polaris 700 xc sp
Amsnow
Like all Indy's we've enjoyed over the years, the 700 VES Indy is like coming home to Mama. Everything about it is pure Polaris. From ergos to ride and handling to drivetrain performance, the 2002 700 XC SP is just right.
Polaris rolled out its new Variable Exhaust System 700 big block engine late last season. We had an opportunity to put the preproduction unit on the dyno and in front of the radar gun. It showed 127.4 horsepower at Dynoport, and flashed 92.28 mph in the quarter mile at our test strip.
Polaris changed its shock vendor for this season and put RydeFX units on three of the four points. The Fox Position Sensitive shock still resides on the rear torque arm. Our test riders didn't detect a significant change in the ride quality over the past season.
"I think it rode very well in the conditions we had out west," noted Test Rider Doug Erickson. "It was a very good ride, perhaps a little more choppy at low speeds, but it handled high speed riding very well."
"The sled handles well and never seeks to embarrass you even when you screw up a turn or exit," added Test Rider Jerry Bassett. "The suspensions are firm in the SP but active to acquire full mogul absorption on virtually any series of bumps. In short, the Indy is solidly Polaris, solidly reliable, impressively quick and an excellent all around handling machine."
Our riders liked the functional windshields on the Edge chassis, as well as the handlebar shape and the left side control pod. "Polaris has huge improvements with its handlebars over the years," noted Doug.
The biggest issue our crew would like to see addressed on the 700 XC SP is the brake noise. Doug commented, "one of the things I do think is borderline unacceptable for Polaris is its brake system. While the brake works really well, it makes a lot of noise slowing down, and it's something that I think that certainly Polaris can make improvements on."