Easier to get on edge on one side

[lycono]

I have a 2022 RMK Pro Matryx Slash 165 (all stock) and about midway through the season noticed that it lays over very easily to the clutch side but not so easy to the muffler side. I tried it while moving, from a standstill with a blip and just standing and pulling it over. I’ve done it on concrete and on snow. All the same.

The shocks up front are set to the same setting and the springs look like they are positioned the same on both sides. I tried pushing down on the front bumper but didn’t notice any softness to either side.

Before I ask my dealer to take a look at what I think is going to be a silly question is there anything I can do to diagnose myself? And ideas on what it might be?

Thanks in advance.

 

[cubby]

It's not the sled it's you.

 

[shattuck]

I’m not sure about ease of getting it on its side but almost everyone is better at side hilling on the clutch side vs the muffler side there are plenty of theories some people think it has to do with the throttle being on the opposite side or even the spinning of the clutch mass.
I once had a professional rider tell me that no one side hills equally as well on both sides of the sleds some people think they do but nobody does.

 

[ndfb35]

A used to think the same thing but then I went to a finger throttle and that helped me to sidehill on the right hand side. Now I am confident on both sides equally.

 

[boondocker97]

It's not the sled it's you.

It is definitely, at least in part, the sled. The engine and clutches are offset to the left side of the snowmobile. Polaris also has the oil tank on the left side. It physically takes more force to lift the left side of the machine, especially if a lightweight muffler is installed. There are riding techniques that can be used to minimize the effort needed to bring the sled up on either edge, but it is always going to take a little more force to lift the left side. Outdated 2013-2014 SnoWest data to show concept attached.

 

[PSI 800]

Interesting, I have always found it easier on the exhaust side myself.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

It’s physics.

Use the “right hand rule”

Sled will tip easier to the left due to engine rotation. (And it gets even easier when rpm increases)


And gyro effect for sleds which makes sleds like skidoo with vertically stacked clutches more resistant to tipping (vs cat or poo)



There.

You learned something today.


Or if you are ambitious.

 

[m1kflyingtiger]

And why a 600 usually “feels” lighter when it usually is almost the exact same weight but less power.

 

[lycono]

Thanks for the schooling on the physics. Cool videos. Guess I’ll practice harder this season and see if I can get better technique to overcome the difference.

 

[Chadly]

I remember when I wasn't good at snowmobiling...

 

[BeartoothBaron]

^ Now why do I have a hard time believing that?

 

[lycono]

Actually, I realized I’m not addressing my full post. I’ve done this with the engine off on flat, solid ground (both snow and pavement). Just wrong foot forward and pull it over by the handlebars to each side. The difference is still quite noticeable. Hopefully that’s simple enough to write off the technique part of the equation here. I’ve had riding friends do the same exercise. Maybe it’s just weight?

 

[BeartoothBaron]

@boondocker97 already hit it, but yeah, the weight offset is to the left. Obviously the clutches are on that side, but the engine is also offset to the left. I have a suspicion that in some cases, they intentionally make the can kind of heavy to help even things out. Makes me wonder if anyone's tried lining the outer right belly pan with lead or something, but it'd really have to be magic to right sidehilling to be worth it!

That said, it's still not just the weight balance. The right-hand throttle and gyroscopic effect also tend to make it more difficult. I think being easier to get on edge on the left means that most of us (including myself) gravitate to that side - we tend to carve a left 180 vs right, are more likely to avoid situations requiring a right sidehill, and so on. It's one of those things I've been working on, and making some progress, but I'm still way more confident on the left. So it's not something you're likely to "fix" in terms of the sled: you just have to commit to working on it when you can, and any time you ride with someone really good (hint: they won't have to tell you), get as many tips as you can. Sometimes it's something that you weren't even thinking of that makes all the difference. The first season I rode my Pro, somebody said "You should try taking a step back." Just shifting back on the boards made a huge difference in some situations.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Actually, I realized I’m not addressing my full post. I’ve done this with the engine off on flat, solid ground (both snow and pavement). Just wrong foot forward and pull it over by the handlebars to each side. The difference is still quite noticeable. Hopefully that’s simple enough to write off the technique part of the equation here. I’ve had riding friends do the same exercise. Maybe it’s just weight?

It’s weight balance when stationary.

(Amplified with an aftermarket can)

 

[JH@CM]

Great flow of comments here.

Some of the suspension tuners have used positional scales (left and right ski) to really refine handling characteristics as well.

I have always felt the centrifugal forces of the engine and clutches made for better leverage pulling the sled to left board, but the distribution of weight is also an important factor, especially if you're ever pulling on a sled that's not running.

Practice makes perfect! Take a clinic, or make your own challenges if you're struggling with a move. We can all improve.

 

[Ex-Flit]

I had a shock that was not completely drilled out from the factory because the bit was broken off in the hole where the oil transferred back and forth . My dealer rebuilt both shocks 3 or 4 times before they figured it out. not saying that is your problem, but it does happen.

 

[tuneman]

Yep, what everyone else said: gyroscopic effect from primary, unequal weight left to right, especially with an aftermarket can. Knowing that, however, an equal setup on your front suspension is not correct for many riders. Try tightening your right spring a turn or 2 and see if that helps.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Yep, what everyone else said: gyroscopic effect from primary, unequal weight left to right, especially with an aftermarket can. Knowing that, however, an equal setup on your front suspension is not correct for many riders. Try tightening your right spring a turn or 2 and see if that helps.

Did you mean the left shock needs tightened?

Seems opposite of your statement to correct left leaning bias.

 

[208_RMK]

I don't mean to hijack but... On the front end ski shocks: So is less pre-load easier to initiate on edge or is more pre-load better? I have asked this and always get mixed results...

 

[tuneman]

More preload. It seems backward, but it's not. More preload compresses the spring and tips the sled slightly in that direction. With less preload, you have more spring compression to work through.