I have three sleds a 89 Polaris indy (390cc) a 93 Polaris trail DLX (440cc) and a 97 Polaris indy lite (390cc) and i was wondering if anyone could rate them in order of best mileage i usually run them on trails and not terribly hard.

thanks

the 340s would be the best then the 440

I have three sleds a 89 Polaris indy (390cc) a 93 Polaris trail DLX (440cc) and a 97 Polaris indy lite (390cc) and i was wondering if anyone could rate them in order of best mileage i usually run them on trails and not terribly hard.

thanks[/b]


10 AT BEST

10 AT BEST[/b]
do you mean 10mpg???

if so that is wrong

expect 15mpgs if not better

I have three sleds a 89 Polaris indy (390cc) a 93 Polaris trail DLX (440cc) and a 97 Polaris indy lite (390cc) and i was wondering if anyone could rate them in order of best mileage i usually run them on trails and not terribly hard.

thanks[/b]

The condition of the trail will matter (softer snow means poorer mileage) and generally the faster you can go with less starting and stopping the better mileage you're going to get. Clutching and gearing play into that. The classic 2 stroke engine is only really efficient at peak RPM, so you might think the faster you go the better, but there is the matter of the extra power needed to overcome increasing wind resistance, etc. I was taught to hold WOT when I want to go faster then release completely to coast, exactly the opposite of a car where you press the gas a little to go a little faster. The 2 stroke engine does not want to work that way and you will get better efficiency if you let it run the way it was designed to.

I would think the 97 would be the best since it's the newest, but other factors such as tuning may be involved. The lightest one generally wins. If they are all set up right I would pick the 97. It will probably also have the best/most comfortable suspension. The older ones may actually be a little lighter, I don't know. The 93 is probably the heaviest and will get noticeably worse mileage but more power. I know you can look up the weights somewhere on the net but can't think of it now. So to answer your question I would guess the order from best to worst mileage would be 97, 89, 93. They should all be pretty similar so if one is way off there is probably something wrong. Note the 89 is a liquid cooled (heavier) but the 97 and 89 are fan cooled.

Edit: According to nadaguides.com the *dry* weights are 89 = 440 lbs; The 93 trail DLX is listed as a 488 not a 440, one of you is wrong and it could be either one, but anyway that's listed as 492 lbs, and the 97 = 401 lbs. So I don't know how accurate these nadaguides.com quotes are but again the 97 looks like the clear winner. On the other hand the 93 should have the most power, noticeably, so is probably the most fun to ride.

Oh is the 89 an Indy 340 or Indy 400?

I assumed it was a 340 as the 97 said 390 but all Indy Lites are 340s and and you listed both as 390s

Oh is the 89 an Indy 340 or Indy 400?

I assumed it was a 340 as the 97 said 390 but all Indy Lites are 340s and and you listed both as 390s[/b]

the 89 is a 400 not a 390 sry i was typing this fast

It will probably depend more on the conditions of the respective engines more than anything. However, while the 440 fan was an extremely frugal engine in some set-ups, the Deluxe's added weight probably won't help it. (It is a long running engine though.) The 340s have long been tough little motors which don't sip very hard. The 97 is a two ring version which is very long lasting and should not lose performance as quickly as some much earlier, single ring, versions sometimes will. The 400 liquid is a powerful little unit and isn't hard on gas either if the engine (and drivetrain) are in good shape. It has a single ring and seemed prone to losing "the edge" rather quickly in the one I ran for a couple of years.

The drivetrain and condition of it will have at least as much of an effect on the mileage you get as anything, especially with these smaller engines. If everything, starting at the clutches, is in top shape, you should be set to get decent mileage assuming you aren't loading the machines down too much. In good shape, any of them should do 12-16 mpg.