FIRST RIDE REVIEW – Steve Janes
Although the early part of this winter didn’t offer too many days of good deep snow riding, it just so happened that the night before we were to ride the 2019 Polaris 850 Pro RMK a snowstorm rolled through the area and deposited more than a foot of fresh powder.
The morning we mounted the Polaris 850s for the first time was bright and sunny, with a blanket of snow covering the landscape. There was no evidence of hardpacked, mogul trails. It was a fresh start on a new snowmobile.
Wow. What a perfect introduction to great new model.
Just like the Polaris sleds of the past, the 850 Pro RMK weaved its way with ease through the deep snow. It was so light and nimble we weren’t concerned with having to cross a meandering creek down the middle of a valley. We just pointed the sled and let it do its thing—jumping the gaps, floating through the deep powder and powering through the ever-changing terrain.
This isn’t an 800cc engine ported-out to 850. It is an all-new Polaris engine, designed to offer the power-to-weight expectations of a mountain sled. It engages smoother than the 800. Its powerband is much more linear—continuing to pull hard well beyond that of the 800.
It felt so much lighter and stronger than the 800 that when we hopped off it and got on an 800, we could feel the significant drop in power and performance. It could climb hills that the 800 couldn’t. It could navigate at much slower speeds through the trees, yet still have the oomph to explode out of a hole and get back on top of the snow.
Throughout the day we continued to put the 850 through the test of climbing, sidehilling and tree riding. And throughout the day the 850 continued to impress.
Not only was it a perfect day for snowmobiling, it was a perfect day for testing. And the 2019 850 Pro RMK proved to be the perfect sled.
2019 POLARIS LINEUP