Pros/Cons - PRO RMK VS RMK Assault

[MDEVO]

i ride in NH and venture to QC a bit. i went with the pro rmk as i didn't feel i needed the shocks of the assault rmk. i wanted the narrow front end. i may be wrong here but i fee like sleds like the assault, freeride and hcr are build more for jumping. maybe not as much with the hcr.

on another note how is the riding in mt valin? its closer than gaspe where we rode this year.

Im not sure I need the narrow front end? With the sway bar disconnect and clikers soft, my Switch Assault would pop on its side with ease and I felt really comfortable and confident. It was a handful on trail, but with the good WE shocks I just cranked up the clickers and it was fine.
I think the RMK Assault front end would act the same. Unfortunatly I have not been able to test ride a Pro RMK, so I'll have to guess at how much better it may be????


Mt Valin is a great spot with lots of hills, hydrocuts and untouched lakes. It's one of only a few areas where I can experience deep snow without getting on a plane!

Thanks again for everyones input, it really does help!!!!

 

[G-Force]

Should have mentioned in my earlier post, for our riding areas, the Assault was definitely the answer, as we have several riding areas with a 35-50km trip in each way to get to the alpine areas... So my thinking was "that's a lot of friggin whoop-de-doo's" and went for the upgraded shocks vs. the slightly narrower ski stance of the RMK, and am soooo glad I did.
By far a superior ride from my '10 Dragon and '06 M7 etc...

 

[jakey-boy]

i ride in NH and venture to QC a bit. i went with the pro rmk as i didn't feel i needed the shocks of the assault rmk. i wanted the narrow front end. i may be wrong here but i fee like sleds like the assault, freeride and hcr are build more for jumping. maybe not as much with the hcr.

on another note how is the riding in mt valin? its closer than gaspe where we rode this year.

Assaults, freerides and HCR were built to make the factory hillclimb racers more competitive in the Stock classes. Those sleds are built specifically for hill climbing which is why they usually include wider stances, stiffer tracks, and superior suspensions. Not everyone races hill climbs obviously but many people's riding styles still may benefit from those features and many may not. On a 2013 sled I really think the Pro is the way to go for the belt drive and maybe upgrade the shocks if you need. Its unreal what a nice set of exits will do for this sled down the trail.

 

[T-REX]

Has anyone revalved the stock Pro shocks?

 

[tbeaton]

Assaults, freerides and HCR were built to make the factory hillclimb racers more competitive in the Stock classes. Those sleds are built specifically for hill climbing which is why they usually include wider stances, stiffer tracks, and superior suspensions. Not everyone races hill climbs obviously but many people's riding styles still may benefit from those features and many may not. On a 2013 sled I really think the Pro is the way to go for the belt drive and maybe upgrade the shocks if you need. Its unreal what a nice set of exits will do for this sled down the trail.

i agree to some extent, but look at the marketing on the freeride and assault, you see more pictures of guys flying thru the air. dan treadway and the freeride is a perfect example.

 

[pura vida]

i always say go with the pro. you said in your first post you are getting more and more away from the trails. it is much much cheaper to upgrade/revalve the pro shocks than trying to get an assault to handle like the pro does in deep powder. if you have the comp track it will cost you as much to change that out than it would to upgrade the pro shocks. then you still have to deal with the approach angle, wider stance, bumper height, and the 13 assault is a little heavier than the pro due to the assault not having the belt drive. even if you move the assault skid into the pro position you will still have bumper height issues which will screw with your handling. i've rode, jumped, and dropped the piss out of my 11 pro and it has held up without issue. but i definitely had to upgrade the shocks. (i went with the holz piggy back setup) i jumped on my buddies 12 assault in some technical terrain and could decidedly feel the difference between the two sleds when it really counted. enjoy whatever you end up with. good luck

pv