As a flatlander that has ridden many times out west, one of my favorite sleds was my 89' Indy 500, wedge body style. One of the biggest adrenaline rushes for me was skipping it across a lake in July, sinking it many times, floating it back on shore, and running it again! The motor never blew up, the tunnel rivets basically rounded out the aluminum and it fell apart.
2012 Polaris Switchback Assault 25Yr Flatlander turns into a Boondocker. What a blast, and then quickly started finding out how much fun it was learning a completely new sport. Technical tree riding has created a whole new passion for me...love it!
Got a pair of 2006 153 M7s last year to learn on. It was a little intimidating at first, Going out and seeing other riders on new long track mountain sleds. But I learned from them and am enjoying the same pow they are!!
My favorite was a 2002 Polaris Pro-X 440. Bought it one year old, put billet rear wheels on it, lexan hood, boss flat top seat, 1 5/8 track(original was an 1 3/8”), C&A skis, shaved the head .040” and jetted down to 200’s from stock 290’s at sea level. For a 440 it was a lil beast.
With Brad Story being my uncle I have quite a few. First crazy one I remember he built for my dad. A 1988 Yamaha Exciter. Scrapped the 570 and went with a 617 Rotax with nitrous, a custom tunnel and I believe a 136” track that I bolted plastic paddles to, widened front end and many other “Brads” on it. It’s memorable first because of what it was, second they way it sounded....I’ve never heard anything so loud, yet a pure symphony to the ears and third because the first time I rode it outside of Brads back field in Eden was in Island Park. We crossed a road and as I came up over the huge banks from the snowplow, it stuck wide open and I had just enough time to jump off before it went head first into a tree (it’s first day on snow). It hit so hard it shoved the pipes back and broke a cylinder right off the case, yet my dad is so amazing all he was worried about was if I was hurt. Couldn’t have cared less about the sled and back to Brad it went for another makeover. I could go on and on with the sleds we built with Brad. From the Mach 1 chassis, bored out 670 with a turbo from a 5.9 Cummins (anyone who knows Brad can picture him saying “well why not”) to a 1998 Summit X chassis, 151” track, Mach Z triple engine with custom Brad built triple pipes and NOS. And finally for times sake.....An Apex with a 174” track, propane, turbo that made 24psi of boost. And another just for Brad idea....the seat was also the propane tank. Just a tiny sample of some of the crazy shit we’ve built over the years. A entire book could be written about newer sleds and the things we’ve done with them, but for the people here who know Brad, use your imagination and we’ve probably done it. I was and am lucky enough to have experience him at work. He is a true wizard and genius when it comes to sleds, well anything with an engine really and we owe a lot of what we have today to him, especially turbo stuff. Sorry to take up so much, but Brad deserves a nod for starting a lot of this.
I remember in 93 when it was a big deal to put pipes and a 1.5 track on a XLT sks. But the first sled that truly made me want more and more was my 2007 600 rmk. I put slp skies holts front and rear suspension with piggy back shocks then a fabcraft tunnel rolled chain case, bars and steering column. For the power I did a 685 big bore and then a 53 series arocharger turbo with custom turbo pipe and 12lb of boost. And then every light wait part I could find. Still have it today as a back up and have never had a problem with it.
I was a big lake rider and did a bunch of drag racing and we built a 1995 670cc Mach 1 with rotary valve timing and it came stock with twin pipes. We won a ton of competition drag races in multiple classes...we would race up in higher classes and just do nothing but win. IMO one of the best motors ever built
Started on a 1966 Snow Cruiser with the long bench seat / top end of 30 mph. Riding a new Polaris 850 XCR 129 today. Kinda like going from the Flintstones era to futuristic sci-fi tech in one lifetime. My ‘best ever’ sled is always whatever I’m riding.
@@dirtyfacegeorge9938 nope it looks as though it has the 1.75" track and 38" ski stance. That was the only difference I believe between the two models. Same colour same everything else I'm pretty sure. Regardless the 700 RMK was the beginning of factory built mountain sleds and what started the ball rolling for Polaris in the segment. Yes I know the Ski-Doo guys would argue that the Summit was first and it was but it had no deep lug track and was really on the hefty side and was pretty under powered with its 583cc and 670cc engines.
First sled was a skiidoo Olympic that I had to ride a mile and a half to the bus stop in first grade, first mod was a 340 TNT skidoo that I put a 390 in. Riding a 2016 etec skiidoo now . Love to ride here in Idaho
My first sled was a 74 Allouette 340 Brute. My current sled is a 2016 Polaris 800 Pro RMK 163 Axys. My most memorable sled was a modded 99 Yamaha Mountain Max 700 triple 151 track
Can you please do a video about using older sleds to ride the backcountry? Many of us done the newest machines out there. Is it possible to have successful rides in the backcountry with a dated sled? Thanks!
I had both of your first two sleds. The Ultra had SLP pipes, V Force reeds, SLP skis, picks & studs and Hot Seat performance clutching. The 700 SKS had a RMK track and V Force Reeds. Both great for their purpose and point in time.
In 2005 I bought a 2004 f7 from the local Arctic Cat dealer here in Anchorage Alaska. It raced the Iron Dog and was thought to be a test sled for prototype Fox Float shocks. The dealership at the time was offering a 162 kit for the firecat. Now let's get into what that means. You would have to cut down a 15" wide track from the king cat "the orange one" sled down to 13.5 inch wide to fit the f7. The heat exchanger was in the running boards so that had to be extended with the EXT model running boards and some long rubber hose and the tunnel extended out of sheet metal. The rails had two sets of tunnel extenders linked together. So what you end up with is a race sled with 13.5"162 track 43" ski stance. Sway bar removed with titanium springs all the way around. Epic sled back in 2006. Let me tell you. Know I ride apretty much stock 2014 pro rmk 155 with z broze 36imch front end with exit shocks and I love it.
It all started for me on a 1971 snow cruiser 15 hp horizontally opposed had all the bells and whistles electric start, reverse etc. I’m only 29 but I got this thing from my grandpa and I rode that thing much past it’s potential. Moved up to an 87 eltigre 5300 then to a 2000 rmk 700 had a 136 on it for about 2 weeks till one day ditch banging she spit the track out and so began my mod rod life bought a skid and track out of a blown up 09 900 had a 151. Fabbed up new brackets shaved the lugs down abit to clear the bulkhead and cooler. Pipe, can, 6” riser with arctic cat bars to get that little bit more height, shaved head tossed in some damn near piston melting jets. Then came a 13 pro rmk 600 155” didn’t have it long enough to really start the modding did put a ggb mountain can on it, sway bar delete and better shocks. To now owning an 18 axys pro 800 163” she’s only got 240 miles on it was still in a crate a month ago. Did the first typical weight mod and put the ggb mountain can on, frogskinz on the hood vents to keep snow out and just purchased my first turbo kit from boondocker awaiting the arrival of the package so I can start the install. But before that happens she’ll be in the back country on the 19th in golden gotta get a baseline stock trip in before we start going in deep on this one ! Love the vids look forward to more thanks Dan!
I have my grandfather's 1984 Phazer with over 10k miles and starts up on the 3rd , or 4th pull. I grew up on that sled and it helped save snowmobiling after the fallout on the late 70s. It rides shotgun to my wonderful M8 153 with RCS suspension.
you have to go back and mention the sleds that changed the game ! The late 70s Arctic Cat 440 Z, and some of the first sleds with IFS The early Polaris Indy sleds for sure
The most modded sled I owned was a Yamaha nytro MTX. That sled was something truly special for me. It started out as a 2008 but it didn't end that way. I'll list everything done to it.-2009 front subframe fully reinforced-mountain tech 38" front end-Fox floats-3" post forward kit-air box modded-Full exhaust(header and muffler)-Tuner for ehaust and air box-clutch kit for all the added power-3" track-trimmed tunnel-skinz running boards-lightweight seat-custom bumpersI made that 4 stroke sled a very compatible sled for mountain riding. Is saved off a ton of weight. Basically the only thing I could have added was a turbo but I unforatauly landed on a stump blowing out the bottom of the motor so I totaled the sled before I could add one. It was a super fun sled and I'm sad its gone but I took the insurance pay out and used it as a down payment on a new Acrtic Cat M8000 which is now slowly being modded out.
Dan, back in 99 I had a rmk 700 136, I built an aluminum rear skid, along with Jack and drive shafts made from 7075 t6 alum and a slp lightweight brake rotor, was a fun sled to ride, in 2005 I bought a king cat and that's when I learned to love the experience of sidehilling, it was like riding a bike. In-between the king and my present 850 rmky I had many more new cats and Polaris but my new 163 2.6 8fiddy, is WOW, that thing is a mod sled stock, it's idiot proof when it comes to sidehilling, I am able to sidehill higher than ever before with 100% confidence of putting it where I want it to go. One sled to mention that was my worst mod sled, was my 1991 vmax 4 that I extended out to a 136 and 2 inch plastic paddle Trax, also had quad pipes on it. Lasted only one season cause the 580 ext could walk all over me in the steep and deep so for season 1993 I was on a zr850 stretched out to a 136. The future is exciting
Best mod sled was a 2000 600 rmk . Light weight carbon fiber trailing arms, Chrome molly rear suspension, rcs blocks titanium rear springs, lexan hood, light delete, boss seat, custom 925 cc by split second performance, stretched chain case.37" wide ski stance. Came in at 399lbs dry. Was a wild ride.
A 1980 Kawasaki Drifter 340 is what got me going as a kid. It didn’t have any gages, so I drew them onto a piece of white poster board and duct taped them to the underside of the hood. I think it went 200mph at 40,000rpm. Love all types of riding and all brands of sleds 👍
First sled was an old 440 super stinger my dad got me as a kid. Favorite sled was a nasty 97 ultra my buddy built and ran side by side with his slightly modded thunder cat 900. Started off trail 4 years ago with a 2010 m8 that I loved until I went too far with "improvements" and completely ruined the rideability of it. Parted it out this summer and got a good deal on a blown up 17 sks 155 800 that I'm still trying to get used to. Love the videos Dan! Have friends traveling to you as we speak for the clinic they won at hay days, give em hell!!
I am 17 and have a arctic cat m8 as my current first sled. My mods: GGB Mountain can BDX oil pump injection delete V-force 3 reed Heelklicker clutch kit Frogskinz Puma-seat Mo-Flow headlight vent Led light Fox float
My first mod sled was a RMK 700 I bought second hand from Grand Adventures. What memories. Then I bought a m900 and that thing about killed me. Lol. Oldies are AWESOME. Thanks for the vidio
1980's Yamaha enticer 340 that was about to be parted out, got it running and beat the living piss out of it until a broke the frame, I miss that rig, always first pull and she would pop off and go, like if you've ever owned an et 300 or 340
I grown up with Arctic Cat/Yamaha because my dad was a huge fan of them. My list is 80 Yamaha Ovation 380 2000 Mountain max 600 2006 Arctic Cat M7 Fully modded And I currently own a 2015 Arctic Cat M8
I really liked my 1997(?) Yamaha SRX 700 triple. That was a nice sled. It went forever and handled like a dream and I was able to gain a ton of experience on that sled. Now have a 2019 Ski Doo 600 TNT. I went down from an 800 and I really like this sled. I have gotten it up to 105 (okay, well my uncle did). I wuss out at 90, LOL. Absolutely fun sled in all conditions. Have even had it boondocking just a tiny bit and it goes. Fun, forward riding, easy to stand, very powerful throttle and smooth. Corners easy. Lovin it!!!!
I guess it isn't really a mod, but I just finished building a 2010 RMK 700. A friend gave me the rolling chassis which started life as an 800. Last fall I got my hands on a 2008 Dragon Switchback 700. It ran but was completely beat. So I rebuilt the engine and put a brand new primary clutch on. Had a few little issues work out but I think I have it dialed in now. It the best riding sled I have ever owned.
I had a bunch of old elans, tnts nuvik, futura 460lc. My first mountain sled was a 583 mxz 136x2, couple years later a 98 summit 670 144 then came the 2010 dragon 800, and winter of 16 bought the axys 800 163. I rode the 850 and its way different, so much more hook up then the 800, you can brap it in a pre load and pop the whole sled a few inches off the ground, i love every second of the 10 minutes i rode it so maybe this january i might look into a used one....sorry got caught reminiscing and spaced out a bit with this haha Heres to another great season!!! Brap
I was working at a Polaris dealer when the ultra came out. It was supposed to be amazing, but got overshadowed by the lighter more capable 700rmk, by its second year.
My first machine was a 2007 Mxz 500ss. The previous owner had raced it and the sled was real fun but I wanted a bit more of a mountain sled and I now ride a summit. Cheers bud
I'm a Polaris guy, but I think we hafta credit Arctic Cat and their 1st gen M series sleds with creating the mountain riding as we know today. The IQ was okay, but the M was a better handling machine in my opinion. However, once the Pro chassis dropped, Polaris took over the industry in the tight and technical aspect. Not saying you can't ride trees with AC and Ski Doo, but Polaris's Pro chassis is insane and so was Dan's 19' sled. WOW. And SO much love to the 90's Indys....those were beautiful sleds.
My 700 RMK! I was browsing youtube, and low and behold, I recognized a photo I took in your thumbnail. I'm still riding that sled, has twin SLP pipes and EGT's. I feel special... LOL
Thats awesome, unfortunately we couldn't find a photo of the original sled so used a photo we found on goggle. We should have asked permission couldn't find any contact info. Pretty wild we connected on here. Small world.
Started out with a 1989 Lynx 3300 with the rotax 503 engine and öhlins shocks pretty cool sled to ride as an 8 year old! Now i ride a Summit 850 love the engine but i miss the chassi on my old seld a 2014 pro rmk that! guess ill have to try the axys next season! Nice videos keep em comming!!!
03 ski doo summit 151" 800 with slp power dome heads and pipe and all aluminum bogey wheels, boss seat, extra cooler in the nose to keep it cooler cause I was running a 1" 1/4 ripsaw track instead of the 2" paddle for trail riding
99 mountain max 700 with every bender racing mod on it was the first sled that got me into off trail riding. I wish I would have never gotten rid of that sled but I was a kid and had gotten newer sleds and didn't understand the meaning of it.
The first sled I ever rode was a 2006 yamaha vector. I was fresh out of the Army and had never touched a snowmobile. It is my father in laws sled and he let me ride it up in blewett pass in Washington. That sled taught me alot of things, the most important lesson it ever taught me though, was humility. Like a drill sergeant it would punish mercilessly even the most minute error. It made me try harder and harder to be better every time I rode. I thought I was a terrible rider until I rode a real sled and realized I'm not terrible, I'm not the best but I'm not terrible
I don'tremember the year but mine had a brown hood from the previous year on it and dual plug head's and twin pipes...and a tiny 113" short track maybe shorter...
My sleds a 1997 Summit 670, the only thing changed from stock is a helix out of a buddy's sled that woke it right up. Yesterday I jumped on a buddy's 2004 summit 800 for some hills and I'm going out to buy one probably Today 😂 Thanks for the videos!
Lol. Some comments saying there first sled were 90-2006. Wow I must be getting old. 1981 ski doo citation was my first sled. Then a 2000 zr 600, 2005 F7 and now a 2018 skidoo tundra LT
I ride an 07 m8... Second sled. Coming from a 94 ext 580. I learned everything on that 580.. It wasn't easy... When i upgraded to this m8 everything opened up to me i could finally do what i seen everyone else doing with far less input. I could actually shred for longer. Rode my bosses 19 axys rmk and man... Was i ever jealous no input big toe pressure and a thought and it'd go there No questions asked! Then a month ago my primary broke off my crank from too many jumps and drops. Found myself rmk/assault hunting... If it hadn't of been for a co worker dropping a built 800 in my lap. I'd be on one for sure! The cat guys at work are few and far. It's all ski doo or Polaris.... Just don't like skidoo rider position. Guess it's something you grow into but Damn i love my cat😕.. Like you said tech has come a long way. If i wanna advance as a rider i have to advance my equipment!
@@NextLevelRidingClinics she broke her crank right behind the primary😭 hoping i can get a few more shreds on her this season. Mad scramble sucks! Looking at a 20 rmk or assault. You have any professional input? I really appreciate you reaching out like this! Not the first time you've commented back. Truly means allot especially with your schedule!
First sled experience was a friends 440 Suzuki had to get going to have fun he has a rupp to an pantera also next was a skiddo 340 got unstuck with coka cola an lots if elbow grease then a gp396 yamaha wow what a sled then two polaris 500 1996 so much fun now just got a 05 IQ 900 166 can't what to get out there!! Love sledding
93 (edit:440 lc)cougar, 580 carby outa first year 580ext. .9" camoplast. 80-90 mph all day long.touch 100 Obviously a flatlander sled next to lake country ....n.e. sask.
Funny he talks about a polaris Ultra being his first sled I'm currently building a Polaris ultra mountain sled. My mods are 800 xcr heads, tripple pipes, V force reeds, bigger carbs, drop and rolled Tison chaincase, light weight brake rotor, Skinz seat, Axys polaris running boards, M10 air ride suspension, outdoor light weight front end trailing arms, air fox front shocks, mountain fit lexan hood and it is extended to 163 inches.
My first ski doo is a Touring SL 380 Torex 96. I've always wanted to ski doo and when I had enough I bought that used ski doo, But I almost wanted to get that Polaris 2019 teenage sled 5500 but went with 1800 used
Can’t go wrong with liberty 700s. 👍🏻Check the water pump belt at that mileage.Have around 20k trouble free miles on a 98,01 xc’s and 03 sks. Did have the belt wipe the mag cylinder out when it blew on the 98
Was working at Bellevue Suzuki,Ducati,Polaris when the Ultra was gonna be the new mountain beast. Unfortunately it was a heavy pig, but the 700rmk fixed that problem.
Oh cool I had a 97 Polaris 700 RMK I bought in 2000 what a fun sled!! My first sled was an 88 Polaris Indy Trail SKS.I'm a dinosaur I'm riding a 98 Ski Doo 670 Summit X now lol. My favorite was the 97 RMK!!
I still ride my Indy Sport 340 from 90. I'm going to buy a new one but I think I'll wait until there's been some advances in development. I don't want to go out there and pay more but only get the same as I already have.
New 01 151" 800 Polaris, took it apart and made a solid steering post out of cold rolled 7/8" SS. You could land side ways and not bend it, it rearranged my face many times. So much different, and yes I had 99 700 136" and it rocked!
Hey man love your videos and I know at the end of most of them you say to leave in the comments what we would like to see but I know I’d personally love to see some stuff about the older sleds like the old 97 rmk the old Yamaha mountain max or arctic cat mountain cat and just some of the older stuff because I know me personally I still rock the old mountain max and just seeing some of the things that can be done with the older sleds I think would be cool for the guys who can’t afford to get brand new sleds
Thanks for watching Dylan, last winter a bunch of us on the KLIM Backcountry Team did a ride on some rad older sleds. There's a video on the KLIM channel about the day.
isnt that 97 polaris a sks? my dad had the exact same one mint condition for 20 years , until he parked it under the shop roof line and snow fell on it and crushed the hood. i think he cried a bit.
My favorite is a Honda xr450 with the yeti track... blows away any sled, I can go places sleds could never go, unfortunately some can't handle riding style and instead need the training wheels style of a sled. Plus in the summer I still have a dirtbike. But a regular sled is still bad ass..
My first sled was a 1992 Polaris Indy Lite 340. It had around 2,000km on it the previous owner treated it extremely well and I made it roughly 200 feet when the motor gave out. And I've had other Polaris machines, even brand new ones, after the last brand new purchase of a 2020 Northstar, I don't think I would ever get another Polaris vehicle. They're the most unreliable machines in the industry. My favourite sled was the one I had after that, a 1998 Arctic Cat Z440. That thing had carb issues when I first got it but after the carb was replaced, it ran perfectly for the 2 years I had it. That thing would go by a 2002 MXZ 700 and it was only a 440. Super quick, super fun around corners, super fun in deep powder, only thing it lacked was electric start and reverse but I can't knock it for something that minor. I also really like the sled I have now, it's a 2009 Ski-doo MXZ Renegade 600 Etec with the motor out of a 2018 600RS. 2 words to describe that sled: Wild. Animal. I was doing some digs and roll races last weekend against the neighbour on his 2012 M8 with a turbo kit, and I won 3 out of the 5 races. Fastest sled I've ever owned and so much fun in powder
2007 Summit X 800 151. That sled got me into backcountry riding and it would take a beaten like no other. I love those old revs.
As a flatlander that has ridden many times out west, one of my favorite sleds was my 89' Indy 500, wedge body style. One of the biggest adrenaline rushes for me was skipping it across a lake in July, sinking it many times, floating it back on shore, and running it again! The motor never blew up, the tunnel rivets basically rounded out the aluminum and it fell apart.
2012 Polaris Switchback Assault
25Yr Flatlander turns into a Boondocker. What a blast, and then quickly started finding out how much fun it was learning a completely new sport.
Technical tree riding has created a whole new passion for me...love it!
Got a pair of 2006 153 M7s last year to learn on. It was a little intimidating at first, Going out and seeing other riders on new long track mountain sleds. But I learned from them and am enjoying the same pow they are!!
Well... my first sled was a Rupp nitro 440. 54 hp if I remember right. Almost zero suspension. But lots of great memories on that dinosaur.
Yup I front flipped one of those bad boys
05/06 M7 gets my vote! Lighter than the later M8, still plenty of power, great balance, cheap, tough and reliable!
By far the most reliable 2 stroke mountain sled every made
Awesome awesome sled! The m7 did things never thought possible for those times…… The beginning of a new era.
My favorite was a 2002 Polaris Pro-X 440. Bought it one year old, put billet rear wheels on it, lexan hood, boss flat top seat, 1 5/8 track(original was an 1 3/8”), C&A skis, shaved the head .040” and jetted down to 200’s from stock 290’s at sea level. For a 440 it was a lil beast.
With Brad Story being my uncle I have quite a few. First crazy one I remember he built for my dad. A 1988 Yamaha Exciter. Scrapped the 570 and went with a 617 Rotax with nitrous, a custom tunnel and I believe a 136” track that I bolted plastic paddles to, widened front end and many other “Brads” on it. It’s memorable first because of what it was, second they way it sounded....I’ve never heard anything so loud, yet a pure symphony to the ears and third because the first time I rode it outside of Brads back field in Eden was in Island Park. We crossed a road and as I came up over the huge banks from the snowplow, it stuck wide open and I had just enough time to jump off before it went head first into a tree (it’s first day on snow). It hit so hard it shoved the pipes back and broke a cylinder right off the case, yet my dad is so amazing all he was worried about was if I was hurt. Couldn’t have cared less about the sled and back to Brad it went for another makeover. I could go on and on with the sleds we built with Brad. From the Mach 1 chassis, bored out 670 with a turbo from a 5.9 Cummins (anyone who knows Brad can picture him saying “well why not”) to a 1998 Summit X chassis, 151” track, Mach Z triple engine with custom Brad built triple pipes and NOS. And finally for times sake.....An Apex with a 174” track, propane, turbo that made 24psi of boost. And another just for Brad idea....the seat was also the propane tank. Just a tiny sample of some of the crazy shit we’ve built over the years. A entire book could be written about newer sleds and the things we’ve done with them, but for the people here who know Brad, use your imagination and we’ve probably done it. I was and am lucky enough to have experience him at work. He is a true wizard and genius when it comes to sleds, well anything with an engine really and we owe a lot of what we have today to him, especially turbo stuff. Sorry to take up so much, but Brad deserves a nod for starting a lot of this.
I remember in 93 when it was a big deal to put pipes and a 1.5 track on a XLT sks. But the first sled that truly made me want more and more was my 2007 600 rmk. I put slp skies holts front and rear suspension with piggy back shocks then a fabcraft tunnel rolled chain case, bars and steering column. For the power I did a 685 big bore and then a 53 series arocharger turbo with custom turbo pipe and 12lb of boost. And then every light wait part I could find. Still have it today as a back up and have never had a problem with it.
Also a 174x3 track
I have a 94 Indy Classic. They are bulletproof!
I ride a summit 850 but have a twin piped 2006 M7 that gets all the attention lately. Still one of the funnest sleds to ride.
I was a big lake rider and did a bunch of drag racing and we built a 1995 670cc Mach 1 with rotary valve timing and it came stock with twin pipes. We won a ton of competition drag races in multiple classes...we would race up in higher classes and just do nothing but win. IMO one of the best motors ever built
Started on a 1966 Snow Cruiser with the long bench seat / top end of 30 mph. Riding a new Polaris 850 XCR 129 today. Kinda like going from the Flintstones era to futuristic sci-fi tech in one lifetime. My ‘best ever’ sled is always whatever I’m riding.
I had the exact 1997 700 RMK Dan, it truly was the beginning of mountain snowmobiles!
That picture was an sks
@@dirtyfacegeorge9938 nope it looks as though it has the 1.75" track and 38" ski stance. That was the only difference I believe between the two models. Same colour same everything else I'm pretty sure. Regardless the 700 RMK was the beginning of factory built mountain sleds and what started the ball rolling for Polaris in the segment. Yes I know the Ski-Doo guys would argue that the Summit was first and it was but it had no deep lug track and was really on the hefty side and was pretty under powered with its 583cc and 670cc engines.
@@dirtyfacegeorge9938 Nope, I still have this RMK. My photo!
First sled was a skiidoo Olympic that I had to ride a mile and a half to the bus stop in first grade, first mod was a 340 TNT skidoo that I put a 390 in. Riding a 2016 etec skiidoo now . Love to ride here in Idaho
My first sled was a 74 Allouette 340 Brute. My current sled is a 2016 Polaris 800 Pro RMK 163 Axys. My most memorable sled was a modded 99 Yamaha Mountain Max 700 triple 151 track
FordManiac I just commented that I loved my 98 Yamaha 700 triple. What an awesome sled 👏
Can you please do a video about using older sleds to ride the backcountry? Many of us done the newest machines out there. Is it possible to have successful rides in the backcountry with a dated sled? Thanks!
I had both of your first two sleds. The Ultra had SLP pipes, V Force reeds, SLP skis, picks & studs and Hot Seat performance clutching. The 700 SKS had a RMK track and V Force Reeds. Both great for their purpose and point in time.
In 2005 I bought a 2004 f7 from the local Arctic Cat dealer here in Anchorage Alaska. It raced the Iron Dog and was thought to be a test sled for prototype Fox Float shocks. The dealership at the time was offering a 162 kit for the firecat. Now let's get into what that means. You would have to cut down a 15" wide track from the king cat "the orange one" sled down to 13.5 inch wide to fit the f7. The heat exchanger was in the running boards so that had to be extended with the EXT model running boards and some long rubber hose and the tunnel extended out of sheet metal. The rails had two sets of tunnel extenders linked together. So what you end up with is a race sled with 13.5"162 track 43" ski stance. Sway bar removed with titanium springs all the way around. Epic sled back in 2006. Let me tell you. Know I ride apretty much stock 2014 pro rmk 155 with z broze 36imch front end with exit shocks and I love it.
It all started for me on a 1971 snow cruiser 15 hp horizontally opposed had all the bells and whistles electric start, reverse etc. I’m only 29 but I got this thing from my grandpa and I rode that thing much past it’s potential. Moved up to an 87 eltigre 5300 then to a 2000 rmk 700 had a 136 on it for about 2 weeks till one day ditch banging she spit the track out and so began my mod rod life bought a skid and track out of a blown up 09 900 had a 151. Fabbed up new brackets shaved the lugs down abit to clear the bulkhead and cooler. Pipe, can, 6” riser with arctic cat bars to get that little bit more height, shaved head tossed in some damn near piston melting jets. Then came a 13 pro rmk 600 155” didn’t have it long enough to really start the modding did put a ggb mountain can on it, sway bar delete and better shocks. To now owning an 18 axys pro 800 163” she’s only got 240 miles on it was still in a crate a month ago. Did the first typical weight mod and put the ggb mountain can on, frogskinz on the hood vents to keep snow out and just purchased my first turbo kit from boondocker awaiting the arrival of the package so I can start the install. But before that happens she’ll be in the back country on the 19th in golden gotta get a baseline stock trip in before we start going in deep on this one ! Love the vids look forward to more thanks Dan!
I have my grandfather's 1984 Phazer with over 10k miles and starts up on the 3rd , or 4th pull. I grew up on that sled and it helped save snowmobiling after the fallout on the late 70s. It rides shotgun to my wonderful M8 153 with RCS suspension.
you have to go back and mention the sleds that changed the game ! The late 70s Arctic Cat 440 Z, and some of the first sleds with IFS The early Polaris Indy sleds for sure
The most modded sled I owned was a Yamaha nytro MTX. That sled was something truly special for me. It started out as a 2008 but it didn't end that way. I'll list everything done to it.-2009 front subframe fully reinforced-mountain tech 38" front end-Fox floats-3" post forward kit-air box modded-Full exhaust(header and muffler)-Tuner for ehaust and air box-clutch kit for all the added power-3" track-trimmed tunnel-skinz running boards-lightweight seat-custom bumpersI made that 4 stroke sled a very compatible sled for mountain riding. Is saved off a ton of weight. Basically the only thing I could have added was a turbo but I unforatauly landed on a stump blowing out the bottom of the motor so I totaled the sled before I could add one. It was a super fun sled and I'm sad its gone but I took the insurance pay out and used it as a down payment on a new Acrtic Cat M8000 which is now slowly being modded out.
Dan, back in 99 I had a rmk 700 136, I built an aluminum rear skid, along with Jack and drive shafts made from 7075 t6 alum and a slp lightweight brake rotor, was a fun sled to ride, in 2005 I bought a king cat and that's when I learned to love the experience of sidehilling, it was like riding a bike. In-between the king and my present 850 rmky I had many more new cats and Polaris but my new 163 2.6 8fiddy, is WOW, that thing is a mod sled stock, it's idiot proof when it comes to sidehilling, I am able to sidehill higher than ever before with 100% confidence of putting it where I want it to go.
One sled to mention that was my worst mod sled, was my 1991 vmax 4 that I extended out to a 136 and 2 inch plastic paddle Trax, also had quad pipes on it.
Lasted only one season cause the 580 ext could walk all over me in the steep and deep so for season 1993 I was on a zr850 stretched out to a 136.
The future is exciting
Best mod sled was a 2000 600 rmk . Light weight carbon fiber trailing arms, Chrome molly rear suspension, rcs blocks titanium rear springs, lexan hood, light delete, boss seat, custom 925 cc by split second performance, stretched chain case.37" wide ski stance. Came in at 399lbs dry. Was a wild ride.
Sidewinder ☄️
A 1980 Kawasaki Drifter 340 is what got me going as a kid. It didn’t have any gages, so I drew them onto a piece of white poster board and duct taped them to the underside of the hood. I think it went 200mph at 40,000rpm. Love all types of riding and all brands of sleds 👍
First sled was an old 440 super stinger my dad got me as a kid. Favorite sled was a nasty 97 ultra my buddy built and ran side by side with his slightly modded thunder cat 900. Started off trail 4 years ago with a 2010 m8 that I loved until I went too far with "improvements" and completely ruined the rideability of it. Parted it out this summer and got a good deal on a blown up 17 sks 155 800 that I'm still trying to get used to. Love the videos Dan! Have friends traveling to you as we speak for the clinic they won at hay days, give em hell!!
Ive owned 3 sleds. 2003 grand touring 550 fan, 2006 gsx 380 fan, and 2009 mxz x 600 etec (still have).and obviously my etec is my favorite
I am 17 and have a arctic cat m8 as my current first sled. My mods:
GGB Mountain can
BDX oil pump injection delete
V-force 3 reed
Heelklicker clutch kit
Frogskinz
Puma-seat
Mo-Flow headlight vent
Led light
Fox float
I love my 07 m8. My list is huge with upgrades.bdx eveythang lol with a sprinkle of slp and frogzskins as a topping
My first mod sled was a RMK 700 I bought second hand from Grand Adventures. What memories. Then I bought a m900 and that thing about killed me. Lol. Oldies are AWESOME. Thanks for the vidio
1980's Yamaha enticer 340 that was about to be parted out, got it running and beat the living piss out of it until a broke the frame, I miss that rig, always first pull and she would pop off and go, like if you've ever owned an et 300 or 340
My first backcountry sled was a 2010 800 summit 146 real fun I still have and ride it today
My first sled 1980 Futura 👌
I still have my All Timbersled Suspension, and tunnel M7 with Bikeman porting mod sled, as a backup. Still my favorite mod, since my Axys is stock.
My 1999 Arctic cat sno pro 440 was the shit back in the day! Added a D&D 640 big bore kit. Wish I still had it.
I grown up with Arctic Cat/Yamaha because my dad was a huge fan of them.
My list is
80 Yamaha Ovation 380
2000 Mountain max 600
2006 Arctic Cat M7 Fully modded
And I currently own a 2015 Arctic Cat M8
I really liked my 1997(?) Yamaha SRX 700 triple. That was a nice sled. It went forever and handled like a dream and I was able to gain a ton of experience on that sled. Now have a 2019 Ski Doo 600 TNT. I went down from an 800 and I really like this sled. I have gotten it up to 105 (okay, well my uncle did). I wuss out at 90, LOL. Absolutely fun sled in all conditions. Have even had it boondocking just a tiny bit and it goes. Fun, forward riding, easy to stand, very powerful throttle and smooth. Corners easy. Lovin it!!!!
I guess it isn't really a mod, but I just finished building a 2010 RMK 700. A friend gave me the rolling chassis which started life as an 800. Last fall I got my hands on a 2008 Dragon Switchback 700. It ran but was completely beat. So I rebuilt the engine and put a brand new primary clutch on. Had a few little issues work out but I think I have it dialed in now. It the best riding sled I have ever owned.
Would love to see a video of some of the old mod sleds in action
That would be fun, we need to try and round up some of that old footage.
I have almost every slednecks DVD and it's really cool to see where it all started to where it is today!
I had a bunch of old elans, tnts nuvik, futura 460lc. My first mountain sled was a 583 mxz 136x2, couple years later a 98 summit 670 144 then came the 2010 dragon 800, and winter of 16 bought the axys 800 163. I rode the 850 and its way different, so much more hook up then the 800, you can brap it in a pre load and pop the whole sled a few inches off the ground, i love every second of the 10 minutes i rode it so maybe this january i might look into a used one....sorry got caught reminiscing and spaced out a bit with this haha Heres to another great season!!! Brap
I was working at a Polaris dealer when the ultra came out. It was supposed to be amazing, but got overshadowed by the lighter more capable 700rmk, by its second year.
I have that same 97 rmk 700 136. It’s an absolute beast
Thanks awesome buddy
Yep the 1997 rmk 700 twin, 220 jugs just God dam strong sled. And the kids today dream of the sound that comes out that sled!
I have twin SLP pipes on the 97 pictured here (yeah, I took that photo back in 07), she sounds beast for sure. Still ride it!
My first machine was a 2007 Mxz 500ss. The previous owner had raced it and the sled was real fun but I wanted a bit more of a mountain sled and I now ride a summit. Cheers bud
First machine was a John Deere trailfire 340, then Arctic cat zr 580, now Arctic cat 04 f6 fire cat
I'm a Polaris guy, but I think we hafta credit Arctic Cat and their 1st gen M series sleds with creating the mountain riding as we know today. The IQ was okay, but the M was a better handling machine in my opinion. However, once the Pro chassis dropped, Polaris took over the industry in the tight and technical aspect. Not saying you can't ride trees with AC and Ski Doo, but Polaris's Pro chassis is insane and so was Dan's 19' sled. WOW. And SO much love to the 90's Indys....those were beautiful sleds.
My 700 RMK! I was browsing youtube, and low and behold, I recognized a photo I took in your thumbnail. I'm still riding that sled, has twin SLP pipes and EGT's. I feel special... LOL
Here are a few more photos if you're interested photos.app.goo.gl/7TsKfSibosZGxBKH9 Don't have any of me riding I guess...
Thats awesome, unfortunately we couldn't find a photo of the original sled so used a photo we found on goggle. We should have asked permission couldn't find any contact info. Pretty wild we connected on here. Small world.
@@NextLevelRidingClinics No problem! I was just blown away to see it!
Bought a 07 600 rmk with a 660 bore kit on it for my first sled 7k miles and it’s still rippin
Started out with a 1989 Lynx 3300 with the rotax 503 engine and öhlins shocks pretty cool sled to ride as an 8 year old!
Now i ride a Summit 850 love the engine but i miss the chassi on my old seld a 2014 pro rmk that! guess ill have to try the axys next season!
Nice videos keep em comming!!!
03 ski doo summit 151" 800 with slp power dome heads and pipe and all aluminum bogey wheels, boss seat, extra cooler in the nose to keep it cooler cause I was running a 1" 1/4 ripsaw track instead of the 2" paddle for trail riding
Make a compilation of all your gypsy tears footage, love that sled
I wish we had more footage of that sled.
I had a Yamaha 250 bravo such a good sled still have it. It’s a ‘84 so no suspension but ripps wheelies😀
crossfire 700 stole my heart and now my 2018 high country is my baby
99 mountain max 700 with every bender racing mod on it was the first sled that got me into off trail riding. I wish I would have never gotten rid of that sled but I was a kid and had gotten newer sleds and didn't understand the meaning of it.
The first sled I ever rode was a 2006 yamaha vector. I was fresh out of the Army and had never touched a snowmobile. It is my father in laws sled and he let me ride it up in blewett pass in Washington. That sled taught me alot of things, the most important lesson it ever taught me though, was humility. Like a drill sergeant it would punish mercilessly even the most minute error. It made me try harder and harder to be better every time I rode. I thought I was a terrible rider until I rode a real sled and realized I'm not terrible, I'm not the best but I'm not terrible
The 97 rmk700 was the reason I got into snowmobiling
Is that Polaris khaos good for the trails
I want a 2 stroke i ride in Alberta north of Edmonton and I have no clue what brand or type of sled to buy any suggestions?
A little late to this great channel is think..!
#1) 1980 Yamaha SRX440. Rocket ship.
I agree with this one ! the 440 liquid cooled was the top dog back then
still better that a new polaris
I don'tremember the year but mine had a brown hood from the previous year on it and dual plug head's and twin pipes...and a tiny 113" short track maybe shorter...
My first sled i buy was a 2010 tundra 550f lt and i do sorta "build" with it and that was à really good time
What a luxury having these videos now! What I'd give to shave off 20 years, and have the sleds, and access to info we have now 🤙
04 ski doo summit 600 146 so fun and with that brp exhaust and that was great now I have a 07 600 146 Efi ho
Polaris xlt 580!
My sleds a 1997 Summit 670, the only thing changed from stock is a helix out of a buddy's sled that woke it right up. Yesterday I jumped on a buddy's 2004 summit 800 for some hills and I'm going out to buy one probably Today 😂 Thanks for the videos!
I’m 13 right now but my first sled was an arctic cat kitty kat 50 and I hated that thing but now I’m on a built 2002 Yamaha mountain max 700 triple
Lol. Some comments saying there first sled were 90-2006. Wow I must be getting old. 1981 ski doo citation was my first sled. Then a 2000 zr 600, 2005 F7 and now a 2018 skidoo tundra LT
I ride an 07 m8... Second sled. Coming from a 94 ext 580. I learned everything on that 580.. It wasn't easy... When i upgraded to this m8 everything opened up to me i could finally do what i seen everyone else doing with far less input. I could actually shred for longer. Rode my bosses 19 axys rmk and man... Was i ever jealous no input big toe pressure and a thought and it'd go there No questions asked! Then a month ago my primary broke off my crank from too many jumps and drops. Found myself rmk/assault hunting... If it hadn't of been for a co worker dropping a built 800 in my lap. I'd be on one for sure! The cat guys at work are few and far. It's all ski doo or Polaris.... Just don't like skidoo rider position. Guess it's something you grow into but Damn i love my cat😕.. Like you said tech has come a long way. If i wanna advance as a rider i have to advance my equipment!
Thanks for sharing your story Justin and good to hear you are liking your sled. Keep on shredding.
@@NextLevelRidingClinics she broke her crank right behind the primary😭 hoping i can get a few more shreds on her this season. Mad scramble sucks! Looking at a 20 rmk or assault. You have any professional input? I really appreciate you reaching out like this! Not the first time you've commented back. Truly means allot especially with your schedule!
First sled experience was a friends 440 Suzuki had to get going to have fun he has a rupp to an pantera also next was a skiddo 340 got unstuck with coka cola an lots if elbow grease then a gp396 yamaha wow what a sled then two polaris 500 1996 so much fun now just got a 05 IQ 900 166 can't what to get out there!! Love sledding
My Second slide just for fun was a 340 Yamaha enticer long track it was just for ripping around
93 (edit:440 lc)cougar, 580 carby outa first year 580ext. .9" camoplast.
80-90 mph all day long.touch 100
Obviously a flatlander sled next to lake country ....n.e. sask.
Thought it was going to be about good sleds and then saw the shirt and choices.
I have owned Arctic Cat in the past and also owned Polaris in the past I just now bought 2019 Polaris XC 850.
Nice, enjoy that new sled.
Funny he talks about a polaris Ultra being his first sled I'm currently building a Polaris ultra mountain sled. My mods are 800 xcr heads, tripple pipes, V force reeds, bigger carbs, drop and rolled Tison chaincase, light weight brake rotor, Skinz seat, Axys polaris running boards, M10 air ride suspension, outdoor light weight front end trailing arms, air fox front shocks, mountain fit lexan hood and it is extended to 163 inches.
Sounds like a rad build.
My first ski doo is a Touring SL 380 Torex 96. I've always wanted to ski doo and when I had enough I bought that used ski doo, But I almost wanted to get that Polaris 2019 teenage sled 5500 but went with 1800 used
I just bought a polaris rmk 700 151 2003 and its perfect
Great video, Dan. Had no idea about your background. You’re probably too modest to do more, but... more please.
Thanks for watching bud
I second this. I'm like keep it short... Naaa keep going man! Loving all 7:46 of this!!
Still riding my 2000 rmk 700 with over 7000 miles awesome engien
Can’t go wrong with liberty 700s. 👍🏻Check the water pump belt at that mileage.Have around 20k trouble free miles on a 98,01 xc’s and 03 sks. Did have the belt wipe the mag cylinder out when it blew on the 98
Slednex700 yeah thanks I already changed mine lol
Carburetor boots need replacement also... getting dried out I bet...
@@billallen4793 it has 40mm rack carbs with new carb boots, fox shocks all the way around, slp full exhuast
Was working at Bellevue Suzuki,Ducati,Polaris when the Ultra was gonna be the new mountain beast. Unfortunately it was a heavy pig, but the 700rmk fixed that problem.
2007 Ski doo rev ptec
Oh cool I had a 97 Polaris 700 RMK I bought in 2000 what a fun sled!! My first sled was an 88 Polaris Indy Trail SKS.I'm a dinosaur I'm riding a 98 Ski Doo 670 Summit X now lol. My favorite was the 97 RMK!!
I still ride my Indy Sport 340 from 90. I'm going to buy a new one but I think I'll wait until there's been some advances in development. I don't want to go out there and pay more but only get the same as I already have.
What kind of mods should I do to my 2009 rmk 700 155.
That 2015 174 just came up for sale 70 miles from me...
New 01 151" 800 Polaris, took it apart and made a solid steering post out of cold rolled 7/8" SS. You could land side ways and not bend it, it rearranged my face many times. So much different, and yes I had 99 700 136" and it rocked!
Hey man love your videos and I know at the end of most of them you say to leave in the comments what we would like to see but I know I’d personally love to see some stuff about the older sleds like the old 97 rmk the old Yamaha mountain max or arctic cat mountain cat and just some of the older stuff because I know me personally I still rock the old mountain max and just seeing some of the things that can be done with the older sleds I think would be cool for the guys who can’t afford to get brand new sleds
Thanks for watching Dylan, last winter a bunch of us on the KLIM Backcountry Team did a ride on some rad older sleds. There's a video on the KLIM channel about the day.
‘97 Arctic Cat ZR580!
My favorite sled i had was a 04 polaris pro xr 800. That sled hauled ass
Those were great looking sleds!
99 Ski Doo Summit 670 136 track. This thing was a screamer for sure. Would out run the RMK 700s for the same era.
My first sled was a 97 indy 700. Still got it. Still rips
I ride a m7 to this day
My current sled is a 1996-97 Arctic cat 580 ext efi with a 96 Pantera motor in it because I just blew up the ext motor
Im 15. and have 2007 artic cat crossover
First sled was a 2005 m7 155in that my dad gave me when I was 10
isnt that 97 polaris a sks? my dad had the exact same one mint condition for 20 years , until he parked it under the shop roof line and snow fell on it and crushed the hood. i think he cried a bit.
I really want a 2007 rev800
My favorite is a Honda xr450 with the yeti track... blows away any sled, I can go places sleds could never go, unfortunately some can't handle riding style and instead need the training wheels style of a sled. Plus in the summer I still have a dirtbike. But a regular sled is still bad ass..
Well, you have clearly never ridden a snowmobile, especially a big one, the power, handling, just pin it and go, awesome, plus, no need for a clutch
Motors getting stronger? Idk about that. My XCR is 18-19 years old and it makes 164 horsepower. Pretty comparable to new 800's.
Jason Marta was it dynoed or are you just throwing out numbers?
@@NewfoundGarage it was dyno'd
I'm sorry unless that motor is bored right out don't believe.
@@nathantrey9484 Polaris rated them 159. Mine read 164 on a Dyno with safe jetting. Not stock jetting. 5 sizes leaner, still safe though.
Just add mbrp race can!!!
My first sled was a 1992 Polaris Indy Lite 340. It had around 2,000km on it the previous owner treated it extremely well and I made it roughly 200 feet when the motor gave out. And I've had other Polaris machines, even brand new ones, after the last brand new purchase of a 2020 Northstar, I don't think I would ever get another Polaris vehicle. They're the most unreliable machines in the industry. My favourite sled was the one I had after that, a 1998 Arctic Cat Z440. That thing had carb issues when I first got it but after the carb was replaced, it ran perfectly for the 2 years I had it. That thing would go by a 2002 MXZ 700 and it was only a 440. Super quick, super fun around corners, super fun in deep powder, only thing it lacked was electric start and reverse but I can't knock it for something that minor. I also really like the sled I have now, it's a 2009 Ski-doo MXZ Renegade 600 Etec with the motor out of a 2018 600RS. 2 words to describe that sled: Wild. Animal. I was doing some digs and roll races last weekend against the neighbour on his 2012 M8 with a turbo kit, and I won 3 out of the 5 races. Fastest sled I've ever owned and so much fun in powder