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Dear Polaris Survey

How satisfied are you with your Polaris? Please click all that apply.

  • Best sled I've ever owned!

    Votes: 232 37.2%
  • Nice, but not what I was expecting.

    Votes: 97 15.5%
  • Can I give it back?

    Votes: 142 22.8%
  • Best performing motor ever!

    Votes: 71 11.4%
  • Had some problems, but I'm glad they keep trying.

    Votes: 164 26.3%
  • Never mind I'll do it myself.

    Votes: 124 19.9%
  • Fit and finish is incredible!

    Votes: 38 6.1%
  • I've seen better.

    Votes: 115 18.4%
  • Give the kid his crayons back so he quits touching my sled.

    Votes: 35 5.6%
  • Engineering that sets the standards!

    Votes: 49 7.9%
  • It looks good on paper, but falls short by the time it leaves the assembly line.

    Votes: 159 25.5%
  • You were one of those kids trying to put the triangle in the round hole weren't you.

    Votes: 42 6.7%
  • I can't say enough about Polaris dealer support!

    Votes: 88 14.1%
  • My dealer is always helpful, but doesn't always have the latest info.

    Votes: 136 21.8%
  • Why do I know more than they do?

    Votes: 160 25.6%

  • Total voters
    624

AKSNOWRIDER

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Dec 25, 2007
8,882
4,431
113
62
anchorage
It is a credit system and you can buy credits from industry. Appanrantly Polaris did not use any credits on this engine and Cat and Doo did for there engines. They are still having problems but just not to the same extent.

thats the deal for sure..just wait..cat and doo's day are coming...been dealing with vehicle emissions since fuel injection on cars came out back in the early 80's..fun stuff ahead for all manufacturers.........
 
A

ak49er

Well-known member
Dec 10, 2008
390
211
43
48
Big Lake, AK
My wife's 2007 600 HO RMK 144 was THE most trouble free sled I have ever seen, ridden or heard of. The 600 HO was a proven motor.

We only added new plugs and belts as preventative maintenance. 1600 Alaskan miles and still was strong when sold. (Lucky kid)

Our Assualts have left much to be desired in the the 2100 miles ( each sled) we have put on them since last December.

I have spent too much time and money to keep these brand new sleds viable.

I had thought the 800CFI was proven too.

The chassis is Juggernaut tough, compared to how my REV was designed.

I bought the Assault as it was designed as sturdy as I had modded my REV, with Rail Stiffeners, bracing, welded seams, reinforcement plates, etc. I also bought it for the Schock Package, which turned out to be feeble at best.

But the engine leaves me desiring carbs again. I had grown weary of rejetting in the past, but I would glady have that back just to be able to fix whatever fuel delivery problems I am having, trail side, as opposed to going to the dealer to re-flash, etc.

The next sled will be a base model, I will strip it down and build it up as I see fit.

I will probably tough it out on this chassis, so I can see a return on this time and money investment.
 
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P

pura vida

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2007
1,423
742
113
46
interesting opinions for sure. although i felt it was a little biased to the negative side but not bad. i could of used an option between the first and second in almost all 5 categories. interesting stuff though.

pv
 

thefullmonte

Well-known member
Premium Member
Nov 26, 2007
1,844
630
113
Rapid City
interesting opinions for sure. although i felt it was a little biased to the negative side but not bad. i could of used an option between the first and second in almost all 5 categories. interesting stuff though.

pv

Sorry, I had some specific categories I wanted to get in there. I think we are getting a pretty nice response from the 3 options though. I appreciate everyone taking the time to vote and respond. A couple of the sections are surprising me actually. Some were worse than I expected and a couple were better.
Do you think Polaris will view this? ;)
 
H
Feb 16, 2009
104
19
18
50% Said best sled ever owed = not to shabby with all the negativity of polaris not getting the cfi 8 right the first time.

Which I do agree , but it wasn't the second ,third ,fourth, and is it the fifth reflash for this motor.

This has to be way past embarassment by now...Down right ( I can't even find the word in english)

There I said more negativity... On a positive note I have had very good luck with mine not having any issues , and it's not babied 40 miles to a tank, and I feel it's still the most funnest and will out perform all the other 8's .

That's my experiance so far.
 
N
Dec 23, 2009
35
16
8
50% Said best sled ever owed = not to shabby with all the negativity of polaris not getting the cfi 8 right the first time.

Which I do agree , but it wasn't the second ,third ,fourth, and is it the fifth reflash for this motor.

This has to be way past embarassment by now...Down right ( I can't even find the word in english)

There I said more negativity... On a positive note I have had very good luck with mine not having any issues , and it's not babied 40 miles to a tank, and I feel it's still the most funnest and will out perform all the other 8's .

That's my experiance so far.

Sorry, but it's not 50%, it's 50 votes witch equates to 34%, when you look at all those categories (too many in my opinion) Polaris recieved considerably more negative votes than they did positive votes and deservingly so, I know, I own a Polaris 800.
 

mold

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Nov 17, 2009
1,646
762
113
74
Lead, SD & Idaho Falls, ID
50% Said best sled ever owed = not to shabby with all the negativity of polaris not getting the cfi 8 right the first time.

Which I do agree , but it wasn't the second ,third ,fourth, and is it the fifth reflash for this motor.

This has to be way past embarassment by now...Down right ( I can't even find the word in english)

There I said more negativity... On a positive note I have had very good luck with mine not having any issues , and it's not babied 40 miles to a tank, and I feel it's still the most funnest and will out perform all the other 8's .

That's my experiance so far.

The first nine RMK were the best sleds I ever owned, #10 is a POS!!:face-icon-small-fro
 

Dogmeat

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Premium Member
Feb 1, 2006
5,343
1,486
113
Castle Rock, CO
That's why mine got 2 injectors, another v.r, and still waiting on another ECU.:mad: It's not all mapping, at least not here. I wish I would have known this was never gonna end 6 months ago, I could have sold this piece of chit and had a new sled.

The solution to all your Polaris problems is an 09' or 10' M8 :)

Trust me, I know this for a fact :)
 

AKSNOWRIDER

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Dec 25, 2007
8,882
4,431
113
62
anchorage
The solution to all your Polaris problems is an 09' or 10' M8 :)

Trust me, I know this for a fact :)

dogmeat..come on now..i see threads on problems on every brand of sled...all of them have issues of one sort or another...:beer;
 
L
Mar 13, 2004
1,603
315
83
Lake Cle Elum, WA
I didn't vote in the poll as none really fit how I feel.

Yesterday, I was at 3 different dealerships. Polaris to buy more parts to patch my 800 up again. The other 2 to price brand new models (not Polaris).

My back-up sled (99 RMK 700) has 6,400 miles, never had the head off and still starts on the 1st pull. With well sorted clutching, jetting and rear suspension, it still runs like a rocket. My '04 800 edge just ate the motor at 5,200 miles.

I've waited 2 years to buy new hoping Polaris would get on top of their game in the 800 Dept. I have the cash to buy new in my checking account right now.....I've given up; jumping ship.

My impression of Polaris is: Accountants that buy the very cheapest parts based solely on price. A lack of research and development (cost-cutting again). Assembly line that has very little pride in their work......The same kind of thinking that got Detroit where it is today. Maximize profits today, to hell with the long term....
 
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N
Dec 23, 2009
35
16
8
I didn't vote in the poll as none really fit how I feel.

Yesterday, I was at 3 different dealerships. Polaris to buy more parts to patch my 800 up again. The other 2 to price brand new models (not Polaris).

My back-up sled (99 RMK 700) has 6,400 miles, never had the head off and still starts on the 1st pull. With well sorted clutching, jetting and rear suspension, it still runs like a rocket. My '04 800 edge just ate the motor at 5,200 miles.

I've waited 2 years to buy new hoping Polaris would get on top of their game in the 800 Dept. I have the cash to buy new in my checking account right now.....I've given up; jumping ship.

My impression of Polaris is: Accountants that buy the very cheapest parts based solely on price. A lack of research and development (cost-cutting again). Assembly line that has very little pride in their work......The same kind of thinking that got Detroit where it is today. Maximize profits today, to hell with the long term....

You hit the nail on the head Lake, those are my thoughts exactly, Polaris has really gone down the tubes.
 
O
Dec 6, 2007
857
495
63
dogmeat..come on now..i see threads on problems on every brand of sled...all of them have issues of one sort or another...:beer;

Just keep telling yourself that. It is pretty obvious if you read the forums which brand is having the most issues. Looks to me like Poo has taken over first, Doo slid into second and Cat has by far the fewest, and least egregious issues.
 

dragonflats

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Nov 29, 2007
433
92
28
st. james mn
I have owned so many Polaris sleds in my life, loved them all. my 76 250 tx starfire or my dads 73 295 starfire were a blast to race or ride. I have owned 14 sleds since my 250 starfire including 98 700 rmk, 99 700 rmk, 03 vert edge 800 159 rmk, 07 600 rmk, 08 600 rmk, 09 D8 155. The only problems I have had have been with the 800's. The edge took a crank at 2500 miles. backed out of my 08 d8 when they couldn't deliver it in time. My 09 d8 has had no problems but still under 1000 miles. hated the shocks. I have loved the improvements from one chassis to the next. I will buy another polaris, maybe not a 800 till they can prove to me they are as durable as the 600's and 700's. I feel that a lot of the disgruntled consumers comes from not being able to vent directly to Polaris. Polaris customer support line should be shut down as it makes people more angry after they tell you its a dealer problem. just my $1.50 Thanks
 

sledcaddie

Well-known member
Premium Member
Feb 11, 2008
298
73
28
Lincoln, NE
Manufacturer's mission statement

I once read this about Detroit automakers, "The reason they fail is because they are in the business of making money by building cars. If they would reverse this and build the best cars, they would make money." I've worked in manufacturing for over 30 years and have seen this first hand. The company scrimps to save a few cents, and then has to pay lotsa dollars to correct the product later. Like he said above, the accountants are building the products. I had a 2000 RMK that ran great and usually only needed new plugs and a belt each year. I REALLY enjoyed its reliability.:D I love my 08 D8, but, after all the reported problems, I'm not sure I have the same confidence to venture into unknown territory on a sled that might poop out.:eek:
I'm sure Polaris hears feedback from these forums. The internet has shrunk the world.
 
9
Sep 6, 2009
18
0
1
I did love my 09 D8 163 till it hit the 1000 mile mark, a set of pistons and rings, got big time lucky, got the 2010 update and it's been down hill from there. Lacking rpm's, blew VR and ECU, then lacking rpm's and mid-range detention occurred, got new reflash and still unable to pull correct clutching. I was thinking of jumping ship, a DOO, but now they are coming out with DI on their 800's, it may be time to retire to skiing the slopes.
 

thefullmonte

Well-known member
Premium Member
Nov 26, 2007
1,844
630
113
Rapid City
Some very level headed replies to this. :beer;:) I think we all appreciate that. I have to agree with pretty much everything that has been said. Dragonflats made the comment about how Polaris handles customer issues. Well said and the poll also reflects that. Normally dealing with a dealer is fine, but often times they can't or aren't willing to take care of you. Having us call a complaint line is basically putting us on ignore. You never get a response back from the phone call or if you email them or if you send them a letter.... The company I work for isn't perfect by any means, but if we treated our customers the way Polaris does I don't think we would be in business.
The automaker comparison is also very good. :beer;:) I mentioned that back in 08. As American companies we sure show our true colors. Our focus is constantly the almighty dollar :( Building the best quality product is furthest from our minds. Yet we wonder why people don't want to buy American anymore. Make the BEST product and you will sell it, but as stated when bankers run the show quality suffers. They gamble that the product will be good enough. Looking at charts and reports all day does nothing to improve your product. It is honestly sad the type of people I picture to be on the Polaris board of directors. If I was making millions a year and had unhappy customers because of it, there is no way I would be able to sleep at night. The CEO alone could buy back each and every faulty sled and still live 1000X better life style than I do. And what does he do to deserve that money? CEO wages are something I'm just never going to understand. :confused:
For the amount of money spent I would have hoped the # of people thinking this was the best sled they ever owned would have been higher, but I think the poll is really telling the story. Overall product satisfaction doesn't seem to be where it should be. Hopefully, this little poll is one small step towards Polaris making some changes.
A customer was just in last night telling me about 2 of his buddies that went out to Togwotee and blew 2 2010 updated sleds. It would seem that failure rate is much higher than they want to let on or we care to believe. I know some of you say it is low, but I think Polaris is in a panic over these. I have heard of a ton of them around here. They are putting a lot of effort into trying to fix them if it is just a little problem. My hat is off to them for at least sticking behind the product, but too bad they need to.
Those of you who said never mind I'll fix it myself. :beer; I've talked with a couple of motor builders now. Both confirming some of my concerns and thoughts. There are a few inherent problems with these. All fixable of course. I think the aftermarket is really your friend with these sleds.
Keep the good comments coming and thanks for everyone's input. :)
 
R
Apr 4, 2008
168
37
28
Fairbanks, Alaska
ouch

I am in the process of snowproofing the air intake on my 08. I forgot how long it takes as It has been several years since I did the 07 700. All I can think is that whoever put this thing together was not informed that this machine would be operating on snow. That is the only rational explanation.

I must however say that for the most part my 700, and of course the 600, have been bulletproof. I have no doubt what so ever in there ability to get me home. I hit a snow covered boulder last weekend so hard I thought I broke my wrist. After checking out the sled the only problem found was a loose bolt that I had forgot to tighten. Had I been riding a Ski Dog it would have been over. I feel sorry for the people who bought the 800 when it first came out. Polaris said it worked and you all believed them, I would have too. But after the first year it was pretty much common knowledge that the 800 was too much top end. Honestly, the mono-block design was the big red flag. We had to have a light weight 800 with a 600 lower end and we got it.
Will I buy another poo?
Hopefully my two sleds will last for many years so poo has lots of time to get their poop together.


:beer;:cool:
 
A
Nov 27, 2007
293
83
28
Alaska
The mags say that AC has the biggest challenge when it comes to meeting the new emissions but I can't see how that it so. They've been selling 4-strokes longer than Yamaha and their EFI systems work well. I don't think it is that big of a step for them to tighten up their 2 stroke emissions, especially when they have Suzuki building their motors.

Polaris is the one that is in trouble and it shows with the lack of direction the CFI systems have. We've got CFI 2, CFI 4 and now CFI 2+2 and none of them work perfectly. The best one is CFI 2. Their 4-stroke program has been a joke so they've leaned heavily on 2-strokes. I don't know what happened to their engine designer who created the original bib block 700 but they need him back or have Fuji start building their motors again. I never understood how they figured they could produce a reliable 800 that was based off a 600 which was based off a 440.
 
W
Oct 29, 2001
1,242
132
63
Spokane
You forgot to put an option on the poll for those of us that would rather flush $12,000 down the toilet than let Polaris Industries STEAL from us again.


The IQ has been a problem child since it was thrown together for model year 2005. Polaris had a completely different sled designed but when the rev started kicking their butt in sales they went back to the drawing board and ended up with this P.O.F.
 
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