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Would people that primarily ride groomed trails buy a new sled that sits lower than most currently do?


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I wonder... often, for no particular reason.    

Cat & Yammie did it recently with the T-Cat & SRX, years ago Doo had the Mach X and Plus X, I'm sure Polaris did something similar once upon a time in a production sled because they always copy something Doo & Cat does.    

Setting up a new sled with 'rough ice' cross country racing specs just speaks to me... maybe because you're not riding an old ass dragger.  IDK...  maybe I just place a higher value on good cornering than mogul munching?

If I worked for Polaris and made decisions, I'd want to bring back a modern RXL in 650/850 variants that sits like this for the groomed crew.

Indy-ICE-e1542124888705.jpg

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Way too many bumps in our trails. Once in a while moons align and connecting trail systems will be groomed and flat same day and older low slung sled would be great fir them. Too rare though.

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5 minutes ago, CFM said:

Way too many bumps in our trails. Once in a while moons align and connecting trail systems will be groomed and flat same day and older low slung sled would be great fir them. Too rare though.

I'm not suggesting slugging the shocks, but with modern suspension and dampening abilities surely they could come up with something that sits an inch or two lower and focuses on handling.  Maybe I'm just spoiled around here when our local trails are open, which are rarely beat up junk like you'll find where the masses flock.  

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The unsuspecting water bars on trails that sidehill large hills or mountains are called spine tinglers and kidney punchers for a reason.

Do you have those ?

 

Edited by CFM
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Yes.  My trails really don't ever get moguled out, or at least it's incredibly rare nowadays.  It seems like the high tourist areas are the places with high volume and shitty trails.  I don't advertise where I ride even though I feel they're the best trails you can possibly ride and friends that ride at my place are blown away, but I don't advertise it for a reason.

So yes I am all for a lower center of gravity.  That's what is fast and fun in good trails.

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35 minutes ago, mnstang said:

Yes.  My trails really don't ever get moguled out, or at least it's incredibly rare nowadays.  It seems like the high tourist areas are the places with high volume and shitty trails.  I don't advertise where I ride even though I feel they're the best trails you can possibly ride and friends that ride at my place are blown away, but I don't advertise it for a reason.

So yes I am all for a lower center of gravity.  That's what is fast and fun in good trails.

I agree with you there, I prefer to ride n/n.e from my place for that reason. Gets pounded close to the lake.

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For that sort of trail riding (unicorn trails, as I call them) I’d much rather have an older triple/triple like an XCR 800 or SRX 700. Those older triples can cruise at triple digit speeds all day and not like they are even working hard. Plus, they handled like they were on rails compared to the new sleds. I think the extra weight actually helped them in that. 
 

Now, if I got stuck in any kind of typical Michigan trail situation with one of those, FML. I’m out. 

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11 hours ago, mnstang said:

Yes.  My trails really don't ever get moguled out, or at least it's incredibly rare nowadays.  It seems like the high tourist areas are the places with high volume and shitty trails.  I don't advertise where I ride even though I feel they're the best trails you can possibly ride and friends that ride at my place are blown away, but I don't advertise it for a reason.

So yes I am all for a lower center of gravity.  That's what is fast and fun in good trails.

 

10 hours ago, Sled_Hed said:

I agree with you there, I prefer to ride n/n.e from my place for that reason. Gets pounded close to the lake.

Would you two like to share with a life long North Shore rider?  I have yet to ride the state trail this year because of the traffic.  I generally hate lots of people.  I will travel discretely.

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11 hours ago, mnstang said:

Yes.  My trails really don't ever get moguled out, or at least it's incredibly rare nowadays.  It seems like the high tourist areas are the places with high volume and shitty trails.  I don't advertise where I ride even though I feel they're the best trails you can possibly ride and friends that ride at my place are blown away, but I don't advertise it for a reason.

So yes I am all for a lower center of gravity.  That's what is fast and fun in good trails.

most of our local trails are generally like a serpentine ribbon, rarely if ever are they like the junked out shit I begrudgingly ride a few times a year 'up north' with the Rental-tards and weekend warriors from FIB-land.  remember back when I changed my spring/shock set-up to increase the cornering ability?  even though it only came down 7/8" in the front and just over an inch in the back I haven't regretted it once!  rear skid bolts in the upper holes and limiter straps one notch tighter.  Mike Carver delivered.  :)
 

10 hours ago, SayatodaU.P.eh? said:

For that sort of trail riding (unicorn trails, as I call them) I’d much rather have an older triple/triple like an XCR 800 or SRX 700. Those older triples can cruise at triple digit speeds all day and not like they are even working hard. Plus, they handled like they were on rails compared to the new sleds. I think the extra weight actually helped them in that. 
 

Now, if I got stuck in any kind of typical Michigan trail situation with one of those, FML. I’m out. 

but you ride the Yoop man, along with 46,008 other people.

my buddies father picked up a Viper last winter after finally conceding his old Indy was uncomfortable and unreliable - he loves it and is man enough to make the weight of the 4S work for him and loves the stability.  there's no reason the manu's can't make a trail hugger/lake racer for folks that don't need 15" of suspension.

  

2 hours ago, racinfarmer said:

Trying to ride an ice sled on not ice fucking blows unless it is super smooth.  

It is also a lot of fun loosing them going hard into a corner, trying to square up the berm and launching them with a hope and a prayer.

tell us more... and I grew up riding berms 

good god, berm riding was fun... on a leafer with 3" of travel in the back, while wearing a kidney belt.

maybe our trails are different, we spend very little time in ditches or riding across farm fields here.

 

IMG_0017.jpg

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24 minutes ago, Crnr2Crnr said:

 

tell us more... and I grew up riding berms 

good god, berm riding was fun... on a leafer with 3" of travel in the back, while wearing a kidney belt.

maybe our trails are different, we spend very little time in ditches or riding across farm fields here.

 

 

On the plowed ice tracks, the berms have never been my friend, inside or out.  I also don't find them to be the fast way through a corner, most of the time.  Only one of the fast ways to find myself bottom side topwise.  

Berms on the trail can be great fun.  I think we have a misunderstanding.  I'm thinking more along the side of racing.  I just can't picture sucking a sled down for ice racing and going out running any trail around here with it.

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13 hours ago, Crnr2Crnr said:

most of our local trails are generally like a serpentine ribbon, rarely if ever are they like the junked out shit I begrudgingly ride a few times a year 'up north' with the Rental-tards and weekend warriors from FIB-land.  remember back when I changed my spring/shock set-up to increase the cornering ability?  even though it only came down 7/8" in the front and just over an inch in the back I haven't regretted it once!  rear skid bolts in the upper holes and limiter straps one notch tighter.  Mike Carver delivered.  :)
 

but you ride the Yoop man, along with 46,008 other people.

my buddies father picked up a Viper last winter after finally conceding his old Indy was uncomfortable and unreliable - he loves it and is man enough to make the weight of the 4S work for him and loves the stability.  there's no reason the manu's can't make a trail hugger/lake racer for folks that don't need 15" of suspension.

  

tell us more... and I grew up riding berms 

good god, berm riding was fun... on a leafer with 3" of travel in the back, while wearing a kidney belt.

maybe our trails are different, we spend very little time in ditches or riding across farm fields here.

 

IMG_0017.jpg

I typically don’t waste a trip to the UP anymore to trail ride. I do all of that in the lower which can be even more busy, depending on the place and amount of snow sometimes. 
 

Funny part is I’ve been pretty lucky trail riding the lower the past couple of years. We either hit it mid week or early morning on a Saturday after a fresh groom. Even on a rail bed, like this one, that if you attempt to ride it during the weekend, it is endless chop. 
 

 

5FD1000E-1A2C-4261-BCF2-A3AAF7A3EAB3.jpeg

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10 hours ago, SayatodaU.P.eh? said:

I typically don’t waste a trip to the UP anymore to trail ride. I do all of that in the lower which can be even more busy, depending on the place and amount of snow sometimes. 
 

Funny part is I’ve been pretty lucky trail riding the lower the past couple of years. We either hit it mid week or early morning on a Saturday after a fresh groom. Even on a rail bed, like this one, that if you attempt to ride it during the weekend, it is endless chop. 
 

 

5FD1000E-1A2C-4261-BCF2-A3AAF7A3EAB3.jpeg

the vast majority of our local trails look like that at all times... not all, but most.  we have (imo) some of the best groomed and maintained trails in the entire state.

to an extent, I think grooming 'technology' has gotten better as the sleds have been more compliant to the junked out trails we used to ride, so around here I believe I/we could get away with riding lowered rider forward (comfortable) sleds that don't look better suited to a SX track or a MN ditch line.    

Edited by Crnr2Crnr
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2 minutes ago, Crnr2Crnr said:

the vast majority of our local trails look like that at all times... not all, but most.  we have (imo) some of the best groomed and maintained trails in the entire state.

There are few low traffic trails in Michigan. If it snows, 4 million people converge on that one area. 

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1 minute ago, SayatodaU.P.eh? said:

There are few low traffic trails in Michigan. If it snows, 4 million people converge on that one area. 

see my edit...

that's how the internet has made things better and worse for this activity

LOL - I might go riding two hours south of here this weekend, because they have snow/open trails and we don't?

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1 minute ago, Crnr2Crnr said:

see my edit...

that's how the internet has made things better and worse for this activity

LOL - I might go riding two hours south of here this weekend, because they have snow/open trails and we don't?

I remember when we use to call hotels and restaurants for trail conditions. 

Part of the suck that happens when you live 100+ miles south of the most southern groomed trails. 

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On 1/27/2021 at 8:21 PM, Fireball 440 said:

 

Would you two like to share with a life long North Shore rider?  I have yet to ride the state trail this year because of the traffic.  I generally hate lots of people.  I will travel discretely.

I couldn't imagine going 40 mph hitting one of the 3 foot moguls at the bottom of the hills and bridges on the NST on a Saturday afternoon with a "lowered" sled.

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6 hours ago, teamgreen02 said:

I couldn't imagine going 40 mph hitting one of the 3 foot moguls at the bottom of the hills and bridges on the NST on a Saturday afternoon with a "lowered" sled.

You wouldn't want to find the 6" tall ones ate 80 either.

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Where are you finding these little 6" ones, lol.  Friggin' shit is whooped up like crazy around here right now.

 

As for the question on the thread, even if we had perfectly groomed shit I wouldn't want a lowered sled.  I spend half my time riding waiting for those behind me, the last thing I need is something like that to speed me up.  Recommending them to those I ride with though could happen....but those sort of trails don't exist when my calendar allows riding.

Edited by Deephaven
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On 1/29/2021 at 10:34 AM, teamgreen02 said:

I couldn't imagine going 40 mph hitting one of the 3 foot moguls at the bottom of the hills and bridges on the NST on a Saturday afternoon with a "lowered" sled.

The problem is that for most of these trails, the trees on each side of the trail will assure you that any mistake during take off or landing is going to be your last one on any sled.  

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Nope.  Still have some of the old ground drager sleds.  About 5 years ago on a nice Sunday decided to take my 1985 Indy 600 for a ride. Meet some guys I ride with by chance and ended up putting on 180 miles luckily on nice trails.  By time I got back I was ready to put the Indy back in storage.  Its fun for about 30 to 50 miles after that I'll take the modern sleds

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4 hours ago, Deephaven said:

Where are you finding these little 6" ones, lol.  Friggin' shit is whooped up like crazy around here right now.

 

As for the question on the thread, even if we had perfectly groomed shit I wouldn't want a lowered sled.  I spend half my time riding waiting for those behind me, the last thing I need is something like that to speed me up.  Recommending them to those I ride with though could happen....but those sort of trails don't exist when my calendar allows riding.

Most of the bridges,table tops, and drop downs are all whooped to the MAXIMUM MAX!  I actually had the seat slap my ass today off a bridge, that hasn't happened in years!

3 hours ago, Zambroski said:

The problem is that for most of these trails, the trees on each side of the trail will assure you that any mistake during take off or landing is going to be your last one on any sled.  

:barbeque: still thinking about the corndogs.

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1 minute ago, Fireball 440 said:

Most of the bridges,table tops, and drop downs are all whooped to the MAXIMUM MAX!  I actually had the seat slap my ass today off a bridge, that hasn't happened in years!

:barbeque: still thinking about the corndogs.

One of the scariest "get offs" I almost had was on the other side of the bridge when I overshot the landing and lawn darted into the whoop hole just on the off ramp.  I swear I broke both my wrists.  SMH.  

 

image.jpeg

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