AmSnow.com is now SnoWest.com
As a division of multi-national conglomerate Textron, Polaris looked to create a new identity for its snowmobiles to help celebrate its 25th anniversary. By the late 1970s Minnesota's pioneering snowmobile maker had dispensed with names of the past like Mustang and Colt and replaced them with modern ones like Cobra, Gemini and Apollo. The latter replaced the old Colt 340 series with newer body styling, updated suspension, but similar power system.
Heading out on the snow you'd quickly discover that Colt's snow churning, steel-cleated track had been replaced by a quieter full rubber track. Switching to rubber tracks was a concern for Polaris marketers as the old track - which used steel grouser bars to piece together three bands of rubberized fabric - was extremely popular with folks who lived in the far north and relied more on their Colts for transportation than recreation.
Of course, Ski-Doo had been using full rubber tracks successfully for decades. The fact that many manufacturers used steel-cleated tracks had a lot to do with availability and costs. In the real snow world, they actually had one major drawback as anyone who ever rode hard into an icy turn knew. Steel cleats skated! While steel cleats dug well in powder, they had a tendency to break lose on ice. Rubber tracks were more predictable.
Also predictable was Apollo's power plant. Built by Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan, the twin-cylinder, fan-cooled motor displaced 333cc with a bore and stroke of 61.78 mm by 55.6 mm. Fresh air was sucked through a baffle box intake silencer to mix with fuel via a pair of smallish 26 mm Mikuni round slide carbs. A simple two-into-one exhaust system discarded the spent charge from the piston-ported twin. A carryover from the Colt 340, the engine was strong and durable with good throttle response.
While the engine's trail performance proved average against other 340s in its class, the Fuji twin sipped fuel at a rate of about 24 miles per gallon. Carrying up to 7.3 gallons of fuel, the Apollo could go an estimated 180 miles before refueling. Not bad for a time when gas was under a buck a gallon.
One thing that set the Apollo apart was the use of the chaincase-mounted hydraulic disc brake. Test riders and consumers alike acknowledged Polaris' braking as one of the best in the industry! The stopping power was exceptional and the brake proved easy to modulate with gloves or mittens.
At this stage in snowmobile development cross-shaft drives were primarily reserved for high performance machines with large torque numbers. While steady, the Apollo's power was easily contained by a conventional chaincase setup.
Weighing in at 364 lbs. (dry weight), the Apollo provided a refined ride for a sled selling for a suggested $1,549. That was a result of Polaris' dual stamped steel slide rail design that used a center-mounted hydraulic shock and torsion springs. To keep the new rubber track from burning up hyfax when running on ice or extreme hardpack, Polaris added a set of bogie wheels near the rails' front bend. Ski suspension was pretty standard fare with a tube shock mounted along with the multi-leaf front ski springs.
Compared with the previous Colts, Apollo had additional and deeper foam padding for its seat. This was actually a move made throughout the entire 1979 Polaris line.
A design change for greater overall comfort came right from Polaris' racing success in ovals and cross-country events. The handlebar grips got thinner because racers learned that the thinner grips actually reduced driver fatigue! The handlebar assembly was fully adjustable as well.
As Polaris celebrated its silver anniversary, its new Apollo proved to be a rugged and worthy successor to the Colt.