Mac
Veteran
Just came home from a 1000 mile trip in Quebec. Two freinds had two brand new 05 RX1's. I had a Viper and we also had an SRX. We were not happy with the pushing on the RX1's nor were we happy with the darting.
One sled had duel runner Woodies it didn't dart. Question: Can anyone provide a good setup for shocks, strap setting, carbide length, and so on for aggresive trail riding. Also will the shim under the rear ski rubber trick help the darting? Can we go back to a single carbide without darting? Here's a pic of us changing skis to find solutions. --Mac--
One sled had duel runner Woodies it didn't dart. Question: Can anyone provide a good setup for shocks, strap setting, carbide length, and so on for aggresive trail riding. Also will the shim under the rear ski rubber trick help the darting? Can we go back to a single carbide without darting? Here's a pic of us changing skis to find solutions. --Mac--
Attachments
ReX
TY 4 Stroke God
I'm quite happy with my 05's handling. Its still a little tippy, but not bad considering the suspension travel and ride height.
Here's what I ended up with (after lots of tweaking):
- limiter strap tightened by 2 positions (1 hole tighter than middle)(substantially improves tippyness and reduces power induced understeer/push)
- weight transfer adjusted to 1 tick (on spanner tool) from minimum (slightly improves tippyness and greatly reduces power induced understeer)
- heavy duty monoshock spring with c-clip in 2nd position and adjuster in #1 (just about eliminates bottoming, ride still good but a fair bit firmer)
- unstudded track (will be studded next year)
- Bergstrom 8" carbides (yes 8" with an unstudded track - I hate understeer)
- Bergstrom ski savers (reduces darting)
- Bergstrom 1/4" ski shim (reduces darting)
- ski preload set to stock position (tried lots of changes, ended up back at stock)
- ski alignment set to 1/8" toe out with light pressure pushing the tips together
With this setup there was almost no darting in most conditions and it cornered like it was on rails. It did still require quite a bit of leaning when cornering at the limit of traction. This setup also lets me roll the throttle on hard while cornering if I move up close to the tank and still "just" lift the skis on launch if I sit back. I weight 210-215 lbs.
Next year I'll be running 144 studs, probably the same carbides, and I'm considering installing a thicker aftermarket sway bar.
Here's what I ended up with (after lots of tweaking):
- limiter strap tightened by 2 positions (1 hole tighter than middle)(substantially improves tippyness and reduces power induced understeer/push)
- weight transfer adjusted to 1 tick (on spanner tool) from minimum (slightly improves tippyness and greatly reduces power induced understeer)
- heavy duty monoshock spring with c-clip in 2nd position and adjuster in #1 (just about eliminates bottoming, ride still good but a fair bit firmer)
- unstudded track (will be studded next year)
- Bergstrom 8" carbides (yes 8" with an unstudded track - I hate understeer)
- Bergstrom ski savers (reduces darting)
- Bergstrom 1/4" ski shim (reduces darting)
- ski preload set to stock position (tried lots of changes, ended up back at stock)
- ski alignment set to 1/8" toe out with light pressure pushing the tips together
With this setup there was almost no darting in most conditions and it cornered like it was on rails. It did still require quite a bit of leaning when cornering at the limit of traction. This setup also lets me roll the throttle on hard while cornering if I move up close to the tank and still "just" lift the skis on launch if I sit back. I weight 210-215 lbs.
Next year I'll be running 144 studs, probably the same carbides, and I'm considering installing a thicker aftermarket sway bar.
justin1635
Extreme
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2005
- Messages
- 56
dual carbides in my opinion are horrible, its like having a an extra set of brakes
Stormbringr1
Pro
Mac said:
See my sig line. The only thing else you need to do is: Go to min preload on front shock springs to lower COG. Adjust your skis so they are aligned *exactly* straight ahead...ie no toe in or out... and install a shim underneath the rear of each rubber ski mount block.
Presto! Zero darting. Zero push. Zero ski lift. 100% confidence hitting the corners and blasting out of the hole like a raped ape!
The harder you ride with this set up...the more predictable it handles...
Mark O
Expert
Stormbringr1 said:See my sig line. The only thing else you need to do is: Go to min preload on front shock springs to lower COG. Adjust your skis so they are aligned *exactly* straight ahead...ie no toe in or out... and install a shim underneath the rear of each rubber ski mount block.
Presto! Zero darting. Zero push. Zero ski lift. 100% confidence hitting the corners and blasting out of the hole like a raped ape!
Will this work on an '04 model too?
Stormbringr1
Pro
Mark O said:Stormbringr1 said:See my sig line. The only thing else you need to do is: Go to min preload on front shock springs to lower COG. Adjust your skis so they are aligned *exactly* straight ahead...ie no toe in or out... and install a shim underneath the rear of each rubber ski mount block.
Presto! Zero darting. Zero push. Zero ski lift. 100% confidence hitting the corners and blasting out of the hole like a raped ape!
Will this work on an '04 model too?
Absolutely. The front end suspension components on the '04 and '05 RX1 are identical...except for the stock skis which require replacement anyway...
Swiss Sledder
TY 4 Stroke God
Mac,
I would recommend installing a set of Simmons Flexi skis and putting on the Bergstrom triple point carbides for the Simmons. I have this set up and there is very little push in the corners. I swapped sleds with a guy that had stock skis on his 05 and the difference was night and day. I was pushing in the corners constantly on his stock setup, while the Simmons with the Bergstroms didn't push hardly at all.
Everything else on my sled is at stock settings. I am very happy with this setup.
I would recommend installing a set of Simmons Flexi skis and putting on the Bergstrom triple point carbides for the Simmons. I have this set up and there is very little push in the corners. I swapped sleds with a guy that had stock skis on his 05 and the difference was night and day. I was pushing in the corners constantly on his stock setup, while the Simmons with the Bergstroms didn't push hardly at all.
Everything else on my sled is at stock settings. I am very happy with this setup.
rx-1 blue reverse
Expert
The ski shim elimated 95% of the darting on my 03. Stock skis w/ 6" bergstrom and ski savers.
Thumper1000
Expert
Simmons skis will fixer right up.
Mac
Veteran
Front strap length
Thanks for the help guys. It seems Simmons come highly recommended. No one (except Rex) is pulling up on the front strap? Whats up with that? Yamaha has shipped every sled I have owned with the front strap to loose for performace trail riding. Viper, SRX, SXR.
Thanks for the help guys. It seems Simmons come highly recommended. No one (except Rex) is pulling up on the front strap? Whats up with that? Yamaha has shipped every sled I have owned with the front strap to loose for performace trail riding. Viper, SRX, SXR.
Stormbringr1
Pro
Re: Front strap length
No need on the mono. There's already plenty of ski pressure...why steal the travel and the weight transfer?
Mac said:
No need on the mono. There's already plenty of ski pressure...why steal the travel and the weight transfer?
ReX
TY 4 Stroke God
Try tightening the limiter (you can always go back). You'll be amazed at the reduction in tippyness. As long as you reduce the weight transfer setting too you don't loose hardly any suspension travel (the back just droops down farther)
To understand why it reduces tippyness, think about it this way:
- A sled is really riding on 3 surfaces
- The two skis, and the track
- As the sled starts to tip as you round a corner, one ski comes off the ground
- At that point, the center of the front of the sled starts to rise up in the air
- If the limiter strap then limits the front of the tracks ability to keep pushing the track into the ground, the front of the track tries to come off the ground
- This effectivly limits how much the inside ski will come off the ground and greatly reduces tippyness when cornering at speed.
Tightening the strap by one hole makes a big difference. Tightening it by two holes makes it even better IMO. Tightening it by 3 holes isn't any better than 2 holes.
Another advantage to using the strap:
- Under power, with the strap loose, the skis will lift and the sled effectively "rocks" back at the virtual pivot point for the mono-suspension. It takes very little acceleration to lift the skis.
- With the strap a little tighter, the mono-shock spring has to compress a little in order to get the skis off the ground. This provides a little "spring" resistance to lifting the skis which lets you roll on more power out of a corner before the skis lift, use your body position to keep the skis either on or off the ground under power, and still lets you stand up or sit way back to get a decent hole shot.
A final advantage I found (assuming you want minimum weight transfer to maximize cornering):
- Reducing the weight transfer to minimum reduces the ability for the mono-suspension to "rock" over the stutter bumps (front of the skid can't drop below the rear by much)
- Leaving it 1-1.5 tick marks away from minimum and using the strap to help control ski lift allows the mono-suspension to rock back and forth and provides a smoother ride over stutter bumps
Anyone who thinks the 05 RX-1 is tippy or lifts the skis too much as you roll the power on through a corner should try tightening the limiter strap.
I put 10,300 kms on my sled this year and always tweak my suspensions to get the best handling. I experimented with everything. This really works!
Installing Simmons skis, 2.3 kg/mm straight rate springs, and a 12mm sway bar would also greatly reduce tippyness, but the limiter does a decent job with the stock suspension (and I'm sure would provide even more stability with your mods).
To understand why it reduces tippyness, think about it this way:
- A sled is really riding on 3 surfaces
- The two skis, and the track
- As the sled starts to tip as you round a corner, one ski comes off the ground
- At that point, the center of the front of the sled starts to rise up in the air
- If the limiter strap then limits the front of the tracks ability to keep pushing the track into the ground, the front of the track tries to come off the ground
- This effectivly limits how much the inside ski will come off the ground and greatly reduces tippyness when cornering at speed.
Tightening the strap by one hole makes a big difference. Tightening it by two holes makes it even better IMO. Tightening it by 3 holes isn't any better than 2 holes.
Another advantage to using the strap:
- Under power, with the strap loose, the skis will lift and the sled effectively "rocks" back at the virtual pivot point for the mono-suspension. It takes very little acceleration to lift the skis.
- With the strap a little tighter, the mono-shock spring has to compress a little in order to get the skis off the ground. This provides a little "spring" resistance to lifting the skis which lets you roll on more power out of a corner before the skis lift, use your body position to keep the skis either on or off the ground under power, and still lets you stand up or sit way back to get a decent hole shot.
A final advantage I found (assuming you want minimum weight transfer to maximize cornering):
- Reducing the weight transfer to minimum reduces the ability for the mono-suspension to "rock" over the stutter bumps (front of the skid can't drop below the rear by much)
- Leaving it 1-1.5 tick marks away from minimum and using the strap to help control ski lift allows the mono-suspension to rock back and forth and provides a smoother ride over stutter bumps
Anyone who thinks the 05 RX-1 is tippy or lifts the skis too much as you roll the power on through a corner should try tightening the limiter strap.
I put 10,300 kms on my sled this year and always tweak my suspensions to get the best handling. I experimented with everything. This really works!
Installing Simmons skis, 2.3 kg/mm straight rate springs, and a 12mm sway bar would also greatly reduce tippyness, but the limiter does a decent job with the stock suspension (and I'm sure would provide even more stability with your mods).
