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Last year after Polaris announced its new Rush 600, riders immediately asked, when will there be an 800. The wait is over as today Polaris announces a Rush 800 Pro-R, slipping its horsier 800cc motor under Rush's trim snout.
In addition to the Pro-Ride chassis and progressive-rate rear suspension introduced last year, this new model will be a premium performance model with Walker Evans needle shocks all around. That means you get piggyback WE shocks up front and a WE piggyback center shock and WE compression adjustable rear track shock and a big 14 inches of travel in the rear suspension.
The Pro-R also gets a lightweight Phantom hydraulic disc brake with lightweight drilled rotor for quicker stops.
Naturally the other big change is the use of an 800 Cleanfire in the Pro-Ride package. Polaris says the 800 should boost the horsepower roughly 25% over the 600, for you speed nuts.
AmSnow's tests earlier this season pegged the 800 at 147.1 hp and the 600 at 123.5, or a 23.6 hp variation.
An early
AmSnow test ride on the new Rush 800 Pro-R in the mountains of Utah in January showed it delivering quick, smooth power to the Pro-R's more aggressively lugged RipSaw track. The Pro-R uses a 15x120-inch 2-ply track with 1.25-inch lug.
We were impressed, not just with the 800's power but its linear response top to bottom and with how snappy it felt, knowing full well that the high altitude we tested at zaps a fair amount of horsepower.
Weight concerns with an 800?
None here, in fact Polaris tells us the 800 is actually a few pounds lighter than the 600 due to a new lightweight silencer on the 800, which saves 7 lbs. In addition there's a new muffler that cuts engine noise some too.
The 800 Pro-R also offers electric start as an option. No pricing was announced, but we expect to know that later this Spring.
Stay tuned as we'll update you on further Polaris news, including its full 2011 model lineup within the next month or so.