I get questions fairly often from folks wondering how I set up my 900 since I am a big fan and have had overall very good luck with my sled. I'll start out briefly saying that I didn't buy my 900 brand new, I've had it for 4 full seasons on the snow and really like it and set it up to work well for me and on a limited budget too. When I purchased the sled it had 2,074 miles, a fresh rebuild with '06 pistons and an '06 crank, and all the recalls and service bulletins had been performed, but it was otherwise a BONE STOCK sled... it only came with scratchers and an SLP can... THAT'S IT! After 4 seasons with it I now have 4,780 miles on it, and a lot of fun memories so far too!
So How do you make a 900 reliable?
That's a loaded question, lol.... There's what you can do to make a 900 reliable, and then there's just adding parts for the heck of it to possibly chase performance 1 lb or 1 hp at a time.
In my experience, my 900 has been overall a very reliable machine for me. It won't get the highmark on the hill, but that's the mere fact that my engine is stock and my sled and myself are a bit 'healthier' if you will than the guys I ride with.... It still performs well and I can keep up with lighter guys on newer sleds surprisingly well in normal conditions.
If you're looking for the exact recipe I used to set up my 900 to MY liking, I'd be happy to share. It may not all be the top of the line mods, but they work for me and put a smile on my face.
First and foremost - The Motor
2006 pistons
2006 Crank
F&I Intake (to lose weight)
Fresh Throttle Body intake boots
Fresh '06 Motor Mounts (stiffer, will vibrate more)
Fresh OEM torque stop set 1/16th" from contact
Fresh stock oil cable
CAREFUL examination and routing of all electrical wires and coolant hoses.
Clutching/gearing
Suprisingly, I like the stock clutching... there might be more on the table, but it seems to perform reasonably well for me and my riding style.
10-70 weights
black/green primary
stock helix
red/black secondary
2 delrin washers under the spring cup
19/39 gearing - top trail speed of 78 mph W.OT. cruises at my typical trail speed of 50 mph nicely
With this setup I got 1100 miles out of my first belt when I purchased the sled freshly rebuilt 4 years ago. Second season I only got 400 miles out of each of 2 belts, but my motor mounts were junk and I replaced them the following summer. 3rd/4th season I got a combined 800 miles out of that belt... I put in a new belt I will be using this fall. A total of 4 belts to go 2700 miles... I think that's pretty good for a torquey 900 myself! My riding is a lot of thick trees and moderate hillclimbing/sidehilling. Trail riding about 10 miles each way to get to and from the good stuff. The first season I had it was noticeably the best performance and it pulled that 166-2.4 @ 44mph average peak in the heavy and wet cascade mtn snow... performance tapered off as I could tell the engine was getting tired and ready for a rebuild after this last season.
Suspension
I didn't do anything too fancy here either. I removed the sway bar and cranked up the front springs within 1/2" of max preload. This still gives the front end a LOT of roll, especially on the corners, but handles nicely in the trees and off-trail. The rear I let out the limiters all the way and cranked the preload up a touch on the front shock as the 05 shocks are fully adjustable. With this setup it gives the front end a light feel and good ski-lift when you tap the throttle. The rear springs I set to max preload. They've been sagging a lot more the last couple seasons so I am going to put 1 heavier spring on the rear from my 700 so I have 1 stocker and 1 - .375/45* to help lift things up a bit. I've been hesitant to replace the stock rear springs because the 900 has a very plush ride on the moguled out trails... the 700 I upgraded with a pair of the .375/45* springs and it's too stiff on the trails and beats me up... I think swapping 1 spring over to each will help get the best of both worlds - less sag, and a better ride.
The front end also received newer 08 spindles and the longer upper bolts to make them work, along with spacers, and Gripper skis work VERY well on the 900. The only complaint I have with the front end is that it does roll around excessively when I don't really want it to, but that is a bit of a trade-off as I really like how easy it is to sidehill and initiate downhill turns with... you don't have to throw it into the hill, you just shift your weight to the uphill side and pull it up until you hit the balance point, it's just a matter of holding it there after that. Sometimes you have to make sure it doesn't roll to the outside on the trail or when negotiating tree wells however. This is as I said a trade-off and one that I am not going to mess with, It works nicely for the places I intended it to, and I just deal with it in the other places. It's not as quick and 'flickable' as the newer stuff, but I can put that sled in some nice places and have been complimented multiple times by multiple people on how well my 900 works for me.
Other Chassis parts
Here's where I put most of my time and money into, I didn't go wild or extravagant here either, just the basics to make things work well. There's lots of little things here that just help make the whole sled function better one way or another.
SLP vent kit for shock tower and rear of side panels
SLP intake vents to replace the stockers
SLP Can
Skinz front Bumper - eliminates radiator
Skinz float plate - needed to be trimmed, but offers huge protection
Skinz headlight knob cover
Polaris Tether
Removed engine bay heat shields to save weight, replaced with foil tape on side panels .
2" riser (wish I would have gone 3")
Kept all bogies and added scratchers
Polaris Rail Braces to keep those 166" rails straight
As you can see, most of these mods are purely for convenience and ergonomics, the parts of the sled that give you the performance are mostly all stock. The best advice I can give on keeping a 900 running well is that BEFORE EVERY RIDE - DO A THOROUGH VISUAL INSPECTION!!!!!!!!! the 900 is a paint shaker and because of that, wires and hoses can get chaffed very easily, bolts can rattle loose, and that's where problems can start. Vibration and poor wire routing/protection is the only reason I once took my 900 into the shop to track down a problem.
The Polaris 900 is a good sled IMO, but it requires a watchful eye, the minute you get complacent about something is the minute it's going to break-down on you. A THOROUGH pre-ride inspection can catch minor problems before they turn major, just a 2-minute look with a flashlight at possible wear spots can save your day on the snow. Don't be fooled either, the 900 is a TANK, it will mow down some serious bumps like they aren't there, but it will also ride you if you don't ride it. The 900 can be a very forgiving sled with it's broad powerband and long track, or it can get you into a heap of trouble equally fast, it's not a sled everyone will like.... My riding buddies don't like riding my sled, but are impressed how well I can keep up with them when things get technical.
The final thought I'll leave with is that I'm NOT trying to claim that my 900 is as good as the M8s, PROs, or XMs I ride with, but I will say that it is NOT the piece of junk that many haters here on Snowest will tell you it is, and it only takes STOCK parts to make it reliable!
So How do you make a 900 reliable?
That's a loaded question, lol.... There's what you can do to make a 900 reliable, and then there's just adding parts for the heck of it to possibly chase performance 1 lb or 1 hp at a time.
In my experience, my 900 has been overall a very reliable machine for me. It won't get the highmark on the hill, but that's the mere fact that my engine is stock and my sled and myself are a bit 'healthier' if you will than the guys I ride with.... It still performs well and I can keep up with lighter guys on newer sleds surprisingly well in normal conditions.
If you're looking for the exact recipe I used to set up my 900 to MY liking, I'd be happy to share. It may not all be the top of the line mods, but they work for me and put a smile on my face.
First and foremost - The Motor
2006 pistons
2006 Crank
F&I Intake (to lose weight)
Fresh Throttle Body intake boots
Fresh '06 Motor Mounts (stiffer, will vibrate more)
Fresh OEM torque stop set 1/16th" from contact
Fresh stock oil cable
CAREFUL examination and routing of all electrical wires and coolant hoses.
Clutching/gearing
Suprisingly, I like the stock clutching... there might be more on the table, but it seems to perform reasonably well for me and my riding style.
10-70 weights
black/green primary
stock helix
red/black secondary
2 delrin washers under the spring cup
19/39 gearing - top trail speed of 78 mph W.OT. cruises at my typical trail speed of 50 mph nicely
With this setup I got 1100 miles out of my first belt when I purchased the sled freshly rebuilt 4 years ago. Second season I only got 400 miles out of each of 2 belts, but my motor mounts were junk and I replaced them the following summer. 3rd/4th season I got a combined 800 miles out of that belt... I put in a new belt I will be using this fall. A total of 4 belts to go 2700 miles... I think that's pretty good for a torquey 900 myself! My riding is a lot of thick trees and moderate hillclimbing/sidehilling. Trail riding about 10 miles each way to get to and from the good stuff. The first season I had it was noticeably the best performance and it pulled that 166-2.4 @ 44mph average peak in the heavy and wet cascade mtn snow... performance tapered off as I could tell the engine was getting tired and ready for a rebuild after this last season.
Suspension
I didn't do anything too fancy here either. I removed the sway bar and cranked up the front springs within 1/2" of max preload. This still gives the front end a LOT of roll, especially on the corners, but handles nicely in the trees and off-trail. The rear I let out the limiters all the way and cranked the preload up a touch on the front shock as the 05 shocks are fully adjustable. With this setup it gives the front end a light feel and good ski-lift when you tap the throttle. The rear springs I set to max preload. They've been sagging a lot more the last couple seasons so I am going to put 1 heavier spring on the rear from my 700 so I have 1 stocker and 1 - .375/45* to help lift things up a bit. I've been hesitant to replace the stock rear springs because the 900 has a very plush ride on the moguled out trails... the 700 I upgraded with a pair of the .375/45* springs and it's too stiff on the trails and beats me up... I think swapping 1 spring over to each will help get the best of both worlds - less sag, and a better ride.
The front end also received newer 08 spindles and the longer upper bolts to make them work, along with spacers, and Gripper skis work VERY well on the 900. The only complaint I have with the front end is that it does roll around excessively when I don't really want it to, but that is a bit of a trade-off as I really like how easy it is to sidehill and initiate downhill turns with... you don't have to throw it into the hill, you just shift your weight to the uphill side and pull it up until you hit the balance point, it's just a matter of holding it there after that. Sometimes you have to make sure it doesn't roll to the outside on the trail or when negotiating tree wells however. This is as I said a trade-off and one that I am not going to mess with, It works nicely for the places I intended it to, and I just deal with it in the other places. It's not as quick and 'flickable' as the newer stuff, but I can put that sled in some nice places and have been complimented multiple times by multiple people on how well my 900 works for me.
Other Chassis parts
Here's where I put most of my time and money into, I didn't go wild or extravagant here either, just the basics to make things work well. There's lots of little things here that just help make the whole sled function better one way or another.
SLP vent kit for shock tower and rear of side panels
SLP intake vents to replace the stockers
SLP Can
Skinz front Bumper - eliminates radiator
Skinz float plate - needed to be trimmed, but offers huge protection
Skinz headlight knob cover
Polaris Tether
Removed engine bay heat shields to save weight, replaced with foil tape on side panels .
2" riser (wish I would have gone 3")
Kept all bogies and added scratchers
Polaris Rail Braces to keep those 166" rails straight
As you can see, most of these mods are purely for convenience and ergonomics, the parts of the sled that give you the performance are mostly all stock. The best advice I can give on keeping a 900 running well is that BEFORE EVERY RIDE - DO A THOROUGH VISUAL INSPECTION!!!!!!!!! the 900 is a paint shaker and because of that, wires and hoses can get chaffed very easily, bolts can rattle loose, and that's where problems can start. Vibration and poor wire routing/protection is the only reason I once took my 900 into the shop to track down a problem.
The Polaris 900 is a good sled IMO, but it requires a watchful eye, the minute you get complacent about something is the minute it's going to break-down on you. A THOROUGH pre-ride inspection can catch minor problems before they turn major, just a 2-minute look with a flashlight at possible wear spots can save your day on the snow. Don't be fooled either, the 900 is a TANK, it will mow down some serious bumps like they aren't there, but it will also ride you if you don't ride it. The 900 can be a very forgiving sled with it's broad powerband and long track, or it can get you into a heap of trouble equally fast, it's not a sled everyone will like.... My riding buddies don't like riding my sled, but are impressed how well I can keep up with them when things get technical.
The final thought I'll leave with is that I'm NOT trying to claim that my 900 is as good as the M8s, PROs, or XMs I ride with, but I will say that it is NOT the piece of junk that many haters here on Snowest will tell you it is, and it only takes STOCK parts to make it reliable!
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This will be my 6th season on the 900, and I'm still in love with this sled!
