towing
Expert
I actually run a 136" expert-x set back 4" on my Rs-Venture. This skid absolutely rocks but have now very high miles (over 20 000miles) and even with good maintenance does not have the same reliability as when new.
I now look at which options are availiable for me and a ZX2 is one of them but I heard bad things about it on two up application. The problem seems to be that the skid have hard time to raise back up with to people especially when the skid is full of snow. This skid doesn't have the helpers spring that the expert have and it is exactly what my expert-x does with a broken helper spring so I would believe this observation but wonder if somebody else can confirm or can comment the performance of the zx2 over an expert-x with over 300lbs onboard (I always ride 2up)
Thanks in advance for your inputs...
Alain
I now look at which options are availiable for me and a ZX2 is one of them but I heard bad things about it on two up application. The problem seems to be that the skid have hard time to raise back up with to people especially when the skid is full of snow. This skid doesn't have the helpers spring that the expert have and it is exactly what my expert-x does with a broken helper spring so I would believe this observation but wonder if somebody else can confirm or can comment the performance of the zx2 over an expert-x with over 300lbs onboard (I always ride 2up)
Thanks in advance for your inputs...
Alain
I have a mono ZX-2 151 model. I can confirm that the skid does not raise back up easily with two people on it. Full of snow or not if you hit a large enough bump (hole) the skid will compress and doesn't come back up. This was one reason I thought about getting a heavier shock. I'll talk with the guys in tech at AD Boivin before I send my shock in for a re-valve this summer. I'm hoping that a re-valve will solve this issue at least some. I only ride two up once or twice a year so the two up issue wasn't bad for me. If your riding tow-up all the time than you might just want to buy a new expert X. I'm not wondering if this inability to raise back up assisted in the fatiguing / breaking of my shock axle. The sled feels like you are riding a low rider, with the front much higher than the back.
JROCK
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
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Alain just wondering what reliability issues you are experiencing with your expert x??? I know ive only broken one of the swing arm bolts and since have added excells swing arm supports to take the load better.
Sasquatch
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As i weigh well over 300 pds and run a ZX2 136" on my Warrior I have no problems with it rising back up.
I have used it with a seat jack and my wife on the sled as well. That was with the stock or standard springs. Other then the springs had a hard time keeping the sled from bottoming out with 500 plus pounds on it it worked fine as long as you didn't push it hard in the bumps.
I now have a set of heavier springs stiffer spring rate then standard from Ad bovin and they work much better. I have not tried them two up because i sold my seat jack and now run a Apex seat that I have not bought a seat jack for yet.
Never had the skid bottom and stay there one up or two!
I have used it with a seat jack and my wife on the sled as well. That was with the stock or standard springs. Other then the springs had a hard time keeping the sled from bottoming out with 500 plus pounds on it it worked fine as long as you didn't push it hard in the bumps.
I now have a set of heavier springs stiffer spring rate then standard from Ad bovin and they work much better. I have not tried them two up because i sold my seat jack and now run a Apex seat that I have not bought a seat jack for yet.
Never had the skid bottom and stay there one up or two!
I'm thinking the reason mine does it is a combination of the mono shock, needing a re-valve and maybe needing a stiffer spring. With about 350 lbs on sled if I hit a good bump the skid just sits down and doesn't rebound. I hope to solve this issue over the summer.
towing
Expert
Thank you guys for your input 
For JROCK, last year I broke a shock spring on a 2 day ride and the broken spring scrap the shock body. This season, I got a snap-off top loop on a shock and last week-end, on the lower shock mount tube that link with the bolt to adjust the skid height, the arm broke from the tube. I already put pretty much on preventive maintenance but it seems it's not enought
I preview keeping this same sled an other 2 or 3 years, which mean an other 10 or 15 000 miles... I don't think it's reasonable to expect so much miles of a skid without problems...
Alain
For JROCK, last year I broke a shock spring on a 2 day ride and the broken spring scrap the shock body. This season, I got a snap-off top loop on a shock and last week-end, on the lower shock mount tube that link with the bolt to adjust the skid height, the arm broke from the tube. I already put pretty much on preventive maintenance but it seems it's not enought
I preview keeping this same sled an other 2 or 3 years, which mean an other 10 or 15 000 miles... I don't think it's reasonable to expect so much miles of a skid without problems...
Alain
JROCK
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2007
- Messages
- 544
- Location
- Ottawa, Ontario
- Country
- Canada
- Snowmobile
- 2006 Yamaha Apex GT
I guess even the best of suspensions will break with the amount of mileage you do!! Now you have all summer to fix that skid up. I assume your season is done??
towing
Expert
I ride an average of 5000 miles/years which is not so much but it's a good mileage, it's especially because I keep my sleds many years and do this kind of mileage that the real life test is harder... This skid have the half of his life in my RsVenture 2005 (Kept the sled 25000 miles but put 10000 on the expert_x) and the other half in my actual 2007
The Expert-X in term of performance and comfort is second to none. In term of maintenance in a two up application like I do, there are weaks points. The lower shock rubber bushings tend to chew easily if I bottomed the skid few times, the top shock bushings also wear pretty fast and are expensives and I need to replace the helpers spring once a year ... But the comfort is so nice that it worth it.
Yes my season is done at 4907 miles, near my usual average...
Alain
The Expert-X in term of performance and comfort is second to none. In term of maintenance in a two up application like I do, there are weaks points. The lower shock rubber bushings tend to chew easily if I bottomed the skid few times, the top shock bushings also wear pretty fast and are expensives and I need to replace the helpers spring once a year ... But the comfort is so nice that it worth it.
Yes my season is done at 4907 miles, near my usual average...
Alain
