Polaris offers powersport enthusiasts something different with its 2022 Slingshot SL ($26,799). Although it looks like a backward trike, it’s categorized as a three-wheel-equipped autocycle in California. To operate this vehicle in the Golden State, you only need a standard driver’s license; no motorcycle endorsement is necessary, though DOT-labeled helmets are required for drived and passenger.
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Editor’s note: We tested the automatic transmission-equipped version in the 2020 Polaris Slingshot SL MC Commute Review. Legal restrictions and vehicle classification vary from state to state. Check your state’s local laws before operating this vehicle on public streets.
Polaris says it designed the Slingshot to look like a predatory bird. If there’s one thing Polaris gets right, it’s the industrial design; it did a great job with the styling. This Slingshot rolls on 18-inch front cast aluminum wheels and a 20-inch rear cast aluminum wheel. The wheels look nice and are equipped with low-profile Kenda rubber. The two-front, single-rear configuration lets it have side-by-side seating and accommodations for a passenger. There’s plenty of storage behind the seat and inside the glove box, where there’s also a USB and a 12-volt charging port...
Article: https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/story/reviews/polaris-slingshot-sl-mc-commute-review-2022/
Photo: Polaris Inc.
Video: Adam Waheed
Motorcycle Gear Worn
Helmet: Shoei RF-SR
Jacket: Saint Unbreakable Denim Shearling Collar
Gloves: REV'IT! Kinetic
Pant: Zara
Boots: TCX Rush 2 Air
Motorcyclist Shirts: https://teespring.com/stores/motorcyclist
Shop Products We Use: https://www.amazon.com/shop/motorcyclistmagazine
See more from us: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/
---
Editor’s note: We tested the automatic transmission-equipped version in the 2020 Polaris Slingshot SL MC Commute Review. Legal restrictions and vehicle classification vary from state to state. Check your state’s local laws before operating this vehicle on public streets.
Polaris says it designed the Slingshot to look like a predatory bird. If there’s one thing Polaris gets right, it’s the industrial design; it did a great job with the styling. This Slingshot rolls on 18-inch front cast aluminum wheels and a 20-inch rear cast aluminum wheel. The wheels look nice and are equipped with low-profile Kenda rubber. The two-front, single-rear configuration lets it have side-by-side seating and accommodations for a passenger. There’s plenty of storage behind the seat and inside the glove box, where there’s also a USB and a 12-volt charging port...
Article: https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/story/reviews/polaris-slingshot-sl-mc-commute-review-2022/
Photo: Polaris Inc.
Video: Adam Waheed
Motorcycle Gear Worn
Helmet: Shoei RF-SR
Jacket: Saint Unbreakable Denim Shearling Collar
Gloves: REV'IT! Kinetic
Pant: Zara
Boots: TCX Rush 2 Air
Motorcyclist Shirts: https://teespring.com/stores/motorcyclist
Shop Products We Use: https://www.amazon.com/shop/motorcyclistmagazine
See more from us: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00 Well folks, good morning and welcome to this episode of Motorcyclist MC Commute.
00:04 Today we're gonna be driving Polaris's 2022 Slingshot SL manual transmission.
00:11 So let's throw the helmet on and go for a drive. Alright folks, here it is.
00:15 Polaris's 2022 Slingshot SL. This is a three-wheel equipped auto cycle in the
00:24 state of California. To operate this vehicle in the Golden State, you need to
00:30 have an automobile driver's license. That's right, there's no motorcycle
00:35 endorsement required. You also have to don a DOT labeled helmet. That are, that
00:42 is the legal requirements to operate this vehicle in the Golden State. Now I
00:48 really like the styling of this thing. If there's one thing, actually two things
00:52 that Polaris really gets right, it is the industrial design of this vehicle. Look
00:57 how cool this thing is. Polaris says that they designed it to look like a
01:02 predatory style bird and they did a great job with that. Two wheels in the
01:09 front, wheel, one wheel in the back. This thing actually has rear-wheel drive with
01:14 a motorcycle style swing arm and belt drive at the rear. This vehicle has
01:21 accommodations for a passenger. You can bring a passenger there. There's plenty
01:25 of storage behind these seats and inside the glove box. Let's take a look real
01:30 quick. There you go. That is the storage. Very, very nice. Alright folks, well
01:36 enough talking about this thing. Let's swing a leg inside the cockpit and go
01:41 for a drive. Okay boys and girls, here we go with an electronic proximity key fob.
01:49 This key fob is used to start the vehicle. We'll put it in this compartment
01:54 here. There is also a mechanical key that you can use to lock the internal storage
02:03 cases, but we'll get to that in a minute. So we're trying to start this slingshot
02:09 and this thing has a strange glitch where sometimes you hit the starter
02:17 button, the ignition keyless start, and it won't start right away. It also
02:23 says proximity key fob not in range. So that's a weird glitch that occurs on
02:29 this vehicle, which is a little bit strange because Polaris has been making
02:35 this vehicle for the last two years. This is a 2022 model year vehicle and this
02:42 vehicle originally, well originally debuted in 2014 for the 2015 model year,
02:50 but then it got overhauled for the 2020 model year. So it's strange that for a
02:56 two-year old machine since this redesign that would have this software glitch, but
03:02 oh well.
03:06 And away we go folks. Now we talked about this vehicle, how in the United States
03:13 it falls under the motorcycle category, but in the state of California this
03:19 vehicle is an auto cycle. So in the state of California you do not have to have an
03:26 M1, a motorcycle endorsement, to operate this vehicle. You do have to have a
03:32 conventional driver's license. You also have to don a DOT labeled motorcycle
03:40 helmet. We're wearing a full face helmet, but you don't need to wear a
03:44 full face helmet. Any helmet will do as long as it's DOT labeled. Now even though
03:53 this vehicle looks like an automobile, getting into the vehicle there are no
04:00 doors and it has this frame rail that actually requires some kind of
04:05 interesting contortions to get in this vehicle. If you're someone with limited
04:11 mobility, this vehicle actually probably wouldn't be so good for you just because
04:15 it's kind of hard to get in. Once you're seated inside the cockpit, the seat has
04:24 forward and aft mechanical adjustability. You can also move the backrest forward
04:31 and back just like a manual equipped automobile. Another nice touch is this
04:39 tilt steering wheel so you can adjust the steering wheel. However, there is no
04:43 there is no telescope function so you can't move the steering wheel toward you
04:49 or farther away. That would be a nice touch I think.
04:56 Now this slingshot is powered by a 2 liter inline-4 engine. This is a
05:04 water-cooled engine that was engineered and manufactured by Polaris Industries.
05:11 It replaces the former GM Ecotec engine which I believe had around
05:20 2.5 liters of displacement. That engine Polaris used ever since it debuted for
05:27 the 2015 model year. Polaris switched to their own engine design obviously
05:34 because when you have your own engine design you can control things more and
05:39 Polaris, if there's one thing they're really really good at, it's manufacturing
05:44 things for not a lot of money. So for them it would probably be in there
05:49 worthwhile fiscally to manufacture their own powertrain and that's what they've
05:54 done. Now this engine doesn't benefit from variable valve timing like the GM
05:59 Ecotec engine does but I do like this engine. It actually feels very similar
06:04 except this thing has a scant bit more torque which is very nice in an
06:10 automobile or I'm sorry an auto cycle like this. Powers put back to a 5-speed
06:17 Aisin AR5 transmission. That's a Japanese made transmission. The AR5
06:25 transmission is actually a very old transmission. It's been used for well
06:29 over a decade in vehicles like the Chevy Colorado and the old-school Isuzu Trooper
06:36 if you remember that vehicle. Even though this transmission is actually very old
06:41 in design it works really good. I love how close the lever throws are between
06:48 each of the five gears. It has good timing between the clutch and the
06:54 shift action. This is a very nice transmission. I like it a lot. The shifts
06:59 are very positive feeling. If you are someone who doesn't want to have to work
07:06 the clutch pedal you can opt for the auto drive transmission. That's a $1,750
07:14 option and basically that adds hydraulic actuation via via Magneti Morelli system.
07:24 It's still a manual transmission but it has automated hydraulic operation.
07:32 That is for all of you who don't want to do manual shifting. I'm a manual shifting
07:38 guy unless it's DCT of course. I like this manual gearbox. I would not spend
07:45 the extra $1,750 for the auto drive transmission. I like this AR5 manual
07:51 setup just fine. Now driving this vehicle below 60 miles per hour this thing's
08:01 pretty fun. Handling is really lively. It almost feels like a go-kart below 60
08:07 miles per hour. Handling is very lively and responsive. There feels like there's
08:13 a good amount of front grip and it has a nice low slung roadster type feel. It's
08:21 almost like you're riding some low slung convertible. It's very fun.
08:27 We've just over four inches of suspension travel up front. Four inches
08:32 out back via the motorcycle style swing arm. That's right the rear suspension of
08:41 this motorcycle on the whole rear end is very similar to a motorcycle. It has a
08:45 swing arm. It has built final drive and it has a shock absorber that provides
08:54 damping.
08:56 We're gonna go right here guys.
09:00 Yes! I love accelerating on this thing. This engine sounds cool and it's really
09:08 fun to go up from the gears. There's a little bit of a jump between second and
09:13 third gear. Second and third gear could have a little bit closer ratios but not
09:18 bad. Scoot ahead to these guys and get in this lane.
09:24 And a green light here we go.
09:34 So below 60 miles per hour this thing handles quite nicely. Four inches of
09:41 suspension travel does an okay job of absorbing the bumps at those speeds but
09:45 if you get on a rough road and you get it going a little faster this thing
09:49 really has a little bit of a jarring ride. You feel a lot of those bumps. The
09:53 chassis really gets unhinged above 60 miles per hour. It feels very loose and
09:59 not very stable. So if you're driving this thing below 60 miles per hour
10:06 excellent. If you're driving it above not so excellent. Now this vehicle is equipped
10:14 with Polaris's awesome 7-inch color TFT display. They call it Ride Command on
10:22 their Indian motorcycles. I don't know exactly what this thing's called in the
10:26 Polaris Slingshot but it's the same thing. It has touchscreen ability. You
10:34 can also use these buttons here. You can pair this with your phone super easily. A
10:38 lot of big companies get that wrong somehow. I don't even know how you'd
10:42 mess that up but Polaris has it. It's easy to pair this with your phone. You can
10:47 listen to music. You can get turn-by-turn navigation off your phone. It has this
10:52 cool ride setting where you can control the metrics or you can monitor the
10:58 metrics of your ride. And this vehicle is actually equipped with the GPS so you
11:06 can monitor all of that stuff. It's really neat. Really slick. Easy to use.
11:10 Good job Polaris. Some cyclist dudes. Yes! This is where the Polaris Slingshot is
11:19 made to be driven on this little tight Canyon Road. See how we're just closing
11:24 on that car so quickly? That is where this thing is fun. This Slingshot rolls
11:32 on 18-inch front cast aluminum wheels and a 20-inch rear cast aluminum wheel.
11:41 The wheels look very nice. The whole appearance of this vehicle, I mean this
11:46 thing is certainly a head-turner. It's always crazy to me when you're driving
11:50 this vehicle because even though it costs $26,000, which is a lot for what it
11:56 is, but in the grand scheme of things you have new 2022 vehicles that cost $150,000
12:05 $200,000 and they will garner less attention at a stoplight than this
12:10 $26,000 Slingshot. It's just so unique looking that it just it attracts
12:16 eyeballs from people. Good or bad.
12:22 Now we can also monitor the metrics of this vehicle via this dash display. We
12:38 have an analog stylus speedometer, analog tach with a little digital readout here
12:44 with fuel information and ambient air temperature. We can also select RPM,
12:52 coolant temp, temperature, all that kind of stuff right here. This is certainly
12:56 functional but it looks old. Polaris has been using this gauge cluster for a long
13:01 long long time and at this point it just looks really old. They need to update
13:06 that.
13:13 We rode this vehicle after dark and although when you're looking at this
13:21 vehicle from the front it looks like it has a bright LED headlamps and a bright
13:27 LED running light, but realistically at night the headlamps don't throw a very
13:33 deep swath of light. It's actually really easy to run out of head beam light even
13:42 at 60 miles per hour. So Polaris definitely needs to do a better job
13:47 with the headlights and make them more powerful. I'm sorry not more powerful but
13:54 have them throw a deeper spread of light. Yes I love accelerating on this thing.
14:02 It's worth noting that power is put back to the rear wheel. This vehicle doesn't
14:10 have front-wheel drive, it's rear-wheel drive which eliminates any degree of
14:16 torque steer. Traction control helps keep that single 20-inch wheel and tire in
14:25 connection with the pavement. You can turn it off if you want to do slides but
14:29 I wouldn't want to do that. Now it's worth noting this AutoCycle
14:37 falls into a unique category where this vehicle isn't subject to passenger
14:42 vehicle safety standards like that Tesla is. So there besides this three-point
14:49 safety belt, automobile style safety belt, there's no other form of protection. This
14:56 vehicle doesn't have crumple zones, there's no airbags, there hasn't been any
15:00 crash testing in this vehicle which really makes it quite dangerous. And
15:06 because it's so low slung people don't see you, you do not want to get an
15:11 accident in this vehicle. You absolutely do not want to get in a wreck in this
15:14 vehicle. That would probably likely be game over for you. So buyer beware. Be
15:19 very careful when you are operating this vehicle.
15:28 Brakes. This vehicle has triple disc hydraulic brakes. It has vented disc
15:39 brakes all the way around like an automobile with one piston calipers. The
15:45 brakes, they work much better than the original slingshot but they're still not
15:49 great. It'd be nice if this thing had more meaty calipers. I think that would
15:57 be a good upgrade. But still this vehicle is equipped with ABS which mitigates any
16:05 instability during braking and you definitely want ABS on this vehicle.
16:15 I love how fun this thing is below 60 miles per hour. It feels like a little go
16:20 cart. So much fun.
16:25 But man that ride is a little bit rough on this not too bumpy road but
16:31 definitely a little bit brumpy. And away we go guys. Look at this guy hauling balls.
16:40 Let's get him. Yeah! There's that traction control coming in.
16:50 [Engine Revving]
16:54 Now we have controls to operate the speakers and stereo. We also have cruise
17:04 control. These features all work very well. We also have this red button which
17:10 Polaris calls slingshot mode. This allows you to to adjust the calibration of the
17:17 engine. So comfort is a little bit softer. Throttle and engine response while
17:23 slingshot is a little bit more aggressive. Realistically I can't really
17:27 tell the difference between the two. They don't feel that much different.
17:33 It'd be nice if this vehicle had semi-active suspension where you push
17:41 this button and it would actually adjust the damping effect of the suspension.
17:45 That would be a nice upgrade. Of course that would cost probably thousands of
17:49 dollars to add which would moot the point of even having that in my opinion.
17:58 Now the cool thing about the slingshot SL is that you can bring a passenger.
18:03 Passenger sits right next to you side-by-side style. They have a safety
18:10 belt to keep them inside the cockpit. This vehicle is loaded with storage. We
18:16 have a big glove box here that hides a USB charging point and a 12-volt
18:21 charging point. There's also two storage boxes that are lockable beneath, I'm
18:28 sorry, behind the seats. So definitely kind of nice. You can bring some stuff
18:35 with you when you're in this vehicle. The 2-liter engine drinks from a nearly 10
18:42 gallon fuel tank that is accessed on the left rear side of the vehicle with a
18:50 conventional fuel cap.
18:54 Now speaking of creature comforts, this vehicle does not include a heater which
19:04 is strange because it has water cooling and all this space. You would think that
19:10 Polaris would be able to easily put a heater into this vehicle. So no heater, no
19:16 heated seats, no heated steering wheel, no heat. So when you're operating this
19:22 vehicle at night in chilly conditions, you're definitely gonna feel the cold.
19:26 This windscreen definitely helps block a good amount of the wind but it's still
19:33 you are in an exposed cockpit and you're gonna get chilly after dark. Would be
19:39 nice if Polaris had the fruition to install a heater in this vehicle.
19:44 Conversely, on a hot day when the mercury is above 80-85 degrees, you're gonna feel
19:52 some engine heat just from the engine. You feel some heat in the cockpit. So
19:58 right now it's 68 degrees. That is the sweet spot where it's not too hot, not
20:04 too cold, and it's very comfortable inside this cabin. So if you're someone
20:10 who operates in a fairly mild temperature range, you're gonna like
20:15 this vehicle. However, if you're in the extremes, whether it's 90 degrees in the
20:21 summer, 50 degrees, 50, 40 degrees, 30 degrees in the winter, this vehicle is
20:28 less comfortable. So dress appropriately. Well folks, that was a fun little drive
20:33 today aboard the 2022 Polaris Slingshot SL with the 5-speed manual gearbox. I do
20:42 enjoy driving this thing in low-speed conditions below 60 miles per hour. It's
20:52 fun to jet around town on. It's fun to mob around some curvy
20:57 stretches of road below 60 miles per hour. It's got some stun factor. It's
21:03 unusual. I do like all these things, but realistically, for my lifestyle, this
21:11 thing just is not gonna work. It just takes up way too much space in the
21:15 garage. It's limited in terms of its safety. It doesn't have any airbags, no
21:25 automobile style safety standards. It would be really, really easy to get
21:29 mangled in this vehicle. You don't get any of the benefits of riding a
21:37 motorcycle. No lane filtering, no just hauling butt around the streets, and it's
21:44 just not quite as fun as a motorcycle. But if I was an uber rich guy, I'm
21:50 talking like tens and tens of millions of dollars in the bank
21:56 account, and I've got a 30 car subterranean garage, yes I would buy one
22:01 of these things. But if I didn't have a 30 car subterranean garage or tens of
22:06 millions of dollars in the bank account, I'm not gonna buy one of these. I think
22:11 your $26,000 would be well spent on a variety of other vehicles. Still, kudos to
22:17 Polaris for trying something different and making something that looks cool and
22:22 has some degree of function on the road. Alright folks, that's a wrap from today's
22:29 drive of the 2022 Polaris Slingshot SL. Make sure to surf on over to
22:36 MotorcyclistOnline.com. That's where all of our written content lives. Give this
22:40 video a thumbs up if you liked it, thumbs it down if you didn't, because thumbs
22:43 down are always awesome in our opinion. And we'll see you next time. Thanks for
22:47 driving with us today.
22:51 [Music]