It’s after a season almost as crazy as the RMK KHAOS itself that I am happy to give you my review. As a reminder, this year, we tested the version with the 800cc Cleanfire engine and 2.6” track. This configuration allowed us to focus on what makes the KHAOS so different from the Pro RMK .
The KHAOS differs from the Pro RMK by its greater ease of movement in deep snow. Whether it’s with a weight transfer or by pulling the machine toward us, the snowmobile responds instantly. It should also not be overlooked that it’s much more “playful” than the Pro RMK: a slight touch of the throttle and the skis leave the ground!
The answer to the question, “Do you like the KHAOS?”
This agility comes at a price though: off-trail, on a section where there is, say, 6 inches of snow on the ground, the snowmobile tends to dip to the opposite side when turning. To counter this, you have to counter-steer, but this isn’t exactly natural in so little snow.
The rear suspension has been redesigned for the KHAOS, making it much easier to do wheelies. Even though we tested the 800cc snowmobile, I could do much better wheelies than with the 850 Pro RMK that we had last season.
A KHAOS sure can lift!
When you arrive in a side-hill situation, that’s when you really manage to draw the line between the Pro RMK and the KHAOS. Those who have already ridden an RMK know it: it’s extremely stable and predictable, and you can practically go wherever you want on the side of the mountain. With the KHAOS, it’s a little different: since the rear suspension geometry is more aggressive, the snowmobile has a lot more difficulty keeping its line, and always tends to lift, and even do so on an epic wheelie.
The KHAOS’ new rear suspension geometry
Where the KHAOS really stands out is in deep-powder snow. It’s accurate, easy to initiate, and really fun. Whether it’s making a “doughnut” or making a sharp turn near trees, the driving is precise and exceptionally smooth. The snowmobile doesn’t tend to jerk or be unpredictable. It didn’t happen by accident; the Walker Evans Velocity shocks make a massive difference by removing some of that stiffness we all know from the AXYS. During the first maneuvers with a KHAOS, don’t be discouraged if you use too much momentum and fall on your side!
The KHAOS in its natural environment
In terms of maintenance, we changed three spark plugs and had to have the digital display screen replaced. To my knowledge, digital signage failure is a bit exceptional; it has been tried and tested for several years now, so don’t worry too much about it.
A few times, after a big day of deep snow, I noticed that snow seeps into the drive belt and ice forms if the snowmobile is not thawed out. When you start the snowmobile the next day, you get a big screech if you don’t remove the ice.
Snow accumulation on the running board and near the drive belt
We would like it so much…
Even if we are repeating ourselves, we would like every Polaris mountain snowmobile (and probably just any Polaris snowmobile at all) to be equipped with a safety cord and have an audible back-up warning. Also, I will be the first to be happy when Polaris decides to equip its mountain snowmobiles with a digital gas indicator. The mechanical indicator is completely useless and is not accurate at all. I would add that all Polaris mountain snowmobiles should be equipped with running boards and XT rails, and even more so for the KHAOS.
Mission accomplished!
In the competitive world of mountain snowmobiling, the introduction of the KHAOS in 2020 is timely for Polaris. In my opinion, it fills a gap in the brand’s mountain range, and many people will change their Pro RMK for a KHAOS because they identify more with this machine.
I’ve said it several times this season, but this is the most fun I’ve had riding RMK! A sincere thank you to Polaris for allowing us to do this trial during the 2019-2020 season!
