I am considering upgrading my 95 XLT to a 05 Switchback. There is nothing wrong with my old sled other than being old. I was not even thinking about upgrading until I saw this sled. I want to try a long track sled but I am not sure how they handle on trails: hard pack & moguls. I am pretty sure I will like it in the deeper snow, but here in NY we don't have a ton of that. I am also not sure it will fit in my 10' trailer. It is a clamshell with the front end tipping out. (Bearcat top) Any honest advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. :beerchug:

I had nothing but short tracks and last year I bought a 06 switchback and I will never ever go back to a short track again My switchback amazed me how well it handled its a awsome sled you wont regret it :div20:

Hey TBPolaris, how do you find the track on that switchback? For only being 1 1/4 inch how is it in powder? I have one ordered BUT did not know if I was going to put on a 1.5 inch track or possibly bigger. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

My exact feeling too!!! The only thing that confuses me is how to tune an uncoupled skid!!! everything I learned doesn't apply anymore


2005 sled? or 2005 & 1/2?

is this the IQ model? if so i wouldn't touch it!!!!! I had alot of issues with my 05 Fusion, and so are several other people!!

does the sled have trailing arms? get it, if it is the 05 IQ SB, run the other way!! and look for an 06 with several of the key issues re-engineered.

I am trading my 05 switchback ( with trailing arms) in on a 2007 switchback( with the IQ frontend). What problems did you have?

your gonna love the 07, it is almost identical to the 06 (except no 900's this year, OOps I meant 866's)

does the 07 SB still have rider select? you'll love that too!!!!

I am on an 06 now, and I absolutley love everything about this sled!!!!

for the 04-05 season I was one of the beta-testers for the fusion 900 (original year) It would be easier to list the problems that I didn't have!!

50-50 mix of sled problems, and incompetent dealer problems though.

my 05 issues that I personally could not tolerate;
best fuel mileage of 6.5 mpg when ridden nicely on packed groomed trails, worse when ridden hard!
best top speed of 85 mph, that was it, no more! it fell on it's face at that speed and would not exceed it.
it ate pistons,
it ate belts
it ate oil pump cables
it sucked oil at an alarming rate
very cold sled to ride, poor hand heat, I couldn't even feel it while riding, but I felt warmth if I touched the grips with bare hands.
vibrated & rattled like a monster. ( I expect 900 twins to vibrate, but I would go numb from the shoulders down from this one)
EGT probes on a weekly basis with a resulting check engine light flashing, and even worse performance!!!
it pushed real bad in the turns. (fixable with ski's, bars, or aftermarket spindles)
belt dust gumming up the reeds.
I could not see my ski-tips without leaning over the bars (hard to maneuver in a u-turn situation, and to judge depth into a corner without worrying about hooking something with a ski-tip)
the dealer didn't have the knowledge, tools, or software to set-up or diagnose the sled.
Drivetrain was loud, and sounded like it was about to grenade itself at any moment.
I never exceeded 1,000 miles on this sled over 2 seasons due to problems.

my 2006 switchback 900;
A total dream sled all around,

12.7 MPG first ride out while ridden hard in deep snow on the trails and some off-trail.
I cant seem to find the top-end on this sled, I back off at about 113 mph
it is like it is on rails through the twisties, (with stock ski's and bars)
luxurious comfort on the coldest nights, hand warmers will burn you if not careful
Just an excellent ride, the suspension is great (the un-coupled skid has got me confused though)
gauges & lighting are unbelievably nice, and easy to access on the fly.
I could ride this sled for a week without getting off.


the one thing I miss from the 05, that my 06 has different;
they closed the gap by the steering shaft!! it was great to keep a helmet or gloves warm from the engine heat when taking a pee, or smoke break!! there was enough heat there to defrost a face-shield.

I was surprised it performed pretty well in the POW but if I had to do it all over again I would have gone 1.5 and run some ice scratchers :div20:


I could'nt agree more with ya Gettin2old I also had a royal piece of shit fusion I lost all faith in the 900 but I am glad to hear that your new 9 is doing ya good but I gotta tel ya this 600 feel about as fast as my 9 but I got a realley bad 05 the 600 is so light and nimble I realley did'nt have to do many adj. to the sled only complanit was the heavy steer but I can live with that

I just got word that my new Holtz spindles shipped for my '06 SB. They claim significantly reduced steering effort. Look forward to trying them.

Another David Anderson.... :beerchug:

Let us know how they work when the snow flies

I think with these new skis I'm gonna be running this year I will be ordering the Holz spindles also

We are the 7th most popular name in Minnesota, in case you were wondering!

I second this opinion. Long tracks are much nicer all around. It is even quicker than the short track Polaris models due to the approach angle of the track. I will be on a long track for years to come and here in NH it is similar to NY riding and conditions.

First, what model of an 05 Switchback are you thinking about?

Second, I don't think it will fit in a 10 foot bed covered trailer. It is not easy to fit an IQ classic with a 128" track into one, let alone a 144" tracked sled. The 05 IQ based Switchback 900 has a 151" capable tunnel.

I agree, this damn sled is like having a 10 foot diving board behind the seat! You can't tell you got all that tail when riding it. ( I love those curved rails ) but walking out to the sled it looks as long as a semi-truck!!
I have got a v-nose drive on trailer, and the ass-end hangs off the back.

Good thing Polaris offers all those accesories to pack onto there!! I am adding the fuel can, shovle, and luggage.

Tina Turner could probably do a concert on the amount of tunnel on the 144 SB's it is so long.

Hmmm, maybe runway model show? They look better!!

i have had both an 05 and 06 switchback and i can tell you that an 05 will fit in a 10 ft trailer but you have to drive foward until the ski tips barely touch the front of the trailer. the 06 is 3 in longer than the 05 and does not fit in a 10 ft clam shell!!!! if you have a v nose you will be all set. and you will absolutly love the switchback....people say two much track to turn that is BS if you look at the angles the are not as steep and this is huge. the track is only 11 lbs heavier than a 121. and yes one pound of rotatign mass is like 7 lbs of stationary mass but in all actuallity 77 lbs is not that big of a deal...IMO of course i only weigh 150 soaking wet. also you will not spin as much so if you are racing you will beat anyone off the line and they are playing catch up. trust me i know almost everythnig about these sleds if you have any questions please let me know i will be more than happy to help

Thanks to everyone for your input. I am still trying to decide if I want to come up with the money to upgrade. After last winter it is pretty hard to spend cash on a sled when I have one that runs great.

UR2SLO

My trailer is a 10' Triton with a Bearcat cover that tips forward in the front. I thought that it would fit if I pulled the ski tips over the front but wasn't sure.

I'll keep you all posted on my final decision.