2011 high engagement

[ryama]

HI....I wonder if anyone has found a simple way to lower the engagement on the 2011 Apex. We ride northern Quebec and have a minimal amount of studs in our tracks. These newer Apex's have such a abrupt initial engagement from a standstill that it difficult to have a smooth take off. I would like to do a spring change but do not want to experiment with a bunch of springs and hope to draw on some one else experience if possible.

 

[yamahahaapex]

what are you seeing for engagement? Been through a ton of springs and I cant remember what stock was. I think it was a b-s-b and was pretty reasonable if I remember

 

[ryama]

HI....I wonder if anyone has found a simple way to lower the engagement on the 2011 Apex. We ride northern Quebec and have a minimal amount of studs in our tracks. These newer Apex's have such a abrupt initial engagement from a standstill that it difficult to have a smooth take off. I would like to do a spring change but do not want to experiment with a bunch of springs and hope to draw on some one else experience if possible.

I thought I would bring this back up as I never found a good solution to this problem. This is not my sled, but my friends and he was out again today and complaining about this. It seem the problem is worse in reverse and really seems to annoy him.

 

[Grimm]

Abrupt engagement is not what a 2011 Apex has in my experience...the primary spring (B-S-B) already has a light initial spring load to begin with @35 pounds. You could try swapping out this primary spring with an even lighter one, perhaps a W-P-W one, which has 5 pounds less initial spring preload.

Is it possible that your friend has a clutch kit installed? Sometimes a clutch kit can increase engagement rpms and thus a harsher engagement.

Else, there may be an issue with the clutches being dirty, sticking weights, worn belt, etc.

 

[Riceburner]

Posted by Ulmer 3 years ago.

Yamaha Pink-Blue-Pink (20 intial rate, 119 finish rate) is a spring that was new for 2009. It will have roughly 1500 rpm lower engagement than stock and has the same finish rate as stock. Part number 90501-600A1-00.
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[Sasquatch]

Abrupt engagement is not what a 2011 Apex has in my experience...the primary spring (B-S-B) already has a light initial spring load to begin with @35 pounds. .

I agree my 2011 engages so smooth I can take off in deep loose powder without spinning the track. Now if I hit the throttle ever so slightly harder it spins!

 

[titanrcr]

HI....I wonder if anyone has found a simple way to lower the engagement on the 2011 Apex. We ride northern Quebec and have a minimal amount of studs in our tracks. These newer Apex's have such a abrupt initial engagement from a standstill that it difficult to have a smooth take off. I would like to do a spring change but do not want to experiment with a bunch of springs and hope to draw on some one else experience if possible.

I agree. The stock clutching has a horrible engagement. Very jerky on takeoff and doesn't pinch the belt hard enough which creates lots of belt dust and will wear grooves down low in the primary sheaves. Without changing anything else you could run a Hauck black spring. I had one in my 2011 two weeks ago it corrected the engagement issue and also gave me 10500 shift rpm which is the same as my stock spring. I put a new stock spring in on my last ride and the crappy engagement was right there again. Hauck spring is going back in next time out. There are some clutch kits out there that will lower the engagement and should cure the problem also. Hope this helps.

 

[Millinocket Rocket]

My '11 has this problem too....sometimes it hits so hard it feels like it's going to snap the chain, or at least stretch it out. Is that the best cure without losing top end ...change to a softer initial rate spring? I can't even remember what it engages at, but it hits too hard. And it only has 2000 miles on it, so I wouldn't think bushings or rollers would be worn yet.

 

[titanrcr]

My '11 has this problem too....sometimes it hits so hard it feels like it's going to snap the chain, or at least stretch it out. Is that the best cure without losing top end ...change to a softer initial rate spring? I can't even remember what it engages at, but it hits too hard. And it only has 2000 miles on it, so I wouldn't think bushings or rollers would be worn yet.

Yes, A lower initial preload will give a lower engagement but you also need the correct spring rate and final force for the setup to work properly. The Hauck black spring will give a nice smooth engagement compared to the stock 2011 and up Apex spring and will also have the correct shift speed without the need to change your primary weights or secondary setup. It's a cheap 25-$30 fix for the jerky engagement. I have ridden 6 different eps Apexes and they all have this issue.

 

[meatman]

High engagement

In the last couple of rides my wife has been noticing a higher than normal engagement. Up to almost 5k. I took the primary cover off and the sheeve is sticking. I cleaned it up and now engagement is back to 3600. Amazing what belt dust will do. Before spending any money on it clean both clutches check for binding. Just my 2c. This happened on my 2011 apex xtx. Just haven't changed my profile yet. Only 2300kms

 

[ryama]

Posted by Ulmer 3 years ago.

Yamaha Pink-Blue-Pink (20 intial rate, 119 finish rate) is a spring that was new for 2009. It will have roughly 1500 rpm lower engagement than stock and has the same finish rate as stock. Part number 90501-600A1-00.
_________________
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Put the for mentioned spring in and the sled has a nice smooth engagement > Thank You for sharing this information. This is what makes this site so great.

 

[xtx]

Is there any loss in performance by putting this spring in ? Like take off , mid range , or top end

 

[sx7001]

Posted by Ulmer 3 years ago.

Yamaha Pink-Blue-Pink (20 intial rate, 119 finish rate) is a spring that was new for 2009. It will have roughly 1500 rpm lower engagement than stock and has the same finish rate as stock. Part number 90501-600A1-00.
_________________
You're not buying just a product, you're buying the customer service & knowledge of Ulmer Racing to go with it!
Ulmer Racing tech/order support email us before sending us a PM here. Srxspec@Gwtc.net

Put the for mentioned spring in and the sled has a nice smooth engagement > Thank You for sharing this information. This is what makes this site so great.

11+ apex's use a spring with less finish rate than previous models. That spring is a little stiff... It is alot stiffer through the whole shift also.

 

[Millinocket Rocket]

Now I'm confused with the different opinions..lol, I might try cleaning up the primary first, but I'm still surprised it would get sticky with only 2k on it...

 

[sx7001]

I think alot of people are feeling the excessive belt side clearance in the primary if you hit the throttle fast. It takes some time to get used to it but when you do you can snap it in or pull away smooth. Side clearance can be shimmed out but then you get in to belt width issues. These 4 strokers come with heavy flat profile weights to grab hard on engagement, combine that with lots of belt side clearance an you get a hard hit. Play with the flipper, takes time........