The All-New SnowCheck Exclusive Patriot 850 Engine

When the Polaris Dealer Meeting opened two weeks ago in Orlando, it was clear that the snowmobile manufacturer was positively giddy to announce their new 2019 lineup. As the talk went on and the latest and greatest was announced, the dealers got giddy too. The 850 Patriot Engine is a game changer and we’re going to break it down for you.

 

The All-New Polaris 850 Patriot is designed for class-leading durability, responsiveness, unrivaled acceleration, and the industry’s best power-to-weight ratio. An all new belt and reeds specifically designed for the 850 Patriot are optimized for durability and longevity. And even better, this SnowCheck Exclusive comes with a 4-year warranty.

 

A new cylinder and head design are optimized for maximum durability. It is a one-piece head design that allows for structural rigidity, engineered coolant flow, and optimized weight. A patent-pending combustion chamber design allows for complete combustion and ultimate performance through the entire operating range.

 

The new water bottle features an integrated thermostat. This all-new design maximizes durability and cooling efficiency. The patent-pending simplified coolant bottle design minimizes vibration and maximizes thermostat life. It is a self-bleeding cooling system with integrated by-pass for fast warm-up.

 

New engine mounting seamlessly integrates into the 2019 AXYS chassis. It minimizes vibration from transmitting to the rider and provides a more consistent center distance to maximize belt life.

 

A new throttle body and throttle position sensor features a lightweight, simple, and durable design. The contact-less TPS allows for reliable and consistent performance. It is a permanent set – no adjustment required! The Power Boosting Regulator gives you quicker starting and delivers maximum electrical power at idle and low RPMs. The Electrical ECU has a faster processor, exhaust valve control integration, and greater input and output.

 

Customize your sled’s look and get the SnowCheck exclusive Polaris 850 Patriot with a four year warranty. Just a $500 deposit down and no interest until March 1^st and no payments until April 1^st. SnowCheck is only available through April 17^th – so get your SnowCheck order in today!

Winterizing Your Snowmobile

It’s no secret the last couple of winter seasons have been less than fun for us snowmobilers here in Western New York. But with snow in the forecast later this week and the end of bow hunting season scheduled for the 19th, it’s not hard to get excited to hit the trails! But with two light winters in our rearview, is your sled ready to go?

No matter your preferred brand, it’s always a good idea to do a thorough service on your sled before going out on your first ride of the season. Whether you like to get your own hands dirty or bring it in to our certified service shop, we can help you out.

First up, check your oil level. It’s not a bad idea to do an oil change at the start of the season. This way you ensure that no moisture snuck its way into your oil while your sled was taking a snooze. Next up, check your spark plug. If it is wet or blackened, you need to change it out.

Check your coolant level and add or change if needed. Look at your air box and make sure it’s clear. With crossing roads a part of almost every trail these days, it’s so important to have your brakes in proper working order. Check the brake pads, fluids, and general braking operation.

If you’re sensing a theme here – you’re right. It’s check everything. The motor mounts, choke and idle adjustments, battery, lights, and carbides all need to be checked. Grease all fittings and then get back to checking things. Check the sliders, idler wheels, shocks, track alignment, track tension, and in general if there are any rips or missing studs (if you’ve got a studded track). Check your ski alignment, drive belt, clutches, and all cables. Finally, check your chain case drive fluid level.

If anything you’ve checked looks like it needs to be replaced or will soon need to be, make sure you have spares on hand so you’re not stranded on the trails. Extra spark plugs, oil, and a belt are good things to bring along with you on your rides or at least have stocked in your trailer or truck. We can help you out with service or parts six days a week. And if you’ve had enough of your old sled, we’ve got a huge stock of new to get you upgraded for your best ride experience.

Now get outside and do your snow dance then turn your PJs inside out and get a good night’s rest. Braaap!

Motorcycle and Scooter Services

You might not see many on-road vehicles in our showroom, but if you were to come into the service shop, you’d see quite a few back there! A lot of people are unaware that we offer many different services for our two and three wheeled friends. As we say all the time, we love to ride and we want you to have the safest ride possible. The road riding season is short, so make the most of it by not missing any time! Some of the services we offer:

• New York State Motorcycle Inspection
• New York State Scooter Inspection
• Oil Change
• Motorcycle/Scooter Complete Service
• Tire Changes
• Detailing

Make sure you get your bike regularly serviced and inspected so you don’t get stranded somewhere. And if you’re looking to upgrade your riding gear this summer, we can help you out there too. You can call us at 716-649-1090 or go to our service department website to make an appointment. Have a great ride and ride safe!

Summerizing Your Snowmobile

It’s hard to believe we are just days from the end of June. It wasn’t a great winter for snow enthusiasts in Western New York, but many of our customers told us they were able to get some good riding in up north and down in the Chautauqua region. While we provide summerization at our service shop, we understand some people like to take the wrench to their own machines too.

First things first, give your machine a good and thorough cleaning. When storing any machine for an extended period of time, store it with gas in the tank (the fuller the better) in order to reduce the risk of condensation forming. You should add fuel stabilizer to the tank. If you have a fuel injector, add injector cleaner to that as well. Run the engine to temp and then fog the motor.

Degrease your motor and suspension, including using forced air to blow off excess water. Use silicone spray on the engine compartment and suspension as well. Grease all of the applicable points. Check your chain case oil and coolant levels. Remove your drive belt. If your sled has a battery, remove it, charge it, and put it on a shelf. Then it’s time to put your sled to bed for the summer season.

Summerizing Your Watercraft

With just one week until Memorial Day, it’s getting to be the time of year that most of the country considers summer. Even though it’s been a chilly and wet May so far, we were blessed to have a long, hot, and dry riding season last year and we’re hoping for the same this season! While we provide summerization at our service shop, we understand some people like to take the wrench to their own machines too.

When you’re getting ready to ride your machine for the first time in over six months, the first thing you want to do is check your battery. If you remember from our winterize blog, we recommend having your battery on a battery tender over the winter. Check out the voltage, the charge, the state of health of the battery, and the battery fluid level. If your battery doesn’t check out well in these categories, it’s probably for the best to purchase a new one. The start of the season is also a good time to check out the condition of your spark plugs and replace any that are black or oil fouled. These are a couple easy things to do to ensure a fun and uninterrupted start to the riding season.

Check your water separator if one is installed. Then put your battery back in the craft and hook the craft up to a water hose. Run it for about 5-10 minutes. Give the machine a good look over for any loose clamps or hardware. Inspect the steering nozzle and prop for any damage. Wash your machine to get the dust off and put your cover on to keep it clean for your next ride!

We also perform a trailer inspection when we do our summerizations here at our service shop. If you’re doing this yourself, make sure to check all lights are working. You may need an assistant to help out on this one for brake and signal lights especially. Check the tire condition and pressure. If they’ve lost a little air, inflate to the correct PSI and keep an eye on any leaks in the tires. Finally, make sure the lug nuts are properly torqued and grease the wheel hubs. Be sure to check the wheel bearings for smooth operation.

You’re ready to rock and roll for the season out on our beautiful waterways! If you need to do an in-season oil change, we can help you out in our service department or parts department with our full stock of oil and filters. Remember to follow all local laws, marine warnings, and make sure you and your passengers always wear a proper fitting life vest. Have fun on the water and make sure to see us if you need anything this summer.

Winterizing Your Watercraft

With Halloween on Monday, it’s getting to be the time of year that people decide to put their watercraft to bed. We were blessed to have a long, hot, and dry riding season this year and our machines need some TLC before they get to take that long winter’s nap. While we provide winterization at our service shop, we understand some people like to take the wrench to their own machines too. Here are some tips to ensure the long life of your watercraft.

We recommend storing your craft with gas in the tank (the fuller the better) in order to reduce the risk of condensation forming. You should add fuel stabilizer to the tank. If you have a four stroke, add fuel injector cleaner. On a two stroke, check the water/fuel separator and note if there is any water.

If you have a four stroke, lightly fog the motor through the intake track. If you have a Sea Doo, you will need to check to see if it requires antifreeze to cooling loop.

If you have a fuel valve, turn the fuel valve to the off position. After 5-10 minutes, remove the air box cover and spray fogging oil into the carburetors with the engine running. Then you should test multiple throttle positions, from idle to half throttle or until it stalls, meaning the fuel is out of the carburetors. Shut off the motor and reinstall the air box cover. If you have a Sea Doo, you will need to check to see if it requires antifreeze to cooling loop.

Start the craft, turn on water, and let the craft run for 5-10 minutes. After you’re done, it is crucial to turn the water off before you turn the engine off.

All crafts will need to have their battery removed, detaching the negative terminal first. Store your batter in a non-freezing environment. We recommend partially charging your battery a few times throughout winter to keep from prematurely killing your battery.

Next you’ll need to clean your watercraft thoroughly. This will get harmful algae and dirt off before it can do serious damage to your hull. Degrease and steam clean the interior of the craft, while washing the outside of your craft with warm water and soap. Thoroughly rinse and dry your craft. Ensure that your remove all water from the interior of the craft. Spray the interior with a silicone-based spray and lube the steering cable, choke, and throttle. Make sure you’ve reinstalled all bolts or other parts that you removed. Nothing is worse than getting a job done and seeing a mystery part sitting on the bench!

Finally, cover your watercraft to keep unwanted pests out and keep it clean. If you lack a space for storage, we do have space we rent out at our storage facility. You will need to do separate maintenance when you get ready to ride in the spring. We can help you out with that or check this blog for tips!

Winter ATV Maintenance

We’ve been having one of the mildest winters I can remember as a lifelong New York State resident. Where we’re usually deep in the middle of snowmobile season, we were fortunate to have enough snow to get our demo riders out at the Genesee Forestry a few weeks ago. With all that in mind, you may be putting your ATV to good use this winter. Of course the more you use a machine, the better and more frequent maintenance is needed. Though these are some general tips, please check your machine’s owner’s manual for specific maintenance needs.

If you ride through snow and ice, be sure to clean off as much snow and ice from the radiator while riding and again off of the whole machine before storing the ATV post-ride. Otherwise, this water can re-freeze and make using your ATV the next time a pain. Additionally, make sure you don’t force any plastic pieces that are frozen. Plastic can break off in cold temperatures.

Winter fuel in New York means that sometimes gas line anti-freeze is already added to it at the pumps. For that reason, be cautious when adding any more. One of the best things you can do is to keep the fuel level up in your ATV to avoid condensation forming in your fuel tank and water getting in the fuel. If your machine is an EFI system, you’re going to have a much easier time getting it started when you’re ready for the cold air ride. If you have a carburetor, you may need to bring your ATV in to our Appolson’s service department so we can jet your carburetor for you. The jetting process finds the right combustible combination of fuel and air for your machine to run at its best.

When performing an oil change, whether it is in the winter or summer, you should always change the oil filter. In the winter, an oil change should include paying attention to the viscosity and temperature range on your oil. Always check your ATV’s particular owner’s manual for the best oil for your machine, or check with our Parts Manager Josh when stopping into the store.

If you follow these tips and tricks or stop in and talk to our knowledgeable staff, you should be able to enjoy this extra riding time. Make sure you give your ATV a little longer to warm up, and don’t forget to add an extra layer of clothing to your body to keep yourself warm. Let us know your favorite riding spots this winter and send us any cool pictures of your ride!

Our Technician Assistance Tuesday has gone virtual! Now you can get our tutorial videos online each month to learn the ins and outs of your equipment from our most experienced techs.

This month we’re taking you inside your jetski to show you how to summarize your vehicle so that it’s riding ready for the season.

 

We Heard You

As much as many of our loyal customers enjoyed our Self Service Saturday sessions, they did have one suggestion – not on Saturdays!

So we’ve moved our Self Service Saturdays to Technician Assistance Tuesdays. The first Tuesday of each month from 5:30 to 7:30 will host our in-the-service-bay tutorials to make you the master of your vehicle maintenance. Here is our upcoming schedule:

July 9th – Ranger Basic Service
August – no session
September 7th – PWC Winterization
October 5th – ATV Basic Service
November 2nd – Smowmobile Preseason Check
December 7 – Snowmobile Suspension Adjustments

Service Tip #3

This weeks service tip is for our PWC friends

When running your machine on a flush kit at home, it is imperative that the machine is running prior to you turning on the water.

The reason for this is that if the water is turned on first the cooling water will fill the exhaust waterbox, and with no exhaust pressure removing the water from the box, it will back fill the exhaust and in turn fill the engine with water.

If your in question about what a flush kit is, check out our photo and stop in the showroom to pick one up!