2 regrets about buying snowtrackers

[Sasquatch]

First is why didn't I listen and buy them sooner? No I had to be Mr Sceptical! I could have been enjoying these on my Warrior!

Second is why didn't I buy the aggresive bar? Again Mr. Sceptical!

With a thousand miles on them so far all I can say is they work! Darting is all but eliminated! What little there is in some conditions is so slight that its not worth talking about. Mainly because just turn the bars and go wherever you want at any time.

My shoulders and elbows would get sore even with the power steering. The stock ski's pushed so bad and darted all over the place that they scared the he!! out of me. I ran my Curves and they bit the trail but at a price to my arms. I tried the Simmons I have but still hard on the arms. Both where way better then on my old RX because of the power steering on the Apex but after days of riding my arms ached!

With the Snowtrackers I had bite in the corners without any extra force needed on the bars. I had no pain in the arms after even a 200 mile day or chasing Stiener for 60 miles from Lac Du Bonnet and back after a long day of riding.

I did have a bit of push on one day of riding after a 8 inch snowfall (everyone did) and with aggressive Snowtracker I hope to eliminate or reduce that. Every other day the Snowtrackers bit well in the corners and made me want more bar. In the straights they just tracked true and went where they where pointed. With the power steering and the trackers the steering is so easy that words do not describe the effect. You can steer with two fingers even at speed and letting right off the throttle so all weight is on the ski's. Something that made my Curves or Simmons bite in so hard that you had to strong arm the bars and even then sometimes they would not turn.

They never scared me once and just like the Curves if you pushed them hard in a corner ski lift happens. Went around a few corners with one ski off the snow but the remaining ski stayed on track, no darting no sliding no drama!

Anyone sitting on the fence about these I say no worry's mate they work as advertised. Biggest thing is straight ahead with 0 toe. I changed no other settings. I do run my limiters loose on the front of my XTX not sucked up like some do.

As a side note I can see that with the way they grip if you don't set the toe right bad handling is a reality! So if you don't know what your doing get someone who does! Set up wrong they could be a handful! If in doubt follow Snowtrackers instructions!

 

[kidastra]

I want to say I told you so, but don't think I ever did!

 

[4strokeluvr111]

So even with EPS the stock setup would still leave you with sore shoulders? OMG! I'm just about ready to pull the trigger on a 2014 Vector LTX and are expecting my arthritic shoulders to be a lot better off with the EPS!

Maybe I need to rethink this all as I don't want to put Snowtrackers on.

 

[canadian nytro]

I have a 2011 apex se with tuners the EPS makes a huge difference you will notice a big change compared to a yamaha sled without EPS. Most other riders in my group are getting pretty beat by the 3rd day and I used to feel that way not anymore just want to keep riding! I don't think you need to have snowtrackers but I'm going to have to try them so many people rave about them!

Why don't you want to run snowtrackers 4SLuvr11?

 

[thrasher]

Had a chance this past weekend to ride my buddies 2014 Apex xtx with eps and tuner skis.
Eps is the real deal, almost no effort to steer this thing and tracks pretty much like my machine with aggressive snowtrackers. I think sore shoulders would be a thing of the past with eps, as you could steer this thing with two broken arms.

 

[steiner]

My buddy has a 2012 Apex. We traded sleds for a day. Rode about 150 miles. Didn't feel the difference in the ease of turning the bars until it was time to load the sleds on the trailer.
This is were I noticed how easy it was to turn the bars with the EPS compared to my Snowtracker equiped Attak. Never noticed any difference in the trails.
My Attak steering is feels very light thru the bars with the Snowtrackers on. Did over 450 miles in a day and the only place I was sore was in the knees.
Arms and shoulder were just fine.

Maybe one day Snowtracker will set kviper and I (and maybe Sasquatch with such a nice write up them) up with some free swag for all the bragging we do for them.

 

[snowbeast]

Had a chance this past weekend to ride my buddies 2014 Apex xtx with eps and tuner skis.
Eps is the real deal, almost no effort to steer this thing and tracks pretty much like my machine with aggressive snowtrackers. I think sore shoulders would be a thing of the past with eps, as you could steer this thing with two broken arms.

So tell me more about the 14 xtx,as that is the sled I am about to snow check,a 2015 which should be same as 14,so it did not push in the tight turns,and stayed flat/ How was the ride good as a shortie or same,feel as fast as a shortie?

 

[Preacher]

Sasquatch, now that you are running snowtrackers what ski are you running? OEM single keel on the Warrior and tuner on the XTX?

 

[4strokeluvr111]

I have a 2011 apex se with tuners the EPS makes a huge difference you will notice a big change compared to a yamaha sled without EPS. Most other riders in my group are getting pretty beat by the 3rd day and I used to feel that way not anymore just want to keep riding! I don't think you need to have snowtrackers but I'm going to have to try them so many people rave about them!

Why don't you want to run snowtrackers 4SLuvr11?

Nobody that I've ridden with has them, they are expensive and I can't afford to try them just on somebody's recommendation. Ski's fall into the same category. I have had such good luck with Woody's Doolies over the years that I'll sacrifice some corner push for ZERO darting ever. I HATE darting!

 

[03RX1-ER-LE]

I have a 2011 apex se with tuners the EPS makes a huge difference you will notice a big change compared to a yamaha sled without EPS. Most other riders in my group are getting pretty beat by the 3rd day and I used to feel that way not anymore just want to keep riding! I don't think you need to have snowtrackers but I'm going to have to try them so many people rave about them!

Why don't you want to run snowtrackers 4SLuvr11?

Nobody that I've ridden with has them, they are expensive and I can't afford to try them just on somebody's recommendation. Ski's fall into the same category. I have had such good luck with Woody's Doolies over the years that I'll sacrifice some corner push for ZERO darting ever. I HATE darting!

Running Doolies on all my sleds with stock skis, no darting and great handling. Would never be without a dual runner carbide again.

 

[Cummins6.7pwr]

Great write up, Sasquatch! I am in the same postion as you and would copy everything you wrote. It is like you are reading my mind! I wish I would have tried them long ago on my warrior as well! LOVE THE SNOWTRACKERS!

 

[thrasher]

In response to mnmsnowbeast. My reference will be my own 06 Vector with aggressive snowtrackers. The 2014 Apex XTX was stock as far as I know. Power was fantastic, instant acceleration, really smooth and no hint of any hesitation. The rear suspension for me was surprisingly more plush than I expected. My buddy was finding it a bit stiff. He's about 160 lbs, and I push 250 lbs geared up. Considering this is a 144" skid, I may have felt a little extra push in the corners, but not much. The EPS thru me off a little I must admit. I kept thinking that I would have to muscle thru the tight corners as I need to do with my sled, but realized that there was no need. You could literally steer this sled with 2 fingers. I don't understand "steiner"'s comments on not noticing the EPS until putting it on the trailer, unless only going in a straight line at hyperspeed. The difference is night and day, like regular Yamaha skis and skis with SnowTrackers with regards to darting. Anyhow, cornered as flat as my Vector, which was good considering the higher riding position. A very comfy and thickly padded seat. Very quick compared to my Vector, with the long track very little track spin and instant hook-up. He did have it studded with 3 picks per row, just remembered that as remembered commenting to him on the number of studs. Snow conditions that day were a very grippy hard pack. Was very impressed with the sled, could have ridden it all day ( I ride my own sled all day as it is) and didn't really want to get off of it and ride my sled, but didn't want to wreck his brand new sled. I think this would be a great sled for those who want the best of both worlds, off trail play and groomed trail riding. If riding strictly groomed trails, I would go with the 136" length, just because I couldn't believe the 144" track did so well on the trail. If pushed really hard I can't say, because that's not the way I ride. My buddy seems really impressed and is coming off an 06 Apex. Switching with my sled brought back memories of his old Polaris 600 triple XLT-12 for him, was an excellent day all around.

 

[ROCKERDAN]

the big problem we found with snowtrackers was a fairly big DROP in fuel economy.....

on a 600etec where MPG was 3 MORE then an 800etec,

after installing the snowtrackers, the 600etec now got exact same MPG as the 800.

the problem with the trackers is they make the sled plow thru SOFT snow. They are best in firm/icy or hard trails...but anything else, they plow badly, when you let off the throttle the sled nearly throws you over the bars. Due to this the MPG suffers badly.

If you have them, use them only for hard rutted up trails and then swap over to a different ski on normal days.

IMO not worth the money overal, unless you MUST have something that is ultra light feeling due to tendinitis or shoulder injuries ect.

But you can achieve light steering simply by using lesser carbide too, and they will push about same as a snowtracker, they do push and the softer it gets the worse the STs push.

Dan

 

[STAIN]

Don"t rocks and debris get caught in them during road crossings? I used catch rocks in my tuner ski. We have a lot of road crossings on our local trails and some road riding.

 

[steiner]

the big problem we found with snowtrackers was a fairly big DROP in fuel economy.....

Never tried them on a Doo but on a Yamaha I did not find a drop in mpg.
Drove with 7 other Apex during the TY Ride. Three of them equiped with Trackers. Fuel economy was about the same on all 7 sleds.

when you let off the throttle the sled nearly throws you over the bars.

I find that every 4 stroke has alot of engine braking and throws you forward when suddenly letting off the throttle and they will also "submarine" in the powder under the same conditions, Trackers or no Trackers.