It’s been about 10 years since the auto industry discovered the youth generation is not as into cars as it was in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.
There was a day when teenagers counted the minutes until their birthday arrived so they could hustle to the DMV and get a driver’s license. This is less so these days – and it’s changed the way cars (and trucks) are optioned.
Today, you see even the cheapest, most minimalist model cars equipped with Bluetooth, back-up cameras, USB ports and smartphone compatibility right from the factory. It’s working, too. The younger generation is shopping cars again and enjoying the driving experience.
Somebody at Polaris grabbed onto this concept and has adapted this thinking to snowmobiles (and, we presume, off-road vehicles). Polaris’s new 2021 Ride Command system is absolutely eons ahead of what the competition is offering. Simply stated: there is nothing, nada like this in the snowmobile business so far!
This full color, huge by snowmobile standards, 7-inch touchscreen technology, glove compatible electronic display offers seven different digital gauge faces besides tach and speedo and a GPS that will blow your mind.
Its satellite connection allows you to track the position of other members in your riding group and its data base includes trails anywhere in North America and lets you set waypoints to monitor your route anywhere. Gasoline, food and accommodation destinations are included in the database.
You can pair your smartphone with it to make phone calls or take advantage of any of a long list of its features – even if it’s just to listen to music via helmet speakers.
Easy to use, too. You can access its different modes either by using touchscreen or by a handlebar mounted control – even by toggling the controls on the perimeter of the actual screen unit. The best part: Its response is fast and reliable, something even the auto biz hasn’t figured out in some circles.
What blows us away is how easily this all works. The huge screen is super-easy to read on-the-fly and the mapping and data flat-out inspires confidence in where you’re headed.
This is where things are going and the competition better hustle to match what Polaris is doing here. Is it worth paying extra for this feature? You bet it is. Anyone who’s planning a snowmobile trip with a group will be the hero of the day using Ride Command’s features.
Besides all these advantages, RC is just plain fun to use and adds a new and as yet unrevealed aspect to snowmobiling! Oh, and don’t get us started talking about Polaris’s new climate controlled electronic hand and thumb warmers. Insane!
