1st Impressions on Sidewinder LTX SE

[rnusr01]

Hi All,

Just got back from ME on my first ride of the season and thought I would provide my experience, first on a Yamaha FYI as I have always had doo's.

Fit and Finish - Overall quality of sled is very good, my only gripes are removing the seat and side panels as it takes more work than necessary. Oh and the sharp metal clip that holds the seat on, caught my skin on that a couple times and gives ya a decent cut.

Ergonomics/Layout - This is all personal preference here but not a big fan of the gauges and layout. Difficult to read when in motion and too small, A larger screen or non digital gauge might help. Its not bad but could use improvement. Handlebars-seat-posture is very good and provokes confidence when riding. I do not like the key placement as it is difficult to access with gloves on. Also the park brake lever is a bit cumbersome. A really nice feature is to have the ability to turn the key on and have lights on without engine running, very good safety feature at night if pulled over.

Handling - As snow conditions changed so did the sled as with all of them. The ski's have a lot to do with this and there is a ton of information here regarding this subject. Tuners SUCK. Push, over-steer, dart, hard to turn and changes with both temperature and snow conditions. In the right conditions with the skis responding ok the sled handles very good and feels pretty nimble. Smooth, responsive, and corners very well. I will be changing the ski's to either curves or 6.9's

Suspension - I am a bigger guy at 250lbs but I thought the suspension was excellent overall. The rear could use less compression dampening (did not adjust any settings yet) bet thought it soaked up bumps and woops very well.

Engine - EXCEPTIONAL. Smooth, linear with a nice kick when the turbo hits, very responsive. I was hoping for a bit more top end but could have been conditions. 30*F, 2000 above sea level, across lake with a couple inches of fresh powder. I got 103 at 8250rpm which seems a bit low, the donuts that morning probably didn't help either. LOL. So I ran a few times against my buddies with 2017 doo 850's. Out of the hole till top speed of 103 I beat them by about 10 sled lengths which was excellent.

Other - There is a strange vibration at about 4500rpm doing around 25mph when lightly on and off the throttle which is really annoying. Cany figure it out. Any ideas? Seems like a plate or bracket but sounds like its coming from the clutch.

Thanks

 

[budman 1000]

Good write up, and welcome here! The vibration may be the track drivers as it takes them some time for them to wear in. Glad to hear you performed well against the Doo 850's

 

[SEVS11]

Hi All,

Just got back from ME on my first ride of the season and thought I would provide my experience, first on a Yamaha FYI as I have always had doo's.

Fit and Finish - Overall quality of sled is very good, my only gripes are removing the seat and side panels as it takes more work than necessary. Oh and the sharp metal clip that holds the seat on, caught my skin on that a couple times and gives ya a decent cut.

Ergonomics/Layout - This is all personal preference here but not a big fan of the gauges and layout. Difficult to read when in motion and too small, A larger screen or non digital gauge might help. Its not bad but could use improvement. Handlebars-seat-posture is very good and provokes confidence when riding. I do not like the key placement as it is difficult to access with gloves on. Also the park brake lever is a bit cumbersome. A really nice feature is to have the ability to turn the key on and have lights on without engine running, very good safety feature at night if pulled over.

Handling - As snow conditions changed so did the sled as with all of them. The ski's have a lot to do with this and there is a ton of information here regarding this subject. Tuners SUCK. Push, over-steer, dart, hard to turn and changes with both temperature and snow conditions. In the right conditions with the skis responding ok the sled handles very good and feels pretty nimble. Smooth, responsive, and corners very well. I will be changing the ski's to either curves or 6.9's

Suspension - I am a bigger guy at 250lbs but I thought the suspension was excellent overall. The rear could use less compression dampening (did not adjust any settings yet) bet thought it soaked up bumps and woops very well.

Engine - EXCEPTIONAL. Smooth, linear with a nice kick when the turbo hits, very responsive. I was hoping for a bit more top end but could have been conditions. 30*F, 2000 above sea level, across lake with a couple inches of fresh powder. I got 103 at 8250rpm which seems a bit low, the donuts that morning probably didn't help either. LOL. So I ran a few times against my buddies with 2017 doo 850's. Out of the hole till top speed of 103 I beat them by about 10 sled lengths which was excellent.

Other - There is a strange vibration at about 4500rpm doing around 25mph when lightly on and off the throttle which is really annoying. Cany figure it out. Any ideas? Seems like a plate or bracket but sounds like its coming from the clutch.

Thanks

The Vibration you are experiencing is the two secondary bushings that are worn or too loose on the shaft from new. We all had that same issue and once we got custom ones made(Yamaha ones are junk) our issue was gone.

 

[journeyman]

Thanks for the honest review. Hope Yamaha takes note of all the issues and fixes them. The one that gets me the most are the skis. I haven't heard much good about Tuners. I hear no complaints on the Cat skis. Darn near everything else is Cat, might as well use their skis too.

 

[rnusr01]

The Vibration you are experiencing is the two secondary bushings that are worn or too loose on the shaft from new. We all had that same issue and once we got custom ones made(Yamaha ones are junk) our issue was gone.

Hi and thanks for the reply. Can you recommend an aftermarket set?

 

[Doc Harley]

So, why leave the doo crew behind?

 

[Pstn head]

Hi and thanks for the reply. Can you recommend an aftermarket set?

Curves

 

[PowderFalcon]

Hi and thanks for the reply. Can you recommend an aftermarket set?

I use Pilot 6.9's and they rail on the trails!!

 

[up.mi.man]

i have slp mohawks and love them.

 

[up.mi.man]

 

[up.mi.man]

GREAT AMERICAN SKI TEST PART IV: THE MOHAWK SNOWMOBILE SKI BY SLP


Oh, my God! What was it I pulled out of the box, labeled Starting Line Products? Was it a black roller coaster? Was the plastic thingy with bumps on it from outer space or the deep sea? Nope. The skis from SLP were all about wow! These things are what make for some very pleasant snow dreams in the twisted mind of a techie.



I’d seen the pictures, I’d heard a few reports, I just had to get me some of them there MoHawk skis and test those bad boys out! I immediately reached out to Jerry Matthews, owner of Starting Line Products, and told him I craved a set of these skis for a shoot-out style test. He readily agreed and understood that I called the shots as I see them and there could only be one winner.



Speaking of which, the reigning kings of skis, the Curve XS, deserved a shot against this new ski, and so do you, the loyal followers of this column. Do the new MoHawk skis best the Curve XS’? Are they champs or just chumps? At this level of competition you can’t stay at the top of the heap forever – or can you? Buckle your chinstraps, as we are about to embark on a wild ride.







Once in my hand, products always get the acid test and the chips fall where they may. I pull no punches and speak the truth as I see it. After all it’s my integrity at stake here. If it works it gets a thumbs up, if not, I work with the vendor to sort out any issues that arise or questions relating to fitment or performance. I appreciate business owners lending me products for testing, and by the way, I receive no remuneration for this article or free gifts from the manufacturers. ‘Nuff said on that one.



READ OTHER SLEDMASS SNOWMOBILE SKI TESTS:


The Great American Ski Test: Part I

The Great American Ski Test: Part II



With the ground rules set, a large package soon arrived on my doorstep. I unboxed the skis and noticed how much wider the MoHawks are than the stock SLP Straight Line Tracking skis or stock boards from Cat. Now for you technical types, the tale of the tape is as follows: MoHawk skis: Width 7.5 inches, weight 7.4 lbs each, tip to tail 39 3/8 inches. SLT skis: Width 6 inches, weight 6.13 lbs each, tip to tail 39 1/8 inches. The weight includes saddles, loops, six-inch carbides and all hardware. It does not include ski rubbers.




The MoHawk ski hardware is top notch and fits well.



The new MoHawks have a somewhat deeper keel than my trusty SLTs but that may be because of the high miles and the resulting wear. They also have a very pronounced patented rocker-type pattern to the center keel for deep snow tracking and precision in the corners. The top rails are raised in a roller coaster-type fashion, higher in the front, lower in the rear, and laced with bumps on top, which aid traction when you get stuck.



The outer edges of the skis are deep on the bottom and higher on the top, following that curved pattern mentioned above. See the photos for details. This edge design helps the ski maintain more precision in the corners, both on and off-trail, by “plowing” the snow in corners.



The MoHawk are touted as being made for the crossover, rider-forward sleds of today. As usual, the test mule for this shoot-out is my venerable 2010 Arctic Cat Z1, non-turbo, four-stroke, without studs. So, why would groomed-trail riders like these wider skis? Let’s examine some ski physics. A wider ski planes up better off-trail: Check. A wider ski corners better in loose snow on groomed trails: Check. A wider ski seems to “fit” the look of the sled better: Half check! With all these checks, they should add up to better performance, right? You betcha!



Assembling the components revealed many nice touches the boys from Idaho Falls include, such as stainless steel and aluminum fasteners, and Loctite to keep them fastened. Instructions were easy to understand with lots of pictures. I like pictures! Set-up tips for Arctic Cat’s came with the package. Call before ordering and they will help with your particular brand. Boy, those guys think of everything! Note that the literature pronounces “unbreakable ski loops” but it also states not to tow the sled by the ski loop. Always tow using the spindle, a wise practice across the board.



I used SLP’s six-inch carbides, part #35-123, torqued to spec and installed the saddles on the skis. This is where I made a mistake. You should instead install the saddle on the spindle first, then the ski to the saddle. Odd, but that’s what is required for the Z1 Super Kitty. The ski rubbers were not included, so I used the stock Cat ones. I mounted the ski saddle combo in the rear hole of the saddle, thus putting the ski most forward.








With the ski wars heating up as much as they are, just the slightest tweak here and adjustment there can make huge differences on the trail. Make no mistake about it, any aftermarket ski will garner riders more performance than stock. The yellow brand riders (Ski-Doo for you folks that live in the backwoods) might argue with that statement, as they seem to have the best OEM skis out there, but I still stand by what I say. Try it, you may like it!



The initial test day looked promising, with conditions to match. My heart was pounding the first time I tried the skis and carbide combo. I was immediately stunned, the skis seemed to be made for the sled. Effortless turns, just like the power steering sensation I get from the SLT’s that I run on a regular basis.



Okay, let’s start slow and get the feel, then turn the heat up. But these skis just begged to be challenged. I still held off, going many miles until I felt confident of the next tier of speed. The more I pushed, the harder the skis bit into the turn. Amazing. A powder ski that turns like a true trail ski! Time to slow down and head off-trail in my heavy four-stroke, just to see what happens. I was certain it would bog down and make me beg the snow gods for mercy, but no, they planed up very well. So much so that my confidence increased and I began to play in the soft stuff. Nice!



Even though you may not go off-trail that often, it’s nice to know you can when you need to. Take for example a typical U-turn on a tight trail that forces you off the hard-pack and into the fluff. With the MoHawks, you just glide right around. I’m liking it!



So, how do they stack up against the SLP Straight Line Tracking, Simmons original Flexi-Ski, C&A RZ Razors and the Curve XS Skis? The C&A’s have the solid look and feel of a race ski, the SLT’s have that smooth power steering feel, the Simmons have the shock absorption and ultra precise cornering, and the Curve XS’ combine all those good points and just flat out rock across the board. But the MoHawks had another idea, like stealing the show. How they did it is a testament to the tenacity and testing by the gang at Starting Line Products. I can just imagine the dozens of hours of on-snow testing performed, and know that every Starting Line Product reeks of quality, through and through.



Turning precision of the MoHawks was buttery smooth, even on bombed-out washboard trails, and the nubs on the top rail of the ski worked as advertised with the best boot traction I have yet seen. This really helps for those unexpected off-trail excursions that happen every so often, giving you that extra measure of confidence knowing you can recover quicker.



I’m now a real believer in the wider skis for us groomed-trail riders, as the benefits of easy off-trail turnarounds, un-groomed connector trails, and virgin powder on top of the trail make the ride that much more enjoyable and safer. There was no special setup for cornering needed, just go in and put the skis wherever you want in the turn, apex down low, down the center, it was just another day at the office for these boards.



It’s funny how these skis just give zero negative feedback to the handlebars, no chatter, no back and forth movement, or bad vibes at all. I tried the optional Keel Blade with four-inch carbide combo on the ski, which works well enough to earn most snowmobilers’ trust, but they didn’t have the precision of the six-inch, 60-degree, carbide. Most riders won’t know the difference, but for the aggressive gang out there you will love these skis with the 6 x 60 set-up.



For the crossover segment, these skis are a must-have as they are not a full-blown, on-trail or off-trail ski, they are a combination of just the right ingredients of both. In reverse gear the ski does what it is supposed to do and again no surprises. One side note is that since the skis are wider, loading on a two-place trailer gets tricky as you have to overlap the skis of the two sleds in the center of the trailer in order to fit. I’ll take that any day for a product that rules the trail.

 

[Caveman]

A good new SW sled review turns into a 400 word post about SLP Mohawk skis that sounds like it was written by the Marketing VP. OK then, I might have to try them.. on my wife's sled.

 

[up.mi.man]

Sorry I thought I was sending the link.

 

[rnusr01]

So, why leave the doo crew behind?

Wanted to try something different. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the sleds today its just a matter of preference and style.