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Curve skis

TD Max

TD Max

Lifetime Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Messages
2,282
Location
Central WI/Hazelhurst WI
I'm on the fence about ditching my tuners for something that bites. The Curves seem to get good reviews here as being solid performers without push or excessive steering effort. I haven't figured out what makes them so special yet. They don't show much as far as profile like CA pro does in their literature. Also wondering how much of the accessory add ons a guy needs? I'd probably use a Shaper bar. The shapers to me are excellent, but in my opinion could use a small wear pad on the flat ahead of the carbide. Is the Curve leading edge worth adding? Thrusters?
 

I rode for the first time with them on my Viper. I had them on my Nytro and they worked well. It had no push in the corners even once they got a little soft. I did notice that the steering was heavier than with the stockers with Slim Jim Doolys. But it was night and day difference. I felt very stable in the corners and straight a ways. I have the 2 inch leading edge and there was no darting except some twitchyness on a plowed road.
 
Ran Curves all this season so far. ~500 miles over two trips.

These ski's are great. They float nice in the deep powder, keep the front end up nice.
Not much push. Way better then the 6.9 Pilots and stock ski's I ran last season.
Very little darting. But I only ran the stock 4 in carbide.

Just installed 6 in carbides for this weekend. I'll see how they perform.

So far really like the ski's.
 
TD The thing I have noticed about this sled is the steering knuckles cause the skis to roll when they are turned. Last season I fought a pair of Simmons with 2 -8" carbides on them. I had a real arm pump problem trying to drive it. In the shop on the flat concrete setting next to an LTX you could not turn the handlebars on mine and the LTX with deep center keel Mohawks would turn with 1 finger. I looked as I turned mine and the skis are laying over as I turn which is forcing the ski to lift the sled as it rolls onto 1 edge or the other. The tuners are not as drastic but similar in design with the bars spread out. The other thing is with the stock ski and the shallower keel when you turn it rolls the ski enough that the carbides are not pointing straight down and the inner edges of the skis are closer to ground in some cases this will put the edge of the ski in contact with the snow rather than all weight on the carbide if you are running single carbides.
 
Yeah I've been debating adding a second pr of shapers to the Tuners, but looking at it from a logical standpoint I really wonder what I will gain.

The inside ski rolls onto the outside bar lifting the inside shaper, but there's not a lot of weight there. The outside ski rolls onto the shaper lifting the outside OE junk. Not sure that I would gain a lot.
 
I put Curves with 6 inch shapers on my 15 LTX DX ,after not liking the push I felt driving around my property ,and the combo completely eliminated the push,liked them on my ski doo,LOVE them on my Viper, recommend ,every sled I have ever owned has had some sort of aftermarket ski,mostly C&A pro and my palms would get tore up on the first ride from hard steering ,blisters, until I developed a callous,was reduced on the ski doo,gone with the Curves+ Viper combo
 
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If you look at the side profile of the curves you will note that they are wide front and back and narrower in the center. Now go look at a good pair of downhill ski's, similar profile. A few decades ago ski design was revolutionized with this profile. Curve Industries was smart enough to see the advantage and incorporate it into their skis. Of course the leading edge and thrusters was their own design used to enhance the performance of the ski for snowmobiles. Just a bit of history.
 
Curve uses two changes 1. curved edge like new performance down hill skis is giving longer edge ie a curve is longer than a straight line. 2. Each side of the ski keel "works"the snow to a more compact profile under the saddle then expands to release it. Think reducing diameter until saddle then expanding curve.
I like them -less push than tuners on my Vectors but not GONE.

I must admit I got them as throw in with a used Vector I bought . Tuners I bought for the second Vector and came on the VIPER.
 
I can tell you work at a major university Yamadoo, thirty some years ago when they were new technology there was a multi page article on the science behind the ski design but for the life of me I could not dig that out of this oft abused brain! Thank you for the summary!
 
You give me to much credit.... I am just a simple thinker and look for a simple explanation. Talked at the snowmobile show with the Curves guys along time. He claims this 'working' the snow took no mph but added stability".......maybe seems to work - well but last time I checked all work costs something, I guess just not significant.
By the way not at a University but I guess teaching the young docs at mayo is close.
 
Thought Mayo had a teaching and research section, sorry, I thought you were in that area.
 
Oh we have a HUGE teaching / research section you are correct.
We just are not called a university .
The true acedemic types would laugh at the idea I was a "serious scientist" . I just see patients,teach ALOT and have these weird motor sports hobbies they don't understand. Lol

I just love to pick the brains of engineers like yourself who actually know the potential and limits of these different technologies. More is NOT always better. LOL. Have great night
 
TD to me there is no doubt the Curves are best ski you can put on a Viper with the leading Edge. There is things you can do to make any ski work if $ is a factor. If you have 6.9 Pilots which last year I really did not find any better than stock cat skis the key to getting them to work is the rear suspension rebound. It needs to be as fast as possible without kicking. Since getting my suspension in rear right I got the confidence back like I had on Phazer in the turns. The negative is heavy steering compared to the Curves but it turns. I run a 4in stock doo carbide in the outside on mine. TD the rolling of the skis is what you want to happen. This promotes More bite when cornering and is reason the Pilots have the outside carbide up higher than inside. It really isnt doing much till in the corner and forced down by the geometry of front end. Curves do the same thing as does a Skier the edge is used in corners in all cases. By all means put a carbide in outsides of your pilots TD. This also prevents wear on edge a problem all skis will have especially with sharp edges on trailers and rocks in early season!
 
After coming off Snowtrackers on my Vector LTX, I have noticed that my Viper with the Tuners seems to dart and push in the corners more than my Vector. It isn't bad, and I love the Viper ride so much that I really hardly noticed it. If I were to get Curves for my Viper (137" track, not studded) it sounds like the 6" shapers and leading edge would be the best package, but which leading edge would I want, the 2" or the 4"?
 
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