LOL.....I hope I got your attention! I need some Polaris Switchback info. O.k, I am a cat man, I have a 2003 ZR 900 Sno Pro. I love cats and always will. Anyways, a good friend of mine has a 2004 700 Polaris Switchback. I love the sled and I also love to do a lot of boon docking, off groomed trail. I ride his Switchback quite a bit and I love it. You can't really tell it's a long track until you hit the powder or a rough trail, it handles so good. It doesn't push any more than a short track in the corners, handles awesome over the bumps and has awesome tracksion.........on hardpacked trails and in the deep stuff. Oh yeah, and it has push button reverse! That is the greatest thing ever. Now, another friend of mine has a 2004 800 Switchback that I can buy for a good price. It has 2900 miles on it, has clutching done, has a pipe and is studded. I think I am going to buy it.......he will hold it for me. I love these Switchbacks, they are awesome. Some people are warning me to stay away from the 800 motor but comming from a ZR 900 I need at least a 800. I don't really care about top speed as much as low end grunt and mid range power. I guess all the new motors with the D.E.T. are not blowing up. The local dealer here has not had a new sled in this year for a motor, which is really impressive! I'm asking everyone for their comments on the Polaris Switchbacks and on the 800 motors. I have to make up my mind on this sled soon so I can let my friend know that I am gonna buy it off him. Oh yeah, there is still another full year of warrenty on this sled. Thanks in advance for your responses! Any advise at all about Polaris would be great.

Polaris makes a great sled, and one of their best is the Switchback. It has received great reviews from the major snowmobile magazines, and having been on my buddy's 800, I can attest to its performance and versatility. My only knock on it, and its a common one, is that it pushes in the corners, which is rectified easily by tightening up on the limiter straps. If all you did was ride groomed trails, I would go with a different model. But if you like playing in the powder, they are alot of fun.

I dont ride polaris but my buddy is die hard fan. his last sled was a 01 xc 800 and now the pro x2 800. after riding with him it makes me want to get one. he has had absolutely zero problems with either of these sleds the past 4 winters. I would get man :div20:

My buddies switchback 800 hit a top speed of 102mph on GPS yesterday on soft ice in +4c temps.
Everything is bone stock including jetting. Thats pretty impressive for a machine with a 144" 1.25" track

i have friend's with an 03' sks800[03 model of a switchback]and
an 04' 800 switchback. both sleds do have some mods done to them
but both my bud's swear by these sleds. say they will not go back to
a short track unless they absolutly have too. neither has complained
about there sleds pushing in the corners and both sleds are studded
i seriously looked into one at the beginning of the summer but my
only complaint is that they are based on the rmk chassis so no wide
running boards :banghead: i guess you want narrow ones in the
mountians, but for carving, sidehilling and all around boondocking i
really like the wider running boards. oh well, i ya can go for it!!! i'll
be waiting for polaris' crossover sled in the new chassis. maybe with
that new bada$$ 4-stroke we have heard so much about eh?
oh yeah, why would you really want to go to a polaris.........less trips back
to the dealer. 2500 miles showing on my sleds ticker and only ever 1 trip
back, for the coolant temp sensor update and that's it. it don't get ridden
like a grandpa's sled neither.

Well, I have 5000 miles on my 03 ZR 900 and it has been back to the dealer once because the wire for my thumb warmer broke and I lost a idler wheel inside the skid. Other than that, my Cat has been bullet broof and I drive it like I stole it :div20:. I love Cat but I really love the Switchbacks too, so I think I am gonna get one. Thanks for the comments and please keep them comming.

I guess most of you Polaris guys have nothing good to say about your brand. So far this post has had 164 viewings and only 5 replies . Good thing you are not salesman, lol. Wow, maybe I shouldn't get a Poo. For those of you that have commented, Thanks.

If you get the 800, get the Stainless or Ti exhaust valves and an aftermarket pipe. The Switchback has a hotter ignition than the XC or ProX, so with the pipe, it'll really go.

my buddies both modded there's[as said earlier]and as far as i know
the list goes as follows..........
different head-sorry, can't remember the brand :doh:
vforce 3 reeds
slp single pipe and silencer-they prefer the jet-hot coated ones
heel clicker clutch kits
slp air box mod kit
studs-175 of them, i think.
and jetting.
these two sleds will give most anything a run for there money, and they
are long tracks!! yes, even the occational f7 has a time trying to get buy.
good luck :div20:

I have been to three Coleman State Park Snodeos, I rode every sledd that I could. In 2002 the SKS 700 was my favorite sledd for that year out of Five manufacturers. (Blade, Polaris, Yamaha, Ski Doo, and Arctic Cat).
In 2003 the 700 Switchback was my favrite sledd, out of Four Manufacturers. (the Blades were not there).
In 2004 my favorite sledd was the 600 Switchback, only because Polaris dropped the 700. That was out of Three Manufacturers, I didn't bother with the Yamahas this year. The RX1 engine is awesome but the sledd is too heavy.

I did ride the 800s, but I don't like the 800s only because you have to put extra money and time to get it to run right. Personally I think that the 700 VES engine is Polaris's best engine, so I was unhappy that Polaris dropped the 700. I was thinking of buying a Switchback this year but if I do it will be a 2004 700 leftover.

The difference in topend of a 700 and a 800 is bearly noticable, and when you are ditchbanging you aren't travelling at 105 MPH.


Corsair066

with 2900 miles on it you will be looking at a crank in it before long.check snowest,there have been a lot of 04 800 cranks that have failed.
edit:the 700 pol is a great engine esp with hot to go pipes .why not just put a 136-144 under your 900?

I thought about makeing my 900 into a 144" but I think the Switchback would still be better. To do my 900 right it will cost between $2500 and $5000...........depends if I go with an 144" Expert rear skid or not. Then I can either change the tunnel or go with an extension. Then it still will not have the PERC (push button reverse). Plus, I think I'm gonna trade my 900 on a used ATV today.

On the other hand the Switchback I'm looking at still has another year bumper to bumper warrenty, whereas my Cat has none left. This Switchback is dialed in too. It can stay right with an F 7 and can go around one in the corners.....but that is all in the rider. I think the Switchback is an awesome sled that I know I will enjoy riding and playing in the powder. Thanks for you comments!

I too rode one in '03 (The sled was an '04 700.), and I positively loved it!
I followed my brother who was aboard the 600 Pro-X, and I had to be careful I did not rear-end him. Where he spun and went no-where, I hooked and caught him easily. Same goes for the braking, much better than the Pro-X. I almost bought one. But the F-6 EFI was like a drug...I had to go F-7 EFI. It was the only sled there (F-6) that beat the SwitchBack for me.

Buy it!

OT.

Polaris makes a great sled and the liberty motor is a dependable one. Put 1600 miles on my 700 this year and 1000 last year and no problems! Just remember to clean the VES every 500 miles or so.

This summer thinking of putting on new dome heads reeds clutch kit from legend performace. they state it will increase the fuel milage 15% to 20% and add upto 12 hp.
http://www.legendperformanceinc.com/www/le...performanceinc/

legend performance's stuff does rock for sure!!!
i have talked with a few of there guys and they
definatly know there stuff. if i was to mod any
polaris sled, they would be the first one's i would
call :div20:
these guys go for real world power, with effecientcy
in mind. plus for me, they are semi-local as they are
in michigan.

How are those dome heads and what do they cost? I was looking at them tonight on the same website. I was also looking at the lightweght suspension upgrade for the xtra-10, anyone have it?

Sounds like you allready made up your mind. However it would not cost you that much to stretch that ZR900 out too 144. I have a friend that put a 144 set up on his zr 800 for under $350. His turned out very well. But I understand where your coming from. Perc reverse and an extra year of warenty is nice.

As an owner I will say , I will not be back on a short tracker anytime soon (besides my race sled). you cannot beat the longtrack for a real fun time, and anyone who has ridden it does not realize it is "big" in the trails.