Idea's to make her softer?

[blubbles]

Hey guys,

Hoping I can get some of your input and ideas. I bought a 2007 M8 153, and am having lots of trouble making her soft enough to be able to handle in the powder.

Im a light rider ~115 lbs, new to riding and its kicking my ass in the powder. So far I have:

• loosened the front coils to their softest setting (just before they rattle when lifted)
• made sure the limiter strap is on the longest setting
• loosened the rear suspension to its softest setting
• put in a handlebar riser

Now I've ridden some of the new machines, and found them WAY easier to get on their sides.

Is there anything else I can do to help me out?
Is their lighter springs that I can use on the rear or something? - it seems quite a bit thicker then the new doo.

Any ideas would be appreciated!

 

[poo88]

Start eating more McDonald's lol. Is the ski stance adjustable? Try narrowing it up if it is

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[Bnorth]

Measure your ski stance and make sure you don't have crossfire A-arms on it they are wider. Also the cat torsion spring skid is like a pogo stick. I highly recommend upgrading to the 08+ float rear skid. Just put a Proclimb skid in an M7 and night and day difference.

 

[Modman]

Hey guys,

Hoping I can get some of your input and ideas. I bought a 2007 M8 153, and am having lots of trouble making her soft enough to be able to handle in the powder.

Im a light rider ~115 lbs, new to riding and its kicking my ass in the powder. So far I have:

• loosened the front coils to their softest setting (just before they rattle when lifted)
• made sure the limiter strap is on the longest setting
• loosened the rear suspension to its softest setting
• put in a handlebar riser

Now I've ridden some of the new machines, and found them WAY easier to get on their sides.

Is there anything else I can do to help me out?
Is their lighter springs that I can use on the rear or something? - it seems quite a bit thicker then the new doo.

Any ideas would be appreciated!

Kicking your ass how? Too bouncy? Not enough transfer? For laying it over you need to soften the front springs all the way and get the skis to the narrowest setting. If you have the limiter on the longest setting but have the front rear shock still stiffened then you are gettting a big amount of rear weight transfer. How long have you been riding? Use a counter steer for the skis, then give it a little throttle and snap it over.

You can get lighter springs for the rear torsions and lighter springs for the front shocks as well. Not sure what the Cat part #'s are, or you can get Doo/Polaris springs if they are lighter and just change the blocks on the suspension rails.

 

[Toyboy]

Not sure what you mean if it was too stiff it would kick your ass on the hardpack. As for laying it over make sure your skis are set to the narrowest and the shocks up front being soft should do the trick. I'm 130-135lbs and flop my 09 M8 on its side anytime i want and my front springs are set about half way.

I am going to soften them up and the rear a bit for the trails though but never had a problems in the pow.

 

[markoo]

I would say tighten your front track spring up more. This will make your front end lighter and it will roll over easier.

 

[blubbles]

Its really beating me up on the powder. On the hard pack its not really giving me any issues, but its taking everything I have to get it to come over in powder. Its two feet on one side, and all I can pull. I am a newbie rider so I understand I need more practice, but I was just hoping for anything else to help me out.

 

[Bnorth]

Try more counter steer and throttle.

 

[teamgreen]

Try more counter steer and throttle.

Nailed it Bnorth.

Blubbles, grab a whole bunch more throttle.

 

[Himark]

wrong foot forward too. put your right foot into the left stir-up put your left foot out and AHEAD of your right foot on teh running board, crank the skis counter and then crack it....no matter what suspension set up...it wil come right over for you.

kinda like this...watch my feet:

Snowmobile Donuts - YouTube


youll get er!!

 

[polarisdragon800]

It depends what you want to do, of your just carving around on a hill back want forth, wrong foot forward isn't the answer.. Booth feel planted and just counter steer and lean as you crack the throttle. If you want to do Donuts, I actually Find sitting down on the very corner of the seat, leaning in and getting low while I counter steer easiest, but wrong foot forward does work for this, just not as easy to switch from side to side. If your sidehilling though wrong foot forward is the easiest.


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[Himark]

It depends what you want to do, of your just carving around on a hill back want forth, wrong foot forward isn't the answer.. Booth feel planted and just counter steer and lean as you crack the throttle. If you want to do Donuts, I actually Find sitting down on the very corner of the seat, leaning in and getting low while I counter steer easiest, but wrong foot forward does work for this, just not as easy to switch from side to side. If your sidehilling though wrong foot forward is the easiest.



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he was asking how to get it over on its side the easiest. no better way than wrong foot forward to get a sled to roll over. its physics. you dont sit on the corner of your seat in the shop to roll it up on its edge. you do wrong foot forward and yank...well i do anyhow...seems to be easiest?
im not sure how sitting is easier than standing when transitioning form side to side?


not to be harsh...JMHO

 

[Modman]

he was asking how to get it over on its side the easiest. no better way than wrong foot forward to get a sled to roll over. its physics. you dont sit on the corner of your seat in the shop to roll it up on its edge. you do wrong foot forward and yank...well i do anyhow...seems to be easiest?
im not sure how sitting is easier than standing when transitioning form side to side?


not to be harsh...JMHO

I'm a little bigger than the OP who asked the question, but honestly after riding for 25 yrs, I still haven't bought into the "wrong foot forward" style. I honestly tried it a couple times and gave it a good effort, I just found that I felt vulnerable for mobility by having to cross my front leg over the inside of the seat (transition took too long), even trying to jump around on the sled. Sled balance through weight transfer is key to getting the weight off the skis which will make it tippier, after that I find its mainly throttle control. I dunno, maybe I was doing it wrong?

blubbles - Counter steering and throttle is key to getting the sled laid over in powder on the flats, and good use of throttle to get the track spinning. I find that most newbies don't understand the physics of the sled at static track speed to ground speed (translation - when track speed = ground speed).

Even a 250 lb guy will have trouble getting the sled over at static speed (like in your garage), compared to when the track is spinning faster than ground speed, the track will cut into the snow much better and allow the sled to carve much easier. This is why you will see people roll their sleds when they climb a hill and do not have enough momentum to keep the track spinning at the apex (peak) of their turn. Once the track speed = ground speed, the track wants to lay flat on the hill (and not cut in), and if you are on a 50 degree incline and barely moving, your sled is going rolling. Keep the track spinning and you will have an easier time carving, I think unfortunately you are at a little bit of a weight disadvantage though, and this might be your biggest hurdle. I'm curious as to why you went with an 800, a 600 might be easier for your body to handle. You might consider this as well.

 

[tantrumpipeline]

Hey guys,

Hoping I can get some of your input and ideas. I bought a 2007 M8 153, and am having lots of trouble making her soft enough to be able to handle in the powder.

Im a light rider ~115 lbs, new to riding and its kicking my ass in the powder. So far I have:

• loosened the front coils to their softest setting (just before they rattle when lifted)
• made sure the limiter strap is on the longest setting
• loosened the rear suspension to its softest setting
• put in a handlebar riser

Now I've ridden some of the new machines, and found them WAY easier to get on their sides.

Is there anything else I can do to help me out?
Is their lighter springs that I can use on the rear or something? - it seems quite a bit thicker then the new doo.

Any ideas would be appreciated!

Wrong foot forward is a must to myself and our group it us natural now and the awkwardness fades fast, I have an 07 with stiff rear settings, 2wheel kit, narrowed ski stance and I find it good, not as responsive as the 11 but almost, the gf is learning the wrong foot forward thing quite quick on it so should be a fun season, the wrong foot forward and counter steering revolutionized the game, you wouldn't see the tree runs and innovations you do with sleds now without it, laugh every time I see someone hanging off the side of a huge riser to accomplish 1/4 what you can do once you get used to it, not to bash by any stretch but it is a must IMO

 

[blubbles]

That gives me quite a bit more ideas! - I'll post some cam footage after the next outing, hopefully then I can review it afterwards and can give more ideas. As I said, I understand I am a newbie and need more practice, but just figured with my weight I need all the help I can get. All of the little changes hopefully will make a big difference.

I didn't try too much wrong foot forward, but ill be sure to give it a go. Seems somewhat backwards, but I am sure once you get used to it it could help out.

As for Modman's comment, I looked into getting a 600, but with the super minimal weight difference, I felt as though I might as well get something that will last. And even so when I decide to upgrade, at least then I have a capable backup sled. Maybe this was a poor decision, but all the chassis's seem to be so similar it was hard to justify the crappy resale value.

 

[cnelson6]

The best thing you can do is ride with PPL that are better than you and have some solid seat time, you can pick the good from their riding styles and try them ive came leaps and bounds from where i was and its because I ride with good guys that dont have a problem showing you and helping you out on the way. If you ever want to go out pm me and I can show you what I have learned the same way guys did it for me. And the m series is what I ride so I might be able to help you out a little bit. For me the wrong foot forward works well for throwing it onto its side and the m series is one of the better sidehilling machines so once you get the trick you wont have a issue!