2023 Polaris Assault Boost First Ride Review

[Highmark]

Only put couple hundred miles on in the St. Germain area of Northcentral Wisconsin but got a decent feel for the sled.  The lakes were shit so not a lot of places to really extend its legs.

Ride/ero's:   Ride quality was excellent.   We hit mostly very good trails but in the 5-10 miles of rougher trails I was very impressed with how the sled rode.   I think it really shines over the stutters which likely is helped by the 146" skid.  I really couldn't be happier with the ride including the ergo's, seat density and cover material.  7s gauge while expensive is awesome.  I had put on a set of the Gripper ski's which I really liked.   Held corners well even in some sugary snow conditions some trails had.  I did not play with the suspension much because it was performing so well with how I had it set up.   Its a wheelie monster (which I like for fun factor) and could have some preload taken out of the center and even the limiter shortened a bit.   It has quite a bit of slack even with the rear of the sled lifted well off the ground.   9 out of 10. 

Clutching:  Here was probably my most disappointing aspect of the sled but likely because of my personal preference.   I like a sled set up for fairly aggressive backshift especially for the twisty trails of this area and the sled lacked some here.   Most maybe wouldn't notice this and would be extremely happy with it.   Its backshift lagged compared to my 2020 850 and this also could be due to Polaris clutching for the increased power and where that comes in. 7 out of 10.

Engine/Power:  Honestly so far its what I expected.   Right now still in break-in mode it just feels like a very strong 850.  It's power delivery is very smooth and very linear.   I did feel the biggest difference was say after 70 mph.   The sled just keeps pulling even after 100.   I have no idea on the differences between my 2020 speedo and the 2023 but that sled it had to really work to get much above 100.   This sled has no problem getting to 110+.  8.5 out of 10.

Only real racing we did was between my son's boosted XF1100 Turbo 129.  There were some races where I'd get him for say 400 ft but then he would as expected walk by quite easily on the 260 tune.  There were other races where we would stay equal for around 50 ft then he pull right away.   Considering giving up 70 hp I wasn't dissapointed.  I am likely under studded but his studs are 10 years old.   They have held up well but still are worn some.  The races he ran his anti-lag he walked away from me right at the hole shot.    

Now for the people who incorrectly thought stock boosts were going to run with boosted 4's 250hp + think again.   Its simply not going to happen at least in any races over 500 ft.  Its lack up pull in the arms compared to my Winder is massive.   I didn't take it with me but my Winder will eat up the Boost and spit it out.  

      

[Guest]

Great write up thanks 

[EvilBird]

Sounds like a fun sled 

[stinkipinki]

A 998 is still king in a straight line, and with 340-400HP setups pretty common now, I don't see that changing.
However, great sled by Polaris.
Will it steal the sled of the year back for 2023 as BRP won it in 2022?
We will see.

[Anler]

On my assault I sucked up the limiter strap half of a hole and it made a big improvement. You can still pull the skis but much more controllable. It was obnoxious before that but for off trail i get that it was set like that. 

[Anler]

Also the grippers are a good upgrade over the prosteeers but on my first set the bottoms wore clean thru in a short amount of time. I would recommend putting Bergstrom ski savers on them 

[Highmark]

6 minutes ago, Anler said:

On my assault I sucked up the limiter strap half of a hole and it made a big improvement. You can still pull the skis but much more controllable. It was obnoxious before that but for off trail i get that it was set like that. 

How much threads showing on the center shock?

[Anler]

Just now, Highmark said:

How much threads showing on the center shock?

You know what I dont remember but I did alot of field adjustments to get it perfect. With some adjustments to the limiter and the ski springs its actually a pretty damn good trail sled. I actually like it better than my matryx. In hindsight I should have gotten the matryx assault instead of the VR1

[ActionfigureJoe]

How much? 

[Highmark]

2 minutes ago, ActionfigureJoe said:

How much? 

My dealer discounted mine $1500 off retail. 

[ActionfigureJoe]

23 minutes ago, Highmark said:

My dealer discounted mine $1500 off retail. 

No thanks. 

[Highmark]

Just now, ActionfigureJoe said:

No thanks. 

Too much for fake doctors....no surprise. 

[ActionfigureJoe]

Just now, Highmark said:

Too much for fake doctors....no surprise. 

Not everyone is as successful and wonderful as you are. 

[joe_zrt]

Nice writeup. Good to see honest discussion.  Nice you have a winder and a 1100T to compare. Hope she holds together for you. 👍🏼

[ArcticCrusher]

3 hours ago, ActionfigureJoe said:

How much? 

More than your van.

[ActionfigureJoe]

1 hour ago, ArcticCrusher said:

More than your van.

That’s a waste of money. 

[Anler]

18 hours ago, ActionfigureJoe said:

That’s a waste of money. 

Money well spent!

[Rod]

On 1/9/2023 at 10:12 AM, Highmark said:

Only put couple hundred miles on in the St. Germain area of Northcentral Wisconsin but got a decent feel for the sled.  The lakes were shit so not a lot of places to really extend its legs.

Ride/ero's:   Ride quality was excellent.   We hit mostly very good trails but in the 5-10 miles of rougher trails I was very impressed with how the sled rode.   I think it really shines over the stutters which likely is helped by the 146" skid.  I really couldn't be happier with the ride including the ergo's, seat density and cover material.  7s gauge while expensive is awesome.  I had put on a set of the Gripper ski's which I really liked.   Held corners well even in some sugary snow conditions some trails had.  I did not play with the suspension much because it was performing so well with how I had it set up.   Its a wheelie monster (which I like for fun factor) and could have some preload taken out of the center and even the limiter shortened a bit.   It has quite a bit of slack even with the rear of the sled lifted well off the ground.   9 out of 10. 

Clutching:  Here was probably my most disappointing aspect of the sled but likely because of my personal preference.   I like a sled set up for fairly aggressive backshift especially for the twisty trails of this area and the sled lacked some here.   Most maybe wouldn't notice this and would be extremely happy with it.   Its backshift lagged compared to my 2020 850 and this also could be due to Polaris clutching for the increased power and where that comes in. 7 out of 10.

Engine/Power:  Honestly so far its what I expected.   Right now still in break-in mode it just feels like a very strong 850.  It's power delivery is very smooth and very linear.   I did feel the biggest difference was say after 70 mph.   The sled just keeps pulling even after 100.   I have no idea on the differences between my 2020 speedo and the 2023 but that sled it had to really work to get much above 100.   This sled has no problem getting to 110+.  8.5 out of 10.

Only real racing we did was between my son's boosted XF1100 Turbo 129.  There were some races where I'd get him for say 400 ft but then he would as expected walk by quite easily on the 260 tune.  There were other races where we would stay equal for around 50 ft then he pull right away.   Considering giving up 70 hp I wasn't dissapointed.  I am likely under studded but his studs are 10 years old.   They have held up well but still are worn some.  The races he ran his anti-lag he walked away from me right at the hole shot.    

Now for the people who incorrectly thought stock boosts were going to run with boosted 4's 250hp + think again.   Its simply not going to happen at least in any races over 500 ft.  Its lack up pull in the arms compared to my Winder is massive.   I didn't take it with me but my Winder will eat up the Boost and spit it out.  

      

Thanks for the question 

[Highmark]

Headed north again today.   Have more comparisons by Monday.   Other rides going....another Boost, 2 2023 850 Doo's...1 a 129 x and 1 a 137 XRS, a 22 Mach Z and a 22 900 turbo R Doo X. 

I've added some studs and a Diamond S.  Was 2 per bar now 3.

Really curious as to how the Boost and Doo's compare.  

Edited January 12, 2023 by Highmark

[Guest]

Enquiring minds want to know 

[Highmark]

6 minutes ago, HSR said:

Enquiring minds want to know 

This group will do much more racing that the last group....hopefully the lakes are flatter in the Cable area. 

[f7ben]

1 hour ago, Highmark said:

This group will do much more racing that the last group....hopefully the lakes are flatter in the Cable area. 

That sled will love to be loaded hard and it will respond as all turbo sleds do. Added traction , lower temps and being broke in is bet you see some nice seat of the pants gains. 

[joe_zrt]

Let us know what fuel you end up running. Be interesting to see if you add some boostane with some before and after comparison 

[Highmark]

On 1/12/2023 at 4:41 PM, joe_zrt said:

Let us know what fuel you end up running. Be interesting to see if you add some boostane with some before and after comparison 

Other than for poor gas why would you add octane to a sled not rated for it....could very easily lose some power.

Ran 91 and never hit a code once. 

Edited January 16, 2023 by Highmark

[Highmark]

So another few days on the Boost.  As mentioned before added some studs to the outside, softened center up quite a bit and stiffened the rear.   This made for better handling and kept the front end lift on acceleration to a more manageable level.  Trails were simply outstanding so not much to report on ride quality.   Probably prefer the rear in the middle more on the torsion and compression.   I believe the assault comes with a heavier torsion than the 137.  Put on around 190 the one day and the sled is simply very enjoyable.  

Performance is again as expected (to me) with everything stock.  Had one 22 VR1 that is clutched well and it was taking the Boosts at times.  This sled flat out runs.   The two boosts 137 and 146 are pretty equal with the Assault taking a few more races....as expected it has a bit longer legs.   More shallow approach angle helps here.  Some weight differences between riders that likely cause some of the results especially when switching sleds.  As Ben mentioned I think there is some considerable gains to be made loading the engine up and with other clutching changes.  Also need to play with the suspension some more to maintain traction and lessen front end lift.   

Against the Doo's.  The Mach, 900r Turbo and the Boosts at stock are very comparably matched with the Boost having a slight edge.   All had similar stud levels and again rider weight may have played a slight role.   Most of these races we backed out around 105ish so no real great comparison topped all the way out.   And while the lakes were better they were far from fast.  The 2 23 850 Doo's both run really well.  Both 137's and one with a 1.6 ice ripper and the other the 1.25 studded.  They run nice but the Poo 850 NA in the group that is clutched was faster top to bottom.   Obviously the 1.6 upper end was less but it did perform well out of the hole and on rolling starts in the right conditions.

Got some seat time on the 2 Doo Turbo's as well as the 23 XRS 850.   I was very impressed with all three.   The smart shock system is absolutely fantastic in the changes it makes.  Simply cannot say enough on how much I like that system.   The 900's are very fun.   The Mach had a mechanical PS bracket on it and it was one of the easiest steering non power steering sleds I've ever been on.   The other didn't steer hard but the lack of effort needed in the mach was shocking.   Engine, clutching, ride everything on all 3 Doo's was nice.   They simply feel more refined than the Polaris'.  The shortening of the nose area on the xrs is a nice upgrade with the G5.   One of the main things I dislike about my wifes 22 xrs is it feels so big between the rider and the nose of the sled....even just up to the gauges.   Speaking of gauges the Doo fancy gauge sucks compared to the Poo.  Ergonomic layout does still play a role but the Poo gauge is easier to use and more readable at trail speeds.

Boosted Sidewinder....well its just not a comparison nor should it be.  I did not think mine was running exceptional and was still trading races with one that had much, much more done.   Running upwards of 400 HP.  He broke 2 belts in about 6 races.  Not sure the extra power is worth that.