jhurkot
Active VIP Member
500 mile review of Polaris matryx slash 165
Now that I have 500 miles on my sled I think I can share my thoughts on the good and bad of this sled.
The good….
Handling. This sled holds an edge and handles like no other. Switching from skidoo last season makes it seem even better. Much more confident going through trees carrying speed. Once it’s on edge it gets there and stays there. Very easy to drop your uphill ski with a shot of brakes to get underneath a tree. I struggled with this on the G4.
Lightweight. Noticeable difference getting out of a stuck. Pops up on top of the snow. Maybe slightly less bottom end grunt than the g4 but better mid and top. The new tunnel design is great And I have not had issues with cooling.
Serviceability. Plastics seem to come off very easily and I like how the entire front end suspension is accessible with an impact. Track change on the belt drive model is a 20minute job. They also fixed the drivers finally and went to external and deleted the stupid middle driver.
I opted for the standard gauge which was a HUGE mistake. All my friends have the iPad screen and it works very well. A game changer for riding the trees with a group. Can see everyone on a map and even shows their track speed/direction of movement. If you get this sled you absolutely must get the screen.
The bad….
Pullstart. I miss SHOT. A lot. It’s embarrassing to pull the rope 3 times and the thing doesn’t start without using the throttle.
Throttle. What a POS! Constantly freezing on the cable and body filling with snow. This is a terrible design and has forced me into riding a lot without my bar warmers on because I’m just sick of the thing freezing at the worst time. Carry lock deicer.
Fuel tank. Why go smaller? The tank size was perfect on the Axys. I don’t like it.
Overheating voltage regulator. Why put the voltage regulator in the top of the pyramid structure where all the heat sits? It’s metal and it gets too hot. This makes the sled not start on the hill and you have to wait 15 or 20minutes for it to cool down enough to ride. Maybe the tight plastics are just running the very edge of enough cooling. Not a problem on most days just when the snow is heavy and you’re riding hard. Might need to add some venting.
Air intakes. Not glued on the greatest and have a big shelf for snow to sit on. More exposed to tree branches than the Axys.
Overall I’m pretty happy about this sled. I’m a Polaris fanboy but have owned all the brands. I do not expect this to hold up as good as my previous skidoo which was virtually trouble free for 2000km.
Now that I have 500 miles on my sled I think I can share my thoughts on the good and bad of this sled.
The good….
Handling. This sled holds an edge and handles like no other. Switching from skidoo last season makes it seem even better. Much more confident going through trees carrying speed. Once it’s on edge it gets there and stays there. Very easy to drop your uphill ski with a shot of brakes to get underneath a tree. I struggled with this on the G4.
Lightweight. Noticeable difference getting out of a stuck. Pops up on top of the snow. Maybe slightly less bottom end grunt than the g4 but better mid and top. The new tunnel design is great And I have not had issues with cooling.
Serviceability. Plastics seem to come off very easily and I like how the entire front end suspension is accessible with an impact. Track change on the belt drive model is a 20minute job. They also fixed the drivers finally and went to external and deleted the stupid middle driver.
I opted for the standard gauge which was a HUGE mistake. All my friends have the iPad screen and it works very well. A game changer for riding the trees with a group. Can see everyone on a map and even shows their track speed/direction of movement. If you get this sled you absolutely must get the screen.
The bad….
Pullstart. I miss SHOT. A lot. It’s embarrassing to pull the rope 3 times and the thing doesn’t start without using the throttle.
Throttle. What a POS! Constantly freezing on the cable and body filling with snow. This is a terrible design and has forced me into riding a lot without my bar warmers on because I’m just sick of the thing freezing at the worst time. Carry lock deicer.
Fuel tank. Why go smaller? The tank size was perfect on the Axys. I don’t like it.
Overheating voltage regulator. Why put the voltage regulator in the top of the pyramid structure where all the heat sits? It’s metal and it gets too hot. This makes the sled not start on the hill and you have to wait 15 or 20minutes for it to cool down enough to ride. Maybe the tight plastics are just running the very edge of enough cooling. Not a problem on most days just when the snow is heavy and you’re riding hard. Might need to add some venting.
Air intakes. Not glued on the greatest and have a big shelf for snow to sit on. More exposed to tree branches than the Axys.
Overall I’m pretty happy about this sled. I’m a Polaris fanboy but have owned all the brands. I do not expect this to hold up as good as my previous skidoo which was virtually trouble free for 2000km.
