Freestyle Legend Brandon Semenuk Romps Around on a Souped-Up Polaris General XP 1000

If you ever end up on the Polaris website, you'll quickly find out that the most basic General XP 1000 is selling for $24,500 (€24,600 at current exchange rates). Their purpose? To be the "very best adventure side-by-side off-road has to offer." Basically, it's the sort of vehicle you can use to access hidden portions of this planet where you typically couldn't go with your average car, truck, or SUV.

All that brings us to yet another vehicle that's been used for centuries and the basis for all things Semenuk, the bicycle. From setting records to breaking old ones, building amazing bicycle parks, and being a face for Red Bull, Brandon can be considered a peak athlete. Nonetheless, he's still a human, and you need something like the machine before us to access places that have never seen bicycles before.

What are we looking at? Nothing more than a tricked-out and optimized side-by-side that you can't buy as stock! Nonetheless, Polaris doesn't do this kind of work, so the powers that be have called upon the capabilities of an off-road customs shop from Phoenix, Arizona, a place I know all too well.

If the name Jefferies Performance doesn't ring a bell, once we're done here, you may very well be heading out to the Sonoran Desert to feel the Jefferies touch. Just so we're on the same page, this custom shop specializes in performance upgrades, complete builds, and even insurance or general maintenance. I've added a machine or two in the image gallery that isn't Semenuk's General to give you a comprehensive idea of their abilities.

So, what has gone into the General that makes it look so damn delicious? Well, a whole bunch, actually. Luckily for us, our friends over at thebrandamp have done one heck of a job putting together those juicy images you see and a brief list of what it takes to build such a monster. Mind you, if you're into mountain biking and own a side-by-side, what you see has been updated so that riding whatever trail, drop, or line you want is no longer off-limits.

The list of specs I have available doesn't reveal any modifications to the General's ProStar 1000 engine (4-stroke DOHC twin cylinder). Nonetheless, I feel Semenuk may have opted for a beefier motor. I don't know; he just seems like the sort of guy who likes speed. Nonetheless, we're told that a custom cage from JP has been installed, a Rockford Fosgate sound system, too, and KMC wheels support those knobby Yokohama tires. An HCR suspension was also implemented, and Shock Therapy valves and springs were added.

From here, it's on to specific tools that Semenuk needs on his excursions. Things like a North Shore bike rack and a bunch of Rhino-Rack gear are also thrown onto the General. Finally, all that is wrapped up by the work of Five 18 Designs, the folks responsible for the skin you see brandishing the Red Bull logo, and other crews that support Semenuk's career and lifestyle. We can see Polaris alongside teams like Trek, Sram, Yokohama, KMC, and countless others.

This machine debuted at the recent Red Bull Rampage event held on October 21, 2022, where fans of any of these brands could admire the beast before them. Heck, if you make all the right calls, you could build your own Semenuk General XP 1000. Make sure to have your checkbook ready because this gear is costly. Yet, the result is glorious, to say the least.