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SDR Motorsports Equipped Polaris RS1 Hits Glamis

Polaris RZR RS1

By Jon Crowley

The 2018 Polaris RZR RS1 was just unveiled to the world a few weeks ago, but SDR Motorsports out of Corona, CA did not waste any time getting one in their hands and fully customized. They picked up the first available RS1 from Concord Polaris on a Monday and went right to work on a quick build. 

SDR added a custom cage and their Hi-Bred +3 long-travel suspension, along with Simpson seat and harness, custom aluminum upper door panels, and a set of sand tires from Sandcraft mounted on OMF Performance beadlock wheels,  a Trinity full exhaust system and a set of Buggy Whips LEDs. They got all this done in a few short days and were on their way to Glamis, CA to tear up the dunes by Saturday morning.

We took off for a ride from Glamis Flats and headed towards Osborne Overlook. If you have been to Glamis before, you’ll probably know that there is a nice jump there, and sure enough, the boys at SDR wanted to hit it!

We spent some time getting a few more pictures in there area, then went on a nice fast ride through the dunes to Oldsmobile Hill.

Polaris RZR RS1

Long-travel Polaris RZR RS1

Polaris RZR RS1

Tim from SDR carving a bowl in the Polaris RZR RS1

We headed back to camp for some lunch and then decided to head back out to the baby dunes near Glamis Flats to get a feel for the RS1 in the tighter dunes.

Polaris RZR RS1

The Polaris RZR RS1 is naturally aspirated with 110HP

At one point, Tim from SDR let me get behind the wheel of their new creation and I didn’t waste any time seeing what it could do.

While I haven’t even had the chance to drive a stock RS1, I could tell that people that don’t care about hauling a passenger are going to eat this thing up. While it doesn’t have a turbo, it still has enough power to be very fun in the dunes. The center seat is something that immediately puts you mind into a more-sporty mode.

The cockpit has more legroom than a normal RZR because you don’t have to worry about the wheel wells taking up space. Visibility is incredible and I can only imagine how the RS1 will do in the rocks with the small skid plate and ability to see everywhere. Would not doubt that we see a few at King of the Hammers UTV race next year.

While my time behind the wheel of the RS1 was short, it gave me a good idea about where this vehicle will go. The RS1 is a super natural fit for GNCC and WORCS racing series with behind the seat radiator and nimble platform. With the shorter than RZR XP1000 wheelbase, it will be interesting to see how well the RS1 will be able to handle whoops in the dunes and desert. The shocks SDR had on the RS1 were stock so we didn’t focus much effort on how the car did in the whoops.

There is carry-over for some of the products available for the Polaris RZR XP 1000. Shocks and trailing arms will bolt right up, but mounting points for the front a-arms are slightly different. Front differential is also mounted differently.

Big thanks to Tim at SDR Motorsports for making it out to Glamis and allowing me to get behind the wheel. I cannot wait to get my hands on an RS1 so we can dive deeper into it.

Polaris RZR RS1 Background

Polaris first introduced a single-seat vehicle back in 2015 with the Polaris ACE 570. The ACE 570 was meant to be an ATV alternative for trail riding, and is a far reach from what we see in today’s 2018 Polaris RZR RS1. The ACE 900 XC is much closer to the RS1 in performance and suspension, but it is still a ways off.

The ultra-nimble 64” width Polaris RZR RS1 features a 110-HP ProStar 1000 H.O. 4-Stroke DOHC Twin Cylinder, the RZR XP 1000’s suspension, upgraded drivetrain and compact, 83-inch wheelbase. The new precision-balanced chassis features a rear-mounted, dual-fan radiator for maximum engine cooling and a new race-hardened drivetrain for durability and instantaneous power. The RZR RS1 also adopts the trailing-arm suspension of the RZR XP 1000, to absorb unrelenting obstacles for the smoothest possible driving experience as you scythe through the most twisting of trails.

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