For the 2013 market season, Polaris brought back its iconic Indy snowmobile and debuted the 800 Pro-RMK 155, which had a new belt drive system and a dry weight of only 417 pounds.
For 2014, the 800 Pro-RMK 155 and the rest of the RMK lineup will remain somewhat the same—with slight upgrades; the big news, however, is that the Polaris Indy lineup has grown. Seven new models have been added to the pack, and Polaris says there is an Indy sled for every rider’s needs.
The 600 Indy and the the 600 Indy SP are joined by the 550 Indy and the 800 Indy SP. The 800 Indy SP is built on the Pro-Ride chassis and powered by a liquid-cooled Cleanfire® engine. It also features the Indy® coupled rear suspension with FOX® IFP shocks and the new Indy® Pro-Ride seat. The new Pro-Ride seat is wider to make it easier for riders to switch from a seated position on the trails to a standing position when they decide to hit some snow. Then there’s the 550 Indy LXT—a two-up, fan-cooled touring machine or workhorse. It comes with a fixed backrest and passenger handgrips as well as a cargo area.
Maybe you don’t always want to take a passenger with you. Well, then, the 550 Indy Adventure is probably better suited for your needs. This machine features a removable cargo system and a Lock and Ride® convertible passenger seat.
And if you still haven’t found the Indy that’s right for you, there’s still the 600 Indy and 500 Indy Voyager. Oh, and we can’t forget about the Indy 120 for the little tykes out there. This youth-sized sled is pretty much the same as last year, except that it comes in VooDoo Blue instead of Indy Red.
Polaris has also added to its Switchback series for 2014. The 600 Switchback Assault® 144 joins forces with the 800 Switchback Assault® 144, while the 600 Switchback Adventure gets a bigger, 800 brother. Hailed as the ultimate 50/50 crossover sled, the Switchback Adventure models feature the Adventure Cargo System, Pro-Ride rear suspension and other ride-enhancing goodies, such as a tall windshield, wind deflectors and electric start.
What you won’t see in the new 2014 lineup are the 800 and 600 Rush, 550 IQ LXT, FS IQ Widetrack and the 550 Shift 136 from this year.
Polaris also brought in a new apparel collection for 2014, which was inspired by world champion snowmobile hillclimb racer Keith Curtis.
For more information on the new 2014 lineup, see the Polaris website.
First impressions >> Dan Adams
Dan Adams is the owner and instructor of Next Level Riding Clinics in Alpine, Wyoming, and a Polaris Terrain Dominator. Adams has been running 2013 Polaris 800 Pro-RMK 155s in his fleet all season and he said they’ve never let him or his clients down. His personal sled is a 2013 Polaris 800 Pro-RMK 163. This is what he had to say about the new 2014 lineup from Polaris:
“I think the new lineup is pretty impressive. I really like what they have done in terms of graphics and colour accent pieces—colouring the rails and doing more of a signature series style of things. Also coming up with some really cool bold solid colours . . . so the guy who doesn’t need all the flash can have the corporate edition, just a black, silver or red sled. And then with the Indys, Adventure, the Pro-R, they’ve explored a lot of different things in terms of colour. I think they fill the void, whether you are a flatland rider or a hardcore mountain rider.”
When asked what his favourite 2014 sled is, Adams said, “I’m stoked on the 163 Pro. That’s still going to be my deep snow sled of choice. It’s what I have now, it’s what I had a year ago and it’s what I continue to use as a starting point . . . It’s definitely a sled that you can pull off the pallet, go ride it and be completely fine with.”
What other fans are saying
Dave Amyotte, who is the sales manager at Cycle Works Motorsports—a Polaris and Yamaha dealership in Okotoks, Alberta—spoke excitedly over the phone about the new limited edition models and range of custom colour choices available from Polaris for 2014.
“This year, Polaris has come out with eight limited edition models that have tons of colour options, powder coating and such,” said Amyotte.
He was less thrilled about the expanded Indy series but he did say the new Indy lineup would be great for trail riders and will appeal more to the markets in central and eastern Canada. It’s only fair to mention that Amyotte, himself, is a fan of the Polaris RMK-Pro mountain sled and because of location, Cycle Works Motorsports caters to more mountain riders than anyone else.
When asked about the belt-drive system on the RMK-Pro, Amyotte said it delivers an instant throttle response; it does, however, require a proper break-in procedure, he added.
Tell us what you think about the new 2014 lineup from Polaris by commenting at the end of this story.
