First ride of the season, the good the bad and the ugly!

[Jonny Rocket]

Frosty, We did have a pretty good ride yesterday. Found some new roads to ride and had a good time. It was just the wife and I.
Ran into 3 xps and some other nice folks. There still needs to be a couple more feet up on Cal Peek for any off road riding.
Looks like today would be even better. Now I wish I was going today also. Just can't talk the boss into it.

J.

 

[tundra]

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I am sure this will not be a problem when boondocking or climbing but on the trail, and I am sure when tight boondocking it might be an issue. Only time will tell.


J.

Yes. its my third years with this setup and when its tight, its a problem, mainly because bar end are too far to be controled easy. But in most conditions, its great.

 

[Frostbite]

When I put on the 2" bar riser I mounted my gauge backet below the handle bars. Now there's plenty of room to reach the mountain bar and the gauge pod is much more proteced in case of a a rollover. Here's a pic.

Frosty

 

[bdm]

slick setup Frosty

 

[rx-hi]

How much are you filing off the stop plate and is this the stop plate on the new steering column? One thing I realy like about rider forward is It put the bars and harness in between the engine compartment and the tank area! This makes it so easy to take off the gas tank to access the back half of the engine. No more hour dismanteling the entire handle bar and wire harness area! way better for maintance issue!

 

[tundra]

stop plate ?, my handle bar turned 1 completed rotation yesterday when i flipped the sled

 

[Jonny Rocket]

stop plate ?, my handle bar turned 1 completed rotation yesterday when i flipped the sled

You must have one of the early ones. I guess the newer kits have a stop plate. Only problem is the stop plate is too thick or there is too much on the stopper of the new steering column. Either way the new kit does not turn far enough so most of us are grinding a little here and there so it will turn more....But not all the way around. WTF. Did anything break?

J.

 

[Frostbite]

I filed the very points of the steel arc welded to the Wildchild steering column. That little bit of trimming allows the bars to turn a bit further and hopefully still prevents them fron going all the way around.

Thanks BDM.

Frosty

 

[AKrider]

Frostbite,
I stumbled upon your post but I thought I'd relate my experience. Today I rode my Vector for the second time this winter and I immediately noticed how weird the steering felt on my Vector with the Wildchild post. I bought a new FX Nytro this year and have been riding it a lot. I've had the Wildchild kit on my Vector for the past two seasons so I've put a bunch of miles on it, but coming off the Nytro, well... it just felt like I was driving a bus. The biggest thing I noticed was the angle at which the bars turned. The post is close to vertical so the bars turn in a flat plain. When riding on a tight trail, I noticed the bar ends getting in my way. As far as I know, the Apex has the same set up so it's something you get used to and the benefit of the rider forward outweigh the weirdness. After a 30 miles I was used to my Vector again and the steering wasn't a big deal.

 

[powder muncher]

Frosty here is a thing to try out!!!
Like I said I use the 3 1/2 inch risers----- but move them a bit forward.
That way the bars can lean back and the angle of sweep is correct again for your wrists. That helps a lot to make the bars feel better, effective height is more like a 2.5 to 2.75" riser.
The bars still turns flat but is much nicer to ride.
By the way got out yesterday 2 feet of fresh and snowing hard --did a tree ride ( 0 visibility up high) good enough to dial the clutch (heel Clickers) and the shocks Floats on Bark busters and the Holz skid.
I also put a Mountain mod seat on , that works perfect with the high bars.
The old girl just rips ----I am a happy fellow

 

[Frostbite]

Thanks AK Rider and Powder Muncher!

Powder Muncher, you must have the same 3.5" pivoting riser I have? That makes sense to pivot the riser forward and pull the bars back so they are basically centered over the steering column. Did U understand you correctly?

I'm glad to hear your sled is running well.

Frosty

 

[ACG]

Is it just me or is the Vector just about impossible to control in anything but powder after the rider forword mod has been done. If I am trying to follow a freshly broken trail (1 or 2 sleds before me) it is like trying to turn a freaking bus. It just won't turn. (half the snow is packed, half is powder so cant' tip it over) In the powder it turns awesome, goes into a carve like nothing, if you can't do that, it is damn near impossible to steer.

 

[powder muncher]

Had the same problem when al my steering bushings were loose.
After I redid everything it rails no matter what.

 

[ACG]

Had the same problem when al my steering bushings were loose.
After I redid everything it rails no matter what.

Which bushings are you speaking of?

 

[powder muncher]

The spindles -A arm inside and out - rod ends ( the short arm ahead of the starter) the outside rode end coming of the steering post and the steering post bushings. There are so many bushings and rod ends that it does not take much before it all comes loose.
The A arm and spindle bushings are usually the worst, just jack up your sled and grab the ski loops and flex them in and out against one and the other as well as each ski back and forth and you will probably be surprised!!!!!!!!!