1999 indy 500 xc

When we rode the 1999 500 XC SP preproduction sled in St. Donat, we knew this was one we would want in our long term stable. Luckily for us, we were able to get our test sled early to bring to our great white north test center, just outside Finland, Minnesota. We found a modest six to eight inch base of snow on the unplowed forest roads of the area for our riding pleasure.

Last spring our crew had good things to say about the 500 XC SP they tested in St. Donat. Les really liked the new shocks and the ride. Doug noted the much-improved fit and finish. Steve loved the looks and the ergonomic changes. I liked the lighter pull on the brake and throttle. But we also knew that it was a preproduction unit, not exactly what consumers would get, so we reserved our full judgment until we got on a full production machine. We have, and it's good, good, good!

When you sit on the new 500 XC, you will find it a more comfortable place to be than Indies of seasons past. The seat has been slightly resculpted to be more accommodating. I personally like the trail riding seat of the XC over the racer-style seat of the XC SP. It's a more comfortable riding position for a day of cruising through the woods. Plus, the way the seat and the gas tank join on the SP can cause instances of gender-specific injury in the rough stuff. In past models, that hard plastic piping down the top edge of the seat left a bruise on my thigh after a long day on the trail. It's gone this year. All that's left is a smooth, comfortable seam.

Also new on the XC is the control pod on the left hand grip. It took some getting used to, but once I got it through my thick skull that there are no switches by my knee, it was pretty easy to operate. As you would expect, with thick gloves on, the individual switches are a little harder to articulate, but Jerry had no problems with his thinner riding gloves.

The boss and I were split on the handlebar placement. I liked the upright angle. I felt more in control and able to easily handle the trail. He said he would prefer they were rotated downward a little more. Fortunately, this is one of those easy to adjust parts of the sled.

Polaris has made some noise about its new high performance hydraulic brake. I'd just like to take this opportunity to echo that noise. It's fantastic. I could operate it comfortably with one or two fingers. A light squeeze is all it takes to slow down. I can imagine a handful will let you see your headlight and bellypan.

There is power in that little 500 mill. Whoever does the engineering work on Polaris' domestic power plants managed a remarkable design. Our dyno tests earlier in the season rated the 500 XC at an even 92.0 hp. Our dynoman found that power dropped off dramatically after 7700 rpm. If that is still the case with the full production run sleds, you couldn't prove it by us. We ran our scooter through the quarter mile a half dozen times, and found it to be one of the most consistent sleds we've seen in a while. Each pass was within a single mph of the rest. It's amazing. The P-85 clutches seem to be calibrated to run right up to the sweet spot and stay there. We turned the quarter in 14.94 seconds at 84.45 mph. Pretty good considering it wasn't studded, and it had less than 100 miles of break in time. We're impressed, to say the least.

Not only was the XC a fun sled in a straightline speed run, it was an absolute joy on the trail. Granted our first ride was on unique conditions, but this 500 seemed to be fairly adept and able to keep up with a slightly larger displacement counterpart. It handles very nicely in the tight corners and sweepers alike. It did so well, in fact, that we didn't have to make any real suspension adjustments to add or remove ski pressure. The only adjustment we made was to take the rear torsion spring one step softer. It was more a gratuitous adjustment than anything else since there were no appreciable moguls or stutter bumps to speak of. We'll have to withhold our judgment on that aspect of the sled until we find enough snow in Minnesota to make a mogul.

On the long, four-hour drive home Jerry and I discussed the merits of the sled. He thought the motor was an absolute sweetheart. I agreed, but I also appreciate a true single-finger Polaris brake. In the whole time we spent in the truck, we couldn't come up with any substantive nit to pick with this sled. You know how that hurt us!

We are expecting a ZR 500 EFI in the long term stable, so when we get that sled, and some snow to ride, we may have a better picture of where they both fit in the greater scheme, but for now, the '99 Indy 500 XC will be the sled we fight over on the weekends.

Next week, we'll have a full test report from the Shoot Out.