2010 Polaris – What a Rush, The Wait Is Over!

Minneapolis, MN January 24, 2009 — Polaris Industries Inc. today launched its Model Year 2010 600 RUSH snowmobile, the first snowmobile with a truly progressive-rate rear suspension. The 600 RUSH’s bottomless suspension is designed to absorb the toughest bumps, transferring the load to the super-rigid PRO-RIDE chassis which isolates the rider from spine tinglers. No longer will riders leave the trail feeling bruised and beat up after a long day.
Scott Swenson, Polaris Industries Inc. Vice President, Snowmobile Division: “The new Polaris 600 RUSH truly marks a turning point for the snowmobile industry. The progressive-rate rear suspension has been proven in Motocross; Polaris is now the first company to bring it to snowmobiles. This innovative suspension combined with the new super-rigid PRO-RIDE chassis provides riders with an unprecedented level of rider-active control including improvements in acceleration and cornering.”

How about a super-trick dirt bike inspired rear suspension that re-writes the rules on what a rear suspension is capable of in a snowmobile? How about a smaller, lighter, more responsive sled that takes less energy to ride and makes the bumps all but disappear? Could this be the sled of your dreams?
SnowTech Magazine editors attended the snowmobile press introduction of the radically-different 2010 Polaris RUSH in sunny Utah, high above Salt Lake City. We were able to ride several prototypes of this rad new sled, first on drifted trails that had been groomed and then on rolling trails with many g-bumps. They were some of the first 70 pre-production units built, so they were by no means production calibration.
This is an all-new rigid chassis fitted with a single swing arm progressive rate rear suspension that places the rear track shock above the tunnel and under the seat. Walker Evans clicker shocks all around tell you this is a serious bump sled, but the true character is much broader than even Polaris may realize. While Polaris has chosen to leverage their snocross success and introduce the RUSH during the X-Games, this is far more than a younger-generation bump sled.
The RUSH could be called the “Bump Eraser”. The new PRO-RIDE progressive-rate rear suspension is seemingly bottomless, yet it provides surprisingly accurate rebound control as well, a tough combination to achieve. Kickback is minimal and pretty much a non-issue, giving this sled the ability to go through bumps with less pitching, and most importantly, greater control. Riders will be able to tackle rough trails and use less energy, and they will be able to go faster through rougher terrain. Those nasty G-bumps, the big dip in the trail that usually sucks the sled down onto the suspension for a bone-jarring THUD, have just met their match as the PRO-RIDE handles them with ease. . . .

This article was printed in SnowTech Magazine’s March 2009 issue. To read the full article, subscribe to SnowTech and we’ll mail you a copy of the March issue free to get you started. Just fill out the subscription form and enter the words “March 2009? in the comments field. We’ll mail you the March issue right away and you’ll receive 5 issues a year of the best magazine in the sport.