I’ll get right to the point. If I had to choose a snowmobile for next season, I would probably take a Polaris 850 trail sled with BOOST.
Overall handling.
The snowmobile remains pretty much the same as the 2022 model year. What we already know will remain the same for its general behavior on the trail. The suspensions, (manually adjustable directly on the shocks) the effort and the precision of the skis in the turns, the ergonomics and the driving position, the dials and the controls on the handles and the brakes remain unchanged. (One of the best systems in my opinion with the little sound button that tells us if the track is blocked). A rider of the older models will not feel out of place at all.
The main change: The optional engine.
The magic comes from the Patriot 840cc 2-cylinder engine, vitaminized with turbo sauce, used for the first time on their mountain snowmobile, so not a first year in production for this trail model. Polaris indicates a 10% increase in power over the base Patriot 850. This BOOSTER model should produce about 180-185 horsepower.
General behavior of the Patriot 850 BOOST equipped snowmobile.
If the general behavior is the same on the previous models, why choose this 2023 iteration?
Simply because of the power delivery that this engine offers!!! During the tests at West Yellowstone, the difference was even more marked compared to other models without turbo where we could observe a loss of power of about 15-20% due to the altitude…
Philosophy of the power delivery on the trail models.
Again, the snowmobiles I tested were prototypes, but here are my first impressions.
The engine delivers its power smoothly. When I say smooth, I don’t mean raw power, but the way the kick is given… With other models I tried a few years ago, the turbo 4-stroke snowmobiles for example, we had to be very careful with the throttle because with every little kick, the front end would jump up and down and lift the skis in the curves, causing the snowmobile to go off trail.
It is possible to get into trouble with the 850 BOOST if you don’t respect this engine and push the throttle too soon in the middle of a curve. Usually, by the time the engine builds up pressure and with the right timing you will be rewarded with phenomenal acceleration out of the corner. The impression I got was that Polaris engineers tamed the beast by making it a little more docile on the first little throttle. Imagine a light 2-stroke snowmobile with 180-185 horsepower… The front end being much lighter than the competition with a 4-stroke engine… It’s not complicated, at 100 km/h this snowmobile lifts the skis to the sky without any effort, as long as you have a little traction…
Conclusion
Not being able to compare all the snowmobiles at 100% of their capacity, it is difficult to know if this snowmobile will be the fastest in the curve sequences. I don’t think it will dethrone the SRX and Thundercat of this world with their 200 horsepower, but imagine a light 2-stroke snowmobile with this power. I can tell you that the ratio of power, handling and smile is 110%.
Miscellaneous facts
Weight
The weight difference between an 850 and 850 BOOST snowmobile is about 15 lbs. I didn’t notice a marked difference with the extra pounds on the trail behavior.
NightBlade Headlamp
This headlight offers the latest in lighting technology for Polaris riders. Six beam projectors provide precision lighting with a pattern designed to provide exceptional visibility for nighttime riding. New for 2023, the Patriot Boost INDY VR1 will feature Sinister Amber accent lighting.
We would like to
- Change of driving position. Could we lower the center of gravity on a special version? Lower on the suspensions and maybe even lower the seat to be even lower and ride the snowmobile instead of riding over the snowmobile.
- Electronically adjustable suspension at the touch of a finger. Polaris, you’re the only one right now that doesn’t offer this technology.
The Plus
- The Patriot 850 engine with BOOST.
- The Patriot 850 engine with BOOST.
- The Patriot 850 engine with BOOST.
- The dial with all the options, still one of my favorites.
- The feeling when braking.
