We'd love to credit the 700 RMK with turning things around for Polaris' mountain hardware four years ago, but that just doesn't go far enough.
In reality, the '07 Dragon 700 RMK turned the entire mountain segment on its head. While the IQ Raw chassis gave the RMK line a muchneeded improvement in handling and weight, it also set a new standard for how well a mountain sled should ride through trees and up tight ravines. While the bigger cc sleds were holding the highmarks, the 700 RMK was fast-becoming the technical rider's dream machine.
In March 2007, the Dragon 700 RMK was crowned the winner of SnoWest's Deep Powder Challenge, edging out bigger 800s in not only rider impressions, but in the numbers coming off of the radar gun. Polaris sent a 700 to compete against the 8s and came away a winner.
That's why we were so shocked to hear Polaris intended to drop the model from its 2010 lineup and so relieved when it brought the sled back mid-summer. We'd hate to think that a four-year-old model so valuable to the western market could get cut so quickly.
Why do we love the 700 RMK? For 2010, the answers are easy.
First, it's tough to find a better all-around mountain sled for less than ten grand. Actually, outside of the 600 segment, there aren't any aside from the $9,799 700 RMK. You give up some power compared to the 800s, but if power was all you were interested in, you wouldn't be reading this article.
The 2010 700 RMK also features the Team LWT secondary clutch, which helps get the power to the snow and to the Series 5.1 track, a 15x155 tread with 2.4-inch lugs.
We also love the 700 RMK's controls, rider positioning, seat and skis. These features are among the best in the mountain sled segment. At 486 lbs. dry, it's also one of the lightest.
It features an adjustable ski stance (39-40-41 inches), Ryde FX shocks, PERC electronic reverse and the proven Liberty 700 CFI engine. It's reliable, powerful and efficient.
We would love to have the option of a Dragon 700 RMK version, with Walker Evans shocks and Pro Taper bars, but we're content with just having the 700 RMK, period. It's a sled that deserves to stick around, for another year at least.