Is that you? And, if so, where the hell were you at? Doesn't look like any ranges in the sunrise side to me.......
Not me.
Just grabbing cool pics to whet your appetite and spice up the thread.
Here is a pic of my model sled
Mine has an M-10 long travel suspension kit.
Description...
This is a 1991 Polaris RXL. It is an Indy Wedge chassis with the Fuji 650 motor that had been made with a throttle body injection.
Carbed 650 motors had 98 hp from the factory. However this motor took well to modifications, pipes, porting, shaving the heads were just a few common tricks to get these sled outward of 120-130 hp. These numbers were insane at the time.
The RXL's at the time were a little more difficult to work on, you need a chip to change the EFI's signal when adding pipes, the most common mod to the 650 motor. However as you'll see this sled can be switch over to carbs very easily.
History...
A little bit of history, the RXL was first introduced in the 1970's as an oval racer. These early models are very sought after by collectors, because most of them were raced an hold some value in the history of snowmobiling. RXL stands for "Racing Xperimental Liquid." It was a great success on the racing scene.
By 1989 the RXL had been put to rest for nearly a decade and Polaris was looking to introduce an EFI model of their multi-purpose butt kicking sled the Indy 650. So they decided to revive the name, seeing as the project would be experimental.
The new RXL recieved great praise before anyone had even ridden it. Some made outrageous claims of 140-160 hp. Many called this the future of snowmobiling, which they were right, but it didn't produce much more power than the carbuerated model and the fuel economy was barely affected. They claimed fuel economy changes of 10-15%. Power was supposed to be affected as much as 20%, but then the number began to get more realistic and ended at a 5% power gain over a carbed motor. SLP and PSI both offered EFI conversion kits based off the Polaris system. Most cost cost well over $1000.
1990 was the first year of the revived RXL name. It had the standard 8 front and rear suspension with the dial adjust. As said the claims of power were outrageously exagerated. But you didn't have to rejet when going into the mountains.
The RXL would recieve a throttle body injection system. This system would be greatly criticized and even brought into courtrooms. The EFI was subject to breakdowns and suffered from an already weak ignition system on the early Indy's. In 1998 a company named Injection Research Specialists Inc. based in Colorado sued Polaris in a trade-secret misappropriation claim. The court upheld a previous ruling against Polaris in the amount of $34 million. Due to the ruling Polaris had to discontinue the RXL model and many other EFI models as well.
In the mid 1980's Ronald Chasteen invented a prototype EFI system, he spent a few years developping and perfecting it. The EFI system effectively replaces the carburetor in a two-cycle engine, increasing the engine's efficiency and allowing it to operate at an optimum level under variable atmospheric and temperature conditions. Injection Research obtained patents to protect numerous features of its EFI system. Then in 1987 approached Polaris with an offer to work together to implement the system on a snowmobile. Over the next fifteen months, Injection Research worked with Polaris to develop a contractual relationship, which included sharing trade secrets with Polaris. In 1988 Injection Research Specialists had found that Polaris hired Gerhardt Maier a former IRS employee. Polaris insisted that Maier would merely assist in cultivating Polaris' interest in EFI and its relationship with Injection Research. In December of 1988 Polaris told IRS that it was no longer interested in pursuing the EFI system on a snowmobile and backed out of the agreement, saying it was too costly. One year later Polaris began selling the industry's first EFI-equipped snowmobiles.
In 1990, Injection Research brought a suit (the "Polaris action") against Polaris. Injection Research amended its complaint in late 1991 to add as defendants Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd. ("Fuji"), Polaris' engine supplier, and JECS, which manufactured the EFI system used in the Polaris/Fuji snowmobile engines. IRS claimed the Polaris EFI system was riddled with IRS patented technology. JECS produced documents in the case indicating it had not developped the system independently. It indicated that it used the same approach IRS used to develop their system. The trade secret claim was upheld.
Polaris wasn't the only snowmobile manufacturer to get sued however. Artic Cat was also sued by Injection Research Specialist Inc. Although they were sued, the Statue of Limitations prevented Injection Research Specialists Inc. from collecting damages.
