Surprisingly, other than the Polaris’ stock images, I couldn’t find ANYTHING on it anywhere in the web that could give me the insight to decide if I needed it or not.
So, I did what any of us would do in that scenario… I purchased it anyway.
The box itself is sturdy, heavy and well made. It was bigger than I anticipated, and has space for a lot of things.
Due to the Rotopax gas tank mod on my Sportsman, I wasn’t able to use the Lock and Ride anchors that came with the box’s mounting kit (sold separately) which included two anchors and two ratchet tie-downs for $30.00.
The reason for this was that because the box was sitting a few more inches to the front of the bike than it was supposed to, the anchors would not hold the bottom of the box like it was designed to because if this.
As a result, riding the bike could get a bit cramped if you’re a big guy.
So, I had to use just the ratchet tie-down straps to hold the box firmly in place. They got the job done, but they defeat the purpose of the lock & ride system that I purchased the box for in the first place.
I rode a few miles with it, and the box started to slide a bit, but I stuck those small round felt pads that are used to avoid scratching furniture on the four bottom corners of the box and that did the trick.
The box’s lid is closed and held down by rubber anchors. The one thing I didn’t like is that the lid has these rubber anchors on BOTH sides, it has no hinges, so it’s impossible to open up the lid and leave it open while you search for what you need. You have to either use one one hand to hold it open or remove the lid completely
The inside of the box has two plastic dividers to keep stuff from rolling around from side to side. They are too filmsy for my liking, but hopefully they will hold well. What I would have liked for the box to have inside was anchors on the sides to use bungie cords to further restrain the cargo in place. I will try to use suction cups with hooks and see how they work.
All in all, this is a nice, roomy box. But with what I know now (about the poor lock and ride system implementation, the lack of a lid hinge, and the rubber tie downs) would I still had purchased it?
Probably not. But then again, Polaris isn’t giving us newer Touring owners much choices to begin with.
