R
Rush44
Well-known member
I got the chance to put 50 gnarly miles on the new 2017 LE kits currently open for snowcheck. Among the changes coming to 2017, one of the more significant options is the Fox QS3-R shock pair available only through snowcheck. You will be able to buy these specifically snowbike tuned shocks from Timbersled after snowcheck but the costs savings for buying them early are significant... you are probably paying less than half of their cost by upgrading your ST/LT to the LE package vs. buying them retail and installing yourself.
First up, the adjustment. On the bottom of the shock is a dial that you can choose between 1/2/3 settings. 1 being soft, 2 medium, and 3 stiff. We had heavy and wet spring conditions (small slides during the day, massive pinwheels on sidehill cuts) so the front shock was set to 3 and the rear shock 2. There is also an adjustment for rebound speed but I was told not to really mess with that too much.
The first bike I rode, and rode for the majority of the day, was a 16 501 Husky with TSS and LT. Our other bike was a 16 Husky FC450 with SX. I'm sure most of us are acquainted with the performance differences between these bikes so I won't really spend time on the bikes except to say that both were basically brand new.
So, leaving the truck on groomed trail there wasn't much difference from the 2016 LT except for the vibration. I did notice that the kit didn't seem to vibrate at speed like my 16, but on the trail it handled like my current LT. We bombed off the trail onto a reclaimed road quickly and crossed a deep creek that was almost completely open. Right there is when I noticed the shocks... no bottom with a very progressive feel as the kit compressed. My 16 would have definitely found the bump stops (especially the soft front shock on the 16's that several people have had issue with) but the 17 LE just soaked it all up. We crossed about 3 creeks before we got out in the open and each one I could hit harder and the kit just ate it up.
Throughout the day the experience was the same. Big pillows climbing uphill, bombing over downed trees, hitting steep drainages at speed... the QS3-R's didn't find bottom. I can promise you I am not a jumper... like at all. I don't find much comfort airborne but being on a borrowed bike I started to throw caution to the wind and hit more lips. I finally found the rails when I tried to jump a creek and hit a snow covered stump on the other side. Thanks to the TSS it wasn't a jarring hit, but I knew I'd found the full travel of the suspension.
Halfway through the day I switched to the SX. The SX isn't my thing usually since I don't like to be airborne, but on spring days it's the one to have. The combination of the conditions, the better FC450 race motor, the track speed and narrowness of the SX.... the combo flat rips. Tail stands climbing straight up through the trees along with the same bottoming resistance I enjoyed on the LT. The QS3-R's are legit.
I have had some experience with shock upgrades. On my 2015 LT I had my kit outfitted with Fox Float 3 Kashima RC-2's. They were for sure an upgrade over the Zero Pro's but quite honestly had so much adjustment it was hard to know what to do sometimes. The QS3-R's are simple and easy to adjust. The ride totally solidified my decision to snowcheck a 2017 LT LE. If you can get your hands on a 17 demo before snowcheck is over I highly recommend it.
