proclimb vs pro rmk review

[wasatchcomm]

i purchased a proclimb 800 in august, for my wife....
she had been on a 09m8.
after reading how agile the pro rmk is and light i also purchased one of them last week.
we took them both out yesterday and took turns on them.

this is my opinions of both sleds....

proclimb 800! review...

feels much lighter than it really is.
the suspension in stock form is so smooth on and off trail
it holds a sidehill very well and very smooth.
ergonomics are great
very forgiving
the balance point is very easy to maintain
it needs more turning radius like others have stated
i also think the shorter ski stance would be a benefit.
i like the power claw track
its great in pow and better in set up snow than the rmk track.
clutch is kinda crappy to change belts, could be so much easier
fit and finish is very nice
love the seat
no storage sucks
gauges are adequate easy to read
running boards are great, they have traction all over it.
like all cats i've owned it runs rich and is a smoker....
not as good of gas mileage it seems, i have to fill both sleds up to actually see how much more one or the other used from our ride yesterday.



pro rmk! review...

feels very light, not any lighter feel than the cat. (when riding)
in the garage the polaris feels 100lbs lighter...
to me their is a sweet spot for this sled when sidehilling, when you find it it holds it very well
feels like it has great power
very responsive
turning radius is very good
not as smooth on the trail and woops, but its still very nice
ergonomics are very good
love the location of the handwarmers
electric start is awesome!
im not sold on the skis, i think they are great for deep pow but with 12' of pow on a solid base they were getting in the way of the steadiness of the sled. my opinion!
the track is great in pow, but it does not hook up at all on hard pack.
i love how easy the clutch is to change belts.
fit and finish is very nice
very simple to access
seat is very nice
no storage sucks
the tunnel channel for carriage bolts for mt addiction accessories and other things is brilliant. way to go on that one polaris!
gauges are good, lots of function, the recessed lights are small and get covered quickly, not very easy to read though, how about some color!
running boards are great tons of traction, except at the brace that goes back to the tunnel at the rear of the boards, why not put some their. i would use them!
i like how it is not a smoker, but is it getting enough oil?

we raced them on the trail for little bit, both sleds had under 50 miles when we ended day..
they were neck and neck with me on the cat.
with me on the polaris my wife was getting away from me, she is also 60lbs lighter than me.

conclusion!!

i think they are both top notch sleds...
is one better than the other?
maybe a different things in different conditions.
if the polaris engine stays reliable, its a win win if you own one.
same as the cat its 800 is bullet proof, the ones that have went down this year were flukes, or dealer negligence.(my opinion)

i like them both, i personally thought the cat was easier to pull over and very smooth, very nimble, did i say smooth!!! it has a broad balance point to me. much broader than the polaris. to me!

my wife loved the e start on the polaris and she liked the sled a lot, but she wanted to ride the cat more than the polaris.
she thinks the cat it easier to get on its side and hold it their as well.
i think with maybe different skis and removing the sway bar on the polaris and softening up the suspension on the rmk would make a difference as well for her. which i will try for the next ride.

i will be the first to say im not a polaris guy but i could ride the rmk any day of the week and have a blast. its a fun sled.

but i feel the same way about the cat...

i think we as consumers have to feel lucky we have two such good choices here!

oh ya my freind was along for the ride as well and he has a 09m8
(i have a 2010m8 turbo as well, but it didnt make the trip)
i mention this because we were all trading off and riding all 3 sleds all day!

we all still love the m8 more seat time on the others is needed, but the m8 still feels so comfy, except the woops/trail, terrible!

we are getting some good new snow this week, should have 2-3' pow on wednesday, will be doing some more comparing!!!

please no bashing these are my opinions of my first ride on both sleds

 

[forreboy]

Pro RMK

I have a pro rmk 800 -12 a 163" and I thought on my first ride that it was a little hard to find balance point.
I just made this adjustment on mine and it really improved handling.
Skis moved into narrow position.
Softening ski springs.
Tighten skid front shock about five turns.
Tihten skid rear shock about three turns
Moved back angle on handlebar to -1.
Really improved handling removing sway bar is not necessary now

 

[wasatchcomm]

i would like to ad that i am very fortunate to be able to afford both sleds.
i wanted to rent one(rmk) but i figured that one day on the sled would not do it justice, my opinion as the season may alter but i personally think that their will be days and conditions that one sled works better than the other.
my goal was/is to get my wife the best and easiest sled for her. she is small and its a lot different for the gals than the guys.


the more i think about it the cat has a very broad balance point, the polaris has a narrower balance point (could be how it was setup)

the rmk comes around quicker doing donuts, the cat would be better if it had the narrower a arms and the ability to counter steer more aggressivley.
i can ride the cat on one ski down the trail for miles by simply leaning and lifting with opposite foot, the rmk will do the same but not as smoothly.

not that i do this all the time but i think it shows what i mean by how broad the balance point on the cat is in comparison to the polaris, again though, i think if i setup the rmk it may be just as capable.

i suspect for 2013 the cat will come standard with both.

the cat chassis screams durable! strong! solid!

the rmk is solid, but you can tell it gets it light weight from less support/material on the tunnel and such. still feels durable but i would guess that it would be less likely to survive some crashes/impacts that the cat would take better...

but im not one to get involved in those types of situations so for my style riding they are both just fine....

hope this helps any or all that have contemplated both sleds. i know i did and you cant go wrong with either!!!!

 

[wasatchcomm]

I have a pro rmk 800 -12 a 163" and I thought on my first ride that it was a little hard to find balance point.
I just made this adjustment on mine and it really improved handling.
Skis moved into narrow position.
Softening ski springs.
Tighten skid front shock about five turns.
Tihten skid rear shock about three turns
Moved back angle on handlebar to -1.
Really improved handling removing sway bar is not necessary now

i really feel you are correct!
after riding it i thought the same adjustments you made are what i would do for the next ride...

its a mountain sled, what the heck is a sway bar needed for!

thanks for your input!

 

[JSun]

I just wanted to say that was a great, unbiased review. It's nice to see once in awhile. I can't wait to spend more time on the new M800 in a couple weeks and compare it head-to-head with my '12 RMK.

Thanks again.

Joe

 

[Solby]

We found after you get the first tank through the PCs the smoking goes away.

 

[greasemonkey3406]

I'm heading to Tog in a month and I'm going to be renting both a pro and a proclimb. I'm anxious to compare them both. Never ridden a proclimb before but I like what I'm hearing about the handling.

 

[M8Chris]

Great Review! I think what it comes down is to everyones own personal preference of what sled they like better. Both are great sleds!

 

[aksnopro]

Great review! I agree with everything said and i have ridden both several times!!

Putting more front skid shock preload made my hcr handle a lot better!! Less ski pressure/dive and more control under power (more wheelie)


-Aksnopro

 

[forreboy]

Proclimb

I am an AC rider sice the last millenium but now I ride pro rmk 800. But I did try a Proclimb 800 a few weeks ago and I was impressed, that what you guys describes as larger balance point on proclimb than on proRmk, I really felt that also. The proclimb is very easy to balance and is very easy to hold on to an angle that you as driver feel comfortable. The Pro Rmk seems to need more from the rider, more rider input. But small changes on the pro Rmk suspensions does improve handling ALOT. Can't speak for proclimb, they might been setup better stock than pro rmk

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

I agree excellent reveiw, havent got to try a new cat(hoping to soon) but for the rmk, read the owners manual and set all the shocks up to what it specs for riders weight, then play with the rear track shock to get the amount of ski lift you are looking for, also play with the ski shocks to dial in how easy it lays over..these settings will be different for both rider weights....now..if you simply change the poo clutch weights and spring for a heel heavy weight such as slp mtx's with an slp blue/pink primary spring and add a delrin washer to the secondary....it will feel like you added 10-15 hp to the motor....and lastly...the pro chassis is amazingly strong(strongest bulkhead on the new sleds from what I have seen), but the tunnel cannot handle having weight on it and bottoming the suspension hard..if it does it will buckle the tunnel..as long as you keep that in mind when riding..it will not be an issue....also ...play with the bar position..a little forward or back totally changes the sleds feel and with proper suspension setup will make the rider and sled as one..looking forward to riding the cat even more now..thanks...

 

[luckylawnboy]

I raced several new pro climbs with factory clutching vs my pro rmk with 2 gram lighter weight at 9000 ft and the 2 2012 pro rmks always beat the pro climbs from off the line all the way to the top. Every Time..Both nice sleds. This was the fact. Timing Keys were in the non ethanol port as well.

 

[WyoBoy1000]

Good review,

The feel to need or want a narrow stance is from the running boards being to wide, IMO. The pro rmk is 29" wide and the PC is 33" wide, If you pay attention to it as you ride each you will see. I have corrected my steering so it turns tighter than the M, with that and the way the PC chassis responds, you can really whip it around trees or doing switchbacks, but when you lay it over to a certain point it tries to wash out from the side panels paneling out.

We have adjust the Pro so it feels pretty good, it still has a tip over feel like the M does and you have to be very quick to catch it on the real steep stuff, but it pulls out of a wash out better than the M, The PC is nice and smooth in transitioning, but will not hold as steep of a side hill. After I narrow the running boards and side panels it will be interesting to see if it has more of a tipping point.
IMO the pc rolls over smooth and consistant, but I would take the tip feeling and range of the rmk or M has (what I'm shooting for) I think if most pay attention they will agree, but it is purely My Opinion, no bashing just wondering if anyone else has experienced it.

 

[Suzzy-Q]

I raced several new pro climbs with factory clutching vs my pro rmk with 2 gram lighter weight at 9000 ft and the 2 2012 pro rmks always beat the pro climbs from off the line all the way to the top. Every Time..Both nice sleds. This was the fact. Timing Keys were in the non ethanol port as well.

exactly what are u talking about with the timing keys? is the timing key offset and on what sled ??

 

[polemite.productions]

great post. i'm thinking of a new sled for next year, and i'm actually a bit torn between these two. i love the ride of both, so what it comes down to for me is that i need a few questions answered...

1. are the polaris motors holding up?

2. when it comes time to do maintenance or fix something, which one has better access to the components?

3. how does the cost of parts compare from one to the other?

4. does one have better aftermarket support than the other?

 

[wasatchcomm]

great post. i'm thinking of a new sled for next year, and i'm actually a bit torn between these two. i love the ride of both, so what it comes down to for me is that i need a few questions answered...

1. are the polaris motors holding up?

2. when it comes time to do maintenance or fix something, which one has better access to the components?

3. how does the cost of parts compare from one to the other?

4. does one have better aftermarket support than the other?

not sure i have all the answers but i will give my input...
1. they seem to be doing fine, couple burn downs but everyone has them!!!
2. i cant say for sure, but the belts on both sleds are crazy $$$$$
i would assume parts and what not are going to be priced closely. Michele at oregon trail sports would have the best input on that one.
3. i would say it is pretty equal.

hope this helps a bit...

 

[polemite.productions]

not sure i have all the answers but i will give my input...
1. they seem to be doing fine, couple burn downs but everyone has them!!!
2. i cant say for sure, but the belts on both sleds are crazy $$$$$
i would assume parts and what not are going to be priced closely. Michele at oregon trail sports would have the best input on that one.
3. i would say it is pretty equal.

hope this helps a bit...

had to ask about the parts costs because years ago we had a polaris in our group, and he always paid almost double what the rest of us paid for our parts. wondering if its still the same story.

how about the access to the components? the reason i ask is that i've been helping out a couple buddies with their xp's, and jobs that should be real simple require an almost entire teardown. i'm guessing that the laydown cat motor is waaay more accessible than the xp motor, but i don't know much about the polaris motor at all... i might have to search for some pics untill i get a chance to open these sleds up and take a good look.

 

[Boondockit]

Awesome info from everyone!! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

had to ask about the parts costs because years ago we had a polaris in our group, and he always paid almost double what the rest of us paid for our parts. wondering if its still the same story.

how about the access to the components? the reason i ask is that i've been helping out a couple buddies with their xp's, and jobs that should be real simple require an almost entire teardown. i'm guessing that the laydown cat motor is waaay more accessible than the xp motor, but i don't know much about the polaris motor at all... i might have to search for some pics untill i get a chance to open these sleds up and take a good look.

the polaris is easy to work on, is extremely accessable,and parts prices here the poo is cheapest..aftermarket wise..there seems to be no shortage of aftermarket manufacturers...

motor wise..well yep some have blown up..none from fuel issues. most seem to be loosing rod bearings...mostly due to the oilers being set so lean, I would turn the oiler up when new till it burned 1 qt for every 10 gallons of fuel...but with that said...considering how many are on the snow..not very many have blown.....

 

[wasatchcomm]

i have not removed the rmk hood yet so not sure how time consuming it is, the cat hood is time consuming, lots of screws to remove. (PITA)

i cant compare to a skidoo, never been around one to mess with.

access panels on both sleds are easy to get open.

once the side panels are removed the rmk would be much easier to replace plugs and the belt. it is roomier under their....

oil res is easy to access on the rmk too

the cat takes a little work to get to clutch and oil res.

the rmk seems to have more room under the hood,
the secondary clutch on the polaris is a dream to work with as far as changing a belt, it is very simple takes a little wrench, it takes like 3 min to change belt on the rmk, the cat is not so easy, it would take at least double the time, i suppose a guy could get faster at it though..

on the factory parts, like i previously stated, i would call michele at oregon trail sports she is a dealer for both polaris and cat, she could give you a good baseline on parts costs..

like i said in my review, i dont think you can go wrong with either sled, one will no doubt feel more comfortable than the other, ive had a few rmk riders say they will likely try the cat next year and vice versa.
they are both great sleds.

one thing for sure the cat guys seem to complain about the new cat more than anyone, which i dont understand, i think the new cat is a step above the m chassis.
lets not forget how good the m chassis was so for cat to come out with a new platform that would be light years better than the m chassis is just ridiculous.

the new cat, in my opinion is much easier to ride than the m, the steering effort, the balance, the smoothness, the ride, power to the ground, rider position, to me, all these points were taken to another level by cat.
yes the sled needs improvements, steering radius, secondary clutch(from what i hear, no problems on mine) a small diet, but all in all it is a great sled.