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In all my years of riding, I have never owned or had the opportunity to ride a deluxe trail machine for the season. I had read many reviews of the 2000 Polaris 700 XC Deluxe 45th Anniversary Edition, so when the opportunity came, I was eager to put one on the trail.
The 45th Anniversary model's showroom appeal does not do justice to the rest of the sled's features. The coolest feature on this Polaris was the new electronically-controlled rear suspension. A flick of the rocker switch allows you to tinker with the compression damping on the fly. For my first 300 miles of riding, I found myself adjusting the shock often. But after the initial appeal wore off, I left the shock on the soft setting for average trail riding, and adjusted it according to the riding conditions. The shock always returns to the last setting once the sled is restarted. After my first trail ride of the season, I named the sled "Trail Tamer." The name stuck.
Other features I liked on the anniversary model included the awesome twin cylinder motor, smooth clutch and an aggressive track. The motor definitely puts this sled in a performance luxury category. The sled has a great "feels like factor," taking into consideration throttle response, clutching and traction. When you combine those three factors on this deluxe cruiser sled, it "feels like" a full-on XC SP performance sled. I found the top end speed of the Deluxe to be less than the 700 XC SP's, probably due to the long travel and slight weight increase. However, I think top end speed is an easy sacrifice for an exceptional ride.
The 45th Anniversary model has all the amenities you would expect out of a deluxe machine, including rear view mirrors, reverse, wind protection, and superb ergonomics. The hand control used to engage reverse was a bit hard to pull back, but after a few uses, I grew accustomed to it.
I did have some issues with the 700 Deluxe, though. For instance, the sled did not roll freely when letting off the gas, which generally exaggerated the weight transfer feeling upon deceleration. Initially, I thought the track was too tight, but later discovered it was to specification. The hyfax did show excessive signs of wearing, even in relation to the other sleds in the fleet. This sled is definitely not a machine for marginal snow without adding a set of accessory wheels to the rails.
I was somewhat disappointed with the gas mileage. After a season of riding, I logged 1204 miles on this sled and averaged 9.0 miles per gallon. It did not matter if I rode hard or sat back and enjoyed the scenery, the gas mileage was consistently low. Oil consumption was respectable at one quart per 12.2 gallons of gas. The machine did have power, but its gas mileage should have been higher, especially when trail riding.
After riding this sled for a season, I developed a lot of respect for the 45th Anniversary model, and deluxe solo cruiser sleds as a whole. Being a performance oriented rider, I never thought I would get so attached to a deluxe trail machine. I would recommend the "Trail Tamer" to anyone in spite of its noted glitches. You need to ride it to really appreciate it.