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2015 Polaris Slingshot: Three Wheels And A Prayer

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Polaris, the powersports giant, moves from off-road, snow and slush directly onto the pavement with its new three-wheeled motorcycle, the Slingshot, and a prayer that enthusiasts will embrace the hot rod two-seater.

Polaris makes a wide range of powersports equipment, including Victory and Indian motorcycles, Polaris snowmobiles, side-by-sides, ATVs and GEM Electric Motorcars.

The Slingshot is unlike any conventional motorcycle, with two wheels up front and one in the rear. That may sound like the Can-Am Spyder -- but the Slingshot is an entirely different animal.

At first glance, the Slingshot looks for all the world like an exotic car. It has an open cockpit, and angular polymer body panels that define a low, wedge-shaped profile. The bodywork hangs on a tubular steel frame, dressing the vehicle without attempting to conceal its skeleton. It's got three headlights, a lower air splitter, and two big exposed car-like 17" x 7" wheels (18" x 7.5" on the SL model) connected to the power-assisted rack and pinion steering with double wishbone suspension, coil over springs and a sway bar -- very performance car-like.

But the 2015 Polaris Slingshot is not a car. It is a three-wheeled motorcycle.

This distinction is very important to Polaris, and it's very important to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The fact that the Slingshot has been classified as a motorcycle means that it is not loaded down with airbags, bumpers, crash protection, a collapsing steering column and other car safety equipment. It has not been subjected to crash testing. The Slingshot's classification as a motorcycle is the only reason that it made it through development and into production. As a car, the Slingshot never would have made it.

The Slingshot is a motorcycle, and requires a motorcycle operator's license or endorsement in order to be ridden on public streets. Drivers -- I mean riders -- and passengers will have to conform to motorcycle helmet laws. The Slingshot will be eligible to be licensed and insured as a motorcycle in all 50 states, and presumably will be entitled to the same privileges (what few there are) that are accorded to other motorcycles, like access to carpool and HOV lanes, reduced tolls and motorcycle parking.

The Slingshot seats two riders side by side in its weatherproof open air cockpit. Riders sit in adjustable seats that look more like car seats than saddles, complete with a pair of three-point safety belts. The pilot sits on the left, and uses automobile-style hand and foot controls to drive/ride the vehicle. There's a tilting steering wheel, three foot pedals (clutch/brake/throttle) and a manual gear selector/stick shifter on the center console. There's a locking glove compartment, and two locking storage compartments (one behind each seat).

Out back, the single 18" x 9.5" (20" x 9" on SL) wheel wears proprietary Slingshot-branded Kenda rubber with symmetrical tread. An aluminum swingarm connects the wheel to the frame, and a carbon fiber reinforced final drive belt conveys power to the wheel. In isolation, the rear wheel rig looks very motorcycle-like.

Under the front-hinged hood lurks a GM Ecotec 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder gasoline engine with liquid-cooling, dual overhead cams and variable valve timing, tuned to produce 173 hp and 166 lb-ft of torque. It's the same basic engine that powered the late, lamented (by some) Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky, hooked up to a conventional five-speed manual transmission with a reverse gear. The Slingshot can carry 9.77 gallons of gas in its tank, and it prefers 91-octane Premium.

The Slingshot is light (about 1,725 - 1,743 lbs, depending on equipment), it's very low to the ground (5.0" of clearance and a seat height of about 11"). It is designed to keep all three wheels stay on the ground, with standard traction control, electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes.

One of the unique strengths of the Slingshot and a major attraction will be the side-by-side riding position. It will not be difficult to convince friends, dates, even hitchhikers to ride along in the Slingshot's passenger seat, and if you equipped your lids with helmet-to-helmet communications, you could even have a conversation while riding together. There will be no learning curve for the passenger, and no pillion shame, either.

Two models of Slingshot will be available at launch. The base model ($19,999) comes in Titanium Metallic and gets 17" front wheels and an 18" rear wheel. The Slinghot SL ($23,999) gets 18" front wheels and a 20" hoop in the back, and arrives slathered in a coat of red paint. The SL has a blade windscreen, six speakers and a media console with a 4.3" LCD screen with a backup camera and Bluetooth integration. Polaris will produce a mess of accessories for the Slingshot -- they're very good at that. And if 173 hp isn't enough for you, there are plenty of aftermarket providers who have figured out how to get more power out of that GM lump, if you are willing to wait out (or void) the 2-year warranty from Polaris.

There are a few three-wheel motorcycle competitors out there. There are trikes (one wheel front, two wheels rear), a few conversions, and there's the Can-Am Spyder with two wheels front/one rear and inline seating. The $54,000 Morgan 3 Wheeler is an English car with a V-twin engine, two wheels front/one rear and side-by-side seating -- can't wait to try that one, but I expect a much more sedate experience than the Slingshot. The $65,000 Campagna T-Rex is probably the closest competitor for the Slingshot, running with a BMW1,600 cc motorcycle engine and a motorcycle transmission.

I could see using the Slingshot as a fun weekend ride, or even as a sleek commuter. I have to quote Polaris one more time, just to reiterate: "Slingshot is a 3-wheeled motorcycle. It is not an automobile, it does not have airbags, and it does not meet automotive safety standards." When you ride a Slingshot, you're assuming the same safety risks that you do when you ride a motorcycle, so don't get lulled into a false sense of security because there's some bodywork around you. This is a very risky vehicle to ride, just like any other motorcycle. It's low enough that it could go unnoticed by larger vehicles in certain situations; and it is definitely fast enough to cause some real damage to its riders in an accident. If you're willing to assume the risk, manage it carefully and you a thrilling ride could be ahead of you.