1993 indy storm

 There are two versions of the new Indy Storm blowing in from Polaris this season- a short tracked version and a long tracked SKS model. Both feature the all new 744cc triple and its lowered chassis.

The 750cc Polaris had been rumored for a couple of seasons, but denied by official Polaris sources. The rumors were true. With a bore and stroke of 69.7mm by 60mm, the engine is a first for Polaris in a variety of ways. It is the largest production triple ever produced by the Roseau factory. It is the first to have three individual tuned pipes- a departure from the three-into-one exhaust system common to other Polaris triples. It is the first to have a crankcase reed induction system. It is the first to have crankcase cooling. And it is the first to use the all new "dropped front" chassis.

Unlike the Arctic Cat Thundercat, fitting the large displacement Fuji/Polaris three cylinder engine into the normal Indy chassis wasn't a problem. There would have been room for it, if Polaris engineers had wanted to go that route. Cat engineers, on the other hand, had no choice. They had to widen and lengthen their "wishbone" chassis to get their engine to fit.

To improve handling and enhance stability, Polaris engineering decided to construct a new aluminum bulkhead so the engine could be placed two inches lower than in a standard Indy 650. Combine the lower engine placement with a 38-inch ski stance and you have a sled that corners like a Formula III racer. That's exactly where the idea and technology was developed for the Indy Storm- in Formula III racing!

While our test time with the Storm was exceedingly brief, we were impressed with how stable this sled felt, especially when cornering. The engine is low and behind the ski's center point. By lowering the engine, Polaris accomplished the same thing as Yamaha when it widened the ski stance on its Exciter SX. The center of gravity is effectively lower.

With the sled at full acceleration, you can properly experience the new ITS suspension. Weight transfer was very quick. So was the holeshot. Polaris was careful not to let us ride head-to-head against any of the other big bangers, but we would rate the new Storm as extremely competitive with the other 750 to 800cc entries.

Frankly, based on first impressions, we'd say that this Indy is the best handling and lightest steering of the three cylinder Indy fleet. Having test ridden single tracked Sno Pro equipment on manufacturers' test tracks, we feel this Indy shares more handling similarities to a race sled than any Polaris trail sled we've ever ridden. That's not a coincidence as we mentioned before.

To get the bulkhead tipped down to lower the engine required relocating various struts and mounting positions. Line up a conventional Indy 650 side by side with a Storm, lift the hoods and check out the difference in engine heights. It's noticeable only when the hoods are up. Otherwise the sleds are visually the same.

It's under the hood where the changes occur. For example, the engine has very low mounted triple 38mm round slide carburetors. That's because the induction system is a reed valve system at the crankcase. This is the second production triple to have this type of induction system. The first was the 647cc triple in the new Polaris SL 650 watercraft.

The liquid-cooled triple delivers so much torque that Polaris changed the jackshaft from a key type to a spline type. Said a Polaris spokesman, "The engine develops so much power that the key could come loose and would eventually shear." The splined shaft is stronger and more durable for an engine of this potential. That potential is guessed to be similar to the Yamaha Vmax-4 and Ski-Doo Mach Z, or somewhere in the 125 and up horsepower range.

Other than the engine and tipped bulkhead, the Storm shares the same ergonomic features as the other liquid-cooled Indy models. There is the famed IFS up front and the new ITS at the rear. Handwarmers, full instrumentation, heavy duty Polaris clutching and the Polaris reputation for durability are all standard.

Is there a market for a premium performance Polaris? You bet! The fact that Polaris has tagged this sled at $1,000 less than the competition makes the Storm one of the all-time performance bargains. If you can get one! As one marketing type at Polaris lamented late last spring, "I wish we had more of them (Storms)."