Polaris Industries
Encyclopedia
Polaris Industries is a manufacturer of snowmobile
s, ATV
, and neighborhood electric vehicles. Polaris is based in Medina, Minnesota
, USA. The company also manufactures motorcycles through its Victory Motorcycles
subsidiary and through the Indian Motorcycle
subsidiary which it purchased in April 2011. Polaris no longer produces
watercraft
.
Polaris also has a 250 outlaw.
Robin (a subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries
, which is the owner of Subaru
) develops and supplies all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and snowmobile engines for U.S.-based leisure equipment maker Polaris Industries Inc. Starting in 1995 with the Polaris Magnum 425 4-stroke atv and in 1997, with the introduction of the "twin 700" snowmobile engine Polaris started the development and production of in-house produced powerplants, known as the "Liberty" line of engines, now found in many models across their current production lines. This production makes many Polaris products 100% American made. Fuji Heavy Industries now also maintains a US based production plant, in conjunction with Polaris, so that all engines are now American Made.
In late 2005, Polaris Industries announced that it would purchase a portion of KTM Motorcycles
. Through this venture KTM has developed their own ATV and Polaris has developed Sport ATVs which utilize the KTM 525 and 450 powerplants that have seen great success on the ATV racing circuit.
In 2008, Polaris started backing H-Bomb films freestyle/race team The Bomb Squad. Alongside the Bomb Squad, Polaris also sponsors their own team, which has racers in all the GNCC, WORCS, WPSA, and ITP QuadCross series.
Edgar Hetteen, who was described by the Snowmobile Hall of Fame in St. Germain, WI, as the father of the snowmobile, and Allan Hetteen, were partners in Hetteen Hoist and Derrick Shop in Roseau, Minnesota
. Edgar had dropped out of school after the eighth grade. Their employees, David Johnson, partnered with Paul Knochenmus, and Orlen Johnson, who was the first person ever to ride a Polaris, to create a vehicle that could travel through snow. These vehicles' primary use was to make hunting locations more accessible. The employees worked overtime to finish their concept model in 1954. After creating it using a grain silo conveyor belt as a track and an old Chevy bumper for skis, they had the first snowmachine. After returning from a trip, Edgar was shown the machine, but was skeptical of its value and was disappointed that the group had spent company time and materials on the machine. The No 1 sled was soon sold to Roseau lumberyard owner "Silver Pete" H.F. Peterson for $465 in order to meet company payroll.
However, the employees continued to be focused on building snowmobiles and soon a second model was created, called the Polaris Sno Traveler. The first production model rolled off the assembly line in Minnesota in 1956. The original models weighed close to 1000 lb (453.6 kg) and moved at a speed of about 20 mi/h. They came in a two-tone paint job (white below blue with a strip or chrome trim dividing them). In order to publicize the new snowmobile and show their reliability and usefulness, in 1960 Edgar led three snowmobilers on a 1200 mile trek across the Alaskan wilderness, starting from Bethel, Alaska
. The trip took three weeks, and much of the time, Edgar struggled to maintain 10 mph over the snow. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner put them on its front page. However, his absence caused problems for him with the company's board of directors. Soon after completing the trip, Edgar left the company in June and started a competing company called Polar Manufacturing in Thief River Falls, Minnesota
. The company name later changed to Arctic Enterprises; in the mid-1980s it filed for bankruptcy amid fierce competition as snowmobiles became popular and other manufacturers jumped into the market. The company emerged from bankruptcy and continues on today as Arctic Cat
.
Polaris began developing a smaller consumer-sized, front engine snowmobile to compete with the SkiDoo in the early 1960s. In 1964, Polaris released the Comet. However, the Comet soon ran into problems as it could not travel in all types of snow conditions. Polaris then recalled the sleds and quickly developed a new prototype to avoid bankruptcy. The new model, the 1965 Mustang, became a hit as a family snowmobile and boosted Polaris sales. Polaris continued to develop snowmobiles similar to this model throughout the 1960s-1970s, and went on to become one of the leaders in the snowmobile industry.
In the early 1980s, Polaris started creating an Indy style snowmobile with IFS and a wider stance. They continued with the Indy style sled in the 90's with the Storm, Ultra, and Trail lines. Production of the Indy name ended in 2004 with the Indy 500.
In 1985, Polaris introduced the Trailboss, which is considered to be the first American-made all-terrain vehicles (ATV). Today, Polaris is one of the top selling brands of ATV's.
In the late 1990s, Polaris introduced the Polaris Rocky Mountain King (RMK)- a snowmobile specific for mountain terrain.
In May 2009, Polaris announced the creation of an On-Road Vehicle Division. The new division will be devoted to the growth of Victory motorcycles and other on-road products and brands.
In 2010, Polaris introduced the Polaris Rush snowmobile which had a new suspension system and better trail handling capabilities. This snowmobile is also available with retro graphics on the Rush and Iq models.
On May 21, 2010, Polaris announced that it was moving its Osceola, Wisconsin
parts plant to Mexico
. The move is anticipated to save the company $30 million dollars annually, with most of that savings coming from lower wages.
, that closed the final tranche of Brammo's Series B funding round of $28 million. Brammo is an electric vehicle
company based in Ashland
, Oregon, United States. Its first production electric motorcycle, the Enertia
, is assembled there and is selling online via the company's website and at select Best Buy
stores in Oregon and California and at select Harley Davidson dealerships. Polaris had been showing interest in electric propulsion for some time, producing an electric version of its Ranger Side-by-Side, and more recently buying up Global Electric Motorcars
(GEM) from Chrysler
. As one publication put it, "This latest move likely signals the addition of clean and quiet drivetrains to ATVs and motorcycles under the global giant's brand umbrella – snowmobiles may have to wait on battery breakthroughs before they become commercially feasible."
and snowmobiles. Included in this line are synthetic and conventional motor oil
(both 2- and 4-cycle), grease
, fuel, sprays, additives, and maintenance and exterior care kits.
|-
|valign="top"|
Performance
Deep snow
Crossover
Luxury
Utility
circuit. With 44 signed riders they also run in HillCross, Oval Track Racing
, and Cross Country Racing. The Polaris Racing Team won 8 different Championships in the 2006-2007 season. Arnar Gunnarsson (#26) won the Pro Open, Gústi (#10) won Pro Stock, Klara Björk (#89) won pro women at Iceland, T. J. Gulla (#44) won the WPSA Pro Stock Championship, Ross Martin (#837) won the WPSA Pro Open Championship, and Kylie Abramson (#87) won the WPSA Pro Women's Championship. Gabe Bunke (#74) has won the USCC Pro 600 Class Championship and the USCC Pro Open Class. Dustin Wahl (#74) won the Pro Ice 440 Championship, the Pro Ice Formula Championship, and the Millennium 600 Open championship, and John Cyr III (#99) won the 2004 USCC Pro 700 Class Championship. Most all of the Polaris Racing riders drive the IQ 400, 600 or 700 Racer, depending on the class and the event.
Snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
s, ATV
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
, and neighborhood electric vehicles. Polaris is based in Medina, Minnesota
Medina, Minnesota
Medina is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,892 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water...
, USA. The company also manufactures motorcycles through its Victory Motorcycles
Victory Motorcycles
Victory Motorcycles is a motorcycle manufacturer based in Spirit Lake, Iowa, United States, which began production of its vehicles in 1998. Its parent company, Polaris Industries, created the firm following the modern success of Harley-Davidson...
subsidiary and through the Indian Motorcycle
Indian (motorcycle)
Indian is an American brand of motorcycles. Indian motorcycles were manufactured from 1901 to 1953 by a company in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, initially known as the Hendee Manufacturing Company but which was renamed the Indian Manufacturing Company in 1928. The Indian factory team took the...
subsidiary which it purchased in April 2011. Polaris no longer produces
watercraft
Watercraft
A watercraft is a vessel or craft designed to move across or through water. The name is derived from the term "craft" which was used to describe all types of water going vessels...
.
Polaris also has a 250 outlaw.
Robin (a subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries
Fuji Heavy Industries
, or FHI, is a Japanese transportation conglomerate most known for being the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles. It traces its roots to the Nakajima Aircraft Company, a leading supplier of airplanes to the Japanese government during World War II...
, which is the owner of Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...
) develops and supplies all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and snowmobile engines for U.S.-based leisure equipment maker Polaris Industries Inc. Starting in 1995 with the Polaris Magnum 425 4-stroke atv and in 1997, with the introduction of the "twin 700" snowmobile engine Polaris started the development and production of in-house produced powerplants, known as the "Liberty" line of engines, now found in many models across their current production lines. This production makes many Polaris products 100% American made. Fuji Heavy Industries now also maintains a US based production plant, in conjunction with Polaris, so that all engines are now American Made.
In late 2005, Polaris Industries announced that it would purchase a portion of KTM Motorcycles
KTM
KTM Sportmotorcycle AG is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and moped manufacturer.The company was founded in 1934 by engineer Hans Trunkenpolz in Mattighofen. It started out as a metal working shop and was named Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen...
. Through this venture KTM has developed their own ATV and Polaris has developed Sport ATVs which utilize the KTM 525 and 450 powerplants that have seen great success on the ATV racing circuit.
In 2008, Polaris started backing H-Bomb films freestyle/race team The Bomb Squad. Alongside the Bomb Squad, Polaris also sponsors their own team, which has racers in all the GNCC, WORCS, WPSA, and ITP QuadCross series.
Corporate history
Roseau, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,756 people, 1,157 households, and 713 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,153.6 people per square mile . There were 1,229 housing units at an average density of 514.4 per square mile...
. Edgar had dropped out of school after the eighth grade. Their employees, David Johnson, partnered with Paul Knochenmus, and Orlen Johnson, who was the first person ever to ride a Polaris, to create a vehicle that could travel through snow. These vehicles' primary use was to make hunting locations more accessible. The employees worked overtime to finish their concept model in 1954. After creating it using a grain silo conveyor belt as a track and an old Chevy bumper for skis, they had the first snowmachine. After returning from a trip, Edgar was shown the machine, but was skeptical of its value and was disappointed that the group had spent company time and materials on the machine. The No 1 sled was soon sold to Roseau lumberyard owner "Silver Pete" H.F. Peterson for $465 in order to meet company payroll.
However, the employees continued to be focused on building snowmobiles and soon a second model was created, called the Polaris Sno Traveler. The first production model rolled off the assembly line in Minnesota in 1956. The original models weighed close to 1000 lb (453.6 kg) and moved at a speed of about 20 mi/h. They came in a two-tone paint job (white below blue with a strip or chrome trim dividing them). In order to publicize the new snowmobile and show their reliability and usefulness, in 1960 Edgar led three snowmobilers on a 1200 mile trek across the Alaskan wilderness, starting from Bethel, Alaska
Bethel, Alaska
Bethel is a city located near the west coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, west of Anchorage. Accessible only by air and river, Bethel is the main port on the Kuskokwim River and is an administrative and transportation hub for the 56 villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.Bethel is the largest...
. The trip took three weeks, and much of the time, Edgar struggled to maintain 10 mph over the snow. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner put them on its front page. However, his absence caused problems for him with the company's board of directors. Soon after completing the trip, Edgar left the company in June and started a competing company called Polar Manufacturing in Thief River Falls, Minnesota
Thief River Falls, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,410 people, 3,619 households, and 2,091 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,760.0 people per square mile . There were 3,931 housing units at an average density of 822.7 per square mile...
. The company name later changed to Arctic Enterprises; in the mid-1980s it filed for bankruptcy amid fierce competition as snowmobiles became popular and other manufacturers jumped into the market. The company emerged from bankruptcy and continues on today as Arctic Cat
Arctic Cat
Arctic Cat is a North American manufacturer of snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles. The company was formed in 1960 and is based in Thief River Falls, MN. Many of Arctic Cat's vehicles are used today and can be accessorized to perform almost any job an outdoors-man might need...
.
Polaris began developing a smaller consumer-sized, front engine snowmobile to compete with the SkiDoo in the early 1960s. In 1964, Polaris released the Comet. However, the Comet soon ran into problems as it could not travel in all types of snow conditions. Polaris then recalled the sleds and quickly developed a new prototype to avoid bankruptcy. The new model, the 1965 Mustang, became a hit as a family snowmobile and boosted Polaris sales. Polaris continued to develop snowmobiles similar to this model throughout the 1960s-1970s, and went on to become one of the leaders in the snowmobile industry.
In the early 1980s, Polaris started creating an Indy style snowmobile with IFS and a wider stance. They continued with the Indy style sled in the 90's with the Storm, Ultra, and Trail lines. Production of the Indy name ended in 2004 with the Indy 500.
In 1985, Polaris introduced the Trailboss, which is considered to be the first American-made all-terrain vehicles (ATV). Today, Polaris is one of the top selling brands of ATV's.
In the late 1990s, Polaris introduced the Polaris Rocky Mountain King (RMK)- a snowmobile specific for mountain terrain.
In May 2009, Polaris announced the creation of an On-Road Vehicle Division. The new division will be devoted to the growth of Victory motorcycles and other on-road products and brands.
In 2010, Polaris introduced the Polaris Rush snowmobile which had a new suspension system and better trail handling capabilities. This snowmobile is also available with retro graphics on the Rush and Iq models.
On May 21, 2010, Polaris announced that it was moving its Osceola, Wisconsin
Osceola, Wisconsin
Osceola is a village in Polk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,421 at the 2000 census. The village is located mostly within the Town of Osceola.The downtown features Cascade Falls, a waterfall with a crest, located on Osceola Creek....
parts plant to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The move is anticipated to save the company $30 million dollars annually, with most of that savings coming from lower wages.
2011
In October 2011, Polaris announced an investment in Brammo, Inc.Brammo
Brammo, Inc. is an electric vehicle company based in Ashland, Oregon, United States. Its first production electric motorcycle, the Enertia, is assembled in Sárvár, Hungary and is selling online via the company's website and is available for sale and service at select motorcycle dealers throughout...
, that closed the final tranche of Brammo's Series B funding round of $28 million. Brammo is an electric vehicle
Electric vehicle
An electric vehicle , also referred to as an electric drive vehicle, uses one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion...
company based in Ashland
Ashland, Oregon
Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, near Interstate 5 and the California border, and located in the south end of the Rogue Valley. It was named after Ashland County, Ohio, point of origin of Abel Helman and other founders, and secondarily for Ashland, Kentucky, where other...
, Oregon, United States. Its first production electric motorcycle, the Enertia
Brammo Enertia
The Enertia is an electric motorcycle designed and sold by Brammo, Inc. It uses a Lithium iron phosphate battery, and is intended as a commuter vehicle. Enertia motorcycles first went on sale in late July 2009, and began selling at Best Buy in August 2009....
, is assembled there and is selling online via the company's website and at select Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
stores in Oregon and California and at select Harley Davidson dealerships. Polaris had been showing interest in electric propulsion for some time, producing an electric version of its Ranger Side-by-Side, and more recently buying up Global Electric Motorcars
Global Electric Motorcars
Global Electric Motorcars , a wholly owned subsidiary of Polaris Industries, is a U.S. manufacturer in the low-speed vehicle category, producing neighborhood electric vehicles since 1998 and has sold more than 45,000 GEM battery-electric vehicles worldwide as of December 2010.Until June 2011, GEM...
(GEM) from Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
. As one publication put it, "This latest move likely signals the addition of clean and quiet drivetrains to ATVs and motorcycles under the global giant's brand umbrella – snowmobiles may have to wait on battery breakthroughs before they become commercially feasible."
Lubricants
Polaris has a wide range of lubricants and equipment, which are sold under the name PURE Polaris, to compliment their broad series of machines such as ATVsAll-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
and snowmobiles. Included in this line are synthetic and conventional motor oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
(both 2- and 4-cycle), grease
Grease (lubricant)
The term grease is used to describe semisolid lubricants. Although the word grease is also used to describe rendered fat of animals, in the context of lubrication, grease typically applies to a material consisting of a soap emulsified with mineral or vegetable oil...
, fuel, sprays, additives, and maintenance and exterior care kits.
2011 models (Snowmobile)
{||-
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Performance
- 800 Rush Pro-R
- 800 Rush
- Turbo IQ
- 600 Rush Pro-R
- 600 Rush
- 600 IQ Shift
- 550 IQ Shift
Deep snow
- 800 Pro-RMK 163
- 800 Pro-RMK 155
- 800 RMK Assault 155
- 800 RMK 155
- 600 RMK 155
- 600 RMK 144
Crossover
- 800 Switchback Assault 144
- 600 Switchback 136
- 600 Shift 136
- 550 Shift 136
Luxury
- Turbo IQ LX
- Turbo IQ LXT
- 600 Rush LX
- 600 IQ LXT
- 550 IQ LXT
Utility
- 600 IQ Widetrack
- FS IQ Widetrack
- Widetrack LX
Racing
Polaris Racing is one of the big four factory racing teams on the World Power Sports Association (WPSA) SnocrossSnocross
Snocross is a racing sport involving racing specialized high performance snowmobiles on natural or artificially-made tracks consisting of tight turns, banked corners, steep jumps and obstacles. Riders race at speed of up to 60 miles per hour...
circuit. With 44 signed riders they also run in HillCross, Oval Track Racing
Ice racing
Ice racing is a form of racing that uses cars, motorcycles, snowmobiles, All-terrain vehicles, or other motorized vehicles. Ice racing takes place on frozen lakes or rivers, or on carefully groomed frozen lots...
, and Cross Country Racing. The Polaris Racing Team won 8 different Championships in the 2006-2007 season. Arnar Gunnarsson (#26) won the Pro Open, Gústi (#10) won Pro Stock, Klara Björk (#89) won pro women at Iceland, T. J. Gulla (#44) won the WPSA Pro Stock Championship, Ross Martin (#837) won the WPSA Pro Open Championship, and Kylie Abramson (#87) won the WPSA Pro Women's Championship. Gabe Bunke (#74) has won the USCC Pro 600 Class Championship and the USCC Pro Open Class. Dustin Wahl (#74) won the Pro Ice 440 Championship, the Pro Ice Formula Championship, and the Millennium 600 Open championship, and John Cyr III (#99) won the 2004 USCC Pro 700 Class Championship. Most all of the Polaris Racing riders drive the IQ 400, 600 or 700 Racer, depending on the class and the event.