anyone else have a stiff xtx?

[maim]

viperdave can confirm this but I think I might have the stiffest xtx I have ever seen.

I weigh in around the 250lb mark and haul a set of saddle bags on the sled loaded with min 20lb of gear I use at times on the trail.

springs are on full soft and shock is on full soft. sled has 2000+ mi on it and when I sit on it, it barely moves. I think I have bottomed the rear once on an OMG bump that I hit the seat pan on.

when viperdave sits on it it is perfect for him and he is larger than I am. my springs are supposed to be the same part # as his yet his has to be on full hard for him with spacers and is too soft. for me his is perfect.

getting tired of being beat to death in the ripples.

wondering if anyone else has had this problem or am I just lucky?

 

[vx700xtc]

We had an XTX, couldnt stand the beating and sold it,,, back to the mono for me.

 

[Cummins6.7pwr]

I love my '11 XTX. I have the rear set at full soft with full transfer and the clicker is at 3 clicks from full soft. Front shock is at factory setting and limiters are pulled up one hole. Have you inspected your skid to make sure all of the pivot points are greased up and moving properly? I have heard from others that they think the XTX rides like a lumberwagon, but I love mine!

 

[sgauthier]

what he said. i have mine setup pretty much the same as Cummins with my front rear shock set softer as well since ,we can load the front without any increase in steering effort. my compression is 4 from fully soft (and I go up 2 when it gets rougher) and springs set at medium and i only weigh 210lbs dressed. rides and handles fine for me. I have at least 2" sit in on the suspension but you need that so that you use the whole travel. maybe the Star suspension kit is for you. lots of guys have it and really like it.

 

[maim]

I replaced the track in the off season and inspected the entire skid while I had it out. Everything moved fine then. I keep bottoming the front skid shock but the back barely moves on that same hit. I defrost it after every ride to make shure nothing binds up while checking it over. Only way it flexes is if someone sits on rear bumper with me on seat.

 

[Murse]

Are you keeping it well greased? Had a buddy with an XTX it needed a lot of grease and playing with in order to get it moving before a ride last year.

 

[ratman]

Sounds like water has got into the front shock and is freezing up.
I had that once on a doo.
..in the end, without the suspension absorbing the load, the impacts broke the a arms.
If the shock will not compress, get it out of there.

 

[maim]

Nurse, I have it greased with a waterproof grease that I need to sandblast my hands to get it off when I grease it. Only had 1000 km since I greased it last and the grease does not spread easily. Stays right where you put it.

Ratman, I know the front skid shock is valved too soft but the same was true of my fronts. Put a set of gytr clicker shocks on it and the bottoming was almost eliminated last season. Favorite trail has perfect rhythm section for testing set ups. If the skis miss it and the front of the track hits it, I bottom the front of the skid and the back pops up and nails me in the nether regions.

When I stand on it with my feet at the rear mount point, I can feel the skid pivoting around the mount but I need to flex my knees or my feet leave the running board.

 

[geez150]

my xtx is the same it doesn't move much when I sit on it and I had my shocks valved softer, I have not been able to ride the sled to see how the revalve works. I believe the springs have a lot to do with how the sled is going to act sitting on it and taking the bumps, may have to see if they make a softer spring you can change to. Like others said set the rods up for more transfer as I know a skid that transfers more to the back makes for a softer skid and that works on any sled not just a xtx.

 

[Redbeard]

CK 144 skid will hurt a man. I tried everything with mine and gave up. I should have bought a standard Apex.

 

[vx700xtc]

CK 144 skid will hurt a man. I tried everything with mine and gave up. I should have bought a standard Apex.

That is the right answer for anyone that doesnt like the way that skid rides.... it is what it is... it was made to run hard through rough stuff, not to erase all the trail chatter like the mono does.
It is kind of like buying a ton truck and expecting it to ride like a luxury sedan; not-gona-happen.

 

[maim]

My problem is it is riding stiffer than my war used to and I still had the pro action in that sled. Heck my et410 does not ride as rough. Going to try a new set of springs on it once tax season is done. Still love the sled.

 

[Redbeard]

I'm not convinced lighter springs will help you. It's the geometry or mechanics of that skid that works against you. Someone on here once described the CK 144 as being afflicted with "Sticktion!" That's the best description I've ever heard for that skid.

 

[maim]

I am just ordering stock ones as they do not make a softer set. We suspect that I might have gotten a heavy set from a venture that someone complained was too rough. I would have loved to swap springs with viperdave as mine seemed to suit him and his me.

 

[Redbeard]

The Nytro XTX uses softer springs. They're rated in Newton Meters.