Don´t get me wrong, I am loyal to POLARIS but what is the deal with POLARIS?? Every year the SWITCHBACK is getting heavier and not forgetting there 4 strokes not loosing lbs.
600 SWITCHBACK= 534 lbs. 800 SWITCHBACK= 544 lbs. They are as heavy as a YAAMI and heavier then the 900 FUSION and 900 RMK.

I would have shooten the nose on the new models by 2", redesigning/ shooten the exhaust, make a little smaller headlight. And would redesign the rear suspension rails on the SWITCHBACKS making them lighter and get them the new front end.

Well I won´t be buying a SWITCHBACK this year.

I see that the electric starter is standard on the SWITCHBACK! But it´s still heavy after you dump the electric starter and battery. The starter and battery weighs around 20 lbs. I guess and dumping them will get the weight down to 524 lbs.
Would be nice with a weight of 485 lbs. on the 800 SWICTHBACK.

Not to mention that coupled suspension is adding about 15lb atleast. I wouldn't be surprised if it is closer to 20. Either way, 20lb off the E.S. and 15 pounds off the skid, would make it close to 500lbs.

I wonder if they are re-evaling the weight. I remember seeing in one of the mags that polaris's advertised weights were off like and average of 20lb or something ea. Ski-doo's were off like 17lb average.

I hope they're not adding the weight AND still off, that would be like 565lbs for the 800....

That disapoints me..... I was thinkingabout a 09 FST SB if they offered the uncoupled 144 and lost some weight.....Oh well, I guess I will keep looking.

538lbs on 800 switchback dragon are you kidding? Was really excited about this yr. MY 07 switchback was just under 500lbs, polaris is going the other way then ski-doo. What is the deal with no dragon SP on switchback and $10,899? The assault is less then the switchback. Told my dealer I was snowchecking about one month ago. Looks like I will hope for 2010 for weight loss and maybe new body style.

What are you guys a bunch of pussys?, weight is nothing, only a number in your head, learn to ride so you don't get stuck.

No, no pussys here. it´s just a heavy snowmobile = NO FUN FACTOR
Light snowmobile = HAS FUN FACTOR

Maybe you need to go to the gym and work out, easier for you to lose weight than the sled

I think Polaris has a great 09 lineup.The 09 Switchback does come with Electric Start adds some weight,i think the Switch is marketed towards the 40+ year olds,notice the taller windshields. The added weight will not take away from this sled.Most guys buying this sled will appreciate the e start.

I will add the e start to my 08 700 Switch.

You younger guys ,how about the 144 rmk Shift or the 136 switch Shift,light weight all the features you need !

That 550 Shift looks cool,fst hood,new front end,600 ho Shift lightweight super quick .

Nice line up for 09!

Assault thats cool!

Getting another 30 to 40 cm today! I think we will be running to mid April.!

Well, maybe a 800 RMK SHIFT 144" with 1,5" track will do just fine. And ad the flame graphics. It would look sick!! Allthough I would have bought the 8 DRAGON SWITCH.

id rather have weight than a weak chassis...cough...cough ...XP

It looks to me that the 600 RMK Shift is the new Switchback. That's what I'll be looking at. 144" and tipped up rails, not to mention available in an 800 with the 144". They fixed all the problems my 07' Switchback has... too much ice in the tunnel and running boards, stupid front radiator, and cheap plastic front bumper. Now All I need to do is buy a new RMK and order 07' Switchback graphics for it because they are dead sexy.

not that I need it but I'll take the little extra weight and have electric start!WHY does everyone always say since it weighs the same as a 4 stroke I may as well buy a 4 stroke,Is that really what is holding everyone back from dumping the 2 strokes and going 4 stroke is weight.Who gives a shit if it weighs the same as a stripped down nytro with ES and Reverse,look at the guage package on a nytro ,look at the materials used to make the chassis so light.If they wanted to do that on a 2 stroke polaris chassis just think how light they could be!I don't buy 2 strokes becasue they weigh less I buy them because its what I like to ride and have never given me any reason to need a 4 stroke!that nytro has that shitty guage package even though the media says very little about it!if polaris went back to a simple tach and speedo without any other fancy features How much weight could it save!just imagine how the snowmobile media would slam polaris for having such poor out dated guage package!like the phazer and nytro!people slam the cats because they weigh the same as the yamahas!so who cares the cats have a lot more high tech features than the yamahas plus they also have windshields!I'll still take a F series 2 stroke over any yamaha 4 stroke any day regardless of weight!

Coupled suspension adds weight, with today's shock technology it is almost unnecessary. I'll stick with buying RMK's with the tipped up rails and lighter weight. Poo went back asswards with the 136" coupled skid and track.

Thinking about the 800 RMK SHIFT 144 with 1,5" track and IQ front A-arms and Walker shocks or SKI-DOO 800 RENEGADE X with 1,5" track.. POLARIS seats are getting to high for me.

imho, the new assault is the best crossover sled polaris has to offer this year... only downside is getting a trail viable track... might have to have a 1.5" track to make it trail worthy... though that may not be available right away cuz of the new pitch on the 146"... or you can try the "spare drive shaft and 144 trac" option but that is an expensive way to go...

I think the assualt would be a great trail sled, the 2" track would hook up great! I have about 7000 miles on my 144x2. It gets both on and off trail use, the Assualt is the first sled Polaris has made that has me really interested in a new sled. My 03 edge SKS may need an upgrade..........

i have to disagree ive got a 99 xcr 800 with a 136 1.5" track and its heavy as hell but its a shit load of fun, mind you i think if your a light guy u need a light sled i was runnin with a vertical escape 144 2" and a summit 800 156 2" and i wasnt to far behind in the powder.
Basicly i would say if thwe power to weight ratio is good then the weight doesnt matter that much...


personal opinion

How does less weight = more fun? Quit bitching & go buy a Doo then, christ. I would have to assume if your "ideal new Polaris" weighed in at the 485 you are requesting, you would bitch about it not weighing 450. So you could tell me the difference in 15lbs when you are riding? Oh shit, plus all of the weight from the snow/ice build up....should go w/ a hollow tunnel to prevent extra weight build up too? Ride the fucking thing, better yet buy the Shift 144 w/ no stickers....that should save you a few ounces of weight. Better yet go buy a Snow Scoot & drop an 800 in it....should jump wonderfully for you.

here! here!! I agree 100%! my ride is heavy too and I don't weigh that much, but I have a hell of alot of fun on it and can make it do what I want and I'm a girl!!! I can jump and powder play just as good as the lightweight ski-doo's! If you love to ride and ride well 15lbs shouldn't make that much difference! Just ride!

if you've got a raw chassis sled that snow/ice build up is minimal.... some claim that after a days ride the new lightweight XP is actually quite a bit heavier than the rmk... i'd like to see real scale weights of that but.......

I'd take a Assault over a new XP anyday! from watching my buddies race sled break twice in two weeks (same part, "flying nun") i don't think i'd ever have an XP

my g/f worked her butt off this summer though and she bought a TNT which is perfect for her because she's pretty short and she weighs like 115 or something so she can handle it way better than her xc she had before and it rides way better. she did that just on how the sled fit her though because she was going to get a shift but she liked the feel of the TNT better.

i was looking at a assault till i saw the price tag!!! i think i'll stick with snopro's for now lol but it does come fully tweaked so even if you bought a RMK shift you'd have just as much or more in it in suspension stuff so who knows.......

Get over the weight thing...No one even mentioned it until Ski Doo went on their little weight kick. Go buy a Renegade and stop bitching. I will be riding my switch while your 'gade is in the shop for broken drive shafts, idlers wheels, and control arms...all of which where not beefy enough just to save weight.

You'll never notice the weight unless you are out there jumping it, in which case you should be in an IQR...

Doug

I can't agree with you completely, weight does make a difference. But as I found out from my brothers Venture XL, balance is the bigest factor.

if you actually look around the polaris site the shift 600 switchback is 495 lbs, under your 500 lbs mark. wiht the money you save you can go put some nice shoxs on and stickers then you are good to go

Can you explain to me how a "raw" chassis sled has miminal snow/ice build-up, because my bare bones IQR gets a shit ton of it in the skid and tunnel.......now that I think of it, EVERY sled builds up massive amounts of snow in the skid and tunnel, unless of course you're running an EZRyde, ported track, custom tunnel w/ 100% of the tunnel covered with extrusion and a 200hp motor to create enough heat to actually melt the snow before it has a chance to ice up and bond with itself, which manufacturer makes a "raw" sled with all that? None of them.

If you actually ride the fuckin things, they're going to be 500+lb. machines no matter which way you cut it, but in my experience, my brothers XP is still the lightest after a few hours of powder riding, making it the easiest to get unstuck. Everyone should just learn to ride what they like and keep it to themselves, the forums would be a far friendlier place.

Burned my finger here. I´m not so tall and don´t weigh so much. I´m 165 cm tall and weigh 57 kg. I like the power of the bigger engines but wan´t the weight of the smaller engines. And yes I can tell the difference in 15 lbs.

I have never tried a smaller lighter sled. I have always had 700cc trible engines and one 900 FUSION. I´m only 165 cm tall and weigh only 57 kg. I like big engines and like to race og make a higher high mark then the others. Maybe the 600cc engine is powerfull enough for me do to me being little, but I´m affraid to buy one and be dissapointed.

^^ trust me, you will not be dissappointed in the 600. they are such a blast and just snappy. My buddies dad has a 900 fusion and the 600 feels so much better just because it is so smooth. if anything you can add a pipe and can and get the hp up to around 130

Sound like no pussy for a long time.. Live a little, GET LAID. I wouldn´t bitch if the weight wasn´t 450 lbs. And I can tell the diffence of 15 lbs. I got a silencer that drops 16 lbs. for my 9 FUSION and theres a difference. I just wan´t POLARIS to wake up a little and here the costumers wish of an ideal weight for the SWITCHBACK so you don´t have to spend time on extending the short performace sleds your self.

Wow...you are a genious (smart person). I didnt know getting laid had ANYTHING to do with people bitching just to bitch. So what you are saying is that Polaris should taylor make a sled just for you? Because it does/does not have exactly what you want? First problem I see is that you own a 900 Fusion, I now see your disappointment w/ Polaris....SELL IT. If you can tell 15lbs on a sled full of snow/ice etc....you must be one of those "heroes" that can tell when your tire on your truck is down a 1/2lb too? Do you watch too much Nascar? You make one hell of a bench racer. Shut the fuck up go buy the "lightest" sled in production, but I am sure you will find something else to bitch about. GO HILLARY!

You sound like you've been taking too many stupid pills. So after shedding 16lbs. with your silencer, can you tell me how much snow you've accumulated in your skid lb. for lb., and when said accumulation = 16lbs? You must not need a gas guage then either, because based on your statements you would be able to roughly determine how much fuel is in your tank for every two gallons you burn through. I mean you could actually hop on two different Fusion 9's and tell me which one has appox. 16 fewer lbs of fuel and oil than another. THAT is AMAZING. Can you also tell me how much hp that can made for you? Maybe with the huge boost in ponies from that can, you only THINK you can feel the weight difference from it, and it's actually the awesome perfomance that is fooling you into thinking you can actually tell the difference. I once had a 10lb. weight reduction in one sitting (translation: huge fucking shit) and man could my sled rip after that.

I would willingly put money on the fact that the only reason you THINK you can tell a 16lb. weight reduction is because you KNOW that it is exactly that.

Sorry man.. Didn´t wan´t to ruin your day, but now you feel much better after getting your frustration out, right??

No need to apologize, it takes a lot more than a WEBSITE to ruin my day. Nor do I feel any better, or worse for that matter, I just strongly feel that if you are as capable at "feeling" weight reductions as you say you are, you should be working for NASA. Perhaps I'm all wrong and you already do? Or maybe you just don't really know what you're talking about, anyone's guess is as good as mine. Regardless, I always get a kick out of riders who claim they can feel the difference between a stock can and an aftermarket.

I would rather work for POLARIS designing the sleds, then working for NASA. Maybe it´s just me that can make the difference on the silencers. My stock can weighs 33 lbs. and I put a Precision Performance silencer on, that weighs 15 lbs. and I could play easier with my sled after that, but got the stock silencer back on, cause the engine bogged. I didn´t get the reflash done and can´t get it done. On the other side I´m a little guy weighing 125 lbs. and 165 cm high so maybe I should go with the 600 DRAGON SP extending the track to a 136" x 1,375" Camoplast track. The thing is that I like horse power alot so maybe the lightweight 600 CFI 4 DRAGON SP is good enough.

Yes, I have the 08 RMK 600 and it is light. Nice sled. Way lighter than the switchers.

Ha ha...that is a good one! LOL

find a 06 switchback 600HO, 498 pounds or so, take the money u have saved buying a older sled and mod it out, pipe can, 660HO, boss seat, anything and do some weight reduction mods = amazing sled

Someone had mentioned earlier in the thread that they wanted to see weight figures of sleds after a days ride. If you read the deep powder challenge in the March 2008 SnoWest magazine (www.snowest.com) they did this comparison. The Polaris and Ski-Doo had the least added weight after a ride due to snow build up (assumed to be due to the ported tracks) 27 and 23 pounds, respectively. The Yamaha was 44 pounds heavier, and the Cat gained 50 pounds.

There was also someone not understanding how a "Raw" chassis helped reduce snow build-up. The RAW chassis is referring to the RMK chassis, which has a heat exchanger running the full length of the tunnel on top, effectively making up the top of the tunnel. This has been proven to reduce snow build-up a lot on the RMK's, since it doesn't build-up on the top of the tunnel.

I have been looking at the locations of the people who do not think weight matters at all, and most of you are flatlanders. I bet most of you are wondering why the mountain sleds from each manufacturer keep getting lighter and lighter too, right? If you are riding in deep powder conditions, throwing the sled around, weight makes a huge difference. You may not notice it and may get used to riding your sled and throwing it around, but when you switch to a lighter sled the difference in fatigue at the end of a riding day is huge.

What a lot of the people in this thread should realize is that the conditions you ride your sled in aren't the same as the conditions that other people on the thread frequently ride in. If you use the seat a lot on your sled, then weight probably won't make much difference to you. However, if you stand up and throw the sled around a lot, weight makes a huge difference.