Poll - do you clean the track after use?

[VKbcnorth]

Air19's comments inspired this poll - do you clean your VK Pro track and suspension of ice and snow at the end of each day? Do you never clean the track? Or do you only clean it under specific conditions?

To get this poll started, I clean the ice and snow from the suspension at the end of each working day. I have found very hard ice at the front of the suspension behind the driver.

I am wondering if hard ice within the suspension has led to parts failure due to restricted movement of the suspension.

 

[air19]

Well the heat of my barn cleans them after every grooming run.

And yes I think the ice buildup is significant. After about 5 hours somedays I can not only hear the track bumping against something, but I can also feel it under the seat. When that happens I get back to the barn quickly.

 

[stewartb]

I don't do anything but park it as is and ride it the next time. Most ice accumulation will drop out in the bumps and run through the tunnel. It makes a lot of noise when ice goes around the drivers but every machine does the same thing to some extent. I carry a small plastic dead blow hammer under the seat to assist in ice release (a required technique when riding Nytros) but the Pro hasn't needed it. Nothing clears ice like a romp through the bumps. Where I ride there is never a shortage of those.

 

[Ry]

I like the fact that the exhaust and muffler can melt and prevent ice build up. I run the lake everyday for about 3 months, the conditions can vary from hard and dry to deep snow and slush. Lately we have had extreme slush and cold. I have had to clean the suspension everynight. My workshop is heated and overnight in there drops the ice out, but sometimes out on the lake we fish for 5 or 6 hours and the slush is frozen in there. If you can jack the back up off the ground and spin the track for a while this will help also I carry a rubber mallet and a piece of 3/4" dowel. A few well placed taps and its free running. Compared to many machines out here the VK Pro is great for staying ice free.

 

[vk540]

Yes i clean it after every use, i pull a mogal master drag, it never reaches speeds fast enough to clean its self out, after about 5 hours the track starts to growl, i pull over and use a rubber mallet to pound out the slush like snow. Before i put it away for the week i also have to reclean it so when i go to take off with it the track and wheels are free of what would freeze into a solid mass of ice. My biggest complaint is how tippy the sled is.

 

[bluemissile]

540 are you running a pro or a 540. the 540 we run are not tippy at all. if its a pro try backing off the front shocks and keep the lower a arms level to the ground.

 

[vk540]

Bluemissle , i am running both a VK540 fan and a 2011 VK Pro, the pro i find tippy, but i do have my front end springs cranked up , so maybe this is part of my problem. Also the center of gravity is higher than the 540 fan. One thing the Pro does do better than the 540 is respond to body english, this is because the mountain strap allows you to lean off the sled better. As for the power and tranny, i feel like i could pull a house trailer.

 

[bluemissile]

i always thought our 540's could use mountain straps. cant tell you how many times i have groomed standing on one running board for miles trying to pull snow in from the side. actually have had a grip come off doing this and that sucks.

 

[vk540]

Bluemissle, the exact same thing happened to me, the 540 needs a mountain strap as my hand grip also fell off while grooming and leaning out, my back starts to hurt after a while from being bent over and standing with both feet on the same running board. I wish yamaha would step up and build a new VK that was lighter than the pro, had less power because even pullling a mogal master drag it has to much power that is not even remotely used, kept the transmission, and made it 100% ergonomically correct with features or options available that represent the true use these machines are being used for, also offer the 540 fan motor option in the states.