Quote Mountainhorse 12-30-2008
Here's my guess at the 2010 sleds..
The chassis will be VERY similar to the RAW... Same tunnel and essentially the same bulkhead.
The departures will be a side air intake like the REV/XP.. the steering will be greatly simplified (no more bell cranks) since they would now be able to go over the motor with the steering post and run a simple arm off the stering post directly to the tie rods...(good for at least 10 lbs)...
I anticipate a Float-type (possibly the Assault type WE air or other custom design from Ryde-FX) rear suspension with no torsion spring, Floats on the front or better Walker shocks.
The Track will remain the same or be refined just a bit (series 5.2??) and will benefit from the other advancements that all the tracks seem to be making with Camoplast R&D as holding the major share of all track mfg.
The seat design will be about the same but will attach to the tank without the support in the rear.
The most readily apparent change.... the one that most will read as a complete new chassis...The body work will be "slimed down" in front.... along the lines of the IQR but with more angles and edges. It will retain a bumper but with a bit better coverage for trees and hand holds. the steering hoop will be aluminum and will resemble the IQR racer.... which will give the biggest change... Rider forward on the chassis by 5" (have a look at Kirk Williamson's sled that Parker Brown ran at Jackson Hole last season that Brad Story posted... the body work was the same, but the steering was IQR...
Other possible changes would be a lighter jackshaft, brake mounted to the driveshaft and a different gauge...
With the use of the lighter body work, more alloy and a lighter suspension... I see Polaris pulling off a 440 Lb stock 155" sled that is rock solid and handles very precisely.
An EVOLUTION of a good chassis rather than "throwing out the baby with the bathwater" with an "All New chassis"... I don't think they can handle that... in the face of our current economic conditions.
So I see a refinement of an already good chassis, a big engine,
For engines I see a big surprise in a 950cc 2 stroke 2 cyl, 4 injector CFi package as well as a decent four stoke, the 700 twin gets dropped... So a 600, 800, 1000 two stroke and a four in the Switchback and trail stuff.
Thats my guess anyway.
