6. Use the specific belt recommended for your clutch setup
What brand of belt should I use? This is a fairly opinionated question and often the answer lies within the person who designed, developed and is specifying the clutch components that are being used. Starting Line Products typically uses the OEM belt recommended for each individual sled because that is what most customers will be using. Each sled at one point had the OEM belt (from the factory) and most customers just simply replace it with the same belt. The key here is not what brand of belt is being used, but that the owner continues to use the same belt as was originally designed for whatever clutch components are installed in order to maintain consistent performance and reliability. Each brand of belt will act differently on a given unit because of differences between belt designs. Snowmobiles can vary as much as 200 rpm just from changing to a different brand belt. Therefore, if you decide to change to a different style or brand of belt, some re-tuning may be required for optimum performance and efficiency.
7. Update clutch components for different rider weights or track sizes
It is very common to see riders go to a bigger or more aggressive track. When extra traction or track weight is added, it puts more load on the engine, causing the peak rpm to drop, which can decrease track speed and performance. When this happens the rider needs to compensate by dropping a couple of grams of clutch weight in the primary clutch or reducing the chaincase gear ratio by gearing down or even installing a lower angle helix and/or possibly a stiffer spring.
The same basic rule applies for a rider who weighs more than the sled was originally calibrated for. The heavier the rider, the more load on the motor. Most clutch setups are designed with the average-sized person in mind, which would be anywhere from 170 to 220 lbs. If a rider weighs more or less than this, adjustments may need to be made to achieve full performance.
Another thing that affects clutching is adding more horsepower via aftermarket parts. In most cases, if more horsepower is being added, some clutch changes will be required to take full advantage of the extra horsepower.
8. Balance your clutch
