What do the ladies think 600 vs 800?

One thing I consistently see being brought up in here is the weight of the sled and how little of a difference there is in weight between the 6,7s and 8s. Everyone is right in that there is not much difference at all. BUT there is in the rotating mass of the motor - take a child's bicycle wheel off the bike and hold onto it's hubs. Now spin it and move it around - you can feel some stubborn forces going on as you do this. Now do that with an adult's bicycle wheel - it's harder to control. Same concept with a 600 vs. 800 - you've got bigger rotating parts spinning at 1000s of revolutions per second thus more rotating mass in that 800. That's where your difference lies.

BUT, your not really going to feel the RM that much riding certain ways - like when pointing the thing in more straight lines and punching it - it's when your getting in and out of the throttle a lot while carving around or tossing it from side to side. Going into a carve, I let off the throttle, sometimes even grab a bit of break (helps set me up for a hard carve) then I punch the throttle - it's at that instance I feel those G's pulling on me. Not a deal at all first half the day but then I start noticing them last half and I tend to hesitate more b/c I am more fatigued and have less strength to counter and keep that sled going in the direction I want it to go vs. where that motor is pulling to go. (Physics/ Spinning bicycle wheel.) And hesitation is what gets me in bad situations. Of course bigger/stronger poeple may not notice this as much or people who ride more in straight lines but I certainly do notice and so do serveral people that I ride with which is why they prefer the tuned or modded 600/660 and impress the heck out of anyone who rides with them. (I often hear "I cant believe that 600 will do that!!!!" and watch them take the tightest lines or get the most technical places easier than the rest of us on bigger sleds.)

We are not BIG mountain high markers or chute climbers though - we'll gladly sit at the bottom for a second and watch the big bores and turbos high mark each other up big open mountain faces. Seems to be what it's about for a lot of sledders. :face-icon-small-ton Well, way back when I was a tike, that was the only thing sledding was about - that and going as fast as you could go on the trail.

I just have to throw all this out b/c I think the 600 can be severly under estimated - at least for certain brands. I've ridden some terdy 600's so if any of you were stuck on one of those, I can see why the distaste or desire for more power! In fact, Polaris' 600 is the ONLY 600 I'd recommend if your even considering one, I wouldnt go less that a 800 in an AC or Doo model otherwise. But I'v ridden a newer Poo 600 iq that was a terd too! Set up and tuning are key! :face-icon-small-sho :face-icon-small-coo But the 600 will never "FEEL" as powerful as the 700 or 800 because it doesnt have punch that they do or as long of range in the stock form.

And like mentioned in here already - a 700 or 800 will be more forgiving b/c it does have more torque to pull a rider out of a hesitation situation so they are probably better for the beginner to intermediate riders from the get go. I'd also recommend a track in the 150's as well. What kind of rider they become and type of riding they enjoy most determines whether they need to upgrade, downgrade or stick with what they got and just tune and modify it to be more suitable. Sometimes I think keeping my 700 and modding it into a 760 (to get better throttle response and faster initial track spin) wouldn't be a bad a way to go either.

Great Posts Sarah!!! Alot of really great information in there!!! :cheer2:

Great post (s) and one of the more informationally accurate observations put on SW.

Sarah did you get to ride the PRO-RMK in McCall for the demo tour? They had a female rider go out Saturday in the afternoon group and I was hoping it was you. Speculate that it wasn't because I think you would have written about it. Unfortunately I don't think there were any other women that got to try it.

It's awesome and a super all around fun sled in stock form and will make everyone a better rider irregardless of male or female. Alot of your comments are reflected and addressed by how the new chassis rides and feels.

Save your pennies because you'll want one after you've tried it even in 800 version if that is all they offer....night and day improved over the stock iq raw sleds.

Right on Rob, I have been seriously considering another sled, and while I love the kitties, that Poo has really caught my eye. I would love love to get my paws on one of those things, might just have to put that on my wish list next winter.

F-Bomb said:

Save your pennies because you'll want one after you've tried it even in 800 version if that is all they offer....night and day improved over the stock iq raw sleds.

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great Posts

Great posts Sarah and F-bomb. I was my way back to the parking lot last Sat. when some RMK pros blasted past and threw ice balls all over me and the group I was with. What in the hell are those machines(?) then it dawned on me. They looked a lot like the Doo's with new colors.

Sorry Reggie, I heard you call out but did not see you with all the commotion going on. What did you think of the machine?

My daughter bought a new 09 Doo 600 this year and she really likes it but the clutching is way off. Working on that. Will pass your posts on to her. Am trying to get her to take a lesson from Amber Holt when she is at Bear Creek Lodge on the 13th and 14th to get her up to your ability.

Spud.

No - I wasn't there Rob. Got the call that morning but couldn't get out of the office for the day. I would have loved to try them out though - I'm very excited to hear of the weight loss and am already sold on Polaris's handling in the most technical of terrain (which is based on the much heavier, current chassis!) Going to have to make a point of running into Jack out there after he gets one built next year. Saving my pennies for sure.

Amber's clinic is greatly benefitting many female riders I know - I'm sure she'll do the same for your daughter Spud! How old is she? I look forward to taking my 10 yro out and teaching her to ride the backcountry in the years to come. She's already gotten several "onboard" boondocking lessons though! Think she's getting the hang of what weight transfer is all about now. She's hooked and know's what sledding is really all about - something I didn't get to figure out until 8 years ago! Women's involvement in backcountry riding is really taking shape! Look forward to what it will be when my daughter is my age (32).

If she's a relatively new rider, I'd recommend the 600. Just buying the 800 so your buddies can borrow it is not a good idea. You want her to have a sled she is comfortable riding that is set up for her size and riding preferences.

I spent the last several years on an '04 600 Polaris Vertical Escape that we bought brand new. It was the sled that helped me make the change from riding to be with my husband doing something he loves to loving riding with my husband. Whatever you get, make sure you listen to her when you ask her how it rode. My husband is a master at listening to what I say (about snowmobiling) and making one change at a time. Powder Pro skis, left handed throttle, removing the sway bar, etc. were some things he did to help me be more comfortable riding.

A friend of mine, who is even smaller than me, rides an 800 Polaris RMK. It is too big and heavy for her and she really struggles. Her husband has not bothered to set it up for her or get her a sled that fits. It's just a hand-me-down.

It doesn't matter how long the track is or how powerful the motor is, if she's too small to handle it right now it won't be worth the money.

I gave up my 600 the middle of this winter, only because I let my 13 year old daughter ride it for a little while and never got it back. I now have an '09 M8 and am glad I moved up. It was time for a bigger sled.

Maybe try swapping sleds around when you're on a group ride and see what she likes best - listen and let her decide.

I used to think a 600 was plenty...BUT...after some riding this spring I've come to the conclusion I wish I had the same sled I have but in an 800. Riding Eureka we get into this bottomless sugar snow and I've found that the 800's can be rocked out of a hole and my 600 can't. I could get an 800 Etec now in the same sled I've got without going up much in weight, if at all. My next sled will be an 800. I do like my 136, though, and will stay with that size track.

you should try the 151" track..... you might find that you'll like the extra floatation, and it is still just as nimble!!

Abby has had, in her few years of riding, a few different sleds.

mtn cat 800 151, M5 141 & 153, M8 153, m1000 153, and M8-turbo.

A few observations that are similar to what Coyotegirl said.

To try to go to the same place with the 5 that she went with the 8, it took a bunch of potentially stuck or difficult turnouts. It rarely went where it needed to go on the first try. The 8 was the same compared to all of our 1000's, and required a lot more work on her part. What often happened was that I gave her my 1000 & took her 8. After that we bought her a 1000 & took about 45 lbs off of it.

Personally I (and my 105 lb wife) 100% disagree with the theory that a newer or lighter rider should have a smaller sled, quite the opposite in our opinions. If the lighter or less experienced rider has a machine that can crank right up something, they are safer, more comfortable, and less likely to get stuck.

It really depends on how you ride, if you like to ride trail or meadows... who cares how much HP you have, but if you ride in places with some terrain, that HP will come in handy.



I ride a somewhat stock 141 1000 (185ish hp) and my wife rides an 800 turbo with 100 hp more than my sled... she makes it to where I need to go pretty much every time & doesn't have to work the sled like I do.


I think 99.9% of this decision comes down to what kind of riding she'll do, and what the other sleds people are riding in the same group.

Altitude

Elevation may also be a factor. If you ride less than 8000ft a 600 may do, and save you some $$$. If money is no factor and you ride 10,000ft go for the 800.

I have to agree on the bigger the better for off trail, as long as it's lightweight. I went from a 700 motor, to a 600. going to an 800 this year. 700 was great, 600 big disappointment. struggled to keep up, couldn't take the challenging route most of the time because I had to have it full bar going into it. the power wasn't an instant whack on the throttle. very frustrating to say the least.

Back when I got my wife into sledding I had a Exciter and I bought her a Phazer. She learned and developed very quickly and then we were at the stage that no matter how good she got she got at riding, when the going got tough she couldn't keep up.
Since then I've always bought my wife a sled equivalent to mine.
On the other hand I started my two girls riding at 2. Fist doubling with Mom and I, then onto sno scoots and now my 16 year old rides a 700 Mountain Max and the 13 year old is on a Phazer. I'll be moving the 16 year old onto an 800 next year and the 13 year old will move into the 700.
Should be interesting this year, I bought an XP late last season and so far I seem to like the Rev (800) better. We'll see who likes the XP best.
K