On January 8th and 9th, I had the chance to test this snowmobile on a group ride in Monts Valins, north of Saguenay. It was my very first ride of the season because in 2016, winter is late and even the Saguenay river is more favorable to canoeing than ice fishing. No icebreaker in sight, but impossible to cross the river on our snowmobile !
So, it was the very beginning of the season and team members of SledMagazine.com coming from all over the Province of Québec gathered to plan the next months of informations to be offered to our readers. Of course, we did not have much material on the latest tests because there was not enough snow and even in these mountains, it was not safe yet to ride on lakes. Thus, from the Auberge du km 31 in the ZEC Martin-Valin, we have been able to ride about 600 kilometers on trails during the week-end.
Thanks to the Club de motoneige Caribou-Conscrits, trails were in very good conditions and enjoyable despite the lack of snow. We just had to be careful with rocks coming out of the ground here and there, after the passage of grooming machines, and to negotiate curves safely. So, constant attention in nice conditions.
As there was not much snow, there were no bumps either. We have been able to ride and see that this small Polaris Indy LE with 2-stroke bicylinder engine is a lightweight snowmobile of about 200 kg that is very funny to pilot. Its track is short and its skis can bite, which makes it very easy to handle on trail. We really feel that it is easy to take control and also to keep it firmly.
The 2-stroke engine of 600 cc on such a small snowmobile provides plenty of power and accelerations show it. Even if I was riding the smallest machine among the 15 in the group, I did not have any trouble keeping their pace, unless exception, to follow the few more adventurous than me.
In matter of comfort, since this snowmobile is meant to be affordable, the suspension is still good and the instrument panel is enjoyable during long rides. Hand warmers are efficient enough; we recommend the use of handlebar gauntlets in extreme cold weather because plastic handguards limit the use and optimal vision in mirrors. It is just a detail, but it can become annoying during a group ride when we must often check the following riders behind us.
In regards of fuel consumption, the 2-stroke fans know very well that these engines are not as fuel-efficient as the 4-stroke and this is the price to pay for better accelerations. We must add to this, the use of oil in the reservoir. Today, each manufacturer recommends strongly to use his own brand of oil, only found at the dealers, and also, more expensive that many other brands. Then, with these additives, you can say goodbye to economy in terms of costs. However, this snowmobile is equipped with an oil reservoir of a good size; this allows us to fill up the gas tank many times without having to carry annoying additional oil supply. Also, the saddlebag is great to store some material and a few clothes. For a tour of a few days, it is necessary to use a cargo rack or a larger saddlebag. A 12-volt accessory must be installed to connect an electric visor or any device such as a GPS. There was no 12-volt outlet on my trial snowmobile. As it was not so cold and as my CKX Tranz 1.5 RSV helmet is of exceptional quality, I did not use the dual electric visor, for lack of connection.
So, after 2 days of test, I think that this Polaris is a very interesting snowmobile at a reasonable price. However, we recommend the addition of some accessories if needed. The 2016 Polaris 600 LE has nicely impressed us; it is easy to handle, supple and lightweight. Its retail price makes it available for all members of the family.
