Ski Help??? What is the best ski for an 09 xtx

I think the choice comes down to what you want out of a ski, better flotation, rail in the corners, anti darting, affordability, etc. There are a million posts on the skis on here, but here is a large thread on aftermarket skis.
http://www.ty4stroke.com/viewtopic.php? ... rrows+skis

I've tried 4 different pairs of skis the last couple of years, Slydog trails, Skidoo Pilots 6.9s, C&A Outlaws and Kimpex Arrows.

Slydog trail skis were put on my sled right off the bat (no stockers for me, thanks) They were already pretty worn, from 7000km of using them on my Vector. They are a pretty thin ski to begin with and in no time, I had worn through them and chucked them in the garbage. They turn pretty easy in all conditions, however I found that you really have to push them to get them to bite the corners, and I don't always like having to ride on the edge to get them to work. If you choose Slydogs, opt for the Race version as they are thicker. The trail and powder versions are pretty flimsy. My storage cover wraps over the skis and after removing the cover, the skis would be pointing inwards and twisted from just the pressure of the cover.

The next set I tried were Pilot 6.9s. They turned with a little more effort and worked quite well on groomed hardpacked trails, but once the trail conditions got beat up, loose and/or fluffy, I found they pushed too much, not confidence inspiring. In deep snow, they couldn't turn worth a damn and didn't float the sled well at all, surprising considering this is a "mountain" ski. I don't think any suspension tweaks will get them to turn in powder though, so if you plan on riding in some powder, opt for a different ski. Perhaps with more adjustments these skis probably would handle quite well on the trails, considering all the great reviews here, but I just didn't feel that same way.

I then scored a great deal on a set of C&A Outlaws that I couldn't pass up. I had read a lot of reviews on the line of C&A skis and many people remarked on how tough these skis are to steer. True, they are tougher to turn (more so at slow speeds), but turn they do. These skis make you rail the corners, a lot quicker (and safer imo) than the Slydogs or Pilots. They are a point and shoot ski that tracks straight with no darting (apart from iced up ruts in the trails). In the powder, they lift the front of the sled up and turn great also. A couple of weeks ago while riding with a couple of friends, one remarked how my sled floated (nose up) in the powder versus my buddy with his Pilot 5.7s on his (lighter) Skidoo GSX, which was plowing through the powder. A downside to these skis are the exposed leading edge of the carbide runners which makes them very easy to catch and stop you dead in your tracks...watch out for railroad tracks!

Then I tried a set of Kimpex Arrow skis. I was worried that these skis would not bite in the corners like my C&A Outlaws, but I was very surprised that they held the corners awesome on the trails and they turned the easiest of the bunch! These skis do need some added width for powder flotation, but on the trails, they rocked. I've pulled down my rear limiter strap on hole and mounted my swaybar in the forward hole on the lower A arm, which helped control the inside ski lift I was experiencing due these skis biting in the corners. The Kimpex Arrows are now my favourite skis for trail riding.

Anyhoo, here is my list for best skis on my Nytro that I have tried so far:

#1 Kimpex Arrows - easy turning, great bite, but narrow profile = poor in powder
#2 C&A Outlaws - great bite, wide profile for powder, but hard to steer on trails
#3 Slydog Trails - easy turning, wide profile for powder, mediocre bite, flimsy
#4 Skidoo 6.9 Pilots - semi easy steering, push in corners, wide profile but still not good in powder.
 
I put on Sly Dog powder hounds. Extra width is very helpfull with the heavier front end. I love them.
 
how are the 8" in the powder? I'm worried they may be a little too wide and make carving harder.

Jeff
 
I now have 600 mile with my new SplitRails. They are awesome! You can rail through the corners and go through the bush trails with confidence. In the deeper snow they lift out and ride on top of the snow. We had a lot drifting snow today on the trails with loose snow in the corners and these skis held all the way through.
 
I am a firm believer in the MTX ski. I think it is really under rated. It floats well, carves well and steers pretty easy.

They work well on hard pack and turn really well in loose snow. They actually work best in pounded out trails. I have been really impressed with them and they are a good price too.

They are very similar to the SLP's.
 
loudelectronics said:
I am a firm believer in the MTX ski. I think it is really under rated. It floats well, carves well and steers pretty easy.

They work well on hard pack and turn really well in loose snow. They actually work best in pounded out trails. I have been really impressed with them and they are a good price too.
Click to expand...

X2 and add SB Duece bars for a very good combo at a reasonable price.
 
I also like the MTX ski.... works very well. I'll be trying a set of Split Rails this week... So my MTX skis will be available if you'd like to demo them.
 
loudelectronics said:
I am a firm believer in the MTX ski. I think it is really under rated. It floats well, carves well and steers pretty easy.

They work well on hard pack and turn really well in loose snow. They actually work best in pounded out trails. I have been really impressed with them and they are a good price too.

They are very similar to the SLP's.
Click to expand...

x4 with snowtrackers...
 
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