Apex zx2

[thegrizzly1]

I stretched my RTX out to 144" and love it. Transfer is awesome, deep snow performance is vastly improved, (Markedly better than the 06 Attak I used to have), and I don't bottom out any more. Ride in the stutter bumps can be a little rough, but it is a trade off I am more than willing to make for not bottoming out. Over 2000 miles on the skid and still love it.

Biggest thing I notice is ski lift. I only had ~150 miles on the original sled before I did the skid swap, so it is difficult for me to say if it is caused by teh skid or not, or just the nature of the sled. I do get a fair amount of ski lift, but this skid raises the rear of the sled 2-3 inches over stock. The added height plus the fact that I go 290lbs+ in riding gear I'm sure has a lot to do with the ski lift. Higher center of gravity and all.

Talking to a few people here on TY, it appears the longer the skid the less preload you need. I am only on setting 2 of 7 and I am thinking of backing it off some. Someone told me they weigh around 190 lbs but were on 6 or 7 and wanted stiffer springs. The 151" and longer skids only have one shock, so this theory seems to hold some water.

I run a 144x1.25" ripsaw and can do pretty good in deep snow. The ripsaw is not a good deep snow track period, but I really like it on the trail. The approach angle is less and as I mentioned there is a night and day difference between this sled and my 06 Attak. I put on my 2" challenger when I go out west and this thing is a complete monster!

I think if you go to a 144" you will be very happy. Do a search with me as the author to find several posts and ride reviews about the 144" ZX-2.

 

[kinger]

Grizz - we talked about the preload when we first got this skid, your supposed to go higher then lower. I know you said you were on 5 at one point. Basically the shock as 3 areas in the stroke with the last one being firm as h***, if you set the preload too low you will go right past the comfy zones and right into the bottom resisting zone and it will not be fun in the stutter bumps.

I would find a stretch of trail that is bumpy and go through it at 2 like you have then go up one to 3 and do it again, I bet you'll land on 4 and it will be the best compromise.

 

[subaru2006]

I wonder what the price difference is from the 121, 136, 144. Something else I noticed alot from reading is rider weight. Iam prolly no more then 170 dressed. lol Ive also read on here the 144 is hard to turn in the tight corners which most of the UP is. (Other 144's really) I havent seen much about the zx2. I might be on a budget crunch this summer, because of schooling. Which will also leave me limited time to mess with the sled. Something I also dont understand but have kinda read on it some is this. Could I buy the 121 and extend it to 144. Or does the skid come 144 stock. OR buy a 136 skid and extend it? There site really has no help with this. My main goal with asking all these questions is again to get a better handle of the apex off trail, yet still be very good in the twists. Along with this mod I think iam going to go with sly dog trail skis. They are 1" wider then stock, not sure if its worth doing powder skis that are 2"s wider.
Sorry about getting on the ski's topic, just wanted to give you guys an idea where Iam going with this.

Subaru2006

 

[kinger]

All zx2's come in 121" only you buy the zx-tend kits for the length you want to extend it to, 136-144-151, etc.

I think your off trail performance will depend on the track.

 

[subaru2006]

Thanks that clearifies alot. Not sure on tracks. Was looking at the cobra but I cant remember if it goes to a 144 length. But ive also heard good things about the carve/predator which you can get in the 144 size.

Subaru2006

 

[tkuss]

The length of the skid you see in my ty mileage log is 121". The cobra does come in a 144", and the cobra is probably the best track you can buy for mostly trail riding, but still getting off trail every once is a while.

Also I just want to mention that I personally believe, that the monoshock is a better suspension than the ZX-2 in the small and medium bumps. It does such a great job erasing these that it is hard to beat. The ZX-2 will not ride that smooth in the trails. The ZX-2 on the other hand can handle the big bumps awesome. I guess I keep mine on the stiffer side, so maybe it can be pretty decent in the smaller stuff. It definitely is not super harsh in the stutters, and it is also very tolerable. I guess I am just trying to make a point that is not as smooth as the monoshock in the smaller stuff. I love mine and am very glad I bought it. Keep asking questions if you have any.

 

[subaru2006]

My take on what you are saying, is the zx2 is well worth it even in the small bumps. My major concern is still going through to tight twisties being a lighter rider / 165 dressed and I just dont think I have the weight to man handle a heavier sled like this, specially if the back of the sled is raised 2-3" making it a little top heavy. Not sure if the 12 or 13 mm sway bar would help any for the ski lift. Everyone on this forum is way heavier then me so this skid prolly works better for them. Iam not sure of the settings like you mentioned or if I could make it less stiffer for a better ride for me. This setup is kinda expensive so I just want to make sure its going to work great for the price.

Subaru2006

 

[kinger]

There are some revlave specs posted in this forum that make the Zx2 perform like the mono in the small chatter. I plan on doing that this summer then I dont think you will find a more durable, good riding skid that will make you shine in the big moguls. ZX2 really does rock. I'm always sore in the lower back after riding but not since the Zx2 was added, its amazing.

 

[tkuss]

Well I am not to huge, probably 205 pounds all dressed up and I can bottom the suspension on the stiffest setting. I do however need to push it pretty hard to do it, and it only happens on the huge G-outs when i hit them at 70 or 80. You can set up the suspension for minimal ski lift by reducing transfer. I don't think there is anymore inside ski lift than with the stock skid. Like Kinger said, if you put on miles on your sled this skid is the one for you because it is super durable and near impossible to break.

 

[kinger]

The first year I never bottomed out the skid this year I have twice now. I go 215 all suited up. There is little inside ski lift and a lot of that depends on the conditions. In the UP the snow was soft and loose and the sled would push a little bit then bite hard and pop the inside ski, in the more dense snow of WI the sled doesn't push it just rails and I get zero lift. Its also very dependant on how close to the tank I am riding, the closer the better.

What are you goals for buying the skid? Tkuss said it best its rough in the small chatter but not harsh if that makes sense. The seat will bounce but its still soft and doesnt hurt just more annoying. If the revalve takes that away this skid will be 100% perfect.

 

[subaru2006]

Thanks for the input guys I appreciate it. My goals are to kinda make a cross over sled. Good in the trails handle the jumps/ Yet also have a better performance off trail then the 121. Yet also be worth the purchase. That make sense? With everything coming up this year I might be waiting to do this. Would the stock drivers be fine with this setup, also would I need any gear changing? Like dropping it down to a 23T?

Subaru2006

 

[thegrizzly1]

I left mine with stock gearing, but the RTX came slightly geared down from the regular sleds.

 

[mdkuni]

My take on what you are saying, is the zx2 is well worth it even in the small bumps. My major concern is still going through to tight twisties being a lighter rider / 165 dressed and I just dont think I have the weight to man handle a heavier sled like this, specially if the back of the sled is raised 2-3" making it a little top heavy. Not sure if the 12 or 13 mm sway bar would help any for the ski lift. Everyone on this forum is way heavier then me so this skid prolly works better for them. Iam not sure of the settings like you mentioned or if I could make it less stiffer for a better ride for me. This setup is kinda expensive so I just want to make sure its going to work great for the price.

Subaru2006

I weigh the same as you (160-165 with gear). I run the preload on my shocks at 5 out of 7. I have no problem throwing the sled around. Granted, this will depends on your riding style. If you are aggressive I see no problem. This skid in my opinion is hands down the best thing you can do to an Apex.