Yes, another ski thread! Im so confused

[kinger]

I was going to say I have had Simmons gen 1, powderhounds, slydog trail ski, and C&A razors and your reviews were almost spot on except I didn't have any darting with the C&A razors on my viper.

I am running powderhounds now they are the same keel as the trail ski just wider and I also run duals that eliminated all darting. It pushes in the corners a bit but they are a good compromise for me as I like the flotation when were ditch banging in IA and they steer so easy it makes the sled a dream to ride. (the ez steering came from a small shim).

When I get into Hayward/cable WI tight twisty trails I cant go as fast as I used to but were all slowing down a bit and if I want to I can still keep up or beat most revs, just takes a little more work effort. Also coming in the corners I always use the brake (where a lot of people like to use the engine brake) AND the gas tapping the brake to add ski pressure (bite) and keeping the gas a consistant throttle to not upset the chassis and you can almost steer with the brake taps on icey corners.

Tap brake sled bites and turns, let up sled still turning but pushing, tap again if you feel your going to far and your back in control. Point is the push is not in of itself all bad and it is controllable. With all skis as you have reviewed there are pros and cons and I am pretty happy with where I ended up with the powderhounds.

 

[snowbeast]

The issue I have with setting toe at 0 degrees is that once front suspension bushings wear and loosen up, the skis start to wander more and dart. Then at times your skis will toe in which can really cause severe darting and dangerous handling. Setting toe out 1/4" to 1/2" reduces this chance.

Don't forget to check your ski spindle bushings as well, they wear as well.

x2

 

[kviper]

With the Tracker's you WILL get your best result's at 0.

 

[Riceburner]

Stock ski's and Sno Trackers fixes all except flotation.

Cheapest option and good longevity to boot. Self sharpening carbide looks new after 4,000 km.

 

[DUTCH OVEN]

I run the USI tripple threats with 9" shaper bars, and the small fins, with 162 studs. I dont find it hard to steer at all, just depends on how your suspension is set up.

 

[bottlerocket]

Stock ski's and Sno Trackers fixes all except flotation.

They have got to rob a bunch of top end which is not something nytros can give up IMHO.

 

[Riceburner]

It does not appear that they do.

I have not run stock licorice strips vs the Sno Trackers back to back so that I can not say absolutely that they do not.

However I have run the sled vs 800 E-tecs, 800 R's and other Apex's pre 2011 and I can tell you the 2011 SE pulls them all up top [past 600 feet] with the Sno Trackers on.

Best GPS 182 plowed road uphill grade. 2,000 feet approximately.

Ran approximately 1,000 feet on a lake last spring vs my two previous sleds. GPS results as follows.

2005 Supercharged RX1 172 kph
2006 Supercharged Apex GT 171 kph
2011 Apex SE [Stock 4 now] 170 kph


My Deuce bars on my 06 GT robbed top end for sure. [3 -5 mph depending on conditions]

The Sno Trackers seem to not impact top speed, but if they are, based on the above results, I'm OK with it considering how they improved the handling of the sled.

 

[kviper]

The Tracker's look like they would scrub some top end but if you look at them straight on from the front you only have one 1/4" BLADE VS 1/2" host bar and two 1/8" slices in the snow from the defuser. The thinner blade's seem to push through the snow at least as easy as the 1/2" host bar or maybe easier. I have been riding for 37 year's and can honestly say the Tracker's have been the best money I have ever spent for for accessories period. Be prepared though, when you turn the bar's they WILL bite.

 

[BombaPolaYama]

......I am running powderhounds now they are the same keel as the trail ski just wider and I also run duals that eliminated all darting. It pushes in the corners a bit but they are a good compromise for me as I like the flotation when were ditch banging in IA and they steer so easy it makes the sled a dream to ride. (the ez steering came from a small shim).......

What are you using for dual runners? (sorry if I asked you this before)
I agree with the easy steering of the powder hounds - they really keep the front end out of the grooves made by other tracks - with the stock skis I would have to wrestle with it in soft conditions.
BTW, has anyone ever tried making a set of snow tracker type outfits? How thick is the metal in those (i.e., I'm wondering what thickness would be needed to stand up?).
thanks,

 

[BETHEVIPER]

you can buy a similar product. Dartless plates, they work great. They get rid of all darting and make the sled steer easier as you can load the front of the ski using forward motion to assist in turning, similar effect used to make arrow skis turn so easy.
dartless are cheap to try, 50 bucks and are made of hardox as i remember. harder than the pipe ones I made here. Work the same.

 

[LM7800]

curves xs work great everywhere. Plus they have a trade in program to cheapen things up

 

[Super Sled]

After hours and hours on end of reading reviews, this seems to be the consensus on the various ski options I have been considering:

Curve XS: - Expensive
• Floatation: B
• Bite: A
• Darting: B (Solved w/LE)
• Steering Effort: A

Kimplex Arrows: - Expensive to replace dual runners
• Floatation: C
• Bite: A
• Darting: B
• Steering Effort: B

Slydog Powderhounds: - Affordable, just not enough bite
• Floatation: A
• Bite: C
• Darting: B
• Steering Effort: A

C&A Razors: - Only slightly easier to steer than the USIs
• Floatation: B
• Bite: A
• Darting: C
• Steering Effort: C

USI Triple Threats: - would be good on a EPS machine
• Floatation: B
• Bite: A
• Darting: B
• Steering Effort: D



The problem is that have found posts that both support and contradict the above. Generally speaking, this seems to be the consensus, but I cant be 100% positive because I have read so much that I think everything is bluring together.

Great synopsis Fushion! I really applaud your research; and I think we can all agree there is mass contradiction from post to post and all the various opinions in between. Bottom line i think
It just comes down to so many factors: rider preference, set up, riding style, conditions, time of year, amount of snow, etc., that a rider just has to try a few skis out on their own sled to really determine what ski will work best for him or her self. Shoot, I'm trying out my fifth set of skis on my Attak -- C&A XTX's. Ive liked most all skis I've tried, but not loved any of them enough to call them the best, so my search continues.

Here's my review on Simmons Gen 1's. I ran them with dual 8" carbides set on 1/2" wear bars on each ski.

Simmons Gen 1 Flexi Skis
- Flotation: B+/ A-
- Bite: B
- Darting: A+
- Steering Effort: B+

To me the Simmons are the best overall trail ski. They also float very well, so are extremely versatile. But while they are very good at many things, thèy lack in a few key areas, most notably they are not a real aggressive cornering ski. While they track extremely straight and well, they push during hard cornering. But in a world of compromises, these are an excellent choice. If you shim them 1/4" in the rear, they are a very easy turning ski.

 

[bottlerocket]

The Tracker's look like they would scrub some top end but if you look at them straight on from the front you only have one 1/4" BLADE VS 1/2" host bar and two 1/8" slices in the snow from the defuser. The thinner blade's seem to push through the snow at least as easy as the 1/2" host bar or maybe easier. I have been riding for 37 year's and can honestly say the Tracker's have been the best money I have ever spent for for accessories period. Be prepared though, when you turn the bar's they WILL bite.

Im shocked but you make a good point. They look narly in the advertisements but really dont have that much dragging compared to double carbide skis or double carbide runners.

 

[WNY PAT]

I couldn't be happier with the Curves and LE. I ride similar conditions. Sean and the gang there tested the crap out of the Curves and the LE on a Nytro - piled up some real world miles working the bugs out and making a product you can just bolt on and ride. Wish I were closer and there was snow, I'd trade off with you for an hour or so. The difference is night and day!

 

[Grimm]

Let's not forget that the very same ski can perform quite differently from model to model. What may work well on an Apex, may perform poorly on a Nytro, Venture or a Phazer. Same when you install them on a long tracked sled versus a shorter tracked one.

It's rider subjective too.