Considering new Khaos, are there any must-do upgrades?

[Jaynelson]

If you are new to this gig i would just buy it and ride it. There is literally nothing you need other than a tether. I would put hardened wear bars on and get rid of the carbides. Other than that, enjoy. Reallly nothing you have to have.

This is the answer IMO. I would focus more on what you want for practical items, as it doesn't "need" any performance upgrades. Figure out what storage bags, and ski rack you want. Put on a tether, swap the carbides off and call it a day. If you want the best free performance upgrade on a Khaos - go through the suspension with the owners manual and take the time to set the springs and clickers to recommended settings for your weight. And then get an understanding of what the different settings do and dial in for your preferences.

Get the QD2 for a drive. If you want the most solid all-around track, get the 2.6" ... if you want the latest and greatest, with the potential for more frequent track adjustments, get the 2.75"

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

This is the answer IMO. I would focus more on what you want for practical items, as it doesn't "need" any performance upgrades. Figure out what storage bags, and ski rack you want. Put on a tether, swap the carbides off and call it a day. If you want the best free performance upgrade on a Khaos - go through the suspension with the owners manual and take the time to set the springs and clickers to recommended settings for your weight. And then get an understanding of what the different settings do and dial in for your preferences.

Get the QD2 for a drive. If you want the most solid all-around track, get the 2.6" ... if you want the latest and greatest, with the potential for more frequent track adjustments, get the 2.75"

^^^^^^ + Gas and Oil

 

[FirstAscent]

This is the answer IMO. I would focus more on what you want for practical items, as it doesn't "need" any performance upgrades. Figure out what storage bags, and ski rack you want. Put on a tether, swap the carbides off and call it a day. If you want the best free performance upgrade on a Khaos - go through the suspension with the owners manual and take the time to set the springs and clickers to recommended settings for your weight. And then get an understanding of what the different settings do and dial in for your preferences.

Get the QD2 for a drive. If you want the most solid all-around track, get the 2.6" ... if you want the latest and greatest, with the potential for more frequent track adjustments, get the 2.75"

Yup at the end of the day, this is what I want. To just be able to get it and ride. Sure I'll eventually upgrade this, or add that, but those things wouldn't be must-haves.

Aside from a tether, I'm fairly certain I have most of the other "gear" (avy gear, clothing, etc) I'd need from other activities I already do so that is a plus. A tether is cheap so that's an easy one.

 

[volcano buster]

I know it sounds like you are passionate about the skiing part of the equation. I'm thinking after a winter on a Khaos set up for your riding style and weight, you might be looking forward to Khaos days more than you think.

 

[MKULTRA]

I’ve never seen someone take out a bulkhead bc they swapped to aftermarket a arms. And there are a LOT of guys running aftermarket a arms... for good reason.

yeah this a dealership answer.

I bended both chromoly a arms, the pin in the bulkhead broken, damages polaris bulkhead are very uncommon and most people runs chromoly arms

 

[Jaynelson]

Most people run stock a-arms. They only bend if you hit stuff

 

[FirstAscent]

I know it sounds like you are passionate about the skiing part of the equation. I'm thinking after a winter on a Khaos set up for your riding style and weight, you might be looking forward to Khaos days more than you think.

Oh definitely! That's why I want the Khaos instead of the Pro, just the extra fun factor for goofing off and having fun. Not that the Pro's aren't fun

Most people run stock a-arms. They only bend if you hit stuff

Right!? nothing needs to be upgraded for strength, just don't hit anything and go slow... ha!

 

[Jaynelson]

15 years of sledding and I have never done any strength upgrades other than when running boards used to be weak/flexy, and when you needed skid plates on the old bathtub chassis because they were literally a snowplow lol. I have bought 2 a-arms, and bent 1 or 2 more that were still functional, all in the early-ish days.

In any questionable snow coverage....keep the tips up and front end light when playing around....don't lean hard into downhill turns/really dig a ski in....don't do a big wheelie and chop the throttle.....any questionable bump in the snow you can't avoid, roll up and bunny hop it with the throttle. If you want to session the road banks/ditches/steep sidehills that may have stuff in them.....always burn em down with the throttle, never poke in with the skis. Don't be a hero in flat light.

Learn that and you will be MILES ahead of guys who think you can make it a bulldozer by throwing $$ at it, and jumping off stuff they wouldn't even look at. Bad luck can still get you, but you will eliminate 90% of how people bend up sleds with that stuff.

 

[goridedoo]

15 years of sledding and I have never done any strength upgrades other than when running boards used to be weak/flexy, and when you needed skid plates on the old bathtub chassis because they were literally a snowplow lol. I have bought 2 a-arms, and bent 1 or 2 more that were still functional, all in the early-ish days.

In any questionable snow coverage....keep the tips up and front end light when playing around....don't lean hard into downhill turns/really dig a ski in....don't do a big wheelie and chop the throttle.....any questionable bump in the snow you can't avoid, roll up and bunny hop it with the throttle. If you want to session the road banks/ditches/steep sidehills that may have stuff in them.....always burn em down with the throttle, never poke in with the skis. Don't be a hero in flat light.

Learn that and you will be MILES ahead of guys who think you can make it a bulldozer by throwing $$ at it, and jumping off stuff they wouldn't even look at. Bad luck can still get you, but you will eliminate 90% of how people bend up sleds with that stuff.

Just counting in my head... I’ve bent a MINIMUM of 10 on my 2019 in less than 1300 miles. Funny thing is many of them I didn’t notice till after getting home, and don’t recall hitting anything out of the ordinary.

Kind of funny, I only ever so slightly tweaked one upper in 1100 miles on my 2017. I did run a KMOD front end for almost of those miles though.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

yeah this a dealership answer.

I bended both chromoly a arms, the pin in the bulkhead broken, damages polaris bulkhead are very uncommon and most people runs chromoly arms

Yep 7 of 10 guys out riding have aftermarket A arms.

Stockers bend like crazy.
5-10 posts a week on the local group of people looking for A arms.......

 

[Jaynelson]

Yep 7 of 10 guys out riding have aftermarket A arms.

Stockers bend like crazy.
5-10 posts a week on the local group of people looking for A arms.......

Crazy, that is such a HUGE discrepancy from here...I have never seen a sled out riding or in our shop with aftermarket a-arms on a react front end. Sorry....1 skinz front end, but that was more cause it's cool. I'm sure there is the odd one, but honestly don't see them. Just checked for fun and we've sold less than 20 replacement react lower arms total...all colours, both sides, all added up. And we have a good # of 19+ Polaris' out in the field. Goridedoo has almost done in that many himself. What gives? More snow I guess? Polaris building stronger a-arms for us cause we have stronger beer?

 

[goridedoo]

Yep 7 of 10 guys out riding have aftermarket A arms.

Crazy, that is such a HUGE discrepancy from here...I have never seen a sled out riding or in our shop with aftermarket a-arms on a react front end. Sorry....1 skinz front end, but that was more cause it's cool. I'm sure there is the odd one, but honestly don't see them. Just checked for fun and we've sold less than 20 replacement react lower arms total...all colours, both sides, all added up. And we have a good # of 19+ Polaris' out in the field. Goridedoo has almost done in that many himself. What gives? More snow I guess? Polaris building stronger a-arms for us cause we have stronger beer?

It seems like we do a majority of our riding in December and January, for whatever reason. I much prefer late February and March. Often times we are in depths around or under 50”, and the snow typically isn’t real dense or setup till February. There’s landmines in those conditions, its just the way it is. It’s a little different in the states than what you lucky buggers north of the border are used to.

I really don’t think aftermarket a arms are necessary tho, just really depends on how much chit you hit.

 

[summ8rmk]

I went flying, split the ski rubber in pieces, stretched the ski bolt holes, smashed the bottom of the ski...
A-arm is fine.




Sent it
View attachment 368687

 

[powwow]

Straight hard hits i think they hold up fine. Countersteer slight hit are a bent arm seems like any impact to the ski bolt and the arm is done. I won't even put the stockers on the snow. Its just to expensive for me. J replace the lowers and keep the originals for spares just in case.

 

[madmax]

I’d get the 165 2.75 track with the qd2. Especially since your main focus is snowboard acces and you’ll want the bigger track and lower gears if you hauling a second rider up hills. IMO the 2.75 and QD2 can’t be beat on the khaos. I upgraded my 20’ khaos 155 2.6 with the 165 2.75, it’s a way better deep snow track and it’s lighter. Like any track guys are running them over crap and splitting/breaking lugs. This winter has been a lot worse on tracks because the snow pack has been horrible. You do have to keep the track tension in check

 

[ullose272]

Ive bent more a arms from carbides grabbing something than actual hits. I now replace carbides with wear bars

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