New to the forums...(again)

[CurtM220]

Hi everyone. I was a member here years ago, then got out of sleds and just sort of faded away. Well now I'm looking at buying another sled adn figured I'd better sign up again. I know I learned a ton here before, and since I'm gonna be back on Polaris for the first time since I was a kid, I know I'll be looking to glean as much knowledge as I can....thanks in advance to everyone who helps me out...

Anyway, pretty sure I'm gonna pull the trigger on an 05 RMK 900, so I've spent the last 3 days reading as much as I can. It currently has 675 miles on it, and the owner *reports* no problems with it. I'll be looking at it next Thursday, and I'm hoping all the recall & dealer update stuff is done. Problem is, I don't really know what to look for to *know* if they've been done. Already planning on sending the clutch out as soon as I can to get balancing done, (suggestions for a good mail order shop), and of course the SLP torque & push links. Will Likely spring for the airbox from SLP as well, since I"ll already be paying shipping.

Sled is super clean, with one small crack in a side panel. Seems to be mine for $3700 if I decide I want it. What say you?

Thanks-
-Curt

 

[skippy]

Hi everyone. I was a member here years ago, then got out of sleds and just sort of faded away. Well now I'm looking at buying another sled adn figured I'd better sign up again. I know I learned a ton here before, and since I'm gonna be back on Polaris for the first time since I was a kid, I know I'll be looking to glean as much knowledge as I can....thanks in advance to everyone who helps me out...

Anyway, pretty sure I'm gonna pull the trigger on an 05 RMK 900, so I've spent the last 3 days reading as much as I can. It currently has 675 miles on it, and the owner *reports* no problems with it. I'll be looking at it next Thursday, and I'm hoping all the recall & dealer update stuff is done. Problem is, I don't really know what to look for to *know* if they've been done. Already planning on sending the clutch out as soon as I can to get balancing done, (suggestions for a good mail order shop), and of course the SLP torque & push links. Will Likely spring for the airbox from SLP as well, since I"ll already be paying shipping.

Sled is super clean, with one small crack in a side panel. Seems to be mine for $3700 if I decide I want it. What say you?

Thanks-
-Curt

If you don't mind sticking another $2000 min. (guessing) into it after you buy it to make it right then go for it... That will bring the total to $5700 which will buy you a nice 2009 sled... I would pass for something newer if it was me. Good luck!

 

[turbolover]

If you don't mind sticking another $2000 min. (guessing) into it after you buy it to make it right then go for it... That will bring the total to $5700 which will buy you a nice 2009 sled... I would pass for something never if it was me. Good luck!

And it will weigh half as much to.

 

[CurtM220]

If you don't mind sticking another $2000 min. (guessing) into it after you buy it to make it right then go for it... That will bring the total to $5700 which will buy you a nice 2009 sled... I would pass for something newer if it was me. Good luck!

Yeah, I've thought about that as well. I figured closer to an additional $1000 in parts after I got it, and I'm happy to spend upwards of $5k total. But around here (Alaska) there's no way I can touch a 2009 long track in the 800cc range for anywhere near $5700. For that money my choices are more in the 2006 to 2007 range, with a handful of *well* used 2008's.

I'm not married to the idea of getting this particular sled, but it seems like an OK deal...but I haven't even looked at it yet, so this could change.

 

[CurtM220]

And it will weigh half as much to.

This is one of the things I keep coming back to...but the guy I'll be riding with is almost half my age, so I wasn't overly concerned...

 

[Z-Man]

Very nice looking sled and with that few miles on it I would go for it. Half as light on a new sled is a huge exaggeration. Make sure the intake boots aren't cracked from age, replace if they are and wrap with heat tape. Make sure it has the 1115 belt on and if it doesn't get the clutch set up for it when you have it balanced. Do the radiator removal and install a skinz bumper and a Fire N Ice intake will lighten it up more. And ride the hell out of it.

Yes, you can spend 2000-3000 on it if you want and get a timbersled suspension and you will end up with a sled that is lighter than the newer ones and rides better.

 

[94fordguy]

Z-man nailed it... They aren't THAT heavy, and they provide much greater torque on the bottom end than any other polaris sled ever made.... The weight difference is more in the range of about 50 lbs heavier, and even at that it's VERY easy to take 35 lbs off a 900 (or more if you want to get into the suspension). I would also recommend a Skinz bumper, gut the airbox OR go with a Fire & Ice, delete the radiator, add an aftermarket exhaust can, upgrade to 08+ spindles, gripper skis, ditch the swaybar and tighten up the springs, the list goes on... For $1k you can get the basics taken care of... if you want to go further than that then the price will go up of course.

Best of luck on your decision, almost anything you could ever think to ask about the 900s can be found in the stickies at the top of the section so you can make a properly informed decision.

They are fun sleds and jsut like my 900 has been, they can be made to run "Gas and Go" just as well as any other sled.


Good luck with your decision

 

[Z-Man]

I have taken 80 lbs off mine I think that makes it lighter than a stock dragon doesn't it?

The skinz Front bumper is about 3 lbs lighter than the worthless stock plastic one.

 

[CurtM220]

Z-man nailed it... They aren't THAT heavy, and they provide much greater torque on the bottom end than any other polaris sled ever made.... The weight difference is more in the range of about 50 lbs heavier, and even at that it's VERY easy to take 35 lbs off a 900 (or more if you want to get into the suspension). I would also recommend a Skinz bumper, gut the airbox OR go with a Fire & Ice, delete the radiator, add an aftermarket exhaust can, upgrade to 08+ spindles, gripper skis, ditch the swaybar and tighten up the springs, the list goes on... For $1k you can get the basics taken care of... if you want to go further than that then the price will go up of course.

Best of luck on your decision, almost anything you could ever think to ask about the 900s can be found in the stickies at the top of the section so you can make a properly informed decision.

They are fun sleds and jsut like my 900 has been, they can be made to run "Gas and Go" just as well as any other sled.


Good luck with your decision

Thanks for the reply...I was figuring about a grand to get the simple stuff out of the way...after that maybe I'll just work on losing 20 pounds off my own @$$...might be cheaper that way...

 

[CurtM220]

Well, I'm headed out today to start putting my hands on some sleds. The 900 is still pretty close to the top of the list, but there are a couple 800/155's I'm gonna look at today. As always, the info in this forum is amazing!

Anyone ever brought up the idea of making a mobile Snowest app?

Thanks again guys, I'll keep you posted-
-Curt

 

[rmk2112]

....................

Anyone ever brought up the idea of making a mobile Snowest app?..............
-Curt

Save the bookmark to your home screen or download tapatalk to your phone.

I use SW via Safari on my iphone4 daily.

 

[CurtM220]

Save the bookmark to your home screen or download tapatalk to your phone.

I use SW via Safari on my iphone4 daily.

Thanks for the tip, downloading now...

 

[skippy]

Why would anyone want to spend money on trying to make a 900 50 pounds lighter this late in the game? I can see it 5 years ago because that was the latest and greatest chassis at the time. It's a outdated chassis and will never handle the way a newer sled will. Let's also not forget that you can also knock pounds off the newer sleds which puts the 900 right back to heavy feeling.... Now if you were buying the 900 sled with all the goodies already on it like there talking about for that price then hell ya it's a great deal.... JMHO! Good luck

 

[Z-Man]

Why would anyone want to spend money on trying to make a 900 50 pounds lighter this late in the game? I can see it 5 years ago because that was the latest and greatest chassis at the time. It's a outdated chassis and will never handle the way a newer sled will. Let's also not forget that you can also knock pounds off the newer sleds which puts the 900 right back to heavy feeling.... Now if you were buying the 900 sled with all the goodies already on it like there talking about for that price then hell ya it's a great deal.... JMHO! Good luck

It's nearly the same chassis and geometry right up till 2010. So I guess if a 2011 or 2012 Pro is in your budget then go for it of course. $Starting with a 10,000 sled and dumping 5 to 10K more into it to make it lighter doesn't seem like a very economical option either. Different plastic on an 09 and 10 did not make it a new chassis, all the suspension pieces will unbolt and bolt onto the 05 and 06. The 06 even has the same chaincase.

 

[94fordguy]

X2 again to what Z-man said.. The 900s front geometry is essentially identical to the new sleds, it is nearly unchaged even up to the Pro sleds. The rear suspension is very similar as well, just lightened up and weaker (look how much metal they took out of the rails for example) The biggest change from the IQ to the RAW is the deletion of the front radiator and the tunnel plastics, as well as a different tunnel and cooling system. The cooling on the new system is better, but I'd bet the tunnel and boards are much weaker in overall strength... the 900 is heavy for a reason, IT'S BUILT!!!

The new sleds work better just from the simple fact they are running 50-60 lbs lighter... That is a fair bit of weight to be saving, imagine strapping a large bag of dog-food to the sled and you'll be pretty close I would think, but you still won't be pulling 111 lb-ft of torque My sled is down to 515 dry (-35 lbs)but I still feel the weight when I have to throw it around on harder snow. Going to a RAW thats about 30 lbs extra, and to a PRO thats about 75 lbs extra... but I don't have a ton of money into my sled either and it still puts one hell of a smile on my face

Don't mark me as a hater, I have ridden both the IQ RAW 155 and Pro 155 & 163 sleds and they definitely feel much lighter, and funner in their own ways, but I can also FEEL the power loss from stepping off of my almost stock 900 The Arctic Cat M-8 amd M-1000 sleds are also nice, but for some reason I just like the feel of my "P.O.S."

 

[skippy]

It's nearly the same chassis and geometry right up till 2010. So I guess if a 2011 or 2012 Pro is in your budget then go for it of course. $Starting with a 10,000 sled and dumping 5 to 10K more into it to make it lighter doesn't seem like a very economical option either. Different plastic on an 09 and 10 did not make it a new chassis, all the suspension pieces will unbolt and bolt onto the 05 and 06. The 06 even has the same chaincase.

I went down the nearly same 900 road and the chassis are night and day different as far as I concerned!! Yes the parts might interchange but the 900/700 chassis react completely different then the 2008 and up IQ's.... Your trying to lean this guy to a sled that takes a lot of money and time to make right and there's no way you can argue that! Time he's done dumping money into it you till have a sled that nobody wants and you can't sell it later... I'm sure you can attest to this being you have two for sale... I'm not saying you can't make them right all I'm saying is time your done making it right it still handles no where near what the 2008 and up do... Anyways guys I'm not bashing I just think the guy can find something newer and better for what it's going to cost to make right.... Later

 

[skippy]

... but I don't have a ton of money into my sled either and it still puts one hell of a smile on my face



And when it comes down to it, this is all that matters!!!

 

[AndrettiDog]

Something to ponder...

The Polaris 900 is not an easy sled to sell. I know of a Polaris dealer that wouldn't take one in on trade in but would take an M8, Rev or Edge. You might not be too concerned about that now, but I guarantee that if you keep riding you will want to sell it and acquire something else.

I would recommend a Ski-Doo Rev (maybe 04-06), M7 and maybe you can find an M8 or D7. I would also rather have a good 07 RMK 600 (Raw chassis) than a 900. I'm a Polaris guy, I just never liked the 900. It was just too much of a tug boat. Strong torque but too big. There are just too many things to resolve. All the 900 guys know the fixes but why buy a sled and have to do so much? Make sure you don't get the 06 700 (which is actually the little brother to the 900 and is a 755).

 

[WyoBoy1000]

For that price I have seen some of the sled bugito mentioned, I have spent some time on the 900 with the long track and I was impressed for the rep they have, it seemed the bone stock ones run longer and some once they have problems modded or stock it never ends (might have to do with the owners) Personally the engine scares me, but its fun to ride when its not yours, it holds a good line and feels nice, but is not as maneuverable as the others or even a m1000. I was not impressed with the power but it had good torque, I personally could do more on the 800's. The old edges still run hard.

 

[CurtM220]

Definitely appreciate all the input! I've got some 800's lined up to look at this week as well, so we'll see what shakes out. I would be just as happy on an 800 if I can get on at a good price. I've owned 3 Summits in the past, and several others, but the Summit's were the only mountain sleds I've owned. Did a factory test on an 04 (?) vertical edge 700, and was pretty impressed with it by the end of the day. Other than those I don't have much to compare it against. I'm sure whatever I get will blow me away compared to those older sleds. I did quite a bit of work to one of the Summits and that was always my "go to" sled...I had all the confidence in the world on it, could put it anywhere, and more importantly...get out of anywhere. Absolutely LOVED that sled. But I don't really like the look of the XP's, and don't want anything older than 5 or 6 years, so my options are a bit limited. Having ridden and raced Polaris when I was a kid, it just seemed natural to come back to it...besides, I'd rather be rolling around with an American sled in my truck anyway-

-Curt