2019 sled being released next week.

[CSV]

408ish Deets on snowest homepage

 

[Escmanaze]

Polaris page is now up

https://snowmobiles.polaris.com/en-us/indy-evo/

 

[ilovepowder]

Lame carbed 550. Not impressed and over 400 lbs.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[Trashy]

Looks like they are trying to use up some leftover parts from older models.

Disappointing.....

 

[89sandman]

Was really hoping for a 3/4 scale, that is what this sport needs! Making it lower and all is great, but the size is just too big for smaller riders.

 

[richracer1]

More info/specs from Poo website:

https://snowmobiles.polaris.com/en-...aign=sno_1801_evo_intro_us&rmatt=tsid:1013763

 

[NHRoadking]

.91 inch lug track??? Why bother....

 

[richracer1]

.91 inch lug track??? Why bother....

I looked at TracksUSA and quite a few 15x121 tracks are available, all the way to 2" paddles - all depends on what the stock track to tunnel/bulk head clearance is and what can be stuffed in there.....

 

[RMK-King]

It does weigh more then I thought it should, 350lbs or less would have been nice.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Scott]

 

[Merlin]

Pretty much my thoughts too......So much for a capable deep snow machine for the younger riders out west.

On a positive note for the big picture it will hopefully bring more riders into the sport.

All this sled is is an indy 550 with limited engine power, lower handle bars and a smaller seat.

 

[edgey]

The rear suspension is a killer find a 136/144 lite out of a gen 2 rmk would save a ton of weight.

Non efi sucks thou

 

[Escmanaze]

My Take

So here's my take:

For better or worse - it's a Phazer. Look at the specs of a 1989 Phazer II. They match this sled almost exactly.

That's good and bad in different ways. It's good because we all know that Phazers make great kids sleds and decent platforms to modify into half decent mountain kids sleds.

It's bad because - 30 years later, the best the market could give us for our kids is still just a phazer?

So I assume that the guys who know how to wrench will save themselves a bunch of money and still just keep buying phazers for their boys between the ages of anywhere from 8 to 16, but really centered right around 10-12. This doesn't affect them at all.

However, it does affect guys like me who don't know how to wrench. Now, there is a new Phazer that I can put my kid on so that I don't have to own a 30 year old sled. I can give my kid all the benefits of a Phazer, but I won't have the downside of dragging a 30 year old sled into the dealer all the time just to have him tell me he can't fix it because he can't get parts etc. etc.

In the end, I hoped for more/better, but I'm still pretty pumped about this and the savings account starts now for buying one in 2 years when my oldest turns 10.

In the meantime, over the next two years, I'll be praying nightly for Polaris to be working on the EVO RMK with a 136 X 1.5" track and a geared down transmission, speaking of transmission, put the belt drive on there. Also, Polaris really should be offering a 36" factory front end kit for these RMKs, and assuming they get their act together on that topic in the next two years, then toss that same 36" kit on my Evo RMK as well. I don't need my machine to sit lower, I just need it to be skinnier. 3 changes, track, belt drive, and narrow front end and suddenly that would be a really decent mountain machine for my kid from the ages of 10-13.

 

[Escmanaze]

boards too

crap, we'll need some new boards too; take the RMK boards from the 144 or something. Ok, 4 changes to make it an RMK. Is that too much to ask?

 

[Deezy]

.91 inch lug track??? Why bother....

This!!

My daughter's 550 Freestyle has a 1.75 on it.

 

[Escmanaze]

Price

Oh and one more thing. I am really impressed at the price point they were able to hit. I can only hope that it stays close to that when I go to buy one in a couple years. OR if they do have an RMK version by then like I mentioned above, I would certainly be more than happy to pay a lot for the upgrades to an RMK. We'll see.

 

[Bushwacker1]

I had my usual conversation with Polaris reps at Hay Days last fall to ask again when they will be building a mountain sled for kids. I spoke at length with a marketing guy and then an engineering guy. To my surprise the answers I was getting were very different than they have been in the past. When I mentioned they have all the parts to build a shorter version of a fan cooled axys RMK in the 375 pound range[/COLOR], there was a response that it would most likely be around 365. I spoke about cutting a big block in half to make a 300, 350 or a 400 single cylinder, with ease because the oil and water pump are mounted outboard on the mag side and that lead to discussion on how the new electronic oil pump could solve half of that problem and allow the use a current injected engine to make a 300cc engine. They did not bring up the small market this would need to serve and how this would not provide enough volume for profit as they always have in the past so I did. My vision to market this considers that they have 98 % of all needed parts already on the shelf to build a 550 fan, 90% if they tool a new engine. A snow check only build (no in season models) with a budget priced heavier base model and upgrades to include the light weight goodies, better shocks, electric start, and instrumentation would let the buyer decide how much they are willing to pay for an entry level sled. No in season models would create demand and keep resale values higher. Snow check only build would also prevent the issues ski doo experienced with unsold sleds when they tried this market. Ski Doo also tooled most of their sled without using current off the shelf parts which did not make the tooling a good investment for them, using as many off the shelf parts as possible would eliminate this issue. Marketing asked me questions on how much I thought this sled should cost. My answer was for them to look back at their marketing plan used when they introduced the Indy lite. What was list price % compared to the flagship model, or the next model up or bellow? It would need to fit in that range. A bare bones sled price pointed there would be the starting point. Add snow check options or let the dealers make some money on the upgrades thru the accessories catalog. I did not get an answer about when or if they would build the sled I was asking for but definitely came away with the perception that they were working on something and have actually built prototypes. Just seeing this post with the invite looks promising that Polaris may actually be listening to the folks that buy their products or the new 200 sled from Yam a Cat has got their attention. Just a few more days to wait and see what will be reveled.

I did some research to compare marketing prices and weights from 1991 to now, and here is what I came up with.
1991 Indy Starlite 250cc, 340Lb, List $2199
1991 Indy Lite 340cc, 367Lb, List $2799
1991 Indy Sport 432cc, 390Lb, List $3549

2018 Indy 550cc, 422Lbs, List $6999
2019 EVO 550cc, 409Lbs, List $5299

Starlite to Sport -Weight 87%- Price 61%
Lite to Sport - Weight 94%- Price 79%
550 EVO to 550 Indy -Weight 97%- Price 75%

Considering they used the same engine this time around they came within 3% of meeting previous weight reduction between entry level model and the next model up in 1991. Pricing is 4% lower for the same comparison for what was available in 1991.

I still think 409 pounds for a beginner sled is too heavy. The 340 Indy Lite was 367 Lbs in 1991 with stone age technology available. Axys Pro RMK 800 is 409Lbs so it seems like quite a stretch to think a brand new young rider would be expected to handle the same weight sled with ease.

They have hit the mark on pricing when looking at my comparison to the next available model.

This release does provide for the trail market but does not address the deep powder market at all. I believe there are more sales to be made in the powder market than the trail market, as the trail market is currently full of used options to put young riders on as long as Dad has some basic wrenching skills.

This could be a great starting point for a EVO RMK if a few more pounds could be removed while adding track length and changing to a lighter powder skid. With the newest track technology and a light weight skid I believe 409Lbs is possible for base model RMK. Then offer the Pro RMK model option to get it down to 365 and now the sled I have been asking for is available. They better hurry up though because soon my kids will be big enough to put on a full size sled.

So close but not quite there yet. Polaris are you reading this?

 

[mountainhorse]

They missed the mark IMO... with a sled that weighs more than dads long track mountain machine.

And they used a "dirty" motor ta boot..

Dang !

Factory build an AXYS 137.

No cooler in the tunnel.

Single cylinder 300cc Fan cooled.

Smaller capacity fuel tank.

137 single ply 2" paddle simiar to the series 5.1

Quick drive (lighter and cheaper to produce than the chaindrive models)

Small drivers on a hollow steel drive shaft.

Lightweight primary clutch that is already available.

Light weight belt.

Simple low seat.

AXYS rear skid.

Simple LW shocks and springs.

Steel or aluminum 34" wide stance.


That would be an easy 320lb factory sled.


This would have been pretty easy... That indy really is just an low powered option of what is already available.




.

 

[mountainhorse]

They missed the mark IMO... with a sled that weighs more than dads long track mountain machine.

Good Idea though...it will sell to many... and be an easier to ride trail machine.

Same as a 2014/15 Indy 550 with lower seat and RMK width a-arms for the most part

Same ProRide bodywork. ProRide Std-RMK a-arms with shorter ski&track-shocks to sit lower.

.

 

[Devilmanak]

That looks like my son's 2000 340 Indy Lite that I had to lift to make it work worth a damn. For $5500 I would rather buy something older and mod it for him and save $3000. Especially as it will be sold next/next couple of years. These kids grow!
Heard it from a dealer today, "I think they missed the mark."
Good marketing though, whoever did the filming did a great job.