Alpha riding struggles
- Thread starter BubbleNuts
- Start date
I’m telling you it’s from his unloading. Sled probably never land on the rear part of the rail like that over on the mountain and on solid ground like that too.
I agree completely! I'm 61 this year, been riding sleds all my life and bought a new 2022 Alpha HC last season 146" with the 2.6"
Never washes out with that track, hooks up on hard pack to beat the band! Love the track! The alpha is not a lazy person's sled. It wants your input and it will go where you want it too. It's the most ultimate off trail off camber rugged terrain sled I've ever owned. USE YOUR FEET! As most have said!
Still have it and iam still trying. Iam really new maybe 20 real rides. I’ve only had one deep day and I was stuck all day lol. Rode yesterday and did ok I guess. Rode with good riders on Saturday, we did 45 miles and they where trying to help me and varied terrain and conditions but some soft snow. I had a guy ride it and he thought it was harder than his 22 ski doo 154 at first try. Then later he rode it again and for longer and he liked it . So I think you just have to get good at it. Sucks but to be honest I wouldn’t be good on anything! I rode his ski doo and it’s much more forgiving and held an edge easier but it felt heavy too lol! I know jack ****e BUT I THINK you gotta master the throttle and on the alpha you gotta stomp just right while you look and lean and commit. If I do all those things it works good. If I try and “drive” it. Its really heavy and I don’t do good. If I get another machine it probably won’t be a alpha but I’ll say it hasn’t given me any trouble and it’s worked as advertised and been super reliable. I honestly would like what people say the polaris gives you chassis wise but at the end of the day I want reliability more. So iam kinda scratching my head cause I thought I’d try ski doo but It felt weird lol. Take all of this with a grain of salt cause I honestly know jack squat. I just happened to buy a artic cat aloha rail lol
BINGO!! Convinced some people just abuse their property. I work in the auto industry. You can pull in a vehicle 15 years old that is in great shape, clean, nice paint, well maintained. Then you pull in a two year old car that is filthy, dents and dings everywhere, things already broken.
I would never unload my sled like he does. At the very least, pull up to a snowbank to back it up.
I know if i were to buy another machine it would be polaris for sure as there reliability scares me
I like watching those guys just cause they have fun together but I never understood why he did that but had the ramp right there to get it back in lol. Looks like it’s trying to break the skiis too lol.live and learn or break stuff. Expensive to break snowmobile stuff! I broke my tail light lense being a jackass last weekend and was happy to learn I can’t buy a lense but have to buy the assembly for 85 bucks…yay.
if your sled is air shocks, I run If i remember right, like 45 psi front shocks, clicker 2. they are super sensitive for me anyways between too stiff to, too soft. rear skid im 80 front track shock, 130 for the rear, I weigh about ~195# with gear. 165 track.
I can't say my front end digs in a lot per say in that its not an issue to me. but these front ends are lower to the ground than the other sleds which maybe your taking it as if it is digging in when its not really?, It has caused me no issues anyways. Infact I bought a elevate kit and sold it off to somebody else, It was not even close worth the price tag.
I can't say my front end digs in a lot per say in that its not an issue to me. but these front ends are lower to the ground than the other sleds which maybe your taking it as if it is digging in when its not really?, It has caused me no issues anyways. Infact I bought a elevate kit and sold it off to somebody else, It was not even close worth the price tag.
Usually the “dive” that’s spooking new guys is just a soft spot in snow or low spot in terrain that we naturally throttle through.
Tired arms often are from trying to level the sled through dips that are just going to dip and return.
If you learn to compensate that with your legs and throttle the sled will follow.
Riding slow and skittish you will tip over on a hill.
Hit the throttle, you’ll pop up and ride away.
Tired arms often are from trying to level the sled through dips that are just going to dip and return.
If you learn to compensate that with your legs and throttle the sled will follow.
Riding slow and skittish you will tip over on a hill.
Hit the throttle, you’ll pop up and ride away.
yes i would this is what happening and cant figure out how to compensate for it. Is it made worse the fact the mono rail make that roll point alot bigger though?
Whats getting tired? Just experience with bikes but if your forearms are getting smoked thats from gripping bars too tight. If all your arms guessing its from trying to muscle the machine or fight the bars.
Im a novice but like has been mentioned 90% of the time that something happens it’s because I wasnt aggressive enough and didn’t commit. Or I got sloppy/lazy because I got tired.
The alpha rail will tip quicker than the twin,
BUT
Learn to compensate by shifting high side and it will also RECOVER easier for you.
By compensate I do not mean huge efforts.
All it takes is staying centered and lifting your downhill leg off the board, this applies your weight to uphill board and a throttle blip levels you through.
If you try to look like the guy in the video hanging his leg out you’re overriding the sled and your ability.
Those were moves needed on the older sleds for basics or newer sleds for advanced riders which you two are saying you’re not.
Learn to stay centered and ride first, then start pushing into the movie look.
BUT
Learn to compensate by shifting high side and it will also RECOVER easier for you.
By compensate I do not mean huge efforts.
All it takes is staying centered and lifting your downhill leg off the board, this applies your weight to uphill board and a throttle blip levels you through.
If you try to look like the guy in the video hanging his leg out you’re overriding the sled and your ability.
Those were moves needed on the older sleds for basics or newer sleds for advanced riders which you two are saying you’re not.
Learn to stay centered and ride first, then start pushing into the movie look.
I just feel Even in neutral I don’t even feel in much control when I go up any hill that isn’t a straight run up. I just feel if I don’t have perfect foot placement at every second I tip over or loose and edge etc. I feel like I’m betting off selling mine and getting comfortable on a twin rail. I’m at the point now where it’s not really even enjoyable going out and just knowing I’m gonna be fight the sled all day
Ya I meant if I don’t have my weight on the right side or at the right distance front or back. I’m just wondering if it would be best to find a twin rail machine and learn the fundamentals more on that we’re there is more room for error. I will do that spud
You’re the first person I’ve ever heard complain about the alpha in soft snow. They ride just like any other sled in deep snow, just easier. As far as hard snow sidehilling, yeah it can be trickier, but the wash out can be mitigated with throttle control. You can’t grab a handful of throttle and expect it to cut in like a two railer. As soon as the track breaks traction is when the wash out occurs. So in my experience as long as you don’t spin the track you can sidehill anything, you just have to remember not to grab a bunch of throttle like we’re all used to on conventional skids.
I have six kids, every year we take out many of their friends and others on first rides. Been doing this since 2001 on every sled imaginable.
Our greatest success with anybody over age 12 has been with the alpha for learning basics.
My youngest has been on an alpha since 10 after four years on an m-5.
One of her best friends is less than 5’ and under 90 lbs and can handle the alpha very well, put almost 600 miles on one of ours her first year.
The twin rail vs single is not your biggest struggle to learn.
You can successfully learn on any sled.
Our greatest success with anybody over age 12 has been with the alpha for learning basics.
My youngest has been on an alpha since 10 after four years on an m-5.
One of her best friends is less than 5’ and under 90 lbs and can handle the alpha very well, put almost 600 miles on one of ours her first year.
The twin rail vs single is not your biggest struggle to learn.
You can successfully learn on any sled.
I know it’s frustrating figuring out, but if you’re going into it with the mentality that the sleds already got you beat, it’s probably not helping. I’ve been riding for years and it still took quite a few rides to get comfortable on an alpha and relearn how to ride. I’ll admit I too struggled with the mindset that certain maneuvers were gonna be fails before I even attempted them and psyched myself out. I had to get in the mindset of maverick in top gun and learn “don’t think, just do” and it helped a lot.
Just think if you stick with it and learn the alpha, you’ll be that much better off if you switch down the road because you’ll learn some finesse and control techniques that you might not learn on a more planted sled. If you do decide to jump ship, I’d look at a matryx. I don’t trust Polaris at all for reliability, but the matryx rides pretty similar but is more predictable without the quirkiness of the alpha. A skidoo is going to be a whole different ball game.
Btw this is this my exact situation and I so hard to decide whether to tough it out and be frustrated for that many days or sell and learn on something that that be more forgiving. 2 days on an 2002 m600 2 years ago and I felt pretty comfortable even could steer with my feet. My alpha I feel like when I try do that the one side wants to dig when I transfer feet. Even when riding on one ski I will ride like 30 feet no problem and seem to nothing different then the ski drops down
