One of Polaris’ 2019 early-releases showed us a newly-targeted sled called the EVO.
You’ve likely already read a bit about it and know some of its technical details.
For instance, the EVO, built on the Indy 550 platform, sits lower, is a bit narrower and has been ergonomically rearranged with the steering post moved back to accommodate smaller riders more comfortably.
It has a speed-limiter that enables the fully stock 550 to reach a maximum speed of about 50mph – perfect for novice riders. If you want your EVO to go faster, you can take it to your dealer and have an EVOlution kit installed which includes a new CDI and upgraded shocks to gain a top speed of about 70mph.
The EVO is really all-Indy 550. It’s full-sized and uses a 120-inch track, PowerBloc clutching and has the same fan-cooled 550 twin with dual carbs. The base model’s a roper, but there’s an eStart version available, too. It even looks like an Indy 550 – sort of.
Really, there’s no mistaking there’s something different-looking about the EVO, though, but it truly is appealing to smaller-structured riders who may be moving up from a smaller sled like the SnoScoot or the ZR 200.
This stair-stepping of appeal is absolutely critical to the future of snowmobiling. It is and has been totally ridiculous in this industry to expect a young rider to bridge the gap between a 120-sized sled and a full-sized one.
By the time they’re teenagers, kids sometimes just drop out. Unless parents are involved in keeping kids in the sport, they drift off elsewhere – usually with earbuds.
Sleds like the EVO are a brilliant gap filler and can provide first-class riding accommodation for any novice rider and, as their experience grows, can be turned into a fully-powered sled for them.
Does the EVO trump sleds like the SnoScoot and Z 200? Not at all. Rather, it provides the next sled upwards for kids to attain to.
