A thank you to some Friends!!

[off road rider]

I spent alot of time trying to decide what to do with my 503.. I went a direction that most wouldn't ever consider..I am extremely happy with the results.. Of course Ill always be tweaking on this thing, but Hawkensien flat out rips and handles better than any hawk I have ever rode..totaly do to the ergos..
I want to thank Bud and Dale?? for clutching advise and helping me with a better understanding on cvts..CJ Godden for all his experience on things I was clueless about, Calin for some incite and Tony for loaning me a ski with trackers so I could figure out what to do with my front end before spending the cash..
Several others on here as well TLK, sledr 2 etc. whether I used your ideas or not, the input is appreciated..
One thing I have learned is that NO one here has all the answers.. some guys say you need the trail setback.. I wouldn't ride a hawk with a set back if you paid me.. what a POS.. It almost turned me away from the hawk
Im running a bovin ski with trackers no setback.. It rails threw the corners and gives me that light front end feeling that is more like a bike..
clutching.. It will be completely different for each rider, so if you clutch based on someone elses #s it might be OK, but not optimal for you..
Bottom line.. do the mods that work for you, dont just throw your cash away based on what someone else is doing..tackle one isssue at a time based on whats the most important thing for you.
There is alot of good info on this forum, you just have to wade threw some crap to get to it..
who cares what machine came with what yr to yr.. use your hawk for a canvas and have a blast..My 503 is faster than yours


Thanks guys for all your help and support..

 

[RudeAwakening]

im gonna have to try my non ski setback adaptor this year! how did you find it to handel diff on te trails? vs the setback?

 

[off road rider]

im gonna have to try my non ski setback adaptor this year! how did you find it to handel diff on te trails? vs the setback?

Like I said I would not ride with a setback..Every hawk I have ridden with a setback felt like a heavy pig.On or off the trail with no setback the front end feels lighter, improved handling and it sticks very well, Keep in mind that we dont ride icy trails and that may make a big diff..

 

[RudeAwakening]

i like it when the front end feels heavy. i dont like the weeleie under hard throttal.

 

[Thunderhawk]

I share in the thanks to all those people sharing their knowledge and expeirence about the Snowhawk.

As the man said, no one has all the answers, and to that point I need to add my $.02 regarding the trail adapter. My first day out I rode the 800 with the trail adapter and was amazed how the ski was locked to the trail like being on rails. Second and third day was with the family and we rode the 800 and 500. Both kids said they didn't like the 500 as it felt to them like the front end was loose, so I rode it. Sure enough, my one "crash" so far involved the ski washing out in a corner. Several near "wash outs" later it appeared obvious to me that the trail adapter was very important. The fourth day we took the 600 and 800 (both have the trail adapter) and the 600 is just as stable as the 800.

I've now installed a trail adapter on the 503 and am very confident it will handle just as well as the 600 & 800.

 

[off road rider]

I share in the thanks to all those people sharing their knowledge and expeirence about the Snowhawk.

As the man said, no one has all the answers, and to that point I need to add my $.02 regarding the trail adapter. My first day out I rode the 800 with the trail adapter and was amazed how the ski was locked to the trail like being on rails. Second and third day was with the family and we rode the 800 and 500. Both kids said they didn't like the 500 as it felt to them like the front end was loose, so I rode it. Sure enough, my one "crash" so far involved the ski washing out in a corner. Several near "wash outs" later it appeared obvious to me that the trail adapter was very important. The fourth day we took the 600 and 800 (both have the trail adapter) and the 600 is just as stable as the 800.

I've now installed a trail adapter on the 503 and am very confident it will handle just as well as the 600 & 800.

did you have the trackers w/ carbides on the orange or black newer model ski??? My front end is stable as a rock..
It could also be conditions.. and riding style.. I like to come out of slower corners crossed up and fast with the front end skipping across the snow..
Its just like a bike.. after my braking mods, Ill be backing it into the corners.. Keep up if ya can.. Although I hate trail riding pushing the abilitys of myself and this machine are a blast..
It could defiantly be the diff from east coast riding conditions to west...
but then I know of some fast guys here who like the setback..

 

[Thunderhawk]

I have the Snowtracker kit on all 3 machines and they all have the newer black ski. My 500 came with the orange ski, but I can't detect a difference between the orange and black skis. What am I missing?

Comimg out of a corner "crossed up" with the front end "skipping"? Must be different riding conditions - sounds loose and powdery and open!! What about the moments going into the corner before you're back on the throttle, or just at the moment of getting back on the throttle. Doesn't the front want to wash out? What are trails like out west? Here we've got 8 to 15 foot wide paths through the woods/trees. The idea of being "crossed up", with the front end "skipping" at 30-45mph coming out of a corner within a few feet of death/trees just might be crossing the line for me.

Maybe it just felt that way and wasn't real, but I feel that without the trail adapter I could intentionally over push it and wash out the front at almost any time.

 

[onewoodsrider]

I would have to agree that the setback is not for me. But im starting to think that its what you learned on is what ends up working the best for you because you get used to the way the machine handles. And if i had a 600 i would give you a run for your money Daryll lol.

 

[Beeline]

It'll be nice to compare at the fest. Heck the stock ski is garbage to me in the pow. Bought the Simmons 10 " with rigid mount and learned. Sometimes I see death but havent washed out in over 2 years. This rails thing sounds good. I just ride the throttle and speed is my friend. Couldnt I just take some angle iron , drill holes in it and mount it ?????

 

[cjgodden]

I have to agree with beeline, I ditched the stock ski for a simmons 10' wide. I love that ski in the deep, but it really is sketchy on the trails. even with the angle "trackers" iron on the outside edge it still feels like the front end wants to wash out on the hard packed.


One other thing that I noticed is that all hawks are different. I have an 04 and ibbroken has a 05. His has always been more trail friendly. I put a bunch of time setting mine up like his to make it better on the trails with no luck. I did everything from copying his shock valving,springs, fork dampining and rebound. We never coulod get them to ride the same. There is a noticable difference between the two. I still cannot explain why but it is what it is.


The best thing you can do is read what other people have done, try it and see if it works for you or not.

Alot of people are taking their center shock out of the rear skid, they were saying that it made the ride so much better, I HATED that setup, but the only way I know that is because I tried it for myself.

The point I'm tring to make is just because one guy like's his setup does not mean you will like the same. The hawk takes some tweeking to make it right for YOU.

 

[J&L Snowhawk]

my opinion

It'll be nice to compare at the fest. Heck the stock ski is garbage to me in the pow. Bought the Simmons 10 " with rigid mount and learned. Sometimes I see death but havent washed out in over 2 years. This rails thing sounds good. I just ride the throttle and speed is my friend. Couldnt I just take some angle iron , drill holes in it and mount it ?????

I tried the angle iron on the gen 2 that i had. impossible to turn. I wouldn't have a gen 2 on my machine ever again what a p.o.s. I could'nt carve a circle in the deep pow much less low snow conditions. Trail adapet now i have mixed feelings on .. set back is way more stabil but i can live with the straight adapter for the amount of trail I want to ride.

 

[off road rider]

I have the Snowtracker kit on all 3 machines and they all have the newer black ski. My 500 came with the orange ski, but I can't detect a difference between the orange and black skis. What am I missing?

Comimg out of a corner "crossed up" with the front end "skipping"? Must be different riding conditions - sounds loose and powdery and open!! What about the moments going into the corner before you're back on the throttle, or just at the moment of getting back on the throttle. Doesn't the front want to wash out? What are trails like out west? Here we've got 8 to 15 foot wide paths through the woods/trees. The idea of being "crossed up", with the front end "skipping" at 30-45mph coming out of a corner within a few feet of death/trees just might be crossing the line for me.

Maybe it just felt that way and wasn't real, but I feel that without the trail adapter I could intentionally over push it and wash out the front at almost any time.

If your orange ski looks like the black one it is the same, only a diff color..
trails out west??.. cliffs, lots of turns, and big trees ,oh dont forget the whoops.
The more I ride the trails the more confident I am in the front end.. and I have not had the ski with trackers step out at all..my other ski without trackers is a different story..

and Yes Todd you scream on that 503.. I would like to pound it with ya on a bigger machine...do I see a transplant in your future??

 

[onewoodsrider]

Maybe not this year but yes a big block is in the future : ) For now i will just have to learn how to draft behind you lol.

 

[off road rider]

you guys running the gen two are aware that the 2moto gen 2 is different than the reg one you can buy without going threw 2moto arnt you??
Or at least thats what Simmons told me, I had to purchase threw 2moto to get the single ski runers..

 

[cjgodden]

Not too sure about now, but when I bought my GenII from Simmons, Val had just came up with the idea of putting runners on the outside edge. He sold them to me with my ski and I bought it directly from Simmons, but that was over two years ago, maybe he has a deal with 2MOTO now I don't know for sure.

I wonder if the runner has changed since I got mine, Its just a piece of stainless angle with bolts welded to it and rounded on the ends so they don't grab anything.

 

[TLKDPROD]

...

Bottom line.. do the mods that work for you, dont just throw your cash away based on what someone else is doing..tackle one isssue at a time based on whats the most important thing for you.
...

I totally agree. If it works good, don't fix it.
I wish you'll have a great season !

Simmons ski versus stocker battle, AGAIN ! I ain't jumpin in this debate this time !!! A TLKD'ed version of the stocker that has the best characteristics of both breeds is is what's gonna be on mine in the next month. Lot of testing to do this year again...

 

[cjgodden]

I love your idea TLKD, I think it will be the best of both worlds. I just do way more powder riding than trail so until I find something better I'll stick with the simmons. I still have my stocker so when you get it figured out let me know cause It would be nice to have her be a little trail friendly(altho it not necessary).

 

[off road rider]

has anyone ran the gen two with the pivot??
Ill take a look at my gen 2 from 2moto, but your right it looks like a piece of angle on each side. I dont know anything about the debate, it seems to me that they are for two different types of riding, I know that when I was plowing a few ft of powder I was wishing I had that gen2 on, but coming down the hill the bovin ski was solid and felt like I was on rails...

 

[cjgodden]

I tried it, I had made the change just before Hawkfest last year. The first two days I ran with the twin axis and the genII ski. It worked pretty good on the trails but I was struggling off the trail, especially off camber stuff. It seemed to want to make the rear wash out easily and I was having trouble keeping it from flopping in the soft stuff. The last day I took off the twin axis and my problems went away. I have not put it back on. But hey as we know just because I didn't like it does not mean you won't.

 

[off road rider]

maybe just having the gen 2 ready for those great pow days with little trail riding is best.. One ski cant do it all...