Polaris has had great success with the 800 Switchback Assault and has expanded the series for 2014 with a new model, the 600 Switchback Assault 144.

This sled will open up opportunities for those who like to play in both flatland powder and in hill country.

The sled uses the uncoupled shock-in-skid mountain skidframe with premium Walker Evans remote reservoir needle shocks.

Many great weight reduction tricks are inherent to this breed including the highly aerated reinforced running boards, super-light Freestyle seat, aluminum bumper and perforated snowflap.

Last year’s sweeping mods to the Pro-RMK line-up remain but the 600 Pro-RMK 155 now has the featherweight carbon-fiber overstructure, adhesive bonded control arms and Polaris’ unique Quickdrive Low Inertia (belt) Drive system that reduces rotational inertia significantly.

All three variations (800-155, 800-163 & 600-155) all come with the Pro-Lite tapered seat. These sleds are about the lightest in the mountains and tip the scales just north of 415 lbs. Amazing!

Although not vertical sled news, the baseline RUSH models will not be available for 2014. Instead the focus will be on the more fully equipped Pro-R Rush models. Same goes for the big-selling external shock Switchback 137 series.

It’s a big year for Polaris and the company continues to introduce new, on-target sleds every year. Certainly, its model line is extremely comprehensive in every category and gives the Polaris faithful plenty to think about in the upcoming year.

The Polaris Utility segment has been limited to variations of the venerable WideTrak in the past.

Although it has always been a very capable sled in this category, the product planners felt the market required more selection for buyers looking for both work and pleasure from their snowmobile – especially in applications where lightness and flotation are a big factor.

In 2014, Polaris will offer two new models, the 600 Indy Voyager 144 and the 550 Indy Voyager 144.

Certainly, the 144 nomenclature means these sleds both come with a deep lug (2-inches) 155×15 track, 11.5 gallon fuel tank, big Gripper skis, a tall windshield and electric start. Both use Ryde FX MPV shocks.

The 600 comes with Polaris P-85 clutches (roller secondary) and the 550 uses the new Powerbloc setup.

The Voyager series are also equipped with a large steel rack at the rear with ample tie-down capacity for cargo.

The target with the Voyager line-up is lightweight versatility for users who want to do double duty combining both work and fun snowmobiling.

These sleds deliver excellent pulling and hauling power and because of their huge footprint, will also climb steep grades or trudge through the lightest powder without getting buried.

By adding to its model list in this segment, Polaris is pretty much guaranteeing it will be a player in a category it hasn’t been front and center in before.

Another logical move was to reduce the number of IQ-based sleds in the Polaris line-up and get as many popular models converted over to the much lighter Pro-Ride platform.

One model segment this will make a big impact on is in the entry-level 550cc fan-cooled class.

The new 550 Indy 121 comes with Ryde FX MPV gas cell shocks up front and in the skid (13.9-inches travel) enclosed by a 15x121x.91 ShockWave track.

One big change this year is the switch to CVTech’s latest Powerbloc 50 drive clutches. These very durable clutches operate on a completely different principle than the flyweight concept and require almost no maintenance at all, even when the miles begin to stack up.

The weight reduction alone by going to the newer platform will increase flotation and the use of the Pro-Ride’s latest generation of non-parallel A-arms will deliver sweet handling. Pro-Steer skis come standard along with a mid-height windshield for that classic Indy look.

Another surprise is two new 144-inch tracked Indys with fan-cooled mills. The first, dubbed the Indy 550 144, is designed to be a lightweight freeride and mountain rover for beginners or a sled with incredible flotation for boondockers and trappers.

The low power-to-weight ratio will be a substantial factor here and this sled, with a 1.35 Cobra, will have all the bite you’ll need in powder.

This one uses the same new Powerbloc 50 drive clutch and matching Invance secondary as the 121-incher. The second continues with the very successful Adventure theme and it’s called the 550 Aventure 144. This sled includes the same add-on bags, rack and available 2-up seat as its larger Adventure sibs.

A new Indy based 2-up model with many of the same amenities, the 550 Indy LXT, comes with a cargo rack and backrest, electric start, PERC and a 15-degree flatter steering post angle for sit-down comfort.

Polaris is building a nice model selection in its Indy cladding and these sleds could well turn out to be the best priced sleds on snow this year.

If the pricing comes in close to where we suspect it will, consumers will be getting unprecedented strong value and excellent performance for their snowmobiling bucks.

It looks like Polaris’s intention to revive the Indy nameplate has been a big success. The revival is so good that Polaris has added a number of new Indys to its 2014 model line-up.

Doesn’t it just make sense there would be a new Indy 800 in the model mix? Ever since riding the Indy 600 last year we’ve been super impressed with the Indy’s uber agile and very light platform.

This sled’s weight is very close to its lightest competitors’ and its nimble handling and lightning-quick responses are a natural-born magnet for more horsepower.

The new 800 is only available in SP trim and that means you’ll be getting adjustable Fox IFP gas shocks all around, Pro-Steer skis and heated hooker handlebars.

The fully coupled Indy skid delivers 13.9 inches of travel and comes with a 15x121x1-inch HackSaw track. We’re thinking this lug depth may be a little light with this much available power so you may want to invest in some traction products.

At any rate, this featherweight package should launch hard and the proven durability of its Cleanfire 800 SDI 2-stroke is right at the top of the industry.

We really like the mid-height windshield and 3.5-inch riser for comfortable stand-up riding. The 800 is available in black or red/black trim.

Our biggest question will be pricing. Polaris has grown to domination in the ATV business with genuinely bargain priced new sleds in categories that are the most popular.

We think that strategy may be played out with the Indy 800 SP – certainly if the pricing of last year’s Indy 600 is any indication.

This one promises to be a lot of sled for the money.

Reader, Matt Ryder, asked about the reduced presence of Polaris 4-strokes in the model line-up and we’ve been puzzling about the same thing.

In 2013, Polaris has reduced its number of 4-stroke models significantly and has pretty much limited buyers’ choices to the 2-up touring market.

We’ve had some 121 and 136-inch turbocharged Polarii press units the last few years and have really grown to love and respect these sleds for their hypersled-equaling performance.

No question, the big Turbo 2-upper is a potent sled and you can read a short report in the upcoming issue of Supertrax (December 2012) how we took this gargantuan yacht on a long ride with three 800 hypersleds last year and how well it performed head-to-head with much lighter and supposedly faster snowmobiles.

Frankly, the IQ-based Turbo Touring would be one of our first choices compared to any 4-stroke on the market. All this being said, it looks like Polaris isn’t too pumped about serving the 4-stroke world of customers.

However, there’s more than one big “unless” here: Unless Polaris has something completely new up its corporate sleeve. Unless Polaris has a new 4-stroke platform based on Pro-Ride using the same lightweight bonded assembly as the Indy and RUSH. Unless Polaris has a new direction in engine tech with a DI 2-stroke range of mills in the wings. Unless it has a new 4-stroke engine with larger displacement and (maybe) no need of a turbocharger.

Frankly, we’re not ready to let go of this fabulous performing power package and truly hope all of Polaris’s 4-stroke engineering and experience doesn’t get sewered.

Furthermore, we think there’s a whole wave of high performance buyers who are truly looking for the longevity and performance balance you get with a 4-stroke.

Believe us, we’ve heard from a lot of you who would willingly put your money on a 4-stroke after years of frustration with 2-stroke explosions.

The move to a 137-inch, floating front arm skid in the X-Over segment is a significant breakthrough for Arctic Cat who have suffered with less than desirable ride quality from the XF’s 141-inch, torsion-less X-Over skid.

Although at this writing, we have not ridden the new 137 FFA skid, we believe this shorter, more trail friendly and inherently plusher riding set-up will ratchet-up Arctic Cat’s fortunes in the rapidly expanding crossover segment.

Essentially this move represents the continued specialization of X-over models from every OEM. The new 137 XFs will compare favorable with the Polaris Pro Ride 136 Switchbacks and Ski-Doo’s 137 Renegades while the 141 inch XF Pro-Climb models will meet Polaris’ Switchback Assault 144 and Ski-Doo’s Freeride models.

There’s more – way more and we’ll have it all over the next few weeks and of course – in September’s issue of Supertrax Magazine!

Tune in to this website for our riding impressions of these sleds. We’re in Yellowstone right now riding all the new stuff.

Arctic Cat has increased its Yamaha engine-sharing deal beyond the 120cc 4-stroke level to include Yamaha’s legendary, and maybe the best all-round 4-stroke mill in the biz, 1049cc, 3-cylinder triple.

The Yamaha EFI engine has been nicely shoehorned into the current ProCross bulkhead with a new front mounted airbox and an under-seat gas tank, “U” shaped header pipe that’s vented into the tunnel and turning exhaust gases back toward a right-side engine bay (traditional) mounted silencer.

We know, it’s a lot to absorb and we were somewhat overwhelmed with this move. Here’s some info to help you understand this. The 1049cc Yamaha triple is actually 12 pounds lighter than the current 1056cc Suzuki twin. Nice.

The engine has a broader spread of torque, is smoother, sounds way better (it’s 120-degree firing sequence makes sweet music) is more fuel efficient and produces 130 horsepower in the ProCross chassis.

Arctic Cat is offering the engine in a variety of chassis configurations including 128, 137 and 141-inch variants.

The new sleds equipped with this engine will be called 7000 series Arctic Cats.