Back to the weight thing, you really can’t go wrong with something like the LED taillight housing from Proven Designs Products. We don’t recommend removing your taillight / brake light ever (personal experience), but if you’re looking for the most minimal taillight you can get, this is it. It has a low profile that is better at letting snow slide off for a lighter riding weight. It’s lightweight and very functional, and you can get it with either a clear or red lens.
Proven Designs Products Pro RMK LET taillight housing: $64.99. www.provendesignsproducts.com
It’s our opinion that every stock mountain sled should come from the factory with a tether. We installed the Polaris racing tether switch.
Polaris Tether Switch. $39.99. See your local dealer.
Doing 25 years of project sled builds makes it tough to come up with a unique, memorable look each year. We’ve painted hoods, ran mesh hoods, and ran several wrap variations. ArcticFX Graphics has been great to work with, and Bryan Flinker’s designs never fails to impress—especially with Project Ron Burgundy. ArcticFX has a slew of designs that you can customize the colors on. The wrap is easier to install than you might think, although we love it when Jason Blair takes over for us. The best feature of an ArcticFX wrap—aside from the unique look—is the durability factor. Wraps save plastic. Take our word for it.
ArcticFX Wrap: from $299.00. www.arcticfxgraphics.com
The Kurt’s Offroad Gear Down Kit was essential on the 2013-2015 Pro-Ride RMK. The stock gearing was tall for mountain riding, and the KO Gear Down kit transformed the machine’s performance in the steep and deep. Then the Axys came out, and Polaris lowered the final drive gear ratio closer to but not quite to the KO Gear Down ratio. We still find the KO Gear Down kit to be worth every penny on the Axys RMK. Something about gearing down for technical tree and ravine riding puts you right in the sweet spot of the power band. And it’s easy to install (anyone can do it with a few hand tools).
Kurt’s Offroad Axys Gear Down Kit: $650.00. www.kurtspolaris.com
We love the engineering behind the Skinz Next Level Axys RMK front and rear bumpers. The front bumper ties into the RMK’s over structure in a way that protects the chassis mount tabs better should you smash the front bumper into a tree (we tested that). The bumper itself is a great design that gives you good hand room for grabbing and pulling, and the nose pan protection is an awesome added element. The rear bumper mounts solidly to the tunnel and gives you better hand holds for lifting than the stock RMK bumper.
Skinz NXT LVL Axys RMK front bumper. $249.95. Skinz NXT LVL Polaris Axys rear bumper. $249.95. www.nxtlvlshop.com
We never thought we’d need or want a heated adjustable brake lever. Seems like overkill. Nothing wrong with a regular old lever, right? Then we tested one. All winter. In all conditions, in all temperatures, in all winter weather environments. Yep, gotta have one of these now. We need one and want one. For the adjustment ability and for the heat aspect.
Skinz Heated Adjustable Brake Lever. $209.95. www.skinzprotectivegear.com