test ride polaris 800 le
Amsnow
As you know, we are not bashful about picking on sleds. So, it's only fair that we give credit where due. Credit and compliments go to Polaris for the 2001 Indy 800 LE.
We had the good fortune of test riding ours for prolonged periods over the recent holidays and really appreciated what Polaris has accomplished with it. As a personal luxury performance sled, it is outstanding. It rides extremely well. Handles consistently and predictably well. Has smoothly consistent and reliable power characteristics - especially when compared to a competitor's "on-off" toggle switch high torque character with its 800cc twin.
The ergonomics are extremely well planned out. The windshield works well. The brake is easy to manipulate. The heat controls are a thumb length away for easy operation.
And the rider ergo's are still exceptionally Polaris, which has been a strong suit since the TXL. The footholds are well positioned. The handlebar falls into a natural riding position - and is adjustable for fine-tuning.
Most impressive was the quick, quiet consistency of the big 800 twin. Yes, it was a "two-men and a boy" cold starter until it got broken in, but on the trail it proved to be strong for out of corner acceleration. The strong power band is a winner as it delivers good power from roll off engagement to midrange and a smooth burst for lake cruising.
We will admit that after seeing others try to start their 800cc twins, we were reluctant to cold start ours. Image yanking those coffee can sized pistons on a minus 30 degree day. Fortunately, with increased mileage, the starting got easier. Polaris built a lot of compression into its cylinders for you to overcome. This would be our only concern.
As to performance, even with the same "made in the USA" 800cc twin, you can expect the LE to be down a bit on top end compared to the XC SP. Most of that performance is due to the longer travel M-10 versus the SP's racer-style suspension. But if you bought an LE, overall ride and comfort were key considerations and not how fast or hard you can ambush the moguls.
We thought Polaris' revamping of the Karpik-designed M-10 might devalue the ride a bit. To prepare the M-10 for a full mass production run on the Roseau assembly line, Polaris engineers made some changes to accommodate manufacturing. We found none that adversely affect the M-10's performance. The LE suspension absorbs small stutter bumps as only the M-10 can. However, going to the M-10 does increase the LE's ride height versus the 800 XC SP. We found the LE with M-10 had a noticeable but extremely predictable yawing in turns, but nothing unpleasant. For overall ride quality, this trade-off is extremely acceptable to us. Hard-chargers will prefer the SP, which is designed with their needs in mind.
As a sports luxury performer, the LE proved exceptional. Our only serious complaint would be a desire for electric start as standard fare (just in case the other man and a boy, can't be found on that -30 degree morning). This is a premium model, after all. Let's get all the goodies. We liked Polaris' standard reverse gear operation, which is basic but functionally about the best in the business to invoke.
Overall, we would hope that Polaris won't change much else on this model for '02. The LE is exceptionally well done and proved a most pleasant Holiday present for us.