Have my New RMK - Build Quality

[WFO or go home]

One of the big strong suits that I noticed while riding the PRO-RMK is how tenaciously the sled clings to a steep sidehill because there is no bodywork dragging in the snow.

Only thing they fail to mention is the fact that the rider is now going to be dragging in the snow rather than that smooth side panel.

Nice try snowest. Anybody care to put some cash on "sled of the year." That would be a sucker bet.

Kool aid anyone?

 

[Scott]

Did you ride one yet, Reese?

 

[WFO or go home]

Let me clarify my point.

In 2003-04-05 etc, all the REV haters complained about the lack of leg/body protection provided by the REV summit, NOW, the Pro-RMK has even less coverage then the REV had (which was less than the XP) and its an industry revolution.

In addition, rider forward position was hammered by the same people and now they all have some variation thereof. Some prefer way forward (XP) some prefer further back (Cat) and poo is right in the middle. Happy medium perhaps.

If you remember, we sold both so I got both sides of the propoganda. Most people don's know that polaris had a completely different sled ready for release when the rev came along and they were forced to go back to the drawing board, guess we know how that worked out.

I suppose everyone will be pounding direct injection and coil over suspensions next. I am really surprised it took this long for someone to do a coil over. Holz gets credit for the popularity of that.

I just find it funny how something that was crap from one manufacturer is a god send from another.

There I go again, having an opinion.

 

[WFO or go home]

Did you ride one yet, Reese?

I plan to as soon as mountainhorse makes a trip round these parts.

 

[WFO or go home]

That picture just brought something to my attention:

That thing looks a lot like a BLADE from that angle. Little help from FAST perhaps?

 

[Scott]

Let me clarify my point.

In 2003-04-05 etc, all the REV haters complained about the lack of leg/body protection provided by the REV summit, (I REMEMBER THAT) NOW, the Pro-RMK has even less coverage then the REV had (which was less than the XP) and its an industry revolution.

In addition, rider forward position was hammered by the same people and now they all have some variation thereof. Some prefer way forward (XP) some prefer further back (Cat) and poo is right in the middle. Happy medium perhaps. (I'VE RIDDEN BOTH AND LIKE THAT HAPPY MEDIUM BALANCE)

If you remember, we sold both so I got both sides of the propoganda. (I DO REMEMBER THAT YOU HAD BOTH LINES...AND I REMEMBER A CERTAIN REV THAT WAS UPSIDE DOWN IN A DANGER ZONE VID, LOL) Most people don's know that polaris had a completely different sled ready for release when the rev came along and they were forced to go back to the drawing board, guess we know how that worked out.

I suppose everyone will be pounding direct injection and coil over suspensions next. I am really surprised it took this long for someone to do a coil over. Holz gets credit for the popularity of that. (DIDN'T JACK ACTUALLY INVENT IT THOUGH?)

I just find it funny how something that was crap from one manufacturer is a god send from another.

There I go again, having an opinion.

YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE THEM ANYMORE UNLESS YOU ARE REALLY RADICAL AND YOU WANT CHANGE.

I plan to as soon as mountainhorse makes a trip round these parts.

Good luck on that one...but then again, he did make it over here my way this year.

 

[Scott]

That picture just brought something to my attention:

That thing looks a lot like a BLADE from that angle. Little help from FAST perhaps?

I hadn't thought of that...but yeah, you are right. It kind of does.

 

[WFO or go home]

Does FAST even build sleds anymore?

Wish I had a 2004 Polaris brochure. They had pictures of the Edge riding position (sitting of course, like anybody does that) and the REV position and talked about how aweful "rider forward" was, funny.

 

[mountainhorse]

Only thing they fail to mention is the fact that the rider is now going to be dragging in the snow rather than that smooth side panel.

Nice try snowest. Anybody care to put some cash on "sled of the year." That would be a sucker bet.

Kool aid anyone?

Reese... I got to spend a lot of saddle time on the new sled. In all snow from fresh light stuff to heavy coastal snow... I stayed glued to the sled.

In fact, I handled most situations while still straddling the tank/seat on the PRO_RMK... my Dragon or REV would have required me to be on one board with a lot of "English" on the sled.

Others that I rode with this year... who are much more talented than I am...were able to keep this sled on a steep side hill in some crazy situations.

I know the chitty situation with the 900's left a foul taste behind for you.... best I can say is to try one for a full day, with an open mind, and see what you think.

Keep on trukkin my friend!!

 

[mountainhorse]

Reese...

If I make it up to Kettle Falls again this year... I'll be motoring over to your neck of he woods too for some riding for sure..

Over spent on medical bills this year... cancled my PRO-RMK order a while back.

I'll be on a Dragon again this season.

Pray for snow people... LOTS OF SNOW!!!

 

[JedInUtah]

Let me clarify my point.

In 2003-04-05 etc, all the REV haters complained about the lack of leg/body protection provided by the REV summit, NOW, the Pro-RMK has even less coverage then the REV had (which was less than the XP) and its an industry revolution.

In addition, rider forward position was hammered by the same people and now they all have some variation thereof. Some prefer way forward (XP) some prefer further back (Cat) and poo is right in the middle. Happy medium perhaps.

If you remember, we sold both so I got both sides of the propoganda. Most people don's know that polaris had a completely different sled ready for release when the rev came along and they were forced to go back to the drawing board, guess we know how that worked out.

I suppose everyone will be pounding direct injection and coil over suspensions next. I am really surprised it took this long for someone to do a coil over. Holz gets credit for the popularity of that.

I just find it funny how something that was crap from one manufacturer is a god send from another.

There I go again, having an opinion.

Careful sharing your opinions over here and mentioning the word REV and PRO-RMK in the same post. I did that and they weren't even negative, just an opinion and I got BAD rep for it. Sheesh!

 

[Scott]

I think Fast is done building.
Blade Hylander? Is that the one you are talking about?

http://www.bladesnowmobiles.net/

 

[Bagger]

There I go again, having an opinion.

Oh My God ! Hide the Children!!!!

Reese...


I'll be on a Dragon again this season.

Pray for snow people... LOTS OF SNOW!!!

We've got two coming Eric, swing through here and mount up!

J

 

[WFO or go home]

Reese... I got to spend a lot of saddle time on the new sled. In all snow from fresh light stuff to heavy coastal snow... I stayed glued to the sled.

In fact, I handled most situations while still straddling the tank/seat on the PRO_RMK... my Dragon or REV would have required me to be on one board with a lot of "English" on the sled.

Others that I rode with this year... who are much more talented than I am...were able to keep this sled on a steep side hill in some crazy situations.

I know the chitty situation with the 900's left a foul taste behind for you.... best I can say is to try one for a full day, with an open mind, and see what you think.

Keep on trukkin my friend!!

I guess my point was more that a smooth side panel will cause less snow drag than your leg. Again, something that was screamed from the mountain tops when the REV was introduced.

Yes, the 900 left a foul flavor in my mouth, but the manor in which Polaris handled it was even worse. I would contact them as a dealer representative and get a hand job from the "technician" on the other end of the phone. That's my problem with them. I will ride a Pro-RMK this year I am sure, but the performance of that machine does not change the fact that Polaris, at the corporate level, gave their customers and dealers the finger and moved on without so much as a reach around.

 

[IQRIDR]

Agreed, I was a victim of an '06 700 RMK. $15000+ in warranty work alone the first couple years. I never got more than 700 miles out of a motor, or entire electrical system alone for that matter (mine was a REAL lemon) and when I repeatedly approached the rep, telling him I would take bottom dollar for my lemon, and pay the cash difference between that and an '07 700 dragon, and he could have a happy customer, but he repetedly denied me.

I used to buy 2 brand new Polaris sleds every year since '01. I haven't bought a new polaris since that '06 year, staying true to the promise I made to him. I hope this time they make a believer out of me, as far as their customer service is concerned if I have problems. Otherwise it will be another, longer gap before I am tempted to buy a new consumer chassis. Hopefully these '11s will be problem-free (or at least motor-problem free) because I really do love the polaris chassis, I just am annoyed with corporate.

 

[Ron]

Ski Doo isn't any better, I owned an 07 Rev. Doo just kept using bad parts to fix problems, ran out of cranks, clutch part shortages, etc. Although they added a year of warranty they only did it for non sno check and they only did it to avoid a big class action suit. I had more issues in one year with my Doo than with 10 years (cumulative) on Polaris...but I did one lucky thing when I took back my SC 900 and traded it for an Edge 8 in 2005.
Anyone that thinks the Snowmobile Mfct's are loyal is dreaming. They are scrambling between damage control and potential legal claims. The people that caused the problem have their jobs at risk so will do anything they can to protect their backside. JMO!

 

[WFO or go home]

Careful sharing your opinions over here and mentioning the word REV and PRO-RMK in the same post. I did that and they weren't even negative, just an opinion and I got BAD rep for it. Sheesh!

Bad Rep....NOOOOOOOOOOOO! That's why i don't play here much anymore. Yamaha guys used to the most sensitive but they must have all traded them in for polaris'.

Ron, Doo had some issues in '07 but they handled them. Maybe not as fast as we might like but handled none the less, as you know, I have one.

Poo never handled the problem.The babied things along until warranties expired and never looked back. The issues with the 900 IQ were NEVER fixed. It cost me $1000's of dollars and many weekends riding the pine and they had no answers for me. They even lied to me. I talked to the same "technician" about the same issue more than once and he had the nerve to tell me that it was the first time he had heard of it, AFTER we had spoken about it before. This was after the service manager had called several times over several months.

Wish I could have traded my 900 in but all the dealers were buried in them so they had no value. You made a smart move and took your loss early.

I know broken record, but Polaris killed a died in the wool loyal customer with lies and bad customer service.

 

[thefullmonte]

I've been going over a new assult with a fine toothed comb. I currently own an IQ and can honestly say that after owning the IQ I never would have dreamed that Polaris was even capable of building a sled this nice. They did a complete 180 on fit and finish. Still not Yamaha standards, but a vast improvement none the less.

They also paid more attention to maintenance items such as being able to access the oil pump. The cables for the most part all appear to be safely routed. I think from past experience I would move the capacitor off of the voltage regulator since it got even smaller?

What I didn't care for was the riding/standing position. I immediately felt uncomfortable compared to the IQ. And granted I haven't ridden it, but these are just initial thoughts. I'm sure it is just a matter of making a couple of changes. It honestly felt like the sled was moving me rearward to get comfortable. The bars were way too wide for my liking. Not even sure how they came up with that bend and width. The IQ bars were narrower and I don't even run bars that wide on my dirtbike. Something with the ergonomics of the sled seemed off for me personally. The cockpit down to the running boards just felt unnatural for me. Footing and knee position didn't fit well. It was as if the console (and maybe the bars) needed to be further forward.

I remember when Ski Doo went from the Rev to the XP. Many people didn't care for the change and still feel the Rev was a better chassis. We were having this discussion at work that there just isn't a one size fits all. We talk about it with dirt bikes all the time. It is very noticable when the geometry of a machine doesn't fit you.

 

[Hawkster]

Let me clarify my point.

In 2003-04-05 etc, all the REV haters complained about the lack of leg/body protection provided by the REV summit, NOW, the Pro-RMK has even less coverage then the REV had (which was less than the XP) and its an industry revolution.

In addition, rider forward position was hammered by the same people and now they all have some variation thereof. Some prefer way forward (XP) some prefer further back (Cat) and poo is right in the middle. Happy medium perhaps.

If you remember, we sold both so I got both sides of the propoganda. Most people don's know that polaris had a completely different sled ready for release when the rev came along and they were forced to go back to the drawing board, guess we know how that worked out.

I suppose everyone will be pounding direct injection and coil over suspensions next. I am really surprised it took this long for someone to do a coil over. Holz gets credit for the popularity of that.

I just find it funny how something that was crap from one manufacturer is a god send from another.

There I go again, having an opinion.

It's the brand loyalty thing, if you can't beat them join them I try not to be brand loyal but I am, I enjoy checking out all the new bells and whistles on all machines. The dragging part shouldn't be a problem, I can't ride two ski's anymore their to exhausting and I'm wide open to dragging especially when I've got her horizontal, you guys might have to start wearing knee braces though

 

[WFO or go home]

I am sure most will grow accustomed to the Pro, like anything else. I didn't care for the REV the first couple rides either. The XP was an easy transition from the rev however.

I sure poo was at least close on their first attempt, they cannot afford another IQ disaster.