Why don't you ride a 600?

[polaris dude]

I rode a 600 for years in the mountains. With that said, an 800 is definitely the best way to go. It's all about horsepower to weight ratio. And considering that the 600 actually weighs 4lbs more than the 800, well....

At elevation, a sled loses 1/4 to 1/3 it's horsepower. When I ran a 600, I dug myself out a lot. With my 800, I shake it out or roll it out. Rarely ever need to dig. A 600 doesn't have the snort to shake out. So, an 800 isn't gonna give me a heart attack.

You could lighten a 600 with reduced strength parts, but then the reliability you want would suffer. And I'd say the new 800s are incredibly reliable. It's also impossible to sell a 600. Not sure why they even make 600 mountain sleds anymore....

All very true, but I have a hard time believing 600s are harder to sell when I look through the swapmeet and it seems like a majority of the sold sleds are the 600s. I know my family has bought 2 off this site to say the least

 

[shelbwyo]

I would like to ride a 600 turbo and see how it would compare to an 800 stock. I would guess it would noticeably have more power. But is it worth the trouble and added cost? Would it be that much more reliable than an 800 on boost?

 

[Joks79]

Buying a 800 was easier then losing 50lbs! Plus HP is as addicting.

 

[Pro-8250]

My son and I both had 600's. He's young. I'm not. He's light. I'm not. We both have 800's now. No way would either of us go back to the 600 for mountain riding. I like a 600 for flat lands for sure, but not for higher elevations with deep snow. Were not going to drive 1200 miles one way to ride an under powered sled.

 

[SRXSRULE]

They still make 600's? Eric

 

[sdsnocop]

The 600 class mountain sled still serves a purpose in the mountain sled segment. In the Black Hills we use them as patrol sleds. We spend a lot of time on trails but need the capability to go off trail in all conditions. Granted the Black Hills is not nearly as extreme as further West but it can include some challenging terrain and snow conditions. The 600's are durable enough to last the 8000+ miles for the 2 years I will have the sled. Also out West they are common as rental fleet snowmobiles for the same long mileage durability. Also for the rental operator an under powered mountain sled means not going as far to retrieve the sled. For my personal riding I opted for something in between a 700.

 

[Evanbcx]

The 600 needs to work a lot harder to get to places 800s go. Last year In 3-4 feet of powder my 600 burned a tank and gas my gas caddie barely got back to the truck, a buddies 800 still had 2 bars

 

[AK Range sledhead]

Did not even know they still made 600. They must only be sold down in the lower 48. LOL!

 

[eyefish123]

I ride a Carl's 660 and I think it is the most fun sled I have owned. It gives up a little to the 800s and I know I have to choose my lines a little more carefully in deep snow. It is really a blast in the trees where I like to ride. I am just over 200 lbs. without gear so I know I am working the sled pretty hard but for a smaller rider I think it would be perfect. I also only get to about 7,000 ft. elevation and most of the time around 5,000 ft. I know it would really suffer at high elevations but everything suffers up high. Hope everyone has a safe winter with LOTS of snow.

 

[POLZIN]

Im 6'5" 260 and ride at 9000-12000ft+

 

[Insaneboltrounder/sjohns]

i ride a 800 cuz they don't make a 900.....

 

[GoBigParts]

My 1st 2 mountain sleds were 600's. I still have my 08 RMK 600 144 that my wife rides. I only took it out west 3 times but I had fun all 3 times. Out west my ProRMK 800 feels about the same as my 600 feels in MI. So in Michigan the 600 actually rips.

I have a 2012 ProRMK and a 2016 SKS Axys. My 2016 is by far the best sled I've owned. So we feel the 600 is easier to ride even though it does not weigh much different that the 800. It is the way it spools up and pulls that makes it easier and your less tired at the end of the day. It may be the best sled for boondocking in MI. One of my buds has a 2017 ProRMK 600 coming just for these reasons.

 

[idahoskiguy]

Sold the 800s as soon as the 850 came out.

There is no substitute displacement

 

[vins18]

yes

yes

 

[Teth-Air]

Altitude and big tracks inhibit me from riding a 600. Sure if we all rode below 1000 metres it might be okay. And I did buy a 600 and an 800 Pro in 2013 so I was able to compare. Not enough difference in price to not have the extra power. But I will say the 600 155 felt way lighter than the 800 163 even though they were not that far apart. I believe it was the gyro effect of the longer stroke crank and track length??

So you might say, big bore the 600 to a 660 and it would be perfect. Maybe, but the extra cost and killing the warranty does not make sense. Also stepping up to the AXYS 800 now gives that quick acceleration like the 600 but with tons of power and torque.

A 600 AXYS must really feel light.

 

[plumnuts]

When I was younger and thinner rode a 600 (and toward the end with a 35 HP NOS kicker)... now as I'm in my sixties and put on a few pounds, not as flexible or quick, I migrated to an 800 and over the years a longer and longer track.... now a 163 800

 

[89sandman]

I have 3 reasons, old, fat and lazy