The 2006 Polaris sleds are out!!
#31
03-01-2005, 11:12 AM
#32
03-01-2005, 01:01 PM
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The 2006 Polaris sleds are out!!
It's really too bad they don't make a 600 classic in the RMK bodywork
BryceGTX
#33
03-01-2005, 01:45 PM
The 2006 Polaris sleds are out!!
IMO, you'll miss the power too much if you only get the FS. Going from a 135HP 700 triple piped 2 stroke to an 80 HP 4 stroke is going to be a big drop, even with the weight savings of going to a 1-up sled from a 2-up. I'd highly recommend the 700 or the FST. Even if you don't ride fast, it's nice to have the extra power there for when you want to have a little fun on a laketop or hit a pocket of slush on the ice or something. If you were a newbie to the sport, I'd recommend the FS, but since you're used to having big power under your thumb, I think you wouldn't be satisfied with the FS performance...
I actually like the Fusion bodywork better than the RMK, but on the Classics, I think the RMK styling looks better.
I actually like the Fusion bodywork better than the RMK, but on the Classics, I think the RMK styling looks better.
#34
03-02-2005, 01:11 PM
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The 2006 Polaris sleds are out!!
LOL, excellent point about the HP. Thats one of the reasons I want to try a number of sleds. I was quite happy with the HP on the RS Vector. But I did not like the chassis as much as the REV. Not sure if the FS will be big enough. But I am concerned about the turbo on the FST. LOL, I guess time willl tell. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
BryceGTX
BryceGTX
#35
03-02-2005, 09:14 PM
The 2006 Polaris sleds are out!!
Originally posted by: elkbow
The fusions look nice, but I don't need one. I got enough stuff to play with already and don't know anyone that goes snowmobiling. Although we get alot of snow here in the mountains and Colorado is only a few hours away....
The fusions look nice, but I don't need one. I got enough stuff to play with already and don't know anyone that goes snowmobiling. Although we get alot of snow here in the mountains and Colorado is only a few hours away....
#36
03-03-2005, 01:27 PM
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#37
03-03-2005, 06:40 PM
The 2006 Polaris sleds are out!!
The trails haven't been to bad. I have been riding mostly every weekend. Going to go again this weekend too. Lots of trails around me to ride. I only put on 450 miles so far on my new sled--not much but hopefully put a lot more on till the season is over..
#38
03-03-2005, 11:44 PM
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#39
03-15-2005, 01:13 PM
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The 2006 Polaris sleds are out!!
HaHa... I got to see the 2006 Polaris sleds in Livonia last night. They look even better in person!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] The Switchbacks are loooong.. I was suprised how long. I liked both the Fusion models and the Classics. Anyone else go?
BryceGTX
BryceGTX
#40
03-19-2005, 11:28 PM
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The 2006 Polaris sleds are out!!
Hello Guys.
I had a chance to ride the 06 sleds today. Ha Ha, what a rush. I rode the 700 Fusion, the 600 Fusion and the Classic FS. The 700 Fusion is a fuel injected two-stroke with dual injectors in the transfer port (guess maybe 130 or 135 hp). The 700 Fusion is priced at $8699. The 600 Fusion ($7899) is a carbureted 600 two-stroke putting out 120 hp. The Classic FS ($8399) is the 750cc 4 valve/cylinder SOHC four-stroke at maybe 80hp.
It was a big event held by Polaris at the Fairgrounds in Ga-ylord Michigan. Two more events are to be held in New York and Barrie Ont. Polaris had a rider in a special area doing big air jump stunts. Ramp was about 10-15 feet high landing 40-50 feet away on a 25 foot high snow ramp. It was fun watching this guy launch 30-40 feet in the air doing all the tricks. There were a lot of peaple in great spirits eager to ride the 06 sleds.
The riding area was a closed track about 3/4 mile long (guessing). The track was a disaster area of bumps and moguls even though it was groomed about every 5 or 6 groups. Ha... Ha... It was a perfect place to put the I/Q suspension through its paces.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] LOL, my wife hated it, I loved it. The track was an odd shape with a number of turns. A few straight aways of about 100yds. And a lot more at about 50yds. You could probably hit 50mph if you were brave. They let a group of 15 riders on the track at a time and you were able to drive 3 sleds.
There were about 30 or 40 sleds in the staging area, so there was never a lack of a choice of sleds to ride. They had the 600,700 and 900 Fusion. They had the Classic FS, FST and the Classic 700. They also had the 700 and FST Switchback. The line-up to ride sleds was about a 1-1.5 hour wait. LOL for a ten minute ride. However, it was a gret chance to mingle with other sled heads. I wanted to do it again, but the WU didn't want to wait. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]
From the staging area, a flagman let a sled out every 15-20 seconds. You immediately came out to a 75 yard run, LOL the first time to hammer it, Yahoo... You hit a 90 degree banked turn and run another 50 yards to the next 90. This turn was solid ice, so it was best to ride the bank high. Now you hit a 100 yd run with a slight S-turn, you could really hammer it here. A few good bumps, nothing special. Next is a 90 degree banked turn. Twenty yards down is a 3 foot bump that you can hit good at about 30mph if you hammer out it out of the turn. I got good air here and it was first chance to feel the Fusion in the air. It was perfectly balanced so this bump was a non-issue; it felt really comfortable in the air, nothing unexpected. If your going fast enough, you can land directly in front of a series of 1-2 foot bumps that could be unnerving on most any other sled; because shortly thereafter is a 90 degree turn. I was quite surprised how well the Fusion did in this case. This was a great test for the suspension, braking and control. Now you come to a very bumpy 50yd run of 1-2 foot bumps. LOL, I couldn't go fast enough in this area. Turn a 90, and there is a 50 yd run mild bumps that weren't even fun, LOL. Another 90 degree and a 75 yd run with a slight S-turn and many bumps and whoops 1-3 feet. A great place to lose control (s-turn with bumps) if your not careful, but great fun. Then you turn 90 deg and run 75 yds though a great combination of continuous 1-2 foot stutter bumps more close together than any where else. You could just hammer the Fusion in this area and it just soaked it up and never lost traction; I was very impressed. I am not sure exactly on my distances, so please don't hold me to those numbers LOL.
The first sled I rode was the 600 Fusion. This sled is a very strong 600, silky smooth and easily was my favorite. LOL, this sled definitely had a high GRIN factor. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] I rode the sled standing throughout the course, because it was so bumpy. I adjusted the handlebars to the attack mode setting 6. This seemed to be the most comfortable position for me when I was standing. This sled was probably comparable to the 600 HO Skidoo REV that I rode a month back. I think both sleds felt the same as far as foot, body, handlebars and seat. This made me quite happy, as I love the REV. I thought the Fusion was much better in the bumps than the REV. It was impossible to go too fast through the bumps with the Fusion. LOL, I tried!! I would like to see the limit of the Fusion, but this course didn't provide it. The other thing I noticed was that the REV has a tendency to jump nose high when you put it in the air. So much so, it can be unnerving if you aren't prepared for it. LOL, the next guy that rode the REV after me rolled backwards on a jump because he was not expecting it. The Fusion had no such tendency.
The second sled I rode was the 700 Fusion. I wanted to try the EFI sled/new engine, just to see if I should spring for the extra few hundred for EFI. The first thing I noticed was the engine vibration in the handlebars. I thought there was something wrong with the sled. Polaris has to fix this!! The vibration was very noticeable, because I had just come off the very smooth 600. It was not an idle type vibration caused by a wiggling engine. It felt more like a rotating imbalance problem. Almost like it was either missing the balance shaft, or the balance shaft wasn't timed correctly. At higher engine speeds, the vibration was not noticeable, or LOL, I was more focused on the bumps. Not sure which. However, I could not tell the difference in acceleration between the 700 and the 600. They felt the same to me. Unless you really want EFI, the 600 is a much better choice.
The third sled I rode was the Classic FS. This sled didn't have nearly the acceleration of the Fusion. But I was surprised how fast it was. Its suspension did not seem to be quite as good as the Fusion. Although it was still excellent and much better that the Yamaha RS-Vector/Rage that I rode a month earlier. I liked the IQ design chassis of the Classic much more than the traditional design chassis of the Yamahas. Although, the power of the RS-Vector 4 stroke was higher than the Classic 4 Stroke, the bumpy trails will be much more enjoyable on the Classic. Like the Fusion, the Classic FS handled the bumps on this track without any problem and at any speed. Once again, I wasn't able to hit the limits of the Classic FS on this track.
In summary, Polaris has hit the sweet spot in sled design with the Fusion and its siblings. It seems to be a logical design improvement over the REV. I would have liked to have more time on the Fusion in more types of trail conditions to try different handlebar positions. But, LOL I had great fun [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
BryceGTX
I had a chance to ride the 06 sleds today. Ha Ha, what a rush. I rode the 700 Fusion, the 600 Fusion and the Classic FS. The 700 Fusion is a fuel injected two-stroke with dual injectors in the transfer port (guess maybe 130 or 135 hp). The 700 Fusion is priced at $8699. The 600 Fusion ($7899) is a carbureted 600 two-stroke putting out 120 hp. The Classic FS ($8399) is the 750cc 4 valve/cylinder SOHC four-stroke at maybe 80hp.
It was a big event held by Polaris at the Fairgrounds in Ga-ylord Michigan. Two more events are to be held in New York and Barrie Ont. Polaris had a rider in a special area doing big air jump stunts. Ramp was about 10-15 feet high landing 40-50 feet away on a 25 foot high snow ramp. It was fun watching this guy launch 30-40 feet in the air doing all the tricks. There were a lot of peaple in great spirits eager to ride the 06 sleds.
The riding area was a closed track about 3/4 mile long (guessing). The track was a disaster area of bumps and moguls even though it was groomed about every 5 or 6 groups. Ha... Ha... It was a perfect place to put the I/Q suspension through its paces.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] LOL, my wife hated it, I loved it. The track was an odd shape with a number of turns. A few straight aways of about 100yds. And a lot more at about 50yds. You could probably hit 50mph if you were brave. They let a group of 15 riders on the track at a time and you were able to drive 3 sleds.
There were about 30 or 40 sleds in the staging area, so there was never a lack of a choice of sleds to ride. They had the 600,700 and 900 Fusion. They had the Classic FS, FST and the Classic 700. They also had the 700 and FST Switchback. The line-up to ride sleds was about a 1-1.5 hour wait. LOL for a ten minute ride. However, it was a gret chance to mingle with other sled heads. I wanted to do it again, but the WU didn't want to wait. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]
From the staging area, a flagman let a sled out every 15-20 seconds. You immediately came out to a 75 yard run, LOL the first time to hammer it, Yahoo... You hit a 90 degree banked turn and run another 50 yards to the next 90. This turn was solid ice, so it was best to ride the bank high. Now you hit a 100 yd run with a slight S-turn, you could really hammer it here. A few good bumps, nothing special. Next is a 90 degree banked turn. Twenty yards down is a 3 foot bump that you can hit good at about 30mph if you hammer out it out of the turn. I got good air here and it was first chance to feel the Fusion in the air. It was perfectly balanced so this bump was a non-issue; it felt really comfortable in the air, nothing unexpected. If your going fast enough, you can land directly in front of a series of 1-2 foot bumps that could be unnerving on most any other sled; because shortly thereafter is a 90 degree turn. I was quite surprised how well the Fusion did in this case. This was a great test for the suspension, braking and control. Now you come to a very bumpy 50yd run of 1-2 foot bumps. LOL, I couldn't go fast enough in this area. Turn a 90, and there is a 50 yd run mild bumps that weren't even fun, LOL. Another 90 degree and a 75 yd run with a slight S-turn and many bumps and whoops 1-3 feet. A great place to lose control (s-turn with bumps) if your not careful, but great fun. Then you turn 90 deg and run 75 yds though a great combination of continuous 1-2 foot stutter bumps more close together than any where else. You could just hammer the Fusion in this area and it just soaked it up and never lost traction; I was very impressed. I am not sure exactly on my distances, so please don't hold me to those numbers LOL.
The first sled I rode was the 600 Fusion. This sled is a very strong 600, silky smooth and easily was my favorite. LOL, this sled definitely had a high GRIN factor. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] I rode the sled standing throughout the course, because it was so bumpy. I adjusted the handlebars to the attack mode setting 6. This seemed to be the most comfortable position for me when I was standing. This sled was probably comparable to the 600 HO Skidoo REV that I rode a month back. I think both sleds felt the same as far as foot, body, handlebars and seat. This made me quite happy, as I love the REV. I thought the Fusion was much better in the bumps than the REV. It was impossible to go too fast through the bumps with the Fusion. LOL, I tried!! I would like to see the limit of the Fusion, but this course didn't provide it. The other thing I noticed was that the REV has a tendency to jump nose high when you put it in the air. So much so, it can be unnerving if you aren't prepared for it. LOL, the next guy that rode the REV after me rolled backwards on a jump because he was not expecting it. The Fusion had no such tendency.
The second sled I rode was the 700 Fusion. I wanted to try the EFI sled/new engine, just to see if I should spring for the extra few hundred for EFI. The first thing I noticed was the engine vibration in the handlebars. I thought there was something wrong with the sled. Polaris has to fix this!! The vibration was very noticeable, because I had just come off the very smooth 600. It was not an idle type vibration caused by a wiggling engine. It felt more like a rotating imbalance problem. Almost like it was either missing the balance shaft, or the balance shaft wasn't timed correctly. At higher engine speeds, the vibration was not noticeable, or LOL, I was more focused on the bumps. Not sure which. However, I could not tell the difference in acceleration between the 700 and the 600. They felt the same to me. Unless you really want EFI, the 600 is a much better choice.
The third sled I rode was the Classic FS. This sled didn't have nearly the acceleration of the Fusion. But I was surprised how fast it was. Its suspension did not seem to be quite as good as the Fusion. Although it was still excellent and much better that the Yamaha RS-Vector/Rage that I rode a month earlier. I liked the IQ design chassis of the Classic much more than the traditional design chassis of the Yamahas. Although, the power of the RS-Vector 4 stroke was higher than the Classic 4 Stroke, the bumpy trails will be much more enjoyable on the Classic. Like the Fusion, the Classic FS handled the bumps on this track without any problem and at any speed. Once again, I wasn't able to hit the limits of the Classic FS on this track.
In summary, Polaris has hit the sweet spot in sled design with the Fusion and its siblings. It seems to be a logical design improvement over the REV. I would have liked to have more time on the Fusion in more types of trail conditions to try different handlebar positions. But, LOL I had great fun [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
BryceGTX