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Just wanted to share a little personal experience of the 850 with a 174. The sled was new and the snow was 2-4 ft deep. Riding terrain is primarily tight trees with a few open hills.
First off I am coming off of a Axys 163x2.6 with a sidekick. Loved that sled but was too much for my skill level and the riding area I spend most of my time. Also wanted a sled that has a warranty for the next few seasons.
My first thought after leaving the truck was how smooth this whole machine is. Very few shakes, rattles or vibes. Initially the power felt decent on the road, honestly about like a stock 800. Mind you sled was brand new with 0 miles on it. I will say the power by midday was noticeably stronger. It had me smiling at numerous points and had me thinking, this thing is bone stock. The motor is flat impressive and makes hill speed that made me think is this really only 40 more cc’s. Good job Polaris!! The clutching is pretty good but I feel will benefit from a tune for a persons riding style and area.
The suspension and chassis feel about the same as my 16’ except for the front end. It feels noticeably more predictable. Good improvement imo.
I was hesitant to order with a 174 since I loved the 163x2.6 but decided to do it because I wanted better deep snow performance without having to add boost or power mods. First impression is that the sled holds a sidehill better than the 163. When I say better I mean that washout with this sled feels non-existent. The climbing ability in the untouched is about what I would expect. It keeps going even though you thought it should have given up 100 ft ago. The impressive part is the hill speed it carries if it can get a little traction. It gains speed in these scenarios giving you a ton of confidence heading into the untouched powder. At this point I don’t see any negatives to the 174. Keep in mind though that I also haven’t ridden the sled on a hard pack or marginal snow day.
All in all as you can probably tell I am really impressed with the sled. I feel bad for some of you that have had issues and hope they are being handled. I am pleasantly surprised that Polaris seems to have nailed it on the first year of this new motor and I hope it lives for miles to come.
First off I am coming off of a Axys 163x2.6 with a sidekick. Loved that sled but was too much for my skill level and the riding area I spend most of my time. Also wanted a sled that has a warranty for the next few seasons.
My first thought after leaving the truck was how smooth this whole machine is. Very few shakes, rattles or vibes. Initially the power felt decent on the road, honestly about like a stock 800. Mind you sled was brand new with 0 miles on it. I will say the power by midday was noticeably stronger. It had me smiling at numerous points and had me thinking, this thing is bone stock. The motor is flat impressive and makes hill speed that made me think is this really only 40 more cc’s. Good job Polaris!! The clutching is pretty good but I feel will benefit from a tune for a persons riding style and area.
The suspension and chassis feel about the same as my 16’ except for the front end. It feels noticeably more predictable. Good improvement imo.
I was hesitant to order with a 174 since I loved the 163x2.6 but decided to do it because I wanted better deep snow performance without having to add boost or power mods. First impression is that the sled holds a sidehill better than the 163. When I say better I mean that washout with this sled feels non-existent. The climbing ability in the untouched is about what I would expect. It keeps going even though you thought it should have given up 100 ft ago. The impressive part is the hill speed it carries if it can get a little traction. It gains speed in these scenarios giving you a ton of confidence heading into the untouched powder. At this point I don’t see any negatives to the 174. Keep in mind though that I also haven’t ridden the sled on a hard pack or marginal snow day.
All in all as you can probably tell I am really impressed with the sled. I feel bad for some of you that have had issues and hope they are being handled. I am pleasantly surprised that Polaris seems to have nailed it on the first year of this new motor and I hope it lives for miles to come.
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