Apex GT bottoming

[Reaper]

My Apex GT bottoms out a lot on bumps only 1 foot deep and I was very surprised !! I sure hope this thing is wicked on the groom trails. It was bottoming out bad (crashing) on bumps less than a foot. I am puzzled how the Totally Yamaha test riders were able to hammer 2 foot rollers with ease last spring, yamaha must have changed something ? The motor is fantastic, it pulls like a mod sled and I am sure will eat my Rev in a drag race but not in the rough and that is were we do 95% of our riding. I must say I was expecting a lot more in the rough but to be fair I only put on 50km on a few inches of loose snow over rock hard snow. Time will tell. What can be done to stop the bottoming, will increasing spring tension help or do you need a stiffer spring.

Don't get me wrong it is a beautiful piece of technology but I was really expecting better big bump capability and may be that was my fault for taking the test rides at face value. I am suspicious there has been a change from the prototypes.

 

[Spyderman]

I rode 350 miles on my RTX and it bottomed out a lot for me too.

The rear spring has 21 settings (7 clicker settings and 3 "preclicker" [for lack of a better term] settings). It comes set from the factory at four from softest. You need to take the rear spring out and adjust the 3 place preclicker to the hardest setting (I haven't done this yet, but I will be shortly). I think it explains it on the laminated suspension card that comes with the sled.

 

[chance3131]

Of course increasing the spring tension will help, if you weigh too much then a stiffer spring is needed. The GT is not a bump sled, not sure why you expected it to be. The GT stands for groomed trail. If you want to compare a Blair Morgan sled with any Yamaha, you will be really disappointed. Yamaha does not make a sled close for that kind of riding.

 

[Yamahnator]

I rode 350 miles on my RTX and it bottomed out a lot for me too.

The rear spring has 21 settings (7 clicker settings and 3 "preclicker" [for lack of a better term] settings). It comes set from the factory at four from softest. You need to take the rear spring out and adjust the 3 place preclicker to the hardest setting (I haven't done this yet, but I will be shortly). I think it explains it on the laminated suspension card that comes with the sled.

What he said. I'm yanking my spring this week and getting the clip adjusted to hard.


And to the original poster. You have a blair morgan mogul masher and you buy the GT (GROOMED TRAIL) and complain about mogul mashing without even attempting to mess with the suspension? Ahem :ORC

 

[Bossrx1]

why did you not buy a Nytro? I ride mostly groomed trailed that as we all know turn to crap buy the end of most days therfore next year when they fuel inject the nytro and hopefully put it in the delta II there will be one in my garage.

 

[Dano]

Re: Rev owners considering an Apex

Sorry, I have a 2003.5 Blair Morgan and in the rough it dances circles around my Apex GT. I sure hope this thing is wicked on the groom trails or it's gone. It was bottoming out bad (crashing) on bumps less than a foot. I am puzzled how the Totally Yamaha test riders were able to hammer 2 foot rollers with ease ? The motor is fantastic, it pulls like a mod sled and I am sure will eat my Rev in a drag race but that's not were I do 95% of our riding. I must say I was expecting a lot more but to be fair I only put on 50km on a few inches of loose snow over rock hard snow. Time will tell. What can be done to stop the bottoming, will increasing spring tension help or do you need a stiffer spring.

Where are you guys finding 2 foot rollers with a few inches of snow? Man, I’m looking for some bumps! Tired of running roads...

Try a stiffer suspension setting if its to soft before looking into a stiffer spring!


Dan

 

[Voyagers]

Real Reaper,

Sounds like you are an aggressive bump rider. The GT was calibrated for groomed trails, so for the best results in the bumps, you will have to go stiffer. I would order the stiffer spring - esp. if you are a big guy.

 

[Reaper]

Ya, about 220 with gear so gonna have to stiffen it up. Every test ride said this thing just ate up every bump you could throw at it so you can imagine one is disappointed when the thing is crashing on one foot bumps.

P.S. Who here does not ride a sled aggresive ?

 

[Reaper]

And to the original poster. You have a blair morgan mogul masher and you buy the GT (GROOMED TRAIL) and complain about mogul mashing without even attempting to mess with the suspension? Ahem :ORC

I jumped on my REV and never touched a thing and it was perfect but yes it is a mogul masher, the GT in my opinion should have sucked it up better with the Ohlins out back (just my 2 cents) but you are right I am trying to compare an apple to an orange. So you are saying the RTX sold as a mogul masher eats it all up far better that the GT, I think not its just all marketing.

 

[LazyBastard]

They have different shocks. GT has electric ohlins. RTX has something else, which presumably is stiffer.

I assume that you've set the compression damping harder, right? If not, you'll have to check the book to figure out the correct sequence of buttons to press to make that adjustment. If it still bottoms hard on maximum, you'll probably want to get the shock revalved for your specific use.

 

[wolfie]

So get the stiffer spring and revalve the shock if it's so bad. The rest of the sled makes up for it. I have a REV too btw, and overall, I'll take the Apex anyday of the week.

 

[Reaper]

Yes, I worked the electronic valve from soft to hard, it would still crash on hard but not as severe. Only problem is on hard dampening it bucks a lot.
It seems crazy to have to revalve that very expensive shock, I put ohlins on my RX-1 and it would not bottom period, maybe they were valved differently.

 

[Reaper]

So get the stiffer spring and revalve the shock if it's so bad. The rest of the sled makes up for it. I have a REV too btw, and overall, I'll take the Apex anyday of the week.

How do you know, have you ridden your GT yet ? Your sig says GT coming soon ?

 

[LazyBastard]

Yes, I worked the electronic valve from soft to hard, it would still crash on hard but not as severe. Only problem is on hard dampening it bucks a lot.
It seems crazy to have to revalve that very expensive shock, I out ohlins on my RX-1 and it would not bottom period, maybe they were valved differently.

No doubt. Any brand of shock can be valved any way they are ordered.

 

[SledFreak]

They have different shocks. GT has electric ohlins. RTX has something else, which presumably is stiffer.

I assume that you've set the compression damping harder, right? If not, you'll have to check the book to figure out the correct sequence of buttons to press to make that adjustment. If it still bottoms hard on maximum, you'll probably want to get the shock revalved for your specific use.

They both have the same spring rate and valving on the rear.