Time has already come to report my first impressions even if I feel like the season has just started. With the incredible early season we had in the Bas-St-Laurent region, it was a pleasure for me to try out quickly the Polaris 550 Indy Voyager !
Effectively, from my first kilometers on this machine, I wondered if I was really piloting a 550 fan engine. I knew I was going to ride it all winter, but I was not expecting a great power from this sled. Big mistake !! The 550 impressed me as soon as its first acceleration and it convinced me that there would be more nice surprises to come. Obviously, the CVTech Powerblock 50/Invance clutching increases the performance of the engine.
As I mentioned it in a previous article, the 550 Indy Voyager is a crossover snowmobile made for trail and off-trail riding as well as for utility, a plus if you own a cottage. Quite a mission for such an affordable snowmobile !!
The stability on trail of the 550 Indy Voyager is amazing, mostly in curves. I was very surprised by its precision in turns, as I was rather expecting understeer considering the 144 in. track. Also, despite the RMK skis, the control on trail is great. I must not forget the excellent engine acceleration at the end of a bend, which is again due to the new clutching system of the 550 Indy models.
Now, some people had this doubt about the 550 Indy Voyager : off-trail riding. You may think that such a small engine and a 1.5 in. track would not be compatible. This is so wrong. The RMK skis, the proven platform, the machine lightness and the traction provide amazing performance of this snowmobile off trail. I have been astonished to see the Indy get out of places where I expected to get stuck. Of course, it was not as easy and quick as it would be with a more powerful engine, but you should have seen my companions’ face when they saw me arrive slowly but surely at the top of a hill. As experienced on trail, this snowmobile delivers great precision during maneuvers in powder snow.
Soon, however, I noticed that the running boards were not perforated to evacuate snow when riding off-grail. We must always clear them with our boots and this may get annoying. This is the only negative element I found until now on this snowmobile when riding off-trail. I still had great fun with this machine !!
I did not use the utility quality of the Indy since I do not own a cottage, but I rode it long enough to know what to expect if you would use it for work. First, you would have all the precision you need to ride on trails. And when required, the snowmobiler would go off-trail without any problem and could tow heavy load.
Since we are talking about cottage owners, we must not forget that even if the 550 Indy Voyager is not full-equipped, does not have the biggest engine, these inconveniences become advantages when you take a look at its retail price. You will understand that a 550 fan engine is very simple and durable, that it requires very low maintenance and that there is no electronic parts in it. It is the same situation with the CVTech Powerblock 50/Invance clutching designed to last long without any maintenance. Also, a novice snowmobiler will find this machine appropriate. The 550 Indy Voyager will be the perfect entry-level unit into our beloved sport.
Finally, if I had to choose one word to summerize my early season, it would be «surprised». This is exactly how I felt about the acceleration, the performance off-trail and the versatility of the Polaris 550 Indy Voyager.
