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How The Polaris Indy Made Its Comeback

Mark Lester
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How The Polaris Indy Made Its Comeback

Bet you didn’t know Polaris began the development of the reinvented Indy at the same time it started working on the RUSH! This is an interesting story and provides a bit more insight into the Indy line if you’re diehard snowmobiler or just hunting for an Indy on the used snowmobile market.

POLARIS PARTNERS WITH COSTCO

Press Release
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Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) announced today that it will partner with the Costco Auto Program (CAP), an auto-buying program specifically for Costco members, as the exclusive promotional partner for its powersports division.

Starting today, Costco members will be able to access special pricing and promotional incentives on select Polaris products at participating dealers in the U.S.

“We are excited to announce our role in expanding the selection of powersport products offered through the Costco Auto Program,” said Tim Larson, vice president, global customer excellence, Polaris. “This program allows Costco members to experience industry-leading Polaris products at a great value while connecting members with our valued dealers to engage even more riders in our brands and lifestyle.”

“Polaris is an industry leader offering the breadth and depth of products that are a great fit for Costco members,” said Jeff Skeen, president and general manager of Affinity Auto Program, which operates the Costco Auto Program. “Costco members rely on us to recommend premium products while saving them time and money. This new partnership gives us the opportunity to offer an exceptional value on powersport products without the hassle of negotiating.”

As a partner in the Costco Auto Program, Polaris, Victory and GEM branded products will be on display inside select Costco warehouses. Costco members will be able to obtain special pricing and purchase these products through trained and certified Polaris dealer representatives at participating dealerships.

Costco members can locate a participating dealership by visiting CostcoAuto.com/powersports.

As part of this new partnership, the Costco Auto Program will feature different Polaris products on promotion throughout the year, beginning September 2014. Products will include snowmobiles, off-road vehicles (Sportsman, Ranger and RZR), Victory motorcycles and GEM electric vehicles. Specific Polaris brand participation will vary by store and dealer geography.

To learn more about the Costco Auto Program and the variety of powersport products available through the program visit CostcoAuto.com/powersports.

Polaris is a recognized leader in the powersports industry with annual 2013 sales of $3.8 billion. Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets innovative, high quality off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and the Polaris RANGER and RZR side-by-side vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles and on-road electric/hybrid powered vehicles. Polaris is among the global sales leaders for both snowmobiles and off-road vehicles and has established a presence in the heavyweight cruiser and touring motorcycle market with the Victory and Indian Motorcycle brands. Additionally, Polaris continues to invest in the global on-road small electric/hybrid powered vehicle industry with Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), Goupil Industrie SA, Aixam Mega S.A.S., and internally developed vehicles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Polaris Engineered parts, accessories and apparel, Klim branded apparel and ORV accessories under the Kolpin and Cycle Country brands. Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PII, and the Company is included in the S&P Mid-Cap 400 stock price index.

Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories are available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime at polaris.com.

HAS POLARIS STARTED A WEIGHT WAR?

Kent Lester
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HAS POLARIS STARTED A WEIGHT WAR?

If you’ve perused the statistics on the new Polaris RUSH AXYS platform, you’ll notice the new chassis has pared nearly 40-lbs from the former Pro-Ride version.

You bet this is significant and it squarely puts Polaris into the “lightest in class” category.

When it comes to power to weight, the revamped and much more powerful 800 Cleanfire version, claimed to have been benchmarked against the competition, will likely exceed Ski-Doo’s long term claim to lowest snowmobile power-to-weight.

Ski-Doo has whipped the lightness pony in its promotion for a lot of years and we’re pretty sure the company will not be happy having to clam up about owning the weight category.

Fact is, two years ago it seemed pretty far-fetched to imagine anyone else exceeding Ski-Doo’s power-to-weight ratio given the fact it looks like the company designed the XP-XS platform top to bottom to be lightest-ever in the industry.

So much for progress – we’ve learned to never underestimate any of the OEMs’ engineering people when it comes to new innovations.

Those who have owned XP-based Ski-Doos know there’s been a penalty sometimes in front clip strength and durability in order to achieve this high level of lightness. We’re curious to know if Polaris will experience the same issues with durability when every possible unnecessary ounce has been eradicated from the AXYS.

One ace Polaris has up its sleeve is the fact it has begun with a cast bulkhead on the AXYS and then used its proven bonding process to ensure box-like strength up front.

It’s going to take a whole season of consumer testing before we know how strong this platform is but we’d gamble it’s good and it’s enough to send Ski-Doo back to the drawing boards.

BRP INTRODUCES TWO NEW BACKCOUNTRY EXPERTS

Press Release
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BRP’s Ski-Doo Backcountry Experts will have two new team members this year with the addition of Jay Mentaberry and Jeremy Mercier.

Both come on board to share their perspectives and lifestyle with the mountain sledding community through social media and at snowmobile events. Both are accomplished riders with great enthusiasm for the sport, easy to talk with personalities, and snowmobiling is an important part of both their personal and professional lives.

The Backcountry Experts are a group of some of the most talented and engaging riders on Ski-Doo snowmobiles in North America that will once again be sharing their ride experiences, thoughts and opinions on everything for the deep powder market.

With a wide range of riding styles, riding interests and unique talents, they offer snowmobilers perspectives from diverse backgrounds and different riding areas that appeal to just about everyone.

Each member is passionate about helping people enjoy their sport and becoming better deep snow riders.

The group includes:

* Rob Alford, Revelstoke, BC Ashley Chaffin, Valdez, AK
* Carl Kuster, Sicamous, BC
* Dave Norona, Vancouver, BC
* Jay Mentaberry, Alpine, WY
* Jeremy Mercier, Grand Lake, CO
* Bret Rasmussen, Preston, ID

Adding Jay and Jeremy expands the groups US coverage, enabling BRP to share different riding areas, and also differing riding styles and perspectives.

Jay leans towards the more extreme side as he’s been featured in many snowmobile films despite his relatively young age. Jeremy is more active in instruction and guiding services.

You can catch up with the Backcountry Experts on Ski-Doo and Ski-Doo Mountain Facebook pages, their personal Facebook pages and the Ski-Doo Mountain Blog site, or visit ski-doo.com for links to all of these.

Polaris and Ride With Chris Brown Adventures

Press Release
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Polaris Snowmobiles announced today that Chris Brown, will become the official sponsor of his snowmobile guiding and clinics services, Ride With Chris Brown Adventures.

“We’re excited to start this partnership with Chris and his backcountry adventures. We’re looking forward to getting even more western riders on Polaris RMKs to see just how amazing these machines are.” said Andy Kroll, Brand Manager for Polaris Snowmobiles.

Beginning this season, clients of Ride With Chris Brown Adventures will be able to experience the mountains of BC on Pro-RMKs and RMK Assaults. “I am super excited to be partnering with Polaris. The Pro-RMK is the perfect machine to get you anywhere you want to go in the BC backcountry especially in the tight and technical trees. And the RMK Assault is purposely built for free riding, huge jumps and cliff drops. I can’t wait for the season to start and to get my riders out on these machines this season. These sleds are the lightest and easiest to ride snowmobiles on the market.” says Chris Brown.

Polaris will be working with Chris throughout the season, sharing videos and pictures from his adventures and keeping riders up to date with what’s going on in BC this winter.

Ride With Chris Brown Adventures brings riders from around the globe to experience mountain riding at its finest in Whistler, British Columbia. Chris has been riding in the mountains of BC for nearly a decade and is going into his 6th season of offering clinics and guiding services.

Chris has spent thousands of client days sharing his passion and knowledge of backcountry mountain riding with his clients, and teaching them about avalanche safety, technical riding skills and big mountain riding.

One of the original cast of Slednecks athletes, Chris is known throughout the industry as a pioneer who has repeatedly set the bar for the extreme limits of mountain riding. Chris can take you on your dream ride in some of the best ride areas in the world.

Sign up to ride a 2015 Polaris RMK with Chris in Whistler this winter; to learn more, visit www.ridewithchrisbrown.com

Polaris is a recognized leader in the powersports industry with annual 2013 sales of $3.8 billion. Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets innovative, high quality off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and the Polaris RANGER® and RZR® side-by-side vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles and on-road electric/hybrid powered vehicles.
Polaris is among the global sales leaders for both snowmobiles and off-road vehicles and has established a presence in the heavyweight cruiser and touring motorcycle market with the Victory and Indian Motorcycle brands. Additionally, Polaris continues to invest in the global on-road small electric/hybrid powered vehicle industry with Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), Goupil Industrie SA, Aixam Mega S.A.S., and internally developed vehicles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Polaris Engineered parts, accessories and apparel, Klim branded apparel and ORV accessories under the Kolpin and Cycle Country brands. Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PII”, and the Company is included in the S&P Mid-Cap 400 stock price index.

Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories are available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime at www.polaris.com.

WHAT DROVE SKI-DOO TO USE RAS 2?

Kent Lester
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WHAT DROVE SKI-DOO TO USE RAS 2?

We’ve been telling you for quite some time that the original XP’s razor-sharp handling was almost too-sharp and there was a certain twitchiness to it that could only be completely solved by adding a second runner.

Although we’re only guessing here (something we’re prone to do – and are not too shabby at), we think the original XP front end design had a lot to do with skis.

You’ll recall the original REV (2003-2008) used a concave ski-bottom and dual runners. This excellent design was vetoed because of patent infringement violations and Ski-Doo was forced to go to a new ski-design that didn’t ruffle any other ski-manufacturers’ feathers.

As a result, almost all XP models were shipped with new skis with a single runner on the bottom and owners had to actually drill out the extra mounting holes and install a second skag obtained from the Ski-Doo PGA catalog.

Those original nixed REV dual-skag, concave skis were fairly “soft” in their turn-in and although they resisted darting beautifully, were never what we would call “carvers”.

We’re thinking the change to a more conventional ski (although still a 2-runner design) had a lot to do with the XP’s over-sharp cornering.

Could Ski-Doo have originally planned to use the older, softer turning design and then had to change course late in the XP’s evolution?

Keep in mind there’s a 3-year rollover from the time a new sled is dreamed until it makes final production, so the XP could have been conceived as early as 2005.

RAS 2 may be the “final fix” in a process that has taken almost a decade to get right. The good news is this: The new Ski-Doo front end works great and offers what many would argue is top-of-the-industry handling this year.

ARCTIC CAT IS MAKING GOOD USE OF ITS 600

Staff Report
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ARCTIC CAT IS MAKING GOOD USE OF ITS 600

At Haydays, Arctic Cat announced two new race-targeted sleds based on its 129-inch ZR “R series” platform.

This is the first time Arctic Cat has made a race-ready 600 for snocross and cross-country available to all snowmobilers right from the dealer.

Powered by Cat’s DSI C-TEC2 599cc 2-stroke, the new XC (cross country) version is proving to be all about competing.

Aside from featuring 1.25-inch tracks, these sleds use Fox Float EVOL RC air shocks up front and a Fox 1.5 ZERO C (center shock) and a 2.0 ZERO RC gasser with adjustable damping on the rear arm.

We’re absolutely thrilled to see Cat moving toward damping adjustability and hope it carries over to all production models some day.

If you’ve read about Cat’s RR series, you know these sleds already come with a reinforced skidframe and other race-intended mods to make the sled super-durable and as light as possible in competition.

One thing we’re not up-to-date on yet (we’re still waiting for specifics from Cat) is what is described in the press release as 7-position skidframe coupling. We expect Cat has come up with a new twist on how and when the couplers engage during the skid’s travel.

Although we don’t have specs on the snocross version yet, we noted the XC has a very large 11.7-gallon clear fuel tank for long-range cross country events.

We expect the SX will have a much smaller tank for closed circuit snocross races and to keep the sled’s wet weight as low as possible.

SKI-DOO MXZx 600RS REFINED FOR SPEED

Press Release
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SKI-DOO MXZx 600RS REFINED FOR SPEED

BRP’s 2015 Ski-Doo MXZx 600RS builds on its strong chassis performance from 2014 by refining the engine and drive systems for better power delivery and even better overall durability.

Last season saw big chassis changes for the Ski-Doo race sled like the new front suspension, steering and longer 128-inch (3251 mm) track that gave racers a well balanced, easy to handle and extremely durable platform. This season the Valcourt Race Shop concentrated on getting more power out of the engine, and then transferring that to the snow for better starts and corner-to-corner acceleration.

Improvements come from a one-pound lighter crankshaft that allows the engine to build RPM faster, and calibration changes in the ignition and fuel mapping for a stronger mid range pull. New software programs developed in late season testing and Open Mod engine development have also yielded better consistency in different humidity and temperature environments.

Working in conjunction with the engine changes will be a new track design that incorporates a new pattern for better acceleration. Testing showed the new track to consistently provide between one half, to one full sled length advantage at 60 feet. Tighter tolerances in the slip gear assembly will assure all the power gets to the ground.

Recap of changes:

* Chassis reinforcement: front suspension module reinforced to eliminate cracks and reduce flex.
* New track: 128″ (3251 mm) track redesigned for better holeshots, lighter, optimized pitch for less rolling resistance.
* Rear skid: optimized rails and braces for less weight and better strength.
* Torsion springs made of new high strength alloy for less weight, even more consistent performance.
* Shock calibrations: further improved for better control and traction
* Engine: calibration refined for more consistent performance in different temperatures and humidity.
* Increased mid-range power.
* Crankshaft lightened by 1 lb – allows RPM to build faster
* Slip gear: tolerances tightened

For more information on Ski-Doo snowmobiles visit www.ski-doo.com, or the On Track blog site for racing specific information.

Yamaha MPI Turbo Kits for SRViper Trail Models

Press Release
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Yamaha trail and crossover enthusiasts looking for the ultimate in power and reliability can now have their cake and eat it too with the newly released Mountain Performance Incorporated (MPI) Trail Turbo Accessory Kit for Yamaha SRViper models.

With the success of the factory authorized, dealer installed accessory kits exceeding expectations in mountain trim, the new MPI turbo kit was developed specifically for applications below 6,000-feet.

Mountain Performance has already developed a stellar track record for “boosted” Yamaha performance with its turbo and supercharger applications.

Earlier this year, Yamaha announced the introduction of an MPI accessory turbo kit for the all-new SRViper M-TX. During Yamaha’s Spring Power Surge, Yamaha customers could purchase the MPI kit in conjunction with a new M-TX at a considerable savings. The dealer-installed kit delivers an additional 45-horsepower on pump gas while still retaining Yamaha’s legendary reputation for reliability.

The new MPI Trail Turbo accessory kit for 2014 and 2015 SRViper R-TX, L-TX, X-TX and S-TX models touts many of the same features of the Mountain Kit including the same 45-horsepower boost.

Unique to the Trail Kit is the use of an electronically controlled waste gate. Both the Trail and Mountain kits feature a solid mounting system and a new muffler that is quieter than previous designs; both systems also meet EPA standards.

“Ever since we introduced the MPI Mountain Turbo Kit for the new M-TX this spring, everyone has been asking for a sea-level version,” said Yamaha Product Manager Rob Powers. “The guys at MPI have been working all summer on this new kit…we didn’t want to compromise power or reliability, which was a real challenge, but we got there and riders are going to be blown away by the power and ride-ability of this system.”

The new MPI Trail Turbo Kit will be available at Yamaha dealerships in late fall.

MPI Trail Turbo Kit – Part Number: SMA-8JP17-00-TB – MSRP: $3,299

For more information about the new MPI Turbo accessory kit and the entire 2015 Yamaha snowmobiles lineup visit your local Yamaha dealer or go to yamahasnowmobiles.com.

2015 ARCTIC CAT ZR 6000 R XC

Staff Report
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2015 ARCTIC CAT ZR 6000 R XC

Arctic Cat knows racing. Yep, and more importantly, they see racing trends early. They were the first OEM to address the re-emergence of cross country snowmobile racing and the first to build a USCC spec, race-ready sled to address what many thought was just a blip on the meter.

Wrong-o, friends. While snocross has been waning in popularity, struggling with reduced participation and fluctuating spectator attendance, not to mention the OEM’s lack of interest in development-driven racing, the USCC and other grass roots XC bodies have seen growth.

As far as we’re concerned, sno-X’s biggest problem is the OEM decline in sno-X driven development. This may have something to do with consumers’ reluctance to clear 100-foot spans when they trail ride. Seriously, where the OEMs can learn more about snowmobile use and abuse in a short time is through development-driven, cross country racing. Let the hate mail begin.

So here comes Arctic Cat with a limited production, XC targeted, production based Pro-Cross 600 powered by an oil injected, 20-mpg, production 600 DSI mill. There are unique tweaks here and I think it’s safe to say Brian Dick had an influence on all of them.

There’s a 2.86 pitch 1.25 Cobra track using 8-tooth drivers that tuck the axle in the tunnel for XC durability. A variable 43.5-inch ski-stance using AC’s race spec suspension pieces is up front.

A Team secondary hangs on a rifle drilled jackshaft. There’s a torque sensing slipper gear on the drive axle. A full-on racing brake with racing pads improves feel.

The rear drop link has seven coupling positions for fine tuning weight transfer. Fox EVOL RC shocks with gloves-on adjustability hang front and rear. Subtleties like an improved rail cap to prevent track spearing under racing conditions make good sense.

Even though the electric fuel gauge remains intact, the XC uses a clear tank. There’s even subtle geometry tweaks in the skidframe for better control. All these touches and more are covered in a sticky, high-grip seat cover.

So what’s the big deal? Cat already builds a limited production sno-X racing sled with a ton of one-off stuff this sled doesn’t carry. It’s way cooler. Yes, Grasshopper – that is correct – and that is the point.

This is a trail based, modified production sled which won’t cost a king’s ransom to own and will be infinitely less costly to repair and maintain. You could buy this 6000R XC and race it with no modifications and be very competitive right out of your pick-up truck bed. Essentially, this is what racing should look like.

Arctic Cat could have toned-down the Tucker-spec racing RR and sold it for ji-normous jing as an XC sled. Helmets off to Cat for not doing this. What we need to grow snowmobile racing is a better template – a template that allows a participant to race a production sled one weekend and trail ride it the next. This is exactly what Arctic Cat has done.

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