Author: Ian Pinegar (Darkstar)



I promised myself when I bought this sled that I was going to leave it stock with the exception of some creature comforts. The first additions to the sled included a 2-inch handlebar riser, Polaris’ aggressive handlebar package, Rox sled treds, a diamond-plated skid plate and a new chrome windshield with black flames. I ordered all of these goodies the night I bought the sled. When I finally got the sled home and all of the ordered parts arrived I began the creation of what was to be a unique looking 600xcsp.



Rapidly all of the parts were on the sled and it no longer looked identical to my buddies sled. I still wasn’t quite happy with the look so I slowly began cutting off some of the graphics to clean up the look a little more.

Last winter while riding through some logging trails and power-lines in the UP of Michigan, I quickly came to the realization that to really be able to off trail ride I was going to need some modifications to my stock Polaris 600xcsp. I was again reminded of this riding the north shore of Minnesota when attempting to ride off through some marshy areas with 3+ feet of snow. When springtime came and it was time to stop riding I quickly began searching the Internet for all the goodies I would need to create my own one of a kind boondocking/ditch-banging hybrid.

The first thing to decide was how long I should extend the track. My first thoughts were to go to a 144 but quickly decided that wouldn’t fit the ditch-banging profile very well. I then settled on a 136 extension figuring that would give me the best of both worlds. It would allow me to keep the performance on the trails and in the ditches but at the same time would give me extra floatation when I headed off trail. When going to a 136 there are a couple of options available. You can purchase a complete 136 kit from Polaris, which includes new rails and makes some modifications to where the rear torque arm mounts. Although this was appealing I opted to go with extensions instead, mainly because for less money than the kit I also got 8” idler wheels and a new axle that would allow me to run a 2, 3 or 4 wheel setup.



The next step was to decide what size lug I would run on the new track. I was torn between stuffing a 1.5” in there or playing it safe and going with a 1.25”. After debating whether or not I would be running studs I decided that I might need to run studs here in MN. So I opted to go with a 1.25” track just in case. I found a brand new take off stock Polaris 1.25” track from a local guy for a good price.



Since I had the new track and the parts for the extension were ordered it was time to begin tearing the sled down. During the tear down I swapped out the red belly pan for a black one and I removed the rest of the stock decals. With the belly pan out of the way it was easy to give everything a good polishing, cleaning and greasing.

While I had the front and rear suspension off the sled I decided that some powder coating would be a nice touch to really set the sled apart from any other out there. I had my mind set on a black and red theme so I had the rails and IFS arms done in gloss black and the springs and torque arms done in red. All of the parts were first sandblasted. The powder coating should hold up much longer than paint and has a very “factory” looking finish.



During the tear down a few accessories to aid in off-trail and ditch riding were added. These included a 2003 Pro-X seat, 5-inch Rox riser, Gravity Worx Racing left hand throttle and a mountain grab bar. I had no issues with the length of the throttle cables or the brake line when putting the riser on. The Pro-X seat really helps get your hips above your knees when you are sitting and allows for a quick transition to stand up riding. The riser and mountain bar added an incredible amount of leverage for throwing the sled around and allows me to ride standing up with out hunching over.



Now I had to decide what type of mod’s would be needed to make the sled run like I wanted it to, while still keeping the engine reliable and keeping to the budget I set myself to. I decided that gearing was the first place to start. Since I had no concern with top end, the gearing was changed to 21/41. It was recommended that the weights be changed to 60gr to correct for the drastic gearing change. As I have not yet had snow, this may need to be changed to 62gr weights, but I will not know until I go through some real world testing. I had a tempaflow installed to keep the jetting optimal in warmer weather. For this installation the jets need to be set for –20f instead of the –10f that it was set up for from the factory. Last but not least I wanted a little throatier sound and was also focusing on weight loss so I installed an MBRP Trail Can.



One of my goals being to lose as much weight off the sled as I could, I began shaving parts that I felt I didn’t need. I took off all of the outside wheels on the skid, did away with my speedometer and cable, added C&A skis and a lightweight clear hood. Quite a few of the parts I have replaced have been with parts that weigh a lot less, including the Pro-X seat and MBRP can.



Finally I had to make a few custom parts to add that last bit of personal touch. I began creating some diamond-plated accessories. I cut out a panel for the gauge pod. I created a couple of extensions to add to the Rox sled tred’s. I created these parts by first creating a cardboard template and then using a jigsaw and a sharp blade to cut them out.



The add-ons to the Rox sled tred’s required notching them where they would meet the bend in the tunnel and then folding up the edges so that they could be riveted to the tunnel securely.

Lastly due to adding the Pro-X seat I needed something to cover the coolant hose that was now exposed. So I purchased some steel braided hose covering and slipped it on. This should do the trick as long as someone does think it is a handle to lift the sled.



So you ask what do you get when you put all these pieces back together. You should get something that looks a little like this, what I call the Boondocker Special.