Hello members , been reading alot of HCS forms and thought its time to join in and ask some questions. Well i am thinking of snow checking the shift 800 144, do a few mods , pipe , 1.25 track, clutching \ gearing and running on mostly trails. Just wondering what your thoughts on this ? Listed as a RMK trail is it a machine that would have a big enough cooler? and mapping, good for sea level ? could i expect to get much over 100 mph ? plus it only weighs 477 lbs. Had a 03 700 SKS, it was alot of fun on and off trail .

If you clutch it, and gear it like you said, it'll be great. The coolers run the whole length of the tunnel so cooling should be an issue. If you want a really good trail sled with a longer track, and no electric start, save some money and buy an 08' Switchback. You won't have to clutch it, gear it, or change the track. Oh, but the 800 you want... hmmm... just buy the 600, it's a rocket!

SJ, thanks for the info. Yea your right i do want the 800, the dragon , but too many in our group are getting it so i thought i would try the RMK trail, if i could get it to perform close to the dragon. I am still runnin a modded fuse and my wife is on her 07 , 121 iq FST , both heavy, and want something i can through around without working up a sweat. A friend of mine has a 600 s/b and it is a rocket! no question.

The RMK Shift and the Trail RMK are two very different sleds. The 800 Shift is not listed or described as a trail sled.





Good luck finding a 1.25 lug in a 144 length. The shortest lug that I have found in a 144 is 1.50 lug, which is ok because it will be a fine trail track.

I also would like to have the 800 RMK for next year. We ride some on and some off trail and I would love to have the RMK for our off trail fun. The Shift's look sick, they are pretty light weight, the 800 is a ripper from what everyone says. It seems like it would be a great sled to ride. For my area the switchback would be more of a realistic option but the price and weight are discouraging.

Thanx shoeless, just got back from my dealer , picked up the new brouchure , i was a little mixed up between the rmk shift and the rmk trail .understood it was a boondocking / trail machine at the time i was looking at it. I still think it would work ok on the trails with some mods. Yes, ripsaw has a 144 x1.25 x15 fully clipped track weighting 45 lbs compaired with stock which is 50 lbs, so my dealer told me.

there are alot of 1.25 144 tracks out there


your only problem is going to be the narrow ski stance but set it at 41 and it will ride pretty well. it will be more tippy then a iq or SB but not to bad.

I think that if you do what you stated above in regards to the track, clutching and gearing I don't think you will have any issues with the RMK on the trail. I am currently running a Summit 800R with a 1.25 studded ripsaw track and the clutching and gearing both changed for trail riding. I wanted the longer sled for better floatation in off trail riding but I do not notice that much difference in the trail with my Summit compared to friends Renegades and we all ride fairly aggressive. Also the RMK I believe still has the tipped up rails. I have looked at the 800 RMK too so I can set it up similar to what you want.

Hey, just what i want to hear. Got till friday to decide on snow check, really leaning towards the RMK. Can you get good top end with your set up? not to worried about fuel mileage just long as i am havin fun. Hit some bad snow falls around MOOSE VALLEY in NB this past month, did i need a long track or what ! Not sure if the rails are turned up on the RMK shift but the RMK trail should be.

the rmk trail is the 550 fan, dont get it. the shirt yes ahs tipped rail with help cornering. also top end, you can get good top end if you regear, easy to do.

The first time I looked for 144x1.25 tracks I must have been asleep, or drunk or something. Looked again yesterday after reading your post and saw about 2 of them right on the pages I had looked through prior. Go figure.


I wish I had the money to snowcheck a new rig, I would be seriously looking at one of those RMK Shift 800's

Buy the Shift RMK 800. That's my next move. It's the only sled available other than the overpriced Nytro that will replace my Switchback (I'm also looking for more power, who isn't?) I won't ride a Ski-Doo and the Cat's burn too much fuel and oil. Plus I'm hooked on the IQ chassis now. I'd like a Nytro XTX but here they're about $2500-$3000 more than the Shift RMK. $13000 for a sled is ridiculous.

The sled does not pull the top speeds of the shorter track sleds but I have seen triple digits on the speedo. The setup that I am running pulls good down low and is a blast to ride. Good luck on your decision, I only wish Polaris would push out their deadline for ordering a new sled though, the sneak preview show is not until the 7th of April the same day the sprind promo ends.

i heard a rumor there gonna extend it another week.

Quite sure its going to be the shift RMK 800. The sled i really want is the dragon sp but all my riding buds are snow checkin one . Don't want the same as every body else , you know ,different. With a few mods, (alot) i think i can build a good on / off trail machine, and make her rip. My 03 700 SKS i had in 03 had a few mods , it would show close to 110 on spedo , what it was really going i'm not sure. never checked it on radar. Also thanx for the input.

Make sure the track you buy is the correct pitch. The RMK's have a 2.82 or 2.86 pitch(don't remember which), you don't want 2.52" pitch. It won't work unless you change the drivers.

He is talking about the 800 RMK Shift which is a 144 and is a 2.52 pitch.

I ride a 600 RMK 144 on the trails but do mostly off trail riding. I would go at least a 1.5 track. The extra hook-up out of the hole and in powder is sooo nice. I run the stock 2" track on mine.

800 RMK's aren't considered "trail" sleds, but they do well when you ride on them. If that is all you do then stick a 1.25" track on it, gear it up a bit and hang on. A 1.5 Crossover would be better if you hit up any type of deep powder.

I just order mine tonight and it will get a 1.5" Crossover track unless they offer the Cobra in a 144". You guys have to think the switchback use to be 144 and since the RMK has tipped up rails the only thing that would need to be done in my opinion for trail riding is clutching, gearing and track.

I didn't regear mine because I like to be a little quicker out of the hole and its needed in the powder. The only clutching I did was clutched for elevation. 10-62's on the 600HO in Michigan. Jetting will have to be seat for michigan as well. I don't really care about top end but it seems to be on par with the 600 trails sleds I've ridden with.

I plan to leave everything stock except the track at first and see how it works. I have no need for top speed nor do I care if the sled breaks 90 mph as long as it climbs and gets me where most can't go I'm going to be alright.

I'm freakin pumped about this sled!!!!!!!!!

Just wondering why you would want to change the track. I believe it is the same track that is on my sled. I have been riding IQ RMK's on and off trail for 2 years now with 2" stock track and have yet to change hyfax or rip a lug or damage anything at all. If you ride off trail you will want the longer lugs. We had snow over our waist in Grand Marias a couple weekends this year and the extra lug was nice for getting out.

Because sometimes I ride out of Houghton Lake on 4" of snow to get north to more. Plus I'll ride the kids around on marginal conditions at the cottage if were all up there and would prefer to just down size. Trust me Randy I've encountered the same conditions you have and I've been doing it witha 1.25 ripsaw x 136 so a 1.5 will be a huge improvement.

did something wrong,gonna try again. Yep, called dealer on monday , ordered the RMK 800 shift also Not sure of which track i will run but i have about 8 months to decide. Thanx for input to help make my decision.
Anyway just returned at 1:30 this morning from a 2 day (turned into 5) trip. Left Edmudston N.B. thursday up 85 to Cabano, 548west to 5 then Matane (trails were great except for around Matane,recently groomed but a bit rough "like always")Left ,on to murdockville.Then went to fire up sled,f&@$*N alternator shorted.Could not get it to keep running. Had my wifes FST turbo.Hired a local to run me down to New Ricmand with his truck. My ridin bud sledded down with 4 others we met at motel, Kevin decided to sled over to pick up his truck because we each had a spare sled with us , (we both needed them) Got up in morning only to find dealer had no parts to repair it, so i pulled out the fuse and we headed up 595 to ski hill( red pine),gent in office said they closed the day before for season and we could enjoy the hills." WOW" did we ever, used up about 5 gallons of fuel and at least one pair shorts, before we headded back to Matane for another spin.This must be called the" trail to heaven" ,because it ,was wicked fast and smoooth Hammer down all the way. got back, the fuse just turned over to 10019.0 mi (16032)km gonna miss this one.