Important Introducing the 2022 Polaris RMK lineup and first ride impressions!!!

Scott · Feb 24, 2021

Welcome to the 2022 Polaris RMK lineup launch thread.

For the 2022 Polaris RMK line-up, Polaris introduces the Polaris Matryx RMK.
In this thread I will cover the following aspects of the 2022 RMK lineup, which some of these are new features, others are highlights.

Suspension/Drivetrain
Cockpit/ergonomics
Tunnel
Power options
RMK Package/Snowcheck options
First Ride impressions
Photos and Videos

Earlier this winter, I had the pleasure to join Polaris engineers and the product development team, along with a fantastic group of Polaris Ambassadors. We were among the very first non-Polaris employees to view and ride the new Matryx RMK.
As I sat through the introduction slideshow on the morning of our ride...it was clear that the new Matryx RMK chassis we were previewing was being introduced to us in bite-sized stages.

I can't believe how much Polaris has packed into a single model year release, especially with a new platform.

The snow conditions were prefect for testing new models. We had FEET of solid base with a couple feet of firm snow and a couple feet of fresh on top.

OH MY GOSH WE HAD A GREAT TIME. We had a wide variety of skill levels and experiences, so this was a great time and a treat for all of us.

After my day in the saddle, I can whole-heartedly say THIS CHASSIS IS AMAZING.
It's VERY capable and no matter your skill level, it will raise your mountain riding game if you let it.

In this thread, I will also be happy to help with any questions you might have.

HERE WE GO!!!!!!
And maybe we'll get a factory tether!!

Scott · Feb 24, 2021

Suspension/Drivetrain

All NEW P-22 primary clutch with lightweight cover
Uses 10-series profile weights?
Polaris React front end
Quick Drive
Quick Drive 2
Gripper skis
NEW ski loops
Series 7 tracks: 146, 155 and 163
Series 8 tracks: 155 and 165
Walker Evans Racing shocks
- Walker Evans monotube
- Walker Evans reservoir
- Walker Evans Velocity
POTENTIAL for Fox QS3 upgrade to be offered (stay tuned) (edit: It doesn't look like this materialized)

Impressions/Comments
The 2019-2022 Polaris React will bolt right onto this sled, so this geometry is unchanged. It works WELL on the Matryx RMK.
The NEW P-22 primary clutch wasn't really broken down for us, but it does have an idler bearing so that belt deflection doesn't need to be adjusted.
The QD and QD2 are unchanged for MY22.
The Gripper skis are unchanged except for a cosmetic upgrade to the ski loop.
The lightweight cover is not an aftermarket; it's Polaris's own version of a lightweight cover.
The Series 7 and Series 8 tracks are offered again for 2022.
The Matryx RMK with WE Velocity shocks is a BLAST. I can't wait for my snowcheck. If the Fox QS3 option does materialize, I WILL have those!!

Scott · Feb 25, 2021

Cockpit

Wind deflector or low/mid windshield options
NEW Brake lever
NEW Master cylinder
Magnetic tether
NEW Grips
NEW bar hooks
7s touch screen display.
Large storage behind the 7s gauge.
3" narrower seat with low profile.
No seat posts.
Pro Taper handle bars: Low, med and high bar options.

Impressions/Comments
I loved standing over this sled.
Just standing on the running boards with my hands on the bars, it felt really comfortable, and just subtly different than the AXYS.
HOWEVER, the narrower seat is IMMEDIATELY noticed. Or maybe I should say the ABSENCE of some of the seat. It is 3 inches narrower, so those of us who get high centered easily will REALLY appreciate this narrower seat.
The seat is almost exactly the same length.
It sits right on the tank, with no seat posts either.

The wind deflector is almost not noticeable. It's definitely must lower and the old Polaris "low" windshield on the Axys. I did see a couple test sleds with the "medium" windshield on it too, which was pretty similar to the Axys mid height winshield.

The new brake lever is a Hayes, but it's not the same one. It's got a bit of a ergonomic curve to it, like an aftermarket lever, but its definitely a Hayes Polaris brake lever. NO, your current adjustable heated aftermarket lever won't transfer over to this.
The new master cylinder is EASY to spot. The master cylinder is something I normally barely pay attention too, but obviously the design change is function over form, but its there to see and it looks pleasant.

WE HAVE A TETHER! And it's magnetic. It's really easy to use and I think it will be more consistent and effective than the ole button tether. During our test ride, we left our tether clipped to us as we hopped back and forth and traded sleds, so we know the tether is not computer coded to the individual sled.

The new grips have more texture and are definitely more "grippy". Even when wet. There are pretty sweet.
The new bar hooks aren't much different, than the old ones, but they are a little bit more thin and sharp looking on the end.

The 7s touch screen is now part of the RMK lineup.
And it stays on for 10 minutes after you shut the sled off. It doesn't shut off when you hit the reverse button either.

If you are familiar with it, I don't have to explain anything. If you know, you know.
For those of you new to the 7s touch screen, you can customize the display many ways. You can see your riding buddies (they must also have the 7s or Ride Command app) like you can on the GPS Garmin Rino. Your can TEXT the other riders in the group through the GPS text feature of this screen. If you've texted your buddies way back in the backcountry (with no cell service) on your Garmin Rino GPS, you also know what I'm talking about. You can name your sled in the GPS group, so you'll see the map and bunch of your buddies icons with names like Goose, Maverick, Iceman, Jester, etc. LOL Or maybe your group is more of the Blaze, Laser, Nitro, Zap and Gemini type.

Anyway, the little slide switch above the screen, on the top of the dash, will open up a HUGE compartment behind the screen where you could have room to put a 2-liter bottle. It's roomy enough to store a quart of chocolate milk, a half-rack of rootbeer, some gloves and some fire starter
.

Scott · Feb 25, 2021

Tunnel overview:

All NEW one-piece formed tunnel.
Adjustable footwells. (Three positions or REMOVED)
Shortened tunnel cooler under seat/tank only. No more full length cooler under tunnel
Powder Trac running boards. These are the same running boards as current Axys RMK.

Matryx RMK (cut tunnel)

The Matryx RMK tunnel is 3" shorter than Axys RMK.
Cooler extends just beyond the back of seat. Double pass with fins? Snow flap.

Matryx SLASH RMK (REALLY cut tunnel)

This is where it gets REALLY rowdy.
Tapered tunnel end. It's a horizontal arrowhead-style taper (my words, not Polaris).
If you want Khaos, this is where you'll find it.
The Matryx Slash RMK tunnel is 7" shorter than Axys RMK.
The cooler stops at back of the tank. Double pass with fins.
Minimized flap. Needs scratchers in minimal snow conditions.
Your buddies didn't ride up behind you before....they REALLY won't now.
Previous lock and ride accessories will NOT attach to this tunnel.

Impressions/Comments
(By the way, I called dibs on the Guns n Roses wrap.)

No coolant out in the rear of the tunnel!! No more snow and ice build up under the tunnel, which can reduce dozens of pounds on the rear end.
Polaris is bring the weight away from the bumpers and brining it closer to your feet. The center mass is shrinking and and getting closer to the center of the sled.

This all new tunnel taper isn't a vertical taper you can see when looking at the sled from the side.
It's a horizontal taper that you see when you are standing on the running boards looking down at the rear bumper. It becomes more narrow as it goes back to the rear bumper.
This tunnel has a lot less drag. I found myself figuring out bowties an re-entries like I've been doing them before. Carving hard "S**thook" turns are a piece of cake. Effortless.

In deep snow, a steep, long, downhill carve/panel slide was pretty easy to initiate. Although on this particular hill where I tried this, it had a hard crust under the windblown powder, so I had to work a little bit to travel diagonally down to the road I was aiming for. The sled just laid over on it's side into the hill and away I went.
I just kept my opposite foot forward in the adjustable footwell, worked the brake and throttle, while the uphill foot skied its way down beside me. It was pretty dang smooth.

I noticed when this sled was sitting on flat solid ground and got on the sled to pull it over, it took about the same effort (which can be easily adjusted with suspension changes and ski stance setting) as the Axys. It went over just so far, and it stopped almost like it knew exactly where the perfect carving angle was supposed to be. Up on the mountain, I found that same edge and it behaved like it knew what I wanted it to do. I don't feel like I had to learn or adjust to a new chassis like I did going from a previous chassis to the Pro or the Axys. The Matryx RMK is an easy transition for Axys RMK owners.

The footwells were set in the middle position. I liked them there., but I'm going to spend some time with my own sled next year and find out just exactly where I want them.
My boots didn't feel trapped. I'm so used to having tight footwells, that it took a bit to get used to them, but after a while I never gave the footwells a second thought until I landed on a hard icey drift in a pirouette, and got thrown off. Then I realized my feet were NOT trapped in the footwell. The sled was laying on it's side, and I was NOT attached to it.
When I was trying to figure out how to upright the sled, without rolling a one of a kind prototype over on top of itself, I was able to lift and push the rear of the sled uphill. (Remember, it was laying on it's side). I actually pivoted the sled on the side panel and spun the rear uphill. The rear of the sled was so light (because of the new tunnel and NO coolant system back there) that I could actually pivot the rear of the sled UPHILL. I got the sled into a position that I could start it and throttle away on it's side by myself.

I'm not a big person. I'm about 5'8" and 160 lbs...so I would have absolutely needed more than a ski pull to get myself going again if my Axys were in that same predicament. I got out of that all by myself. I'm sure it had a LOT to do with the center of gravity moving closer to the footwells and not having so much weight out on the end of the tunnel.

SLASH
With a 7" cut tunnel, this is where things will begin to get rowdy. I think Kesterke has 7" off his tunnel.
I watched Jarred Raper (on the Boosted Khaos 155) pull about a dozen bowties and pirouettes in a narrow-ish creek bottom in about a minute. It was wild. Then I watched him take it from a dead stop, on flat ground and flip it right over backward on top of himself.

The Matryx Slash Patriot Boost Khaos is the rowdiest in this line up. It was popular. Everyone wanted on it. I didn't get to ride it until we got back down to the bottom, but yes, I got a taste. And yes, it's full Khaos.

Scott · Feb 25, 2021

Power options:
650
850
AND Patriot Boost!!

15 to 20 years ago on this forum, we used to dream about the OEMS giving us a factory mod sled, even if it meant no warranty.
We wanted an OEM to give us a sled with the features and options that the aftermarkets were putting on the sleds, stuff that we all planned to add anyway.

The term "mod sled" has definitely evolved over the years because far fewer radical changes are needed to achieve what we previously viewed as a "mod sled".
Actually, in many ways the modern stock sled is more mod then most mod sleds were 20 years ago.

Lately, we are getting closer to a place where a "mod sled" is a wrap, upgraded shocks, bumpers and a TETHER.

After several generations of new chassis, and incremental improvements, like the addition of the Quick Drive in 2013, I truly believe that what we have now for 2022 is a true FACTORY MOD SLED.

But this is a factory mod sled WITH A WARRANTY.

THIS IS HUGE!!!!

WE ALL KNOW this isn't the first OEM 2-stroke with a turbo, but they are RAISING THE BAR VERY HIGH!

Patriot Boost highlights:

10% more power than naturally aspirated Patriot 850 at sea level.
Reed valve intake in air box
HIGH BOOST on pump gas.
Proprietary turbo housing.
Vertical mounted turbo above exhaust muffler.
Pressurized oil lubrication to turbo.
Servo-controlled wastegate bypass exiting pipe expansion chamber
Holds same power to over 10,000 feet elevation.
9lbs on pump gas at 10,000 feet elevation.
Makes more power at 12,000 feet elevation than other OEM 2-stroke turbo at 8000 feet.
Developed SIMULTANEOUSLY with the naturally aspirated Polaris 850 development, so this boosted package has about 8 years of R&D!

Impressions:
(Disclaimer, my personal sled is a 2019 Polaris 850, 165 with a Boondocker Sidekick High Boost 100LL.)

Patriot Boost pulls like a freight train at 8000 feet elevation on a steep hill with 4 feet of powder.

It revs VERY quickly.

This engine and turbo combination are a LOT to talk about.
When I was invited to preview the 2022 Polaris RMK lineup earlier this winter, the only hint I was given was to "get excited".
After spending a day on the Polaris Patriot Boost 850 RMK, I AM excited.
REALLY EXCITED!!!!!

Lag and the reed valve intake:
When you talk about turbos, the first thing most people ask is how much boost and how much turbo lag?

What is turbo lag? Lag is when you hit the throttle and the cylinders are asking for air and fuel, but the turbo hasn't spooled up enough air pressure yet. This is because of negative air pressure in the air box.
In order to have turbo boost, the airbox must be sealed to build pressure and force the air into the engine.
It's like having a balloon to blow up, but there is a hole in it, therefore you can't inflate it. But if you have a sealed balloon, it will inflate and build pressure.

With the Polaris Patriot Boost, the reed valve intake in the airbox allows breath on the bottom end avoid that negative air pressure in the airbox before the turbo spools.
When the turbo spools up, it creates positive pressure in the airbox and the reed valves close, allowing boost to build.
The best of both worlds are achieved because the engine can have a naturally aspirated bottom end AND the midrange and top end of boost! The reed valve technology is NOT new (I rode a 2001 GenII turbo with an Aerocharger 66 in 2008 that had reed valves in the airbox) but Polaris did it right. The acceleration is RIGHT THERE!!

The wastegate bypass comes out of the expansion chamber and dumps into the exhaust.
The main exhaust and wastegate "mix a little bit" in the muffler, but not very much. They basically have two separate outlets from the muffler/can.
It's a big quiet muffler. It sounds bone stock, except for the subtle, yet noticeable (and lovely) sound of the wastegate.

The turbo is mounted above (or on top of) this big quiet muffler. It's laying on its side. Don't worry about that though, because the pressurized oil lubrication system takes care of it just fine.

Who makes the turbo housing?
Polaris made their own turbo.
It's an in-house proprietary design.
They didn't tell me how big the turbo is (as compared to a Garrett or Aerocharger 53 or 66 series, etc) but they assured us it's a BIG turbo and it moves a LOT of air.

Scott · Feb 25, 2021

Package options:
These are subject to final production release, but this is what I took away from our presentation.
I will edit these if they change.

--Matryx RMK and Matryx SLASH RMK: (naturally aspirated)
155, 163 and 165

--Patriot Boost RMK and Patriot Boost SLASH RMK:
155, 163 and 165

--Matryx SLASH Khaos: (naturally aspirated)
146, 155 and 165

--Matryx SLASH Khaos:
146 and 155.
Confirmed, there is NOT a boosted 165 Khaos at this time.

--Patriot Boost SLASH Khaos
155

Scott · Feb 25, 2021

Ride report with pics and videos

You already saw some of my comments above about riding these sleds, but I've got more to add.
I was invited to preview the 2022 Polaris RMK lineup earlier this winter. The only hint I was given was to "get excited".

That could mean a lot of things, so just like everyone else, I had varied excitement, expectations, hopes and wishes for what Polaris would bring to the table in 2022.
As I sat through the introduction slideshow on the morning of our ride...it was clear that the new Matryx RMK chassis we were previewing was being introduced to us in bite-sized stages.

And upon completion of the presentation....we have a FACTORY MOD SLED, WITH A FACTORY WARRANTY!!!!!
As you can tell a LOT of the consumer's wishes and wants have now been filled.

Polaris has been listening to us!!

Like I said in a post above...I can't believe how much Polaris is packing into one release!!!

I will elaborate on some of my commentary above, so stick with me here.

The 850 had been in development and on the snow for 5 years before it was introduced in March of 2018.
Yes there was a production issue in fall/summer of 2018 traced to a specific employee and specific dates on the assembly line, and it bares repeating that this was NOT a result of design problems and have not reoccurred.

When Polaris began developing the 850, they simultaneously developed the 850 turbo.
They were BOTH under development at the same time.
This turbo system has a solid 8 years in R&D before production begins this year.

I've been lucky to be part of the Polaris launch on several occasions, and I've said many times that each new Polaris chassis/platform is equally better than the previous. The Dragon chassis was a historical improvement over the edge Chassis. The ProRide chassis was equally better than the Dragon. The Axys RMK was still just as much a step over the ProRide RMK. At some point it's hard to believe that they can still improve a chassis with these same leaps in rideability over the previous chassis.
With the Matryx RMK, I still feel this Matryx RMK is that much better than the previous.

For this my test ride with the engineers and product design team, we were in a group of eight men and women who are easy to find in the sled industry, video industry and social media platforms. It was a fun group and we got to see everyone push the sleds through the paces.
Of course these are pre-production prototypes, so we can't really ride them like they are our own. They have to come home at the end of the day so that the sled was still functional for the next couple weeks, for media, dealers etc etc.
If we broke it, we didn't get to buy it.

With that said, we rode them hard and these sleds are AMAZING!!!

I'm not great at candid interviews, so I hope that I was able to demonstrate how excited I was for this sled. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!

I spent most of my time on the boosted sleds, but the naturally aspirated tuning was SPOT ON!!!! The are getting better and better.
The MY22 tune is CLEAN AND CRISP.
In the naturally aspirated department, several of the test riders expressed a noticeable "seat of the pants" improvement from 2021 850 to these 2022 850 test sleds.
A test rider told me "Holy crap this rips way better than my 2021. They've gotten these running CLEAN!"

My first experience with a short tunnel was in 2002 when I put a 156" track on my stock GenII 144 tunnel. It's not the same as MY22, but I did notice my 2001 handled differently in deep snow.
The cut tunnels do reduce drag and make quick turns so much smoother. Believe it. They really do.
On the Matryx RMK test ride, we had various snow conditions to play in, but overall we had deep snow. Sometimes the snow was set up under the 2 or so feet of powder. We even found some hard crust under the powder.
The cut tunnel made turning and carving easier to do. Less leverage and less power was needed.

Chassis rigidity has been maintained throughout and I might even say this new tunnel increases the rigidity of the chassis.
You will have to get all new tunnel bags and accessories, because they don't have the single track for the lock and ride on this tunnel.

The pump gas turbo felt SO STRONG at 8000 feet elevation. It didn't feel "compensated". Patriot Boost does NOT just feel like a stock sled that maintains stock horsepower from sea level to 8000 feet.
It MAKES MORE POWER THAN THE STOCK SLED. Polaris doesn't release their HP numbers, but if independent dyno testing is accurate, this "10% more than stock" puts it just a little below the 200 mark from sea level up to 10,000 feet.
The graphs they shared with us show that it still maintains more HP at 12,000 feet than the other OEM 2-stroke turbo has at 8000 feet)

And it runs like a boosted mod sled.
It pulls was like an aftermarket turbo! Like a freight train.
Patriot Boost spools up and pulls hard like a turbo should, yet it was smooth and linear.
I pointed up a hill with 4 ft of fresh and it almost felt like I was on my high boost Boondocker Sidekick.

I pushed it and stabbed stabbed the throttle and worked it over.....and tried to make it bobble, especially in the mid range where things can be more finicky.
There were no hiccups, no stutters, no hesitations, just instant power all day.
And if you need it, you CAN hear the quiet wastegate, just to remind yourself that you are on a boosted sled.

LAG.
If you've ridden turbo sled, you know that lag is an issue. Sometimes it can be clutched out with high primary clutch engagement, but that can create another annoying bottom end trait that many people dislike about turbos.
Polaris wanted to reduce or eliminate lag so that it could have the snappy bottom end of a naturally aspirated intake, yet the mid-range and top end of the turbo.

Does Polaris get to have their cake and eat it too? Yes, I think so.
With the reed valve intake in the airbox, Polaris has greatly reduced the effects of lag which is nearly GONE.
Compare it with a stock naturally aspirated motor, and you will be greatly surprised at how successful they were at eliminating turbo lag. It was honestly so much fun to ride, it was hard to give it up and hop back and forth among the other variety of test sleds. But hey, I'm a team player. LOL.

I didn't get to ride the Matryx Slash Patriot Boost Khaos 155 until we got down onto flat ground, but that thing is an absolute riot. Several people noted this is where you get "Full Khaos".
If you are into bowties, pirouettes, re-entrys and those forms of trick riding, you will not be able to contain yourself.

This will raise the game for A LOT of people.
I think we will see a LOT more people posting new tricks on their social media next year.