2023 Polaris Assault Boost First Ride Review

[Jimmy Snacks]

40 minutes ago, Anler said:

Just put a few hundred miles on my old assault this weekend. I love that machine!

Are you riding out of Ticks place? 

[Deephaven]

7 hours ago, ACE said:

I am a mongoloid. I’ve mentioned numerous times that I’m built like a Neanderthal 

You aren't as much of one as Lloyd, but indeed.

 

[EvilBird]

 

[Rod]

57 minutes ago, Deephaven said:

You aren't as much of one as Lloyd, but indeed.

 

Be mad. No cares here 

[Guest]

We may need Alsled to examine this dyno run  Doesn't say what fuel used.

edit: VP C14+ race fuel.

[Anler]

2 hours ago, Jimmy Snacks said:

Are you riding out of Ticks place? 

We did

[Highmark]

Why?   Because stock sucks that's why.    

 

[Jimmy Snacks]

19 minutes ago, Highmark said:

Why?   Because stock sucks that's why.    

 

Very cool…how do you like those Velocity Shocks?

[Highmark]

1 minute ago, Jimmy Snacks said:

Very cool…how do you like those Velocity Shocks?

Pretty good so far but haven't really had much for rough trails to put them to much of a test.   Riding our local trails tonight and tomorrow.   That should be more of a test as they are hard and ungroomed.  Handling wise very good. 

Edited February 3, 2023 by Highmark

[Guest]

25 minutes ago, Highmark said:

Why?   Because stock sucks that's why.    

 

I can't read the laptop? Throwing a tune at it?? 

[Highmark]

23 minutes ago, HSR said:

I can't read the laptop? Throwing a tune at it?? 

Yep.   +20. 

Edited February 3, 2023 by Highmark

[Skidooski]

[Guest]

26 minutes ago, Highmark said:

Yep.   +20. 

Very nice. My son got 4-5 days in the mountains on his Khaos. He's still in awe of the stock power.

[Roosting]

On 1/23/2023 at 4:27 AM, f7ben said:

I’ve ridden 500 miles on a 1.75BC in the last week. I’d rather kill myself than suffer that worthless piece of shit 1 mile longer than I have to. It is like dragging a fucking boat anchor around , it vibrates at trail speeds and is genuinely useless. I hate it as much as a ripsaw1 

Buddy put a 1.75 hurricane on his brand new XRS renegade 850. 

I have a 1.5 storm on my 129 850

While i cruse along at 1/2 to 3/4 throttle pulling 85-100 mph he is topped out trying to keep up.

He also mentioned it does vibrate more plus he keeps worrying he is going to overheat the track on long pulls.  

Now if we had 4 feet of powder snow to plow through, I would want all of that 1.75 track but it's not what we get here unfortunately. We got wind blown hard as rock snow that no 1.75 track is even going to touch.  Not sure why he got that track............

[Roosting]

He also left it all stock clutching wise so I think there is room for some improvement.

But it would be more so from 0-90mph. I dont think there's much he can do to improve top speed unless he sucked up the rear suspension a bunch to improve the attack angle but is that really better? 

[SayatodaU.P.eh?]

A BC track is literally a corner to corner track and typically the sled is geared down to compensate for the taller lug track which limits top speed a lot. Loose snow trails that are super twisty it’s a decent track. Anything else, it sucks in. It’s not even that good off trail. 

[DriftBusta]

4 hours ago, Skidooski said:

A little scotchbrite pad and she should be good as new!

[akvanden]

5 hours ago, Highmark said:

Yep.   +20. 

It’s been 5 hours. Plenty of time to ride and report back.

[Cat45]

On 1/23/2023 at 7:25 AM, SayatodaU.P.eh? said:

Most of our trails end up with an ice/hard base. A studded short lug track always seems to run cooler on them. I wouldn’t want a BC track for trail riding either for the same reasons, noise and lack of traction on icy trails. 

I ran a studded 1.75 on my zr8000rr last year. No added noise or vibrations. Hooked great on trail and did was all i needed for off trail. 

[Edmo]

7 hours ago, Cat45 said:

I ran a studded 1.75 on my zr8000rr last year. No added noise or vibrations. Hooked great on trail and did was all i needed for off trail. 

As long as you have good snow. I melted my hyfax with a 1.75 in the icy/low snow conditions he mentioned above. The 1.75 is a riot on days with tons of fresh.

[Highmark]

So, installed the tune and put on about 25 on our trails last night.   Unfortunately that section of trails from my shop to the bar and back do not have any pulls over about 400-500 feet.  Seat of the pants does seem to have made a fairly substantial difference.   Thought front end lift was bad before even after suspension changes now its simply out of control.    More changes needed there.   Pulling about 200 more RPM which is good especially with this tune needing to be around 8400.   Left clutching stock yet not to make 2 changes at once.   Had a bit of funky idle going on which wasn't anything significant or constant.  Possibly from me running about 94 oct instead of the 91 the tune says.   More testing today if I decide to take that sled. 

Edited February 4, 2023 by Highmark

[DriftBusta]

 

2 hours ago, Edmo said:

As long as you have good snow. I melted my hyfax with a 1.75 in the icy/low snow conditions he mentioned above. The 1.75 is a riot on days with tons of fresh.

Probably the funnest thing about this snow-ark I bought this year, its just pinching it in deep snow.  20x1.8.x154 just stands on end every time.   I may throw a tune and some clutching on it over the summer if I can't get more top end.  I'd like to do some 1000 ft. drags against some other sleds, and see how it fares there.  A good running 600 has more top end.  

[Cat45]

3 hours ago, Edmo said:

As long as you have good snow. I melted my hyfax with a 1.75 in the icy/low snow conditions he mentioned above. The 1.75 is a riot on days with tons of fresh.

I run 1 scratcher down on icy snow and don't have any issues. Even running 1k mi of spring riding, combo of deep snow, hardpack, and dirt the track held up fine. For wi and mn riding on and off trail i think it's the perfect track

[Highmark]

Another update.

Put around 75 on Saturday in a variety of Iowa trail conditions.   Probably would not of went if it weren't for the few weeks of warm weather coming but still very ridable.

Power wise the +20 tune really has woken the sled up.   Being honest....more of what I expected stock.  Where its at now might be the perfect trail sled.   No it does not have the pull of the tuned Winder but its an absolute blast.  Prior to the ride I shortened the limiter about 1", softened the center preload to just before the spring becomes loose and went full stiff on the torsion and rear shock.   Went to full soft on the front shock to counter the ski pressure add from the rear adjustments.

With this set up the front end lift is much more manageable but leaves the sled riding a bit rough in the back.   Very livable but no doubt not how I would probably want the suspension set for peak ride and still be able to control front end lift.

Ran up against a couple of clutched 137 Axys 850's and there is absolutely no comparison.   From the start all the way thru 500 ft the Boost is just flat out walking away.   8-10 sled lengths easy in 500'.  One of them was my old 850 and it runs very well for 500+ feet.  The other is clutched and a solid runner as well.  Only time the NA's had a chance was if I was in a fresh track and they were in the hard pack and even then it was a dead heat.  

Now for the "chassis."   We switched back and forth a few times where its nice to really get a feel for the differences in the sleds.  For me while the Matryx is awesome I simply prefer the Axys hands down.   The seating positions while similar there is enough difference.   I like the taller further forward feeling of the Axys.  If you have ever driven a G4 then hopped on a G5 that difference feels the same.   The Axys and G5 seem to have more compact front ends and make me feel more at one with the sled.  

   

   

Edited February 6, 2023 by Highmark

[f7ben]

4 hours ago, Highmark said:

Another update.

Put around 75 on Saturday in a variety of Iowa trail conditions.   Probably would not of went if it weren't for the few weeks of warm weather coming but still very ridable.

Power wise the +20 tune really has woken the sled up.   Being honest....more of what I expected stock.  Where its at now might be the perfect trail sled.   No it does not have the pull of the tuned Winder but its an absolute blast.  Prior to the ride I shortened the limiter about 1", softened the center preload to just before the spring becomes loose and went full stiff on the torsion and rear shock.   Went to full soft on the front shock to counter the ski pressure add from the rear adjustments.

With this set up the front end lift is much more manageable but leaves the sled riding a bit rough in the back.   Very livable but no doubt not how I would probably want the suspension set for peak ride and still be able to control front end lift.

Ran up against a couple of clutched 137 Axys 850's and there is absolutely no comparison.   From the start all the way thru 500 ft the Boost is just flat out walking away.   8-10 sled lengths easy in 500'.  One of them was my old 850 and it runs very well for 500+ feet.  The other is clutched and a solid runner as well.  Only time the NA's had a chance was if I was in a fresh track and they were in the hard pack and even then it was a dead heat.  

Now for the "chassis."   We switched back and forth a few times where its nice to really get a feel for the differences in the sleds.  For me while the Matryx is awesome I simply prefer the Axys hands down.   The seating positions while similar there is enough difference.   I like the taller further forward feeling of the Axys.  If you have ever driven a G4 then hopped on a G5 that difference feels the same.   The Axys and G5 seem to have more compact front ends and make me feel more at one with the sled.  

   

   

It’s a 137?