[crdude]

Well today I took the engine out of my rmk to replace a coolent hose (friend timed me, took 17 min haha) and while I was cleaning the sled I found the weld on the shock tower is cracked from the top all the way to where it meats the bulk head (about 5"?) I could wiggle the tub and see the shock tower seperating from the bulk head... awsome..

As a looked around the shop I wonderd what I should do.... look towards the back and BAM it hit me, the sks is sitting there with no engine or front shocks... dropped my 98 engine in it, put my ohlins shocks on front and of course my risers and ripped it! Its kind of nice being on a old indy style sled again. deffinitly going to be looking for a can for it though, after having a mbrp race can the stocker seems way quite. [beatup] all thats left to do is put a nose cone on it and a front bumper.

 

[zecow224]

Nice, that blows about the rmk tho.

 

[dodger]

Is it still painted the orogional spruce color like mine?

 

[Polaris_Parts_MN]

You should also swap the handlebar from the Gen II onto the wedge. You get the better master cylinder/control block/brake lever and better posture/form because of the shape of the bars is straight up better/more comfortable.

 

[crdude]

I have fly Snox bars. I thought about putting the gen2 breaks on but how would I wire it? splice it in?

This is the sks (only it has my 8" risers now) and I also have a set of SLP ultra light skis on it now aswell and the ohlins shocks. still original colors but the hood is pretty trashed.. I do like the studded track for riding the ditchs around here.

 

[dodger]

I have fly Snox bars. I thought about putting the gen2 breaks on but how would I wire it? splice it in?

This is the sks (only it has my 8" risers now) and I also have a set of SLP ultra light skis on it now aswell and the ohlins shocks. still original colors but the hood is pretty trashed.. I do like the studded track for riding the ditchs around here.

I have Ultra-lites on mine now too.

I have always had good luck with SLP skis

 

[crdude]

They perform well however I usually end up having the frame on the skis welded at least once a year. I havnt used them in a couple years and figured I would give them another try.

Took it out on the lake yesterday, got it up to 85 on the speedo in about 4" of soft snow. I want to see what this thing can do!

sold the 97 skid, it had oil shocks and didnt feel like swapping.. got $150 outa it, didnt think I would get that much for it! Im putting a 99 rmk skid under it now.

I can deffinitly tell the difference between this and my rmk. the sks is far more tippy with the longer shocks (the rmk has a xc front suspension)

 

[Mad-Boondocker]

that is pretty cool that u have a 97 sks. quick question correct me if i am wrong that is a 136 sks not the 133 sks, and didn't those 97 700 models use a differnt engine because I remember seeing on with a square head instead of the rounded red head on the 98 models. I always wonder that

 

[polaris1man]

Damn, I thought Crdude was going into the Summer season and give us a run down on his next dirtbike purchase!!!

 

[crdude]

the 97 700 sks came stock with a 136/1" track. Smaller sleds like the sks 500 still had the 133.5 track.

I had an unexpected suprise when I went to put my 99 skid under my sled, the front arm was toast. I took the rods out and it fell apart into three peaces. both welds on the side that bolts to the rails were broken and one at the top near where the shock mounts. took a arm from a 99 121 skid and it bolted in just fine. Its good to have spare parts haha..

Out on the lake they plowed a nice strait strech that looked like a landing for plains, I wanted to know what my sled would run.. took my sled and ran down it slowly to see how long it was, almost exacly 1/2 mile and mid way there was a road off it about mid way.. My buddy has a 98 rmk 700 that does around 90mph (speedo) and he lined up next to me (on the snow, I was on bare ice because my tracks studded) and I rolled on the throttle till about 50mph then hammerd it. his sled peaked and I started realing him in in a hurry then passed him, a second or two after I passed the road I looked down and the speedo read over 105, might have been 110 but I didnt look long enough to make sure...

fastest I'v ever been on a sled. It was fun! Im planning on taking it to the radar runs next winter and see exacly what it does in the 1/4 mi.

and I was also thinking... I still have a tub from my last 99 rmk... I could put it on the sks and have my ol' gen2 hood on it and then I wouldnt have to worry about buying a nice indy hood... hmmm the choices.

 

[crdude]

Oh I forgot to mention, the 97 700 is the same as most of the 98's (early 98's had 220 cylinders, like the 97) then they went to using 824 cylinders and yes the heads are different. my 97 acually has a 98 xc engine with 220's in it.

 

[crdude]

Face lift is done. It now has the tub/hood of a gen2!

I want to find a used SLP pipe/can this summer.

 

[dodger]

Post up some pics when you get a chance

 

[dodger]

Oh I forgot to mention, the 97 700 is the same as most of the 98's (early 98's had 220 cylinders, like the 97) then they went to using 824 cylinders and yes the heads are different. my 97 acually has a 98 xc engine with 220's in it.

[thumb]Pretty easy to identify a stock 1997 SKS/RMK, and 1997 1/2 Xc 700 release engine......Just look for the purple head cover

 

[crdude]

Yup.

I succsesfully broke a ohlins shock today. the end cap on the rod (the part that bolts to the shock tower) came off the rod. the spring is bent at about a 45 angle. I rode it back to the shop and took the shock off, compressed it and it was smooth, didnt bent the rod. I walked down the trail and found the spacer that holds the spring on. Screwed the top back onto the rod, put a spring off a fox shock from a 98 rmk on (shorter then the ohlins, but I cranked the spring tight as it would go to compensate) and went out to try it again, made it about a 1/4 mile before the end part of the rod came off again...

Hopfully just the top part needs replaced, otherwise Ill have to buy a rod aswell...


Nothing seems to go smothly with my sleds haha something always has to break.

 

[zecow224]

that would blow, are you riding it hard or now?

 

[crdude]

Riding hard is a matter of opinion. All I can say is my friends tell me Im a WFO type of rider.

I cleaned the threads on the rod for the ohlins shock, either there to far gone or the cap is slightly wallerd out. Im just going to sell them (sucks because they rode real nice) to someone that wants to put the money into it.

I picked up a set of fox shocks off a 01 or 02 pro x with titanium springs. Im going to clean them spotless and recharge them along with a new set of seals this summer.

Im going to keep an eye out for a edge/pro x rear skid this summer to.