2003 polaris 700 classic

It took us a few seconds to digest everything Polaris was showing us with the new Classic Touring platform. At first, it was the Edge chassis that caught our attention. Then there was the much-delayed installation of big power. The cargo rack factored into our first impression as well. Finally, there was talk of a new rear suspension. There is so much that's new and exciting about this sled, it needs to be seen in person.

First, the Edge chassis gives the whole Classic Touring a sleeker, more modern look than last year's clunky-feeling Gen II platform. The CT makes nice use of the Edge platform benefits. It sheds a pound from the 600 CT in the GEN II chassis, but adds a new skid, new rack system and uses the heavier big block Liberty engine.

We've been begging for a more powerful two-up sled from Polaris for years. The 700 VES twin answered our call for a little more oomph with two people onboard. Polaris late-released an 800 VES Classic Touring in August for even more snort.
 
Polaris designers finally brought the CT into the modern touring age with its awesome cargo storage system and tonneau covers. In stock tandem trim, the cargo area has a short hard top to protect your belongings. But even better, there are a series of optional cover pieces in the works that will allow the cargo area to be reconfigured. Polaris will even offer a solo driver's seat back with lumbar support and a variety of fastback tonneau covers.

The Passenger seat is sculpted with a slightly reclined bucket and adjustable lumbar pillow for great comfort. "I'm not much for riding shotgun on a sled," said Test Rider Randy Kepner. "But the Polaris seat was pretty comfortable. It's a lot better than they ever had before."
 
The last big change on the new breed of Classic Touring sleds is the rear suspension. The new Edge Touring skid is a hybridization of two Polaris luxury suspension systems. The front torque arm and shock mount scheme comes from Polaris' original long travel XTRA-12 suspension.

The rear arm and shock owe their design to the M-10 rear. Initial tuning is handled through a torsion spring, as all Polaris suspensions do. Finer adjustments are made with the Ride Control Adjuster block, which manually moves the lower shock mount forward or rearward like the M-10 does. A last adjustment can be made with the Ryde AFX compression adjustment screw on the rear shock.

With all of the adjustability on the suspension and the customizable cargo and seat system, our test crew named it the best crossover sled of the year, beating out the SKS and Renegade models marketed as hybrids.

"The 700 Classic Touring is a sled you can use for almost any purpose," said Test Rider Les Pinz. "They have designed a nice sled for two people or one person with a lot of storage capacity. With the different rack covers you can get, you can make this sled into a good touring model or even a more utility-type sled. It is very versatile."

There was a reason Polaris didn't make the move to put its touring sleds into the Edge chassis right away, and its development of the whole package. Our crew definitely appreciated the final product. At $8,149 its sticker price is still under most comparably-sized touring machines.