After riding this sled a few hundred miles this winter our crew has unanimously endorsed it as “the best Big Bore” ride this year.
In the past, this writer had been particularly critical of the first two versions of the RUSH, especially when comparing the benefits of the sled’s unique Pro-Ride, true rising rate rear end that sets it apart so distinctly.
This year, the engineers have pulled out all the stops and the 2012 Pro-R and even the standard issue RUSH suspension is calibrated to near-perfect levels.
Any rider up to 200 lbs will not have to touch the factory settings. The improvement in low speed and small bump compliance is immediately evident and none of the suspension’s high-speed ride and anti-bottoming characteristics have been compromised.
Perhaps Ski-Doo’s intro of the 2012 rMotion skid has made the Polaris crew step up but it could be nothing more than just the continuous evolution of a great design.
Even with all the suspension improvement, we’ve continued to be knocked over with the RUSH’s 800 2-stroke twin.
This single injector, semi-direct injected powerhouse is smooth, fast and has just enough of a mid-range hook to make it an exciting engine to ply.
Start-up and idle are clean and smooth and the engine’s oil and gas consumption has been excellent – even throughout the sled’s break-in period.
Hats off to Polaris for a great job on the 2012 RUSH 800 – and thanks for helping our 2012 BEST in Class choice make us look a lot smarter than we are.
