1997 top ticket touring
Amsnow
Fourth Place: Polaris Indy Ultra Touring
6.44 Points
Uppers
Strong Lazer light show. One of best engine/clutch combos. Solid.
Downers
Love it or leave styling. Feels bulky. More average than others in group.
This is the Indy for the Polaris owner who has always wanted the best of Polaris touring sleds backed with the performance of a big triple. TheUltra Touring is based on the 679cc Ultra SP triple and new aggressive stylingthat premiered last season. Add Polaris' best touring package and you havea sled that two-up Indy riders will love.
The strength of this sled lies under the hood. The Fuji-built triple,with its case reed induction and three-into-one exhaust powering through Polaris' proven P-85 drive clutch, proved to be one of the highest ratedengine/clutch combinations this season, beating out Ski-Doo's new triple-pipedGT. The Fuji triple's three 38mm Mikuni carbs have been recalibrated alongwith the clutch to get maximum performance from this 625-pound cruiser.AmSnow test riders found the Ultra Touring to be comparable with the Ski-DooGrand Touring, especially at low end and midrange.
The Ultra also compares well feature-wise with the competition. Polaris outfits the Ultra Touring with its deluxe package of a pillow-like adjustable backrest and handwarmers for the passenger. A wider runningboard area isanother big plus. Electric start, reverse, effective windshield and high output halogen lighting are standard.
Also standard is the XTRA-12 front and rear suspension. Our specific test unit rated virtually even with the new ProAction system found in Yamaha's Venture. The XTRA-12 suspension comes with Indy Select shocks and featuresup to 10 inches of front travel and nearly 13 inches at the rear. The wide 42.5-inch center-to-center ski stance along with the 133.5-inch track makes this touring model bulky in comparison to a standard Ultra.
Our test unit was a pre-production model and the fit and finish showed it. We were also surprised that the liquid-cooled hydraulic disc brake fitted to this unit rated dead average at 5.0. We like the idea of the liquid-cooledbrake because there's quite a bit of sled to slow down, especially when you add 10.7 gallons of fuel and a passenger. The Ultra's liquid-cooledbrake provides consistent, if not awesome, braking power.
Polaris Indy Ultra Touring
Overall Height: 47 inches
Overall Length:115 inches
Ski Stance: 42.5 inches
Engine: Polaris 679cc liquid-cooled triple with case reed induction
Exhaust: Tuned pipe
Clutch:
Drive: P-85
Driven: P-85
Suspension Travel:
Front: IFS, XTRA-12, Ryde AFX adjustable gas shocks, torsion bar, 10.0 in.
Rear: XTRA-12; Ryde AFX adjustable gas shocks; 12.8 in.
Fuel Capacity: 10.7 gallons
Key Features: Liquid-cooled hydraulic disc brake, electric start, reverse, flush-style tach, speedo, trip, gas gauge, low oil light, hand and thumbwarmers.
Retail Price: $7,999
Riding Impressions:
"The strength of this sled lies under the hood with the Fuji-builttriple."
- Steve Ingram, Test Rider