The Boivin brothers have done it yet again! If you wish your Polaris EDGE cornered better with more positive handling and less inside ski lift, pay attention because this could be the exact ride and handling improvement you’ve been hoping for.

While previous ETS kits have focused on the rear suspension, this new ETS kit for Polaris EDGE models is a three-area upgrade. First is a rear suspension coupling upgrade AD Boivin is now famous for. The two front coupler blocks are replaced with a more adjustable system providing more tuning options for ride quality.

This part of the kit performed as expected; you can quickly and easily use the front coupler adjustability to fine-tune the ride quality. Using your spark plug wrench, tighten the gap (firmer) or loosen the gap (softer) for your riding style and/or changing trail conditions. Torsion spring tension should still be the primary adjustment for rider weight. The rear coupler blocks are relocated forward slightly and are still adjustable with your stock adjuster wrench for weight transfer adjustments. All of this re-design is aimed at improving ride quality (which it does quite well), not drag race holeshots.

But the Boivin brothers didn’t stop there. They looked at the total ride package, including front and rear suspensions as well as rider positioning. The second part of this ETS kit is a handlebar riser block kit that relocates the handlebars higher (about an inch) AND closer to the rider (about an inch). We found this to be a more natural riding position, another welcome improvement. Not a big deal by itself, but we’d already been installing riser blocks on many sleds and moving the bars back slightly really seemed to help.

Now for the good part – the third element of the ETS kit is a set of brackets that relocates the lower radius rods. Yep, this kit relocates the lower radius rod mounting location on the trailing arms. We’re talking major front suspension geometry modification here.

Why would you want to do this? The stated principle is “to increase the sway bar effect using the cornering forces”. The calculus math indicates the rotational torque applied to the chassis (body roll) is reduced by 2.55 times, and the pressure applied to the ski bottom and runner increases by 1.55 times!

If the math does nothing for you, then let’s talk about how it works on the trail. Just like the Boivin instructions indicate, the front suspension acts like a heavier sway bar has been installed. The sled corners flatter, ski tracking is more positive, this thing rails! Seriously, the difference in vehicle character really makes you get off and say, “WOW”.

OK, let’s not forget that we’re still dealing with a longer wheelbase vehicle in the EDGE, so there is only so much that can be done to the steering response, but we were really surprised at the difference this front end modification made. Again, this mod is really intended for trail use and aggressive riding where flat cornering and more accurate tracking is desirable. The brackets do hang down lower, so it’ll drag some through deeper snow and there is an increased risk of damage by contact. We did not find the need to re-align the skis, and yes, we did re-check the alignment. Steering effort did increase slightly, but nothing like bolting on a set of 8” or 10” carbides. You may find you can run shorter, less aggressive runners with this kit. If you’ve already bolted on a set of aggressive skis, they could end up being too aggressive when combined with the ETS kit. This kit is NOT for the EDGE RMK or the Pro X front suspension; they have different front suspension geometry.

We were so impressed with how the ETS kit improved the handling that we took all of this to the next step and installed a set of dual runner Simmons skis. This combo was the ultimate set-up for groomed trails. The wider yet stance added even more stability, and made the package even flatter cornering yet.

The ETS Upgrade kit for Polaris EDGE models sells for $149.95 U.S.D. It can be ordered directly from AD Boivin at 418-838-3783 (www.adboivin.com), and will also be available through many U.S. distributors and dealers.