ViperSkier
Newbie
I took my wife out for a ride and she rode my 2016 SRViper MTX. She was behind me so I didn't see it happen. Near the end of the day through some combination of fatigue or lack of attention or who knows what, she went flying off the edge of the trail at a corner. Looking at the tracks in the snow, she caught air going over the edge (she may have panic-grabbed the throttle, because she wasn't riding very fast). She landed on the steep embankment, which was about 35 degrees. She doesn't remember much, but it seems the sled rolled over her. It was probably a single roll, then it luckily came to rest against a woody brush instead of tumbling down the rest of the hill, and the rollover depressed the stop button so the motor wasn't running. I came back a few days later to winch it back onto the trail. Everything on the handlebars (brakes, throttle, mountain bar) as well as the connection between the handlebars and the riser was cattywampus so I got those put back into place. After letting it settle for a couple minutes on a flat surface, it started right up. Other than stalling the motor at first, I think due to ice in the track, it seemed in good condition and I rode it back out to the truck.
The only thing I've noticed wrong is the steering alignment. The skis are aligned well to eachother, but the handlebars are slightly off when the skis are straight. There's a bit of slop in the steering, but I think that was pre-existing and I see other threads about tightening the nut at the bottom of the steering column to fix it. I don't remember the steering being this far off before the rollover, but I can't swear by it. I see other threads where people report the factory alignment being off, and I suppose it's possible I just never noticed it until now. In the photo, the handlebars are at the far right end of the slop. At the far left end of the slop, the handlebars are pretty close to straight.
I've removed the right rubber boot and taken a look up the steering column. It looks straight as a whistle. I looked under the velcroed cover at the u-joint in the steering column, and it looks fine (no cracked welds or anything else concerning). Same for the weld at the bottom of the steering column. I can't see any issues with the linkages. I've spent a lot of time looking at the sled and the A-arms seem fine, the bracket at the top with the bushing for the steering column looks perfectly centered to my eyes, etc. I have no idea what's out of place. I was thinking about how the force from the sled landing on the handlebars would transfer to the rest of the sled, and I think it's to the plate at the bottom of the steering column, but that also looks fine. The only thing unaligned is the front bumper which looks ever so slightly off-center, but it's not very strong and may have bent a while ago.
All things considered, compared to seeing folks hucking cliffs with mountain sleds, I suppose I shouldn't expect things to be majorly broken with this rollover in soft snow. Should I just adjust the tie rods (which are currently the same on each side) to bring the handlebars back to alignment and get on with my life? Is there anything else in particular I should be looking at?
The only thing I've noticed wrong is the steering alignment. The skis are aligned well to eachother, but the handlebars are slightly off when the skis are straight. There's a bit of slop in the steering, but I think that was pre-existing and I see other threads about tightening the nut at the bottom of the steering column to fix it. I don't remember the steering being this far off before the rollover, but I can't swear by it. I see other threads where people report the factory alignment being off, and I suppose it's possible I just never noticed it until now. In the photo, the handlebars are at the far right end of the slop. At the far left end of the slop, the handlebars are pretty close to straight.
I've removed the right rubber boot and taken a look up the steering column. It looks straight as a whistle. I looked under the velcroed cover at the u-joint in the steering column, and it looks fine (no cracked welds or anything else concerning). Same for the weld at the bottom of the steering column. I can't see any issues with the linkages. I've spent a lot of time looking at the sled and the A-arms seem fine, the bracket at the top with the bushing for the steering column looks perfectly centered to my eyes, etc. I have no idea what's out of place. I was thinking about how the force from the sled landing on the handlebars would transfer to the rest of the sled, and I think it's to the plate at the bottom of the steering column, but that also looks fine. The only thing unaligned is the front bumper which looks ever so slightly off-center, but it's not very strong and may have bent a while ago.
All things considered, compared to seeing folks hucking cliffs with mountain sleds, I suppose I shouldn't expect things to be majorly broken with this rollover in soft snow. Should I just adjust the tie rods (which are currently the same on each side) to bring the handlebars back to alignment and get on with my life? Is there anything else in particular I should be looking at?
