Man, I'm so, so glad I'm not one of the poor suckers waiting on the 850! Here I be tearing up fresh, glorious POW while they sit at home like the fat kid on prom night. Just kidding. I've got my refreshed clutch still waiting to go on my sled, along with a new seat and boards, so I haven't rode yet this season – just too busy. Of course, you're going to hear from the people waiting on theirs, just like you're going to hear from anyone who blows a motor. I gotta wonder though, what percentage of people are still waiting. If it's around 20% or more, then that's not good; otherwise, it's a bit early to declare the 850 a debacle.
It'll take at least a full season to tell if the motor is awesome sauce, or a good motor with a few teething issues, or a turd. As for the sleds people are waiting on, to my mind, Dec. 1 is the very latest I'd call "acceptable" if it were me. I'm curious what dealers and Polaris corporate are doing for those stuck waiting. I'd hope they're starting to offer some incentives by this point as an apology for being late. For someone not getting theirs this year, they should be bending over backward to help the buyer out. I definitely can't blame someone wanting to jump ship if all they're being offered is their deposit back. Even if it's just a few people, getting your snowcheck shouldn't ever be a Christmas miracle. Being this late and trying to shrug it off is indeed a good way to lose customers...
