In 2012, Polaris wants to be number 1 again on the trails. They started in 2010 by introducing the Pro-Ride chassis and its extended edition is more than ever Polaris’ leading product on the north-eastern part of the continent. Most particularly, the 600 Switchback Adventure seems to break into a new segment called «Adventure» that combines luxury on-trail rides with off-trail comodities. Polaris’ people themselves say that the arrival of this snowmobile has some influence on the snowmobile market in the
After we received our trial snowmobile, we spent a few minutes looking closely at the Adventure features. At first sight, we notice its touring / sport look. The front end shapes of the hood, the suspension and the headlight along with the rear suspension type still provide a distinctive style similar to the Rush model. However, the addition of the taller windshield, standard mirrors and saddlebags along with the rear cargo rack proves clearly the objective of this new evolution of the Pro-Ride chassis. The choice of color is a success and most of the people who look at this sled seem to be quite interested by its look as well as by its nature. Besides the standard hood mounted mirrors, many «touring machines» features are offered, such as the tall windshield that protects the pilot, the electronic reverse, the 12V outlet and the electric start.
Besides the excellent riding position that characterizes this platform, the Advendure is equipped with a new wider and smoother seat that is very comfortable and that should please the high-mile riders. Behind the seat, the engineers conceived a support with luggage that seems very strong at first sight and that fits the seat and chassis design. In no time, you can fix on each side of this rack two large and useful saddlebags. They fit the design but the finishing is not so great; the hinges are located outside the saddlebag instead of being integrated inside. We have the same feeling about the handlebar. The hood that includes the gauge shows a nice finishing; however, the handlebar should be more covered because we can see the wires and cables, which is common for this type of snowmobile.
Now, let’s take a look at the front suspension and the riding. The Pro-Ride suspension (directly issued from the IQ) with Fox IFP shocks is back. You should note that unlike the other models mounted on the Pro-Ride chassis, the Adventure that we tested last spring did not tend to ski-lift in turns… Engineers did not clearly explain why. We hope that the model we are going to use for our trials will benefit from this feature. Even if it is not in the sport category, the handles are equipped with hooks; this makes the riding easier in every positions.
At the rear, the extended version of the chassis (tunnel) and Pro-Ride suspension should provide more comfort and flotation to the snowmobile. With Fox shocks at front and Walker Evans at rear, the Pro-Ride suspension is mounted on a Cobra track of 15 X 136 X
Finally, it became obvious to chose the Cleanfire 600 engine for this great touring with P-85 drive and P2 driven clutch. This proven 2-stroke of over 120 hp remains one of the best 2-stroke engines of the industry, still being an high-performance engine. I would bet that the 800 cc may come in this segment in 2013, even if most of the snowmobilers will be satisfied by the 600 cc. It is clear that Polaris keeps on climbing the highest steps of the podium on trail with the introduction of this new model. Of course, it will not be easy but we already know that sales have been registered since 2 years. With the ability to listen and the open-minded attitude showed by Polaris’ people in the last years, results should come with the 600 Switchback Adventure. You are invited to read our next article called «First impressions».
