Some of the footage was from the point of view of Lenn’s 2019 Indy (the orange one). It may look like other sleds are in front but it’s just a different point of view.
My thanks to you Brooke, Lenn and Team for the great review and POV camera work. This similarly reflects my own opinions about the 850 Polaris Assault 144 I snow-checked last season and enjoyed immensely.. even though I'm traditionally a YamaCat fan..
You'all left out some details. Gearing, Track lug height, Clutching, helix angel, etc etc. I've looked up the OEM parts list and there's so many choices. 1.6 track vs 1 inch both come with different gearing. An Hows the delt life? Belt temps?
Nice sled! I would love to have one. I currently ride a Assault 144. Out here in Central Oregon the only sleds you can see in the dealerships are mountain specific.
Looking for your experienced opinion. I am in buying decision mode .. and my dilemma is between the 3 sleds you primarily discussed (129, 137 & Assault). I sled primarily on groomed & freshly covered (ungroomed) trails/lakes. My off-trail is mainly some fields and ditches .. I'm 5'11' .. 210 lbs (fully dressed for riding sled). My questions have to do with overall height of the Assault vs XC's (both overall & handlebars {which you addressed somewhat in your vid}. Logic tells me the lower center of gravity would give the XC an advantage on the (tight) trails .. however, I know the rear chasis set-up is completely different and curious how that effects the overall ride. Also, it would seem the shorter 129 back-end would kick out better around tight turns vs the 137 ... curious what your thoughts were in that tight trail environment as well. Thanks for this informative video and any opinion you might have to my questions above.
Sounds like you are a good candidate for the XCR 128 XC chassis. It will be the best for trail and ditch riding. The 144 Assault goes great but is suited for more big trail and off trail riding.
Nice video lenn. I live in the nek of vt, i ride to island pond alot and the surrpunding areas. I plan on going to pittsburgh a few times next year as its not all that far and have always wanted to ride up there. My question for you is should i snow check a 2020 assault this year or would it be wise to hold off for another year and wait for a new chassis? Do you think they will release one next year? My luck ibuy one this yr and theres a new chassis for 2021 thats my dilemma.
2020 assault or 2020 indy xc 137 ? I mostly trail ride 85% of the time. Still unsure which one to pick. plus i might throw on a seat for a passenger once in a while
Have you ridden it in the snow and how does handle? My wife wants to trade her Switchback Pro-S, which is just horrible in snow. She's on the fence between the Indy 137 or the Assault. She loves how light the front end of my Assault feels and the weight transfer when accelerating. Does the Indy 137 have good ski lift, like the Assault or does it feel heavy like the Pro-S? Thanks!
@@kwmiked I'm sure I could make it feel lighter, but will be hard to beat the Assault with the tipped rails. You can "sit" the sled on the back of the rails and get the skis up for a very long way. Anyhow, we're trading the Pro-S and we were wondering which would be better for her, the Indy 137 or the Asssault.
David Michaud it handles really well even without studs. The assault drives well too but the Xc is going to better handling depending if you have studs and conditions.
Brooke Johnson it will definitely handle better than an Assault in the trails, but I’m going to want to take it off trail with snow and don’t want it to ride like a Pro-S in the snow... it’s just horrible. Thanks
David Michaud I’m confused as to what you mean about the pro s feeling “heavy” in the front end. The pro s is an aggressive trail eating monster that will out corner and out handle the switchback assault any day of the week. Are you referring to the bite from the pro s and the significant feedback feeling you get with the pro s front end? That’s what you want if you’re an aggressive rider...it’s on rails. The switchback assault feels “light” in the front end as steering is smoother with less bite and less feedback which is better for cruising......but for aggressive trail riding a 144 assault pushes in the corners quite a bit. Still okay on the trail for sure but not like a pro s. Just sounds like she’s looking for more of a versatile cruiser and not an aggressive trail performance sled like the pro s....the pro s front end is not heavy it simply has a lot of feedback and bite for predictable cornering.
Awesome video! Thanks for the content. Torn between new 850 Assault 144 or 850 Indy XC 137. I think you have an 800 SBA, but with proper setup, could a 2020 *850* SBA equal the performance on the lake of this XC?
Sled went really well Lenn. I raced and was neck and neck after giving up a lot out of the hole (no studs) to the 850 Assault. Would love to have had studs to see apples to apples. Very Comfortable sled, and felt the torque for sure.
has anyone who had fall computer update with the latest mapping run against similar 020 850, i only had the spring update but no snow where i ride to try out, i heard the fall update is the way to go
thanks for the great info. what track is in your 850, i have the 1.25 & want to stud it. i was thinking i need only 90, i just want some control on icy trails
Depends on track length. The 137 with a 4 stud per row requires 96 studs . The track actually has the same number of windows as a 121 track does. You can go with a 144 stud pattern but it's not really required. just make sure when studding you use the correct tool and not just a drill bit. A drill bit will pull the fibers out of the track and weaken it and reduce its life. The actual stud hole cutter melts through the track and seals the fiber ends so they don't come out. the other thing about studding is tunnel protectors. If your too aggressive with track lug and studs your going to damage the tunnel and that gets expensive very quickly. Your stud should not be much higher than lug height. For an example if the track has a 1.5" lug you want to install a 1.67" stud. Now placing the stud behind the lug direction of travel will help if the sled happens to roll over you track down. The studs before the lug and your getting hurt far worse but is better if you intend to race the sled. Stud boy has many good stud patterns and also charts to show how many studs for what kind of track.
@@oldslow3694 no problem. Just a bit of advice when cutting your holes for the stud. Lay out the pattern on the track . I found it was best to use the backers to get the hole locations marked. mark the entire track how you want the studs to be. when you start drilling with the cutter DO NOT STOP the hotter the cutter is the easier it will be to drill the holes. Drill ALL the holes first then install the stud, the backers and then the nylon lock nuts. The stud base should be flush to the inside of the track . Not too tight but not so lose the stud head sticks up. Hope this is helping you out. I only know this cos i had a 121 track and traded it in on a 2021 850 launch with a 137 track.
@@BrookeJohnson3j I figured as much, that's why I'm on the fence of buying one again this yr. Lame they need to atleast offer it as a option this yr, specially on the Anniversary sled. I did see them on his sled. But I'm over buying stuff after I buy a sled. There is no reason for it. Doo offers a XRS In 129/137 with the best shocks they offer. It needs to get passed on to the Poo higher ups cause I'm gonna probably wait, and my 2 doo buddys will just buy a xrs this yr, so much for pushing Polaris to #1
@@BrookeJohnson3j great job on video. I only keep mentioning this cause the BS I gotta hear from guys that I'm trying to get to try a Polaris. And they wont cause of the shocks. People want what they want and they stick to it. I'm not trying a PITA
@@lennstang stop making excuses for Polaris, this is why they do what they do to us. No reason I should have to buy front shocks that should be on the sled. Specially a 40th anniversary sled. No reason I gotta spend another grand to make sled right afterwards. I guess they dont wanna sell sleds to the XRS guys
i thought you posted your 850 blew up before your trip & your dealer gave you 800 did you ever get 850 running or was that fake news you owning 850 polaris
You can BARELY notice the difference. VERY slight understeer on the 137 when coming in hot in really tight corners, but then it hooks up better when exiting the corner. Plus the 137" gives you more room for storage. I'm going 137 on my next sled.
@@edwardabrahamiii3742 i have been riding only polaris sleds since 1964, i'm old & slow but not cheap. i let friend take my 020 850 indy xc 129 on women on snow ride she loved it
I can tell you why your better out of the hole but slower on the top, it’s your studded track on your 129 XC it slows you down on top cause you have more rotating mass from the weight of the studs. Come on you know that!
I'm studded and clutched. The 137 Indy is completely stock. The shorter track transfer is better which means that hooks up a little better out of the hole but the Indy 137 has longer legs on top
@@BrookeJohnson3j , I think Jeffs point is, that nothing , and I do mean nothing can beat SRX on the lakes right now. But with that said, I wouldnt consider the Indy 137 XC a Lake runner , I would hope that this is primarily a Trail sled , and with the bigger lug some off trail snow play, such as meadow riding and for those who dont have groomed trails the 1.5 lug should do nicely...
@@charlespalmerii4299 Jeff and Charles...I used to have an SRX.....fast sled. But we were comparing current 2 stroke sleds to the new Indy. Just wanted to show that it's fast on the lake as well as a very capable trail sled.
Some of the footage was from the point of view of Lenn’s 2019 Indy (the orange one). It may look like other sleds are in front but it’s just a different point of view.
Brooke Johnson that looks like a lot of fun. I have to try it now! 😋
Very technical comments, experience rider ! This is an excellent video !!!
My thanks to you Brooke, Lenn and Team for the great review and POV camera work. This similarly reflects my own opinions about the 850 Polaris Assault 144 I snow-checked last season and enjoyed immensely.. even though I'm traditionally a YamaCat fan..
Thanks Ian!
You'all left out some details. Gearing, Track lug height, Clutching, helix angel, etc etc. I've looked up the OEM parts list and there's so many choices. 1.6 track vs 1 inch both come with different gearing. An Hows the delt life? Belt temps?
Nice sled! I would love to have one. I currently ride a Assault 144. Out here in Central Oregon the only sleds you can see in the dealerships are mountain specific.
Man I can’t wait to hopefully work with polaris when I get older! I hope to be a development test engineer or a test rider! Great job guys!
I love the Ski Doo bag on the Polaris ambassadors sled
Polaris knows they need better luggage. Linq is not owned by Ski Doo, it is it's own entity.
Looking for your experienced opinion. I am in buying decision mode .. and my dilemma is between the 3 sleds you primarily discussed (129, 137 & Assault). I sled primarily on groomed & freshly covered (ungroomed) trails/lakes. My off-trail is mainly some fields and ditches .. I'm 5'11' .. 210 lbs (fully dressed for riding sled). My questions have to do with overall height of the Assault vs XC's (both overall & handlebars {which you addressed somewhat in your vid}. Logic tells me the lower center of gravity would give the XC an advantage on the (tight) trails .. however, I know the rear chasis set-up is completely different and curious how that effects the overall ride. Also, it would seem the shorter 129 back-end would kick out better around tight turns vs the 137 ... curious what your thoughts were in that tight trail environment as well. Thanks for this informative video and any opinion you might have to my questions above.
Sounds like you are a good candidate for the XCR 128 XC chassis. It will be the best for trail and ditch riding. The 144 Assault goes great but is suited for more big trail and off trail riding.
What did you end up buying?
Nice video lenn. I live in the nek of vt, i ride to island pond alot and the surrpunding areas. I plan on going to pittsburgh a few times next year as its not all that far and have always wanted to ride up there. My question for you is should i snow check a 2020 assault this year or would it be wise to hold off for another year and wait for a new chassis? Do you think they will release one next year? My luck ibuy one this yr and theres a new chassis for 2021 thats my dilemma.
2020 assault or 2020 indy xc 137 ? I mostly trail ride 85% of the time. Still unsure which one to pick. plus i might throw on a seat for a passenger once in a while
Jes D definitely Indy XC not assault if you ride trail that often, no question
Indy for sure
Thats cool there is no speed limit on Back Lake like the trails
Have you ridden it in the snow and how does handle? My wife wants to trade her Switchback Pro-S, which is just horrible in snow. She's on the fence between the Indy 137 or the Assault. She loves how light the front end of my Assault feels and the weight transfer when accelerating. Does the Indy 137 have good ski lift, like the Assault or does it feel heavy like the Pro-S? Thanks!
Obviously your lost on suspension set up on the ProS, no way is the ProS front end heavy compared to Assault
@@kwmiked I'm sure I could make it feel lighter, but will be hard to beat the Assault with the tipped rails. You can "sit" the sled on the back of the rails and get the skis up for a very long way. Anyhow, we're trading the Pro-S and we were wondering which would be better for her, the Indy 137 or the Asssault.
David Michaud it handles really well even without studs. The assault drives well too but the Xc is going to better handling depending if you have studs and conditions.
Brooke Johnson it will definitely handle better than an Assault in the trails, but I’m going to want to take it off trail with snow and don’t want it to ride like a Pro-S in the snow... it’s just horrible. Thanks
David Michaud I’m confused as to what you mean about the pro s feeling “heavy” in the front end. The pro s is an aggressive trail eating monster that will out corner and out handle the switchback assault any day of the week. Are you referring to the bite from the pro s and the significant feedback feeling you get with the pro s front end? That’s what you want if you’re an aggressive rider...it’s on rails. The switchback assault feels “light” in the front end as steering is smoother with less bite and less feedback which is better for cruising......but for aggressive trail riding a 144 assault pushes in the corners quite a bit. Still okay on the trail for sure but not like a pro s. Just sounds like she’s looking for more of a versatile cruiser and not an aggressive trail performance sled like the pro s....the pro s front end is not heavy it simply has a lot of feedback and bite for predictable cornering.
Awesome video! Thanks for the content. Torn between new 850 Assault 144 or 850 Indy XC 137. I think you have an 800 SBA, but with proper setup, could a 2020 *850* SBA equal the performance on the lake of this XC?
Sled went really well Lenn. I raced and was neck and neck after giving up a lot out of the hole (no studs) to the 850 Assault. Would love to have had studs to see apples to apples. Very Comfortable sled, and felt the torque for sure.
So your saying the 137 was faster than the 129 inch you went 116 mph top speed on the 137?
Yes, the 137 had the new mapping and was much faster.
So far I have seen 106 on my 2020 Xc 137 850 with a 1.5 storm. My 2003 Xcr 800 walks away.
Wow..that F7 Cat was fast..Nice
Mod 800
That F-7 spanks a lot of sleds on that lake. The rider is young...maybe 15. His father know how to make that thing fly! Modded to the hilt.
2020 Indy XC 137" vs Indy XCR 129 in the stutter bumps, moguls, or just plan trash. Which is smoother?
The 137 is better.
Me, Nick and Doug put the first 185 miles in HALF a day on that 2020 XC 850 137 in the NEK! SICK sled!
what track was on it?????
@@tommygunn500 pretty sure it was the Cobra 1.352. Non studded as studs are for amateurs!
bedlambikes no studs are for old people I like to stop quicker and take off faster lol
Snowmobile video maker: what people want is 6 min of this guy’s face and 1 min of the actual sled!
has anyone who had fall computer update with the latest mapping run against similar 020 850, i only had the spring update but no snow where i ride to try out, i heard the fall update is the way to go
thanks for the great info. what track is in your 850, i have the 1.25 & want to stud it. i was thinking i need only 90, i just want some control on icy trails
Just stud 2 per bar. I have the Cobra track.
Depends on track length. The 137 with a 4 stud per row requires 96 studs . The track actually has the same number of windows as a 121 track does. You can go with a 144 stud pattern but it's not really required. just make sure when studding you use the correct tool and not just a drill bit. A drill bit will pull the fibers out of the track and weaken it and reduce its life. The actual stud hole cutter melts through the track and seals the fiber ends so they don't come out. the other thing about studding is tunnel protectors. If your too aggressive with track lug and studs your going to damage the tunnel and that gets expensive very quickly. Your stud should not be much higher than lug height. For an example if the track has a 1.5" lug you want to install a 1.67" stud. Now placing the stud behind the lug direction of travel will help if the sled happens to roll over you track down. The studs before the lug and your getting hurt far worse but is better if you intend to race the sled. Stud boy has many good stud patterns and also charts to show how many studs for what kind of track.
@@paulpetarson1724 thanks for info
@@oldslow3694 no problem. Just a bit of advice when cutting your holes for the stud. Lay out the pattern on the track . I found it was best to use the backers to get the hole locations marked. mark the entire track how you want the studs to be. when you start drilling with the cutter DO NOT STOP the hotter the cutter is the easier it will be to drill the holes. Drill ALL the holes first then install the stud, the backers and then the nylon lock nuts. The stud base should be flush to the inside of the track . Not too tight but not so lose the stud head sticks up. Hope this is helping you out. I only know this cos i had a 121 track and traded it in on a 2021 850 launch with a 137 track.
@@paulpetarson1724 thanks for info great to know
What are the lights you have on the nose of your 129?
Jonathan Egrass they are from Lenn’s website ljeproducts.com and they’re called whiteout lights.
Have you raced a sidewinder or a cat 800 ?
Sidewinder is only for Lake racing; on the trails this is what you want.
Not yet. Only had the 2020 demo for 2 days. Maybe in April when I get more seat time on it.
Is that XC 137 clutched or all stock??
ryan michaud All stock
What track is on the 129?..137?
My 2003 800 XCR would still give it a Helluva run across the lake, and it sounds better, too!!!
Them firecats are hard to beat ah
That F-7 spanks a lot of sleds on that lake. The rider is young...maybe 15. His father knows how to make that thing fly! Modded to the hilt.
I’m a wknd drag racer..how did the assault match up in the first 500 ft or hole shot?
The assault 850 we ran was fully studded and clutched. It took a while for the 137 Indy to get by it, but it eventually did
Love this guy love this sport
do you have link setup for rear bag, how good is that over what polaris offers
Yes, I love the link system. I have the up North Technologies adapter bracket which allows me to put to link accessories on my Indy
I want one, but not feeling the floor model front shocks, specially on a Anniversary sled. Give us the Velocity front shocks Please
Kwmike-D the velocity shocks will be on the sled next year, Lenn has them on his sled.
@@BrookeJohnson3j I figured as much, that's why I'm on the fence of buying one again this yr. Lame they need to atleast offer it as a option this yr, specially on the Anniversary sled. I did see them on his sled. But I'm over buying stuff after I buy a sled. There is no reason for it. Doo offers a XRS In 129/137 with the best shocks they offer. It needs to get passed on to the Poo higher ups cause I'm gonna probably wait, and my 2 doo buddys will just buy a xrs this yr, so much for pushing Polaris to #1
@@BrookeJohnson3j great job on video. I only keep mentioning this cause the BS I gotta hear from guys that I'm trying to get to try a Polaris. And they wont cause of the shocks. People want what they want and they stick to it. I'm not trying a PITA
Just do what I did on my 2019 Indy, I ordered them directly from Walker Evans. They actually work very well
@@lennstang stop making excuses for Polaris, this is why they do what they do to us. No reason I should have to buy front shocks that should be on the sled. Specially a 40th anniversary sled. No reason I gotta spend another grand to make sled right afterwards. I guess they dont wanna sell sleds to the XRS guys
The new cat 800ho is going to give that thing a fullgape
Did they increase the hp for 2020 ? Because the 850 Doo was just a touch faster in 2019
I think it's just because it's more refined that is faster. The overall mapping feels much better
850 ski doo is slower in northeast wi
i thought you posted your 850 blew up before your trip & your dealer gave you 800 did you ever get 850 running or was that fake news you owning 850 polaris
still waiting for your reply about your 850 polaris blowing up wasup fool why no comment
old&slow Ahh yes defending your trash motors as always can always count on you to be here
I’m a Polaris guy up in Québec
I will get one for shure....
Hows it handle the bumps and jumps?
Charles Palmer II it’s the axys chassis’s best there’s ever been do some research
Does anyone know what the ticket is in the state of mn for going 60-70 mph over the speed limit?
No speed limit on this lake. It is set up for racing. There's a sanctioned race event there this weekend.
Who gives a sh!t
Stud boy Shaper Bars Are needed
Good choice Alan! I run them also.
I wish i was able to afford a indy xc 137
129 or 137...I'm a trail queen..
You can BARELY notice the difference. VERY slight understeer on the 137 when coming in hot in really tight corners, but then it hooks up better when exiting the corner. Plus the 137" gives you more room for storage. I'm going 137 on my next sled.
depends on your riding style. 137 is a little better on rough trails but both a great sleds .
Awesome!
For my area in ALASKA 129 TO 146 is the best track length no big lug track tho nothing bigger then 2.0 lug height
beating everything on the lake Yamaha hold my snow cone
Need that 4 yr warranty! Round here 2019 Poopoo are blowing up ! Lenn is next !
i don't think so the man knows how to take care of sled, the more miles on 850 engine the less chance of failure
old&slow Hahahahhahaaaa 👌👌👍 Oook
@@JDRTRM Pound sand Troll.
Lenn Johnson You will see
where are you from, how many 850's failed how many were built
I need a radar
thanks for great review this past season, guy who has 850 rmk should take some pointers from you, a lot more accurate info then from him
old&slow nice name bud i like it. I used to call one of my uncles Old cheap & slow.. that used to piss em off and make em chase me
@@edwardabrahamiii3742 i have been riding only polaris sleds since 1964, i'm old & slow but not cheap. i let friend take my 020 850 indy xc 129 on women on snow ride she loved it
F7 Joe would love this one..lol
That F-7 spanks a lot of sleds on that lake. The rider is young...maybe 15. His father know how to make that thing fly! Modded to the hilt.
I can tell you why your better out of the hole but slower on the top, it’s your studded track on your 129 XC it slows you down on top cause you have more rotating mass from the weight of the studs. Come on you know that!
How bout they changed the gear ratio....
I'm studded and clutched. The 137 Indy is completely stock. The shorter track transfer is better which means that hooks up a little better out of the hole but the Indy 137 has longer legs on top
Every stock Indy XC 129 that I've raced are the lake is not faster than me on top end even without studs
how many miles did you make this winter ? i make 5000 miles with my 850 assault and i add no probleme with it ! @@lennstang
@@zorroo12 3400 currently on the Indy XC-129-850. Still got 4 more weeks of riding here.
uhh huh suuuuuure its beating EVERYTHING HUH,,,,,,then an SRX shows up and shows you a thing or too of what speed Really looks like
Jeff Ives there is no srx, most of the shots are filmed from the 2018 Indy (the orange one)
@@BrookeJohnson3j 2019 Indy
@@BrookeJohnson3j , I think Jeffs point is, that nothing , and I do mean nothing can beat SRX on the lakes right now. But with that said, I wouldnt consider the Indy 137 XC a Lake runner , I would hope that this is primarily a Trail sled , and with the bigger lug some off trail snow play, such as meadow riding and for those who dont have groomed trails the 1.5 lug should do nicely...
@@charlespalmerii4299 Jeff and Charles...I used to have an SRX.....fast sled. But we were comparing current 2 stroke sleds to the new Indy. Just wanted to show that it's fast on the lake as well as a very capable trail sled.
Embarrassing amount of “updates” for a second year engine with all the shit Polaris talked.