Bringing Ride Command to every brand By the staff of Dirt Wheels
The best thing about Polaris Ride Command is that it can show you on a screen, in your Polaris UTV, where your buddies are on the trail. So, there’s no more wondering if Jeff missed a turn again or if Tim is stopped and fixing another flat tire. The worst thing about Ride Command is that every UTV in your riding group doesn’t have it. Ride Command is a proprietary technology owned by Polaris, and they are keeping it to themselves, sort of.
The Voyager Pro is a small GPS unit with a 4-inch screen that’s developed for motorcycle riders who enjoy backcountry, off-the-grid riding, just like we like to do in UTVs. It sells for $669.95 at www.trailtech.net. A mount specifically made for UTVs sells for $39.95. We installed it right on the A-pillar so it’s in close view of the driver or navigator.
Polaris purchased Trail Tech around a decade ago, and they equipped the Voyage Pro with some of the same functionalities of Ride Command in the compact unit. The unit also takes care of most GPS needs you might have. You can store tracks on a Micro SD card or track your last few trips, keeping them stored on the unit itself. You can import routes or even GeoPDFs for the next place you want to ride.
In addition to the map and Buddy Track screen, there are several other screens providing more data functions. The primary one looks like a gauge cluster, providing speed, elevation, battery voltage, trip mileage, engine temp and air temp. A media screen lets you control Bluetooth music or take phone calls. A stopwatch screen can record lap times. The sixth screen can be changed to record a variety of data, such as average speeds, max speeds, altitude and more. Finally, there is a settings menu and satellite screen.
All of the wired functions work perfect if you take the time and connect them to your vehicle’s wiring, cooling and drivetrain. For a more portable method like we use, you can simply hose clamp it to the roll cage and power the unit up with a 12-volt cigarette-style plug and all the GPS functionalities comes to life. The mapping and GPS functions work as good as any handheld GPS we have used from companies like Garmin. In fact, many motorcycle travelers on the BDR or globally use this system. Furthermore, races like King of the Motos have suggested racers use the Voyage Pro to see the plotted course.
As for the Buddy Track or Group Ride functionality, it worked great. So far we took it on several rides totaling over 300 miles of open and forested terrain. On one ride the leader had the Voyager, and we placed the two Ride Command-equipped cars in the middle and tail end of the six-car group. You could easily see the Ride Command-equipped cars on the screen. If we stretch out over five miles, the Ride Command icons would turn gray and stop moving, but once they got close again, they would move accordingly. Just knowing the cars behind you are moving is the main thing we look for. The unit did exactly what we expected it to.
Our test unit was mounted in a Can-Am X3 to the front A-pillar right in front of the driver. At a glance, the drive could easily keep an eye on the others.
If you are being left out of Polaris Group Rides because you don’t own a Polaris or don’t want the extra upcharge of $2,000–$7,000 for a Ride Command-equipped machine, the answer is simple—yes, get one. You might even ride with dirt bikers that already have the Voyager Pro, so you can connect to them, too. There are definitely larger GPS systems out there that are easier to read, but none of them will connect to the Polaris Ride Command. A tablet or phone with a cellular plan can connect to Ride Command, but you have to be within cell-service range. However, most of our ride spots are typically not within cell range. If it’s the same for you, it’s up to you to convince the rest of your friends to buy a Trail Tech Voyager Pro, too. To add one to your UTV, ATV or dirt bike for $669.95, check out www.trailtech.net or call them at (844) 378-8143, and be sure to tell them Dirt Wheels sent you.
