Safety, Operator safety, Driving downhill – Polaris 600 RUSH User Manual

Page 21: Driving in hilly terrain

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SAFETY

Operator Safety

Driving Downhill

When riding downhill, shift your weight to the rear of the snowmobile

and reduce your speed to a minimum. Apply just enough throttle to keep

the clutch engaged, allowing the engine's compression to help slow the

snowmobile and keep it from rolling freely downhill.

WARNING! When driving on long downhill stretches, pump the brakes. Riding

the brakes may cause the brake system to overheat, which may result in brake

failure. Excessive or repetitive use of the brakes for high speed stops will also

cause an overheated brake system. This condition may lead to a sudden loss of

brakes and/or fire and may result in serious injury or death.

Driving in Hilly Terrain

WARNING! Climbing a hill or crossing the face of a slope may result in loss of

balance and snowmobile rollover, causing serious injury or death. Use caution

and good judgement when driving in hilly terrain.

Use extra caution when operating in hilly terrain. If climbing a hill is

unavoidable, keep your weight low and forward. If you must cross the

face of a slope, keep your weight on the uphill side of the snowmobile to

maintain proper balance and avoid possible roll-over.
Slow down when reaching the crest of a hill. Be prepared to react to

obstacles, sharp drops or other people or vehicles that may be on the

other side of the hill.
If you're unable to continue up a hill, turn the snowmobile downhill

before it loses momentum. If this isn't possible, spin the track just

enough to dig in to prevent it from rolling back down the hill. Stop the

engine and set the parking brake (if equipped). Keeping away from the

downhill side of the snowmobile, pull the rear of the snowmobile

around and point the front end and skis downhill. Remount the snowmo-

bile, restart the engine, release the parking brake, and descend the hill

carefully.

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