176 de la Seigneurie
Laurier-Station (Québec) G0S 1N0
www.mobilicab.com
At last, I went snowmobiling for the first time on Wednesday January 14, 2015 on trails of the south shore of Québec City. It was very cold, with not much snow, in very good conditions thanks to club volunteers who are great magicians.
We went to Mobilicab, Polaris dealer established close to a snowmobile trail that gives direct access to them.
Mr Éric Lambert, salesman, welcomed us warmly and gave us a tour of the business. He showed us the two Polaris machines they made available for our short-term trial.
A full-equipped 600 Switchback Adventure and a 800 Switchback Pro-S Limited 60th Anniversary.
Take a look at colors and lettering. There would be only 200 units of the 800 Switchback Pro-S model on the market!
Éric told me that this one was already sold and would be delivered at the end of this season… He looked right into my eyes and said : « Do not scratch it. »
So, I took care of this « jewel » as if I was the owner…
Motoneiges.ca / SledMagazine.com asked me to present my « feelings » about this 2015 Polaris 800 Switchback Pro-S AXYS.
Well, somebody has to ride it, so … I volunteered!
Yippee, yippee, wow, wow and wow again, this is my first feeling…
I heard about the Rush suspension before… Now, I know… This is my second feeling…
The pilot sits straight, on a very comfortable standard seat, toes tightened enough in the the runningboard bracing. This position allows the pilot to be one with the snowmobile.
When advertising this new 2015 AXYS chassis, Polaris says that the pilot is in the optimal position to control his snowmobile handling. Éric and I are often called « tall men »; so, the riding position is really optimized since the handles are raised by 9 cm / 3.5 in. thanks to the handlebar riser block.
When the pilot moves back, the front end gets lighter to offer better handling on trail or in bumps. In neutral position, the front end remains still for a flatter cornering and skis stick to the surface.
Yes, this is my third feeling, it really works. Even with a powerful 800 Cleanfire H.O. engine and a RipSaw II track of 15 X 137 X 1.25 in.
Move your body in the direction of the turn, keep an eye on the skis, speed up, skis stay flat!
The addition of Cobra runners stabilizes the riding, turns are firm without adding weight to the riding at lower speed.
Controls are easily accessible, the handle adjustment allows a comfortable riding angle and a very good control of the numerous maneuvers. During our test, it was -24°C. Even with the addition of hand guards, with hand and thumb warmers and with good gloves, my finger tips were cold. The short and narrow sport windshield requires additional accessories such as muffs to provide better hand protection.
During our 110 kilometers short-term trial, the riding sensations on this snowmobile made me forget about this chill… No, this is not my fourth feeling… Got you!
The LCD display offers many options, including Bluetooth functionality.
The engine of this sporty snowmobile is a nervous 2-stroke 800 Cleanfire H.O. with optimal air flow. Acceleration is linear and regular; you feel it without any shock in your back.
This 2-stroke provides good acceleration, as a 4-stroke engine would even if it is a 2-stroke. This is my fourth feeling…
Our trial snowmobile still received oil additives because the engine had run less than 21 hours. This is temporary. This automatic adjustment provides starting protection to 2-stroke engines. This is why you smell oil when you stop.
These oil odors will go away automatically after 21 hours of riding. This type of starting 2-stroke engines offers great realiability to this kind of engine.
We proceeded to this short-term trial as trail snowmobiler who respects regulations and speed limits. Despite the power of this snowmobile, you can appreciate it without breaking trail riding rules too much.
I would compare it with a good sound system. You do not need to use it at loud to appreciate the artist…
Talking about appreciation, I told you earlier that during our test, it was -24 °C. We also tested our CKX clothing provided by Kimpex. Amazing, these clothes are light and very effective. As you are guessing …
This is my last feeling…
My first day of trial has been very pleasant.
Claude Gaboury, columnist
Motoneiges.ca / SledMagazine.com
