The Polaris 550 IQ LXT is a high-performance model that is the successor to the Polaris 600 IQ Widetrak snowmobile. Despite the change of generations, the device in question is still relevant today. The machine, which went into production in 2013, incorporated the best technical solutions at the time of launch. The model under consideration has undeniable advantages compared to its closest competitors of similar cost. This snowmobile has always been distinguished by good smoothness and cross-country ability. It has a balanced and durable design, as well as time-tested components and high maintainability.
The Polaris 550 IQ LXT snowmobile was developed by a well-known American company, which is one of the leaders in the production of such machines. Let us note the main features of the model - an advanced chassis, as well as sporty settings for the suspension and power plant. The technology amazes with its high-speed qualities, as well as smooth and fast acceleration, which is not accompanied by any twitching or jerking during gear shifting.
Particularly noteworthy is the modified power plant, which required modernization of the platform - it had to be adapted to more modern standards and norms in order for the car to remain relevant for several more years. Compared to classic utilitarian snowmobiles, the Polaris 550 model is more massive and adapted to high load capacity. Geometric cross-country ability has also increased. Moreover, the 550th model is no worse than the 600th Polaris and is adapted to driving on rolled snow, as well as deep snowdrifts. In this case, a powerful engine and wide tracks help out, making the 550th Polaris ideal for utilitarian purposes. The 550 IQ LXT snowmobile received a strong suspension with two A-arms, with the help of which it became possible to transport two people, as well as a load weighing 500 kg. At the same time, you can move on any roads, including icy surfaces. As for the driver's seat, it has been seriously modified for more comfortable control over long hours of driving. The backrest of the passenger and driver can be adjusted at your discretion. In addition, comfort and convenience are designed to enhance the functions of heated hand grips for the passenger and driver.
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The 550 IQ LXT is a superior snowmobile in terms of its towing capabilities, given its 500 kg payload capacity. In addition, there is also an additional trunk under the driver’s seat - you can store various items and accessories in it. Such practicality and spaciousness allows you to operate a snowmobile on the longest trips and expose it to the most dangerous difficulties. Therefore, the 550 IQ LXT model is in great demand among foresters and fishermen, for whom reliability, spaciousness and cross-country ability are among the priorities when buying a snowmobile.
Main features of the Polaris 550 IQ LXT snowmobile:
- Adjustable steering column with the ability to customize to individual driver parameters
- Sturdy, simplified Lock&Ride seat backrest that requires no tools to install or remove
- Heated steering wheel function
- A heated glove compartment in which you can put and dry glasses or a GPS navigator. You can also dry gloves and other accessories in it. The glove compartment is located near the steering column, which is very convenient.
- Basic options: electric starter, temperature and oil level indicators, instruments for displaying speed and revolutions (speedometer and tachometer, respectively), heated steering wheel function, charging function for external accessories (12 V power supply), luggage compartment under the seat, rear-view mirrors, high windshield, rear tow bar.
Snowmobile "Polaris Widetrack"
Many years of experience have allowed us to develop and launch the progressive snowmobile “Polaris Widetrak LX”. The snowmobile is distinguished by its simplicity of design, high technology and affordable price. This unit is suitable not only for everyday trips, but also for practical purposes. That is, you can safely attach a sled to a snowmobile and transport various cargo. In its class, Widetrak is ahead of its closest competitors, Yamaha Viking and Artic Cat, in terms of power unit power.
The production of the model began back in 1996. From the beginning of production until now, no special technical improvements have been made to the snowmobile. Thus, the appearance and design of the snowmobile can be safely considered outdated. But everyone knows perfectly well that appearance is not the main thing with such equipment. Attention should be paid to the technical aspect. Under the hood is a Fuji two-stroke engine with a power of 85 hp. There are two cylinders installed, each with its own carburetor. For ease of operation, a separate lubrication system is used so as not to mix gasoline and oil before refueling the snowmobile.
AI-95 gasoline is considered to be the standard fuel for Whitetruck. Cooling occurs due to the liquid system. The radiator is located at the bottom. This placement has its pros and cons. When the snowmobile is immersed in snow, the radiator is cooled accordingly. But, when driving on ice for a long time, the engine heats up. The braking on the snowmobile is hydraulic, a disc is installed. A variator is used as a transmission. In case of replacing the variator of a Polaris snowmobile, it will be enough to open the cover and make the replacement.
A few words about the suspension. The front of the snowmobile has a linkage suspension that handles very well. The quality of control is very important, because at a maximum speed of more than 100 km/h, this factor is one of the key ones. The shock-absorbing system at the rear of the snowmobile is a torsion bar suspension. In general, this model cannot be called “soft”. Which in turn is not surprising, because the snowmobile is not a tourist one, but a utilitarian one.
The engine is started using an electric starter, and manual start is also possible. The control body contains the throttle handle and the brake. The high/low beam switches and direction indicators are also located there. On the central dashboard there is a speedometer, daily space bar, oil level and parking brake sensor. In addition, the instrument panel consists of a temperature sensor and reverse gear. The gear shift lever has the following designation:
- H-overdrive;
- N-neutral;
- R-reverse gear;
- L-low gear.
Float type fuel sensor. To make it easier to control the snowmobile, a mountain strap is installed on the handlebars. With its help, control over the snowmobile and maneuvering increases significantly. The seat is very soft and comfortable, it allows the snowmobiler to sit comfortably on it during the entire journey. The rear backrest for the passenger has an adjustment function. When moving forward, it perfectly supports the driver's back. When you recline the seat, you have access to the luggage compartment, where you can put the necessary tools. For mounting a trunk, there is a luggage area at the back. On the same site there is a special coupling device that allows the transportation of various trailers and sleds.
Specifications
- Brakes – disc, hydraulic
- Drive – QuickDrive Low Inertia
- Transmission – variator P-85, P2
- Front suspension – IQ, with 260 mm travel
- Front shock absorbers – RydeFX MPV
- Skis IQ
- Rear suspension – IQ 136 Comfort, with 350 mm travel
- Front/rear shock absorbers – RydeFX/RydeFX MPV
- Caterpillar dimensions, mm: Width – 38, Length – 340, Height – 2.5
- Dry weight – 247 kg
- Length/width – 305/122 cm
- Height – 123 cm
- Ski base – 108 cm
- Fuel tank – 43 l
- Steering system – fixed, 60 mm insert
- Electric Start/Reverse - Standard/PERC Basics: Speedometer, Fuel Gauge, Oil Indicator, Adjustable Heated Steering Wheel, Rearview Mirrors, Loveseat, Rear Rack, High Windshield. Color – Blue Fire.
Engine
The machine is equipped with a gasoline engine of its own production. Polaris engineers designed a motor that matches the other parameters of the snowmobile. The result is an ideal balance between dynamics, efficiency and reliability. The two-cylinder layout with a displacement of 0.5 liters had a favorable effect on the weight of the structure - in the sense that the 550 IQ LXT 2013 snowmobile has a low weight and excellent maneuverability. The cylinder diameter and piston stroke are 73 and 65 mm, respectively, and the power of the power plant reaches 60 horsepower. Ignition is electronic type (CDI). The fuel system is two-carburetor (brand VM34). This system has proven itself worthy in difficult climatic loads, as well as with high load capacity. The air cooling system, in turn, is designed to prevent overheating of the engine in the warm season.
Price of spare parts for repairs
Snowmobiles Polaris Widetrack LX 500 cost from 40 to 300 or more thousand rubles, depending on the condition of the device and the region of purchase. The cost of spare parts for repairs is also individual and depends on the above criteria.
On average, prices for Polaris Widetrack LH spare parts are as follows (indicated in rubles):
- graphite slime – 1730;
- set of gaskets and seals – 4700;
- spark plug - 200;
- variator belt – 5400;
- speedometer - 19600;
- button – 627 rubles;
- carburetor – 29310;
- console – 7190;
- cylinder – 45370;
- muffler – 23030;
- starter – 16050;
- fuel pump – 6710;
- brake disc – 12350;
- caterpillar - 33580.
Some popular spare parts are listed. For details, please contact your authorized dealer.
Reviews
- Nikolay, Ekaterinoslavl. This car combines everything I need - handling, payload, economy, roominess, reliability and quality materials. Over five years of intensive work, the snowmobile has never failed in a big way. Naturally, during the maintenance process I use only high-quality original components, so that later there are no problems with reliability. Therefore, the Polaris 550 IQ LXT 2013 snowmobile never lets me down on a long journey. The double seat can easily be converted into a single seat, and the free space in the back can be used to secure additional cargo. And you can still attach a sled with a 500-kilogram load, and the result is a mini-truck with excellent off-road capabilities. Now my son uses the car - now he takes me for rides (I started having vision problems). We go fishing, hunting, or just ride together.
- Alexey, Transcarpathian region. I've been using the 550 IQ LXT snowmobile for about three years. The device is well adapted to our frosts. It is well assembled and performs well off-road. But the main problem (in severe frosts) lies in the low windshield and the mediocre heating system for the internal combustion engine components, as well as problems with the electric starter, which often fails even at minus 20 degrees. Unfortunately, these factory defects cannot be eliminated, and I really needed a snowmobile. The engine does not start on the first try, but it still starts, and in warm mode it does not cause problems. I was pleased with the low fuel consumption even under high loads.
- Pavel, Primorsky region. Not a bad snowmobile for long trips. The car is equipped with a spacious fuel tank, which helps to cover long distances. This is very good, considering the fact that I have to use the snowmobile for work purposes. But since this is my personal model, it will also be useful for family vacations. In short, this is a very necessary thing for work and family. The roomy two-person seat can be converted into a single seat. There are heated grips for the driver and passenger, as well as a comfortable backrest. The convenient control panel never glares on a clear sunny day. The capabilities of this device have been successfully tested on severe off-road conditions, as well as when transporting 500-kilogram containers. We load anything you need, including firewood for the winter. True, it is very difficult to get spare parts, and they still have to be ordered from Europe, since they are not always in stock. I'm already used to the noisy engine and vibrations. My son also really likes the car, this is his first snowmobile.
Polaris Widetrak LX reviews
- “Very reliable snowmobile. I have been using this model for more than 5 years. I mainly use it for winter fishing trips. Since the fishing spot is more than 15 km away, the cooling system plays an important role for me. Fortunately, Polaris has liquid cooling. When moving through steppe terrain, where there is a lot of snow, the equipment does not heat up at all. I don’t even think about letting the snowmobile cool down for a couple of minutes. A fairly roomy seat allows you to take your son with you fishing, who is simply delighted with the Widetrak LX. Even he, a 10 year old boy, is able to operate this unit without any problems. The engine is powerful, the traction is simply excellent. I tried to attach the sled, it was easy! The frame is durable and can withstand accidental bumps on rocks or steep hills.”
- “I would like to note the good maneuverability, as well as good maneuverability. The snowmobile, to be honest, is not small, but you can move through a dense forest. A decent speed limit can be traced, 105-110 km/h is accurate. Cruising speed is somewhere around 70-85 km/h. The rear case is great for storing essentials on the go. I'm pleased with the good dashboard, the cost of a snowmobile is low. I recommend!".
- “The snowmobile seems to be good, but after 3 months of operation I would not recommend buying it. A friend has a Yamaha Viking, that’s where the really cool “snowball” is. A big difference (to the bad side) is felt in the controls. The towbar is not very reliable and needs to be redone. The design is outdated, from the 90s.”