New 2011 Polaris 600 IQ Race Sled

Polaris racers will have an updated sled for the 2010-11 season. The 2011 Polaris 600 IQ Race Sled featured a new Independent Front Suspension (IFS), which is designed to provide easier, more responsive handling.

Polaris racers piloted the 2010 version of this sled to numerous a pile of race wins and season points titles, and they’re looking forward to the improved handling the new 2011 race sled will provide.

“The 2011 600 IQ Race Sled has a new IFS with new spindles, new control arms and control arm bushings, and a new steering post,” says Chris Wolf, Polaris Snowmobile product manager. “The new front end delivers easier steering and flatter, more precise cornering.”

According to Polaris, the new front end was developed to provide Polaris racers with handling that matches the race sled’s power, suspension performance, and durability.

“Our racers said if there was anything they would like changed, it would be to make the race sled handle even better,” says Wolf. “We started testing the new front end with some of our racers last season, and we continued our testing throughout the winter and into summer.

“We ran hundreds of miles on snocross tracks in multiple locations to prove the durability and effectiveness of the front end. Racers who rode it love the way it handles.”

Another noteworthy change on the 2011 600 IQ Race Sled is a new front track shock.

“The race sled used to have an air shock for the front track shock, but nearly every racer switched to the Walker Evans Needle Shock. So, we made the needle shock standard to suit our racers’ performance needs,” says Wolf. “It’s the exact same technology as riders will find on our RUSH PRO-R models.”

The 2011 race sled also has a different look from those of recent seasons. It will be delivered to racers with bodywork that’s primarily red with black accents, like the 2011 RUSH PRO-R. Each team and racer is free to customize the sled’s graphics to feature their team colors and sponsor logos as long as the Polaris logo remains prominently featured on each race sled.

The 2011 IQ Race Sled is built on the Polaris-exclusive IQ Chassis. Its lightweight new IFS complements the Polaris Liberty 600 engine, high-performance braking and race-ready driver ergonomics.

The IFS uses Walker Evans Aluminum IFP (Internal Floating Piston) 16-position compression-adjustable shocks with piggyback reservoirs. The IFS has 10.3″ (26.2 cm) of travel while the IQ Rear Suspension has 13.9″ (35.3 cm) of travel and now uses a Walker Evans Needle Shock as the front track shock. The rear track shock is a Walker Evans Aluminum IFP Aluminum IFP 16-position compression-adjustable shock with a large-body reservoir. Polaris racers have title-winning power under the hood with the Polaris Liberty 600 Twin. It has dual Mikuni Rack TM 40 carburetors, NiCaSil-lined cylinders for enhanced heat dispersion and the Polaris VES (Variable Exhaust System) for optimal power and the most-responsive throttle.

The legendary Polaris P-85 clutch manages power distribution and for braking, the race sled has a Cyclone master cylinder and lever teamed with a liquid-cooled Phantom dual-piston caliper.