMKs. Well, the 700 RMK was made for the 144-inch kit. It is that good. It climbed, snorted and screamed its way up over hills as if it gained 100 more cubic centimeters. Gadzooks, it was fun.

Overall, the 700 RMK carved its mark. RMKs have been selling strong in the West- its loyalty is deep and blue. Would I ride a 700 RMK with a 144-inch track kit as my own? You bet. Just give me some shin guards and a roast beef sandwich.