AmSnow.com is now SnoWest.com
My stock skis offer competent performance, but I wanted more.
I wanted to flick my sled into corners and feel a crisp response. I wanted arrow straight tracking and little darting. Most of all, I wanted to carve corners with laser-like precision. I needed better handling!
Bolt on and goTo get that handling, I bolted on a pair of C&A Pro Razor skis. Originally designed for racing, the Razors feature a unique outrigger setup for super responsive handling.
Skis are a vital component in the steering/suspension equation, they are your first connection with the snow. Skis also are a safety device as well as a performance enhancement. If your sled responds more precisely in an emergency, you've made a wise investment.
Finding the best skis to match your sled, riding style and the riding conditions is key to realizing your sled's handling potential. Just like you wouldn't fit a set of off-road tires to a Toyota Prius, neither should you put a big pair of powder skis on a sled that never leaves the trail.
Ski profile and keel design define application and handling. Select a ski with a mild keel design, and you'll typically experience light steering effort, but vague handling. Opt for a ski with a highly aggressive keel design and rocker angle, and typically you'll have quick steering and tracking, but it may be twitchy too.
After I replaced the stock skis on my 2002 Arctic Cat ZR500 Cross Country with C&A's Razor skis, I knew I'd made a good choice. I'm a Midwest trail rider, so the Razors were a good fit.
The differenceI've racked up several thousands of miles on my mostly stock ZR500 with just the standard Arctic Cat plastic skis - also used on the Firecats from 2003-2005. These UHMW (ultra high molecular weight) plastic skis, with an aluminum-mounting boot, measure 42 inches long by 5 inches wide. Their square keel is 1¼ inches wide by ¾ inches tall, which is the same as the Razor. But the key difference is that the Razor's square keel maintains the consistent depth from tip to stern, while the Cat's keel depth gradually tapers flush to the deck about 9 inches from each end.
Although the stock Cat skis proved to be decent all-around performers, they only provided mediocre performance through powder and more challenging trail conditions.
The knowledge that the makers of C&A Pro plastic skis have gained while dominating Snocross racing in recent years has been applied to its trail skis. Also in the C&A lineup is the Extreme XT, which is considered slightly more aggressive than the Razor. Both are made of 100% UHMW plastic for lightweight, durability and low drag.
For the Razor, it's the ski's 25-inch long by 1-inch wide by ¾-inch tall outriggers that make the ski stand out. Those outriggers are located on both the inside and the outside of the keel and in combination with the square profile, they deliver a unique traction package.
Total Razor dimensions measure 43½ inches long by 6 inches wide with a ?-inch thick ski deck, making them 1½ inches longer and 1 inch wider than the stock Cat ski.
The skis also contain a replaceable, all-plastic front loop. Furthermore, the ski spindles mount directly to the plastic in an exclusive ball and cup design, and they don't use an aluminum-mounting boot. Installation of the C&A skis require a mounting kit that includes 2 spindle bolts, 4 bushings and 4 flat washers.
When installing your skis, first ensure that your ski alignment is correct. Adjust chassis and suspension settings, so you have a balanced set-up, avoiding substantial oversteer or understeer. With an oversteer setup, your sled's track will spin excessively and the skis will stick like glue to the trail. With understeer, your track tends to get plenty of traction, but your front end pushes through corners.
First testI was chomping at the bit to put the skis on the trail, and a quick shakedown run revealed I had more than enough ski pressure, so with a quick turn of the ZR's dial adjust device, I transferred more weight to the track and found a good balance.
Blasting down the first long straight, the deep keel and outriggers provided steady reliable tracking. On the hard pack, every so often I detected a bit of dart, and in loose snow, the dart was more perceptible, but nowhere near what I experienced on my stock skis.
Approaching my first set of corners, a drum roll played inside my head, I eagerly anticipated the result. I applied a moderate amount of leverage to the handlebars, and the response was precise and immediate. The sled clung to my chosen line and tracked straight to mid-corner. Grabbing a handful of throttle a little past the corner's apex, the skis stayed on target.
Mile after mile ticked by in effortless succession as my confidence rose. The skis produced phenomenal lateral grip. The harder I drove into the turns the better the Razors responded. In turn, the higher the load, the better the arrow-shaped outriggers penetrated the hard pack trail. The sled was hooked up and I was in the zone.
Aggressively braking deep inside slow corners, I'd firmly plant the sled's front end. Then, I'd transfer my body weight to the inside, punch the throttle and square off the corner. I was impressed with how quickly the skis responded to directional changes while still supplying traction so I could rail with greater comfort and speed. The ski demonstrated impressive stability, and if I abruptly chose a tighter line, applying more steering input and leaning harder into the corner, the skis accommodated the correction and kept composure. I had to force the sled hard on a line to get the inside ski to lift, which was an improvement over the stock ski.
With the newfound grip, I could really hang it out in wide, fast sweeping corners. The greater velocity translated into predictable and comfortable drift at the exit. When your speeds increase, you must receive clear, accurate feedback from your skis, and the Razors gave me that. In typical trail chatter to 2-foot whoops, the skis also afforded improvement in steering in the bumps.
But the Razors weren't just for all-out aggressive riding. At leisurely cruising speeds, the skis displayed easy handling traits and reduced steering effort.
With snow spotty at best in much of the Midwest last season, it was difficult to find fresh snow in which to test flotation and powder maneuverability. Some off-trail riding over settled, untracked snow indicated these wide 6-inch skis also may have improved flotation over stock skis.
InstallationA very simple instruction guide covered the easy job of removing existing skis, fitting the C&A Pro skis to popular current sleds and aligning skis. I also attached a pair of Woody's Trail Blazer IV carbides with a round host bar and 6-inch, 60-degree carbide.
With a hammer, simply tap the bushings into the ski's spindle mount holes. With the sled tipped on its side, place the stock Arctic Cat spindle grommet between the spindle and the ski and line up the ski mounting holes to the spindle. Then slide the bolt with washers through the spindle and ski and torque it down.
C&A Pro Razor skisWeight: 9 lbs., 2 oz.
Length: 43½ in.
Width: 6 in.
Height: 3½ in.
Keel Dimensions: 1¼ in. wide x ¾ in. tall
Wear rods: Woody's 6-in., 60-degree carbide
Fitment: All 3-in. wide spindles
MSRP: $369.95/pair US