This past weekend I did my last riding of the season. This definitely isn’t a season that I did record miles. In fact, I don’t even know that I broke the 800 mile mark, a far cry from the last two seasons. A shortage of time and decent snow contributed. In either case, this was a fun weekend for me. I managed about 250 hard miles, mostly all in the ditches. I was able to ride about 130 of these on a Polaris Rush. The other half I rode on my IQr 800 CFI. So, here is my review on the Rush and the weekend in general.

The Rush is a different machine, I’ll tell you that much. As soon as you sit on it, it feels like you are very high off the ground, even compared to my IQr. That was my first sensation upon hopping aboard. The seat worked very well with the sled and for me. It wasn’t too narrow or too wide. The bars were in a good position for sitting though I would have liked them higher by about three inches and farther forward for standing.

I did some initial aggressive trail riding in the ditches, lots of crossings and ungroomed sections. I immediately noticed that this is no regular snowmobile suspension beneath me. In fact, it’s not that difficult to figure that out. It just feels “different”, unlike other snowmobiles I’ve ridden. The Rush I had seemed to have shocks which were valved fairly soft and conservatively. This was an incredibly plush riding sled. It completely soaked up the bumps. I also immediately noticed how driver input affected handling. Moving forward or backward on the seat and from side to side really made this machine do what you wanted it to do. Others have been saying this and needless to say, it’s the plain truth. In the rough stuff, this thing soaks up the bumps. I was able to ride side by side with my IQr, switching back and forth from time to time. The IQr is valved a bit stiffer and set up for the big stuff. The Rush was definitely a better riding and more comfortable sled, although going over the huge stuff it could benefit from stiffer valving and taller handlebars (my personal preference). Even my buddy agreed that the Rush rode nicer than my sled and to date my sled is the best I’ve ridden when beating the snot out ditches. Going through the rough stuff was not a problem for either sled but when it came to the tight trails, the Rush blew the doors of my IQr. It was no comparison. Rider input on the Rush made it able to do things which are very difficult on the IQr. Even though you sit up so high, it corners flat, is easy to steer, and is very responsive to rider input.

As far as the engine is concerned, it is no 800, but he 600 was very strong. This sled gave no signs any type of bog or hesitation. It ran perfectly, took off quick, and reached top speeds in the 90’s even with the very warm weather (40 to 50 degrees both days).

From what I can tell, after doing some inspecting, it seems to be very well built, though somewhat difficult to get at things without removing a few plastic pieces, some of which require simple tools. The chassis seems very solid and stiff which probably contributes to how well it handles. Also, the brake light is super bright. If people behind you miss that they have got to be blind.

I do have a few complaints. I got terribly wet riding this thing. It was probably due to the conditions, but I didn’t get wet on my IQr. On the Rush I was soaked from the waist down after getting into some sloppy conditions. Also, it seemed water was getting on the belt every once in a while? This made the belt slip and the sled would over-rev until the rev limiter kicked in. It seemed to happen I would land a jump and the bottom of the sled would scrape the ground. I couldn’t find where any snow was getting in but I was definitely an issue which should be investigated.

Overall, would I buy one? Hell yes! The first thing I’d probably do is retrofit a new rear skid and make the thing a 136. I’d put on taller handlebar risers and stiffen the shock valving. Other than that, it’s a great sled for me. I’m impressed. It’s much more than just talk, it’s the real deal. Save your judgment for this thing until you actually get to ride one. I put 130 miles on with it in my own element and it took everything I could give it.










You'll notice the temperature at about noon and of course an Arctic Cat with the hood up




I managed to blow a $180 1114 belt (shorter ones used for the IQ) into a million pieces. It got all wrapped up in the secondary clutch so I had to take it off to get cords out. This is the first time I have every blown one of these belts.

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A little sad to hear that it was your last ride of the season, but on an up side 130 miles on the Rush would put a smile on your face for a day or two. Looks like you had the best of both worlds on that ride, a sweet custom and the latest in new production.

I also agree that if I was getting a rush the track would have to be extented to the 136 just for the conditions I ride in. It's definatly a crazy feel to ride one though, I still can only compare it to my dirtbike. It really rides like nothing else.

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Nice write up Eric. It's good to get impressions of new technology from someone with your experience. Was the Rush a demo machine or does one of your buddies own it? I haven't seen one up close but it definately looks like a cool ride.

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So in other words, its another perfect Polaris sled, just like all the reviews youve given on previous Polaris sleds. I havent ridden one, but from pictures I think its gonna be a long long year for anyone who gets suckered into being a first year guinea pig. Isnt the oil container resting directly on the belt guard.

Oh, and at the 1/2 point for Cains Quest there was a lot of Cats, a few Doos, but not 1 Polaris. The reason being all 6 broke down well before the 1/2 way mark. That in itself shows how great Polaris is. All they do is make crap, then move on to something else so people will forget. And just because it prototypes work, doesnt mean crap. The proto 800`s and Fusions were fine too.

I will give Polaris credit for trying. Itll be fun next year to read about all the people Rushing back to the dealer, while others claim its just internet hype. I wonder how many **** ups will Polaris need to have before the faithful come to their senses.

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Nice write up Erick,

I know you stated a couple times that it needed valved stiffer,
but did the rear skid have that rising rate effect where it gets really stiff just before bottom out?
I don't get to check one out until the 31st,
and then it's just on display at Expo Idaho with the other 4 brands.

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Is it really true that the suspension will never bottom?

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I will take your iqr for $5000 and you can buy a rush and we will both be happy!

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I'm kind of wondering the same thing, Erick. If it's plush on top and stiff at the bottom, isn't that perfect. Or, are you saying it was not stiff enough at the bottom for the riding you do?

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Well, that's your opinion. I haven't reviewed many sleds and I certainly haven't reviewed anything that has turned out to be junk. If you think I am giving them good marks simply because they run ads here or because of other reasons you couldn't be more wrong. I can't comment on the long term reliability, as obviously that isn't possible, but I can comment that I had no mechanical issues with the sled other than the water getting on the belt. Overall, it worked as it should have. Also, the oil tank being mounted on top of the belt guard is a non-issue. It is absolutely fine to have a bottle there. I STILL don't understand why people are making an issue of out of it. You have a strong distaste for Polaris and it comes with absolutely no on-board experience. Again, as I stated, hold the judgment until after some riding. While it is also my opinion that this sled is great, given the opportunity to review other makes and models, I'd do exactly as I did with this one.



Haha, right. You pony up $12 G's for the IQr and then we can start talking!



The sled did bottom out for me a few times. Not a bottoming out feeling in the back end but your actual feet (bottom of foot rests) seem to hit the ground. I've done this a few times with my IQr the past few years too. As I said, I think it was valved softer than normal or the shocks were on the edge of their lifespan (lot of miles on this particular sled) and the rear spring also appeared to be a lighter one judging from the other photo's I've seen. For a trail rider and a semi-aggressive ditch rider this would be the perfect setup but I like hitting the big stuff and it simply wouldn't cut it for me. Need a stiffer ride / taller handlebars. The riding I did this past weekend was the hardest / fastest riding I've done all season and I was dead beat afterward. We really threw the sleds around.

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Im not saying your bias towards Polaris for monetary reasons. Just because you have Polaris blinders on. And Ive had my experiences with Polaris, and although they werent that bad I still dont like what they are doing as a company. I actually like the idea of the Rush, but I also know nobody gets it right the first time, especially Polaris. The sad thing is they are almost all junk nowadays.

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Hey Erik be nice, I see a couple Polaris's with the hoods up in you pics. :)

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Talk about getting up on the wrong side of the bed MJay. The Rush is a trail sled, cross-country runner, not a big bump, deep snow sled. And there is no way it can be converted to deep powder without a deep pocket book, new tunnel and skid, but nice body work. And a deadnuts reliable engine package.

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my only disagreement with this is that I think a "trail" sled should handle big bumps. I'm a former die-hard POO guy so I'm excited about the Rush, but my expectations are very high.

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I had my last ride (presummably) on Saturday. Temps were in the 40's and the only Artic in the group overheated as well.

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Polaris did win the Iron Dog which is probably the hardest race in the world.

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Iron Dog is for wimps when comparing to Cains Quest. No trails to follow for this race, and any sled can enter. No 600cc class limits and other crap regs. A true endurance race means making your own trails and finding your own way. Iron Dog is a cute race though.

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I know the geometry makes the suspension rising rate, but is the rear coil spring a progressive rate spring, or a constant rate spring? Maybe a "bottoming" spring, like an M-10 has could be used somehow.

Is the rear shock a PPS-type, or a standard shock?

Erick, do you think that adding rail extensions or replacing the rails with longer ones will work to extend the suspension to 136? It appears there would be some geometry changes with the way the track passes through the rear idler arm and swing arm. That makes me curious about one other thing--136 seems to be slowly taking over as the new 121--I wonder how long until we see a 136-inch Pro-Ride from Polaris.

Erick, I think any of us who spend much time on this site know that you can give us a fair review of a sled that has been tested to its limits.

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So did the Rush you rode have an odometer? How many miles were actually on it?

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This time of year sucks doesnt it? Seems like everyone was posting up the first ride of the season yesterday.

Which windsheild is on that? Looks to me like the tall one.

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nice write up ,I would have to say the rush probably needs a clutch kit ,I have sleds around here thats had the same belt on for years ,,but if you take stock clutching they seem (all brands) to waste them belts

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Wow, somebody really seems to have a bad taste in their mouth for some reason. You know, I really don't like the cats, but you don't see me on here whining about them all the time!!! It's all personal preference and nothing more. Yeah, my buddies and I pick on each other for having different brands, but it's all in fun and they all do the same thing - go down the trails. I ride a Poo, just because I want too. Does that mean it's crap? No, every manufacturer has bad sleds roll off the line, and maybe you had a bad experience with a Poo? Don't know, don't care. Instead of badmouthing the Polaris line-up all the time, maybe you should just keep it to yourself for once. Unless you are 2 years old and just have to whine about something all the time!!

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Nice write up Erick. I wonder if Polaris will push it out to 136 for 2011?

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lol

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