Polaris is recalling a batch of its 2017 Slingshot models, for an issue that affects the linkage between the steering and the front suspension, which may have been insufficiently tightened, and could reduce steering and suspension performance as a result.
The recall affects the Slingshot, Slingshot SL, and Slingshot SLR models, with 254 units in total getting recalled.
In addition to the recall for its brake pressure switch, two more recalls have been filed by Polaris for its Slingshot three-wheeler. While both additional recalls affect nearly the 18,000 units that have been made in the lifetime of the Polaris Slingshot, they differ in cause.
The first recall is for the Polaris Slingshot’s rear swingarm, which filings say may not have adequate strength for its application. Polaris dealers will inspect the swingarm, and if necessary, repair/replace the swingarm free of charge. Polaris’ number for this recall is T-16-06.
The second recall is for the hood on the Polaris Slingshot, which may not have enough clearance with a fuel line. Polaris dealers will inspect the fuel line’s retention clips, in order to reduce the risk of interference. Polaris’ number for this recall is T-16-03.
Polaris Slingshot owners should take note of this latest recall, as it affects 6,860 Slingshot motorcycles that were manufactured between December 28, 2015, and April 27, 2016.
According to the documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the brake pressure switch on the affected units may have been over tightened, which may have damaged the seal.
If the brake pressure switch is damaged, it may allow brake fluid to leak, which would result in reduced braking performance. Since this can increase the likelihood of a crash, the recall was issued.
If you’ve been debating whether or not to get a Polaris Slingshot, your indecision may have just cost you $1,200. Just posted to the company’s website, Polaris has raised the MSRP on both its Slingshot models by $1,200.
The price hike is a simple matter of supply and demand, as Slingshot dealers cannot keep the three-wheeled not-a-car fun machine stocked on their showroom floors. With many dealers sold out, and Polaris capped on how many units it can produce a year, the only economic choice then was to raise the prices.
This price increase is already effective, as of the beginning of this week, and any further Slingshot orders this year will come at the more expensive. As such, the base model Slingshot is $21,199 and the Slingshot SL is $25,199.
All the way back in February, I got an email from a loyal A&R reader, Tone, who had just put a down payment on the Polaris Slingshot. He had just sold his Honda RC-51 to make room in the garage for his new three-wheeled toy…to put it shortly, he was excited for his soon-to-arrive “motorcycle”.
I love meeting enthusiastic readers because they remind me why I started Asphalt & Rubber in the first place: for the love of motorcycles.
But, I have to admit…I didn’t quite get the fuss about the new Slingshot — and to sell an RC-51 (a bike I wouldn’t having in mind two-wheeled collection) for one? That seemed sort of blasphemous — may the Gods of Motorcycling forgive this transgression.
Tone’s enthusiasm and offer to give me a ride in his scoot, once it arrived, won me over in the end though. After all, if you’re not having a good time in a motorcycle, even a three-wheeled one, you’re probably doing it wrong. Right?
Fast-forward several months, once Polaris finished up its wheel bearing recall, and Tone was meeting me in Portland for a quick after-work joyride. For the tl;dr crowd, I take back every word of doubt about the Slingshot I’ve ever uttered in public and in private.
Bad news if you live in Texas and want to grab the hottest trike on the market right now, the Polaris Slingshot, as the Lone Star State has rescinded its approval for Slingshot sales in Texas.
Despite initially approving the Polaris Slingshot for sales on November 4th, the State of Texas reversed its approval, leaving Polaris to notify dealerships on November 10th that they would be unable to sell the Slingshot, for the foreseeable future.
Polaris is about to release a three-wheeler for the sporting public (UPDATE: it’s now officially out), named the Polaris Slingshot. We’ve already gotten a pretty good look at the Slingshot ahead of its debut, and now just a few hours before its official release we have our first actual photos.
Technically a motorcycle, along the same vein as the Campagna Motors T-REX, riders will need a motorcycle or trike license (where applicable) to operate the Slingshot, despite its car-like form factor, which includes seat belts.
Earlier this month, UBS Investment Research released their Top 10 Predictions for 2014, one of them being that Polaris would release the Slingshot, a three-wheeled vehicle, in the first half of 2014.
Although there has previously been much speculation as to whether Polaris Industries would officially be producing the Slingshot, a press release dated January 3, 2014 discusses the release of a slingshot product line.