I finally gave up on Polaris

[rickster]

Well after having been on Polaris since 1993 (XLT) I have finally had enough and just traded in my 900rmk for 2010 800 Summit. I have owned up to as many as 8 Polaris sleds at a time when my kids where home and active sledders, but as loyal as I have been I just could not do it again. I have owned three Victory bikes, still have two, and love them. They are great and I like my Polaris ATV's as well, but Polaris has worn me out on sleds. I traded my 800 because of crank issues and went to the 900 so I could ride with confidence. Well that didn't work either and once again they have crank issues! The 900's where/are even worse as no matter what you did, and I did it all, and no matter how well it ran, and mine ran well, you still had the "when is the crank going to go thing", hanging over your head. You are stuck to either keeping them and pouring the money into it or take a beating.

I chose the later after doing everything but the crank because it takes the fun out of riding when your thinking about how hard it would be to drag your sled out of where ever your at! I realize any sled can go down, but it shouldn't be foremost in your mind. I had done everything else to this sled to make it work; clutching, cooling, timbersled frontend, pipe and can, etc. etc.!

I looked at the Cats and Yami but chose the Skidoo over them, in part because of the dealer. I picked mine up from Rice in Rapid City whom I have bought my Victory bikes and my son runs Honda & Suzuki with them. They have been great to work with and always have taken care of me. The Polaris dealer in Rapid sucks and that last thing I would want is a problem sled and be working with a dealer that did not try or care. There are some really good Polaris dealers in Wyoming but I wanted to have support closer to home. You don't see guys having major problems selling Summits unlike the 900's.

Even as I was shopping around I gave Polaris one last chance. The Rapid dealership had a black Dragon 800 that I loved but they where $1,500 under everyone else on the 900 trade in. They know them and don't want them! What does it say when a dealer doesn't want to trade for their own line! My sled was pretty tricked out and they would not even give forth the effort to walk outside and look it over on a 50 degree day! My wife is still riding an 06 600 Switchback and it is a very good sled. Time will tell if I made the right decision but I couldn't be any worse off. The 900rmk was/is one of the worst debatcles in a time when R&D and technology should be at an all time high.

I worked as a Polaris tech in the 90's and this was a very hard decision for me, that's for sure. Rickster

 

[highline]

You'll love the XP.

 

[snowhunter1]

XP

You made a great choice!! In the fun factor the XP is a 10!! Let us all know how it works for you.

 

[Gmiller]

I hear what your saying, but i've looked at other brands too but i just can't do it, i would have just put on Indy Dan's crank and never worried again, but thats me. I agree Polaris needs to dial in there engine before they change anything else.

 

[Chubbydog]

I don't think you'll be disapointed in the 2010 XP.

 

[Blu Du]

i gave up on there junk in 97 and haven't looked back except to see if my knuckle headed buddies are still there or they broke down.

 

[rickster]

can't justify the cost

I looked at the Indy Dan crank and I think it is a solid fix. I also think the factory update works as well. But the bottom line is I could do all that and keep pouring dollars into an outdated sled that isn't worth anything on the open market or for trade. I have always modded sleds and my bikes and I know as well as anyone you never get that money back out of them but often it does help resale interest. Financially you can pour all the money you want into a 900 but it is only good if you are willing to ride the thing for ever. I thought about keeping it around for a spare, but if it does break it isn't worth anything at that point, your only in deeper. I thought about giving it to my son who doesn't have a sled right now, but I love him too much! rickster

 

[mtnpull]

I think you made a great decision. The 10 xp is a great sled and pretty much a pull and go sled. They have really got it dialed in for 2010.

 

[Gmiller]

I looked at the Indy Dan crank and I think it is a solid fix. I also think the factory update works as well. But the bottom line is I could do all that and keep pouring dollars into an outdated sled that isn't worth anything on the open market or for trade. I have always modded sleds and my bikes and I know as well as anyone you never get that money back out of them but often it does help resale interest. Financially you can pour all the money you want into a 900 but it is only good if you are willing to ride the thing for ever. I thought about keeping it around for a spare, but if it does break it isn't worth anything at that point, your only in deeper. I thought about giving it to my son who doesn't have a sled right now, but I love him too much! rickster

Thats all very true, can't argue with you. I did hear a guy two days ago on the 900 forum traded in his 900 and got 6800 out of it for a truck, just FYI. Sounds like your mind is made up, do what you gotta do to keep riding!!! I don't bash other brands, they all have up's and down's, some more than others. Good luck!

 

[Jonce]

I think you made a great decision. The 10 xp is a great sled and pretty much a pull and go sled. They have really got it dialed in for 2010.

Agreed, I made the Poo to Doo switch as well. My Poo would've been good with the PCV but I had worries if it would come back to the trailer every night on its own power (i.e. voltage regulators, etc.). I've put 200+ miles on my '10 Doo 800 Everest, great sled so far. Electric start is sweet to have. To get my XP to carve like the Poo's, I pulled the swap bar, swapped the skis side to side, and put the rear limiter strap in the last hole. The Quick Clickers is great to have. I like the fact that my Doo can adjust the rpm's where as the Poo's needed a weight change. The other side of that coin is that changing the pins in a TRA primary is a little more involved than changing the weights in a Poo primary.

Over all, I really like my 10 XP. I am just trying to find the right position for the handlebars and risers. I put one of those IsoVibe's on the sled and that seemed to help with the vibration I was feeling in the bars.

 

[oregunrmk]

I feel your pain.

As a fellow 900 owner and one who actually sno-checked an 06, I cant blame you at all. I cant speak for other owners, but I personally feel that Polaris has totally abandoned us and could care less that we lost our a**. When I was trying to do the r&d for them( literally fixing the thing after every ride), I called everyone from my dealer to supposedly a vice president of the kiss your behind division at Polaris. As soon as I mentioned a 900, it was always the same game of passing me off to someone else, and of course you always had to leave a message. When I would actually talk to someone, the tone was always We could care less. Ive bought five new machines in the last 4 years(all Poo) but again they could not care less. Its funny too, all it would take would be a rebate or customer loyalty discount of some kind, but no it was pretty much screw you. So yes I will also be jumping ship when I buy a new sled next year and the 20 more I plan on buying before I leave this earth, but hey they dont need my measly money. After all the economy is booming and people cant buy there products fast enough.
Sorry for being long winded, rant over.

 

[skooter]

changing from polaris next year dealer here sucks tired of driving 200 miles each time sled needs remaped love sled other wise

 

[rickster]

I am not brand bashing

We still have my wife's 600 Switchback and we love that sled, no problems. I also own 2 Victory bikes and 2 Polaris Atv's. I was a Polaris master tech. I hope others are having good luck with their Polaris sleds. I enjoy riding with anybody and don't care what brand they ride, same with bikes. That said I just could not hang on to it any longer and put any more money in it with no chance for a decent return on it. There are things about it I really liked for instance the monster torque and hill climbing ability. But it was terribly heavy even after I did what I could to lighten it up and it was ok, but now sleds have evolved and I wanted the newer technology. Had the Polaris dealer given me the time of day and a half way decent trade I would have snapped that black Dragon up in a heart beat. Why?, because I am that loyal. But the 900 was a nightmare to all the loyal fans who bought one and the factory never did do that much to help. I know many dealers did a lot to help us. By the way this is the 2nd 900 I have owned. The first was a 166 and I did not like that at all. By spring of 06 the 900's had such a bad rap that all I could do to get out of it was trade it for another 900 in 151! I should have cut my losses then but I stayed loyal. But I learned from all that as I swore then I would never ever snow check another first year sled and I haven't. I don't buy first year bikes either! rickster

 

[pullhardr]

Rickster, I believe you might be giving up right when you should be investing in what might be the best snow machine ever made. You rode the new D8?? I'm definately not going to give up on Polaris because it had one "bad" kid. Did you give up on the Huskers after Osborne was gone...are you gonna outsource your corn to Canada?? Good luck and I heard Rosetta Stone is a quick way to learn french.

 

[travydog]

I bought my 2010 800 summit at rice honda to and they were great to work with. My son loved to ring the bell after we bought it thought that was cool. I love the sled and wont go back to the polaris after rideing my summit it is a great sled you will have alot of fun on it. Congrats