Mototrax "Forksafe" spindle

[Throndson]

So I got a new bike this year to run on snow (16 Yz 450 Fx). Ive bent fork tubes with the TS front end setup in the past.
I was very excited to try this new technology from mototrax.
I bought a mototrax "Forksafe" ski mount for about $650 Canadian. I was thinking this was a lot of coin but ultimately cheaper than replacing my lowers.
I recently came back from a ride and noticed the "D-Bar" had shifted back ever so slightly. I didn't recall hitting anything hard that ride. I did wheelie off a wind-drift and brought the front hard end down pretty hard but didn't bottom or crash. When I got home and thawed my bike out I realized the Designed "Fail Point" D-Bar had broken the bottom of my lowers off on both sides.
Needless to say I was pretty upset. I decided to give Mototrax phone call which led to me sending an email with photos to them addressing my concerns that it did not act as advertised and that now as a result of the damage incurred by the "Forksafe Ski Mount" that it would no longer function properly.
Mototrax responded saying "the system was designed to not bend tubes and sometimes that comes at the expense of other components". They also said the system will still work. I don't agree as you can see marring on the nuts(rebound adjuster) on the bottom of the fork. I think another ride with this system will result in more component damage and ultimately leave me with a useless fork.
The whole point for me was to not damage my lowers. 10 rides with this setup and my lowers are looking like I need new ones.
One of my riding buddies also has the Mototrax spindle. He has had major fitment issues and It appears his fork bottoms are also beginning to show signs of damage.

All I can say is BUYER BEWARE
FYI this is ten rides on the Mototrax "Forksafe Ski Mount"
I also inspect every ride so I know it was not loose accelerating the damage.

Id like to encourage anyone with this system to inspect for damage.
And anyone considering this system to avoid it.

 

[heliwrench]

I was wondering how that was going to work in the long run with metal on metal contact, and also a very large amount of leverage due to the short distance between the fork axle and the bottom of the fork leg. I guess now we know. Sucks you had to find out the hard way.

 

[wwillf01]

I have about 10 rides on this 250fx... This is not happening but I did do this.. I did not like the floppy ski...

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[Seekins]

MY ohlins forks are very thin like the Yamaha bottoms. I built a flat ring that slides inside the fork bottom around the adjustment to give it a thick wall. So far works great, but I hate this ski setup. Too floppy so I'll look at camso front end setup.

 

[w74bronco]

I have about 10 rides on this 250fx... This is not happening but I did do this..

Did you drill and tap the D bar to bolt the bracket to?

 

[wwillf01]

Did you drill and tap the D bar to bolt the bracket to?

Yes I did

MY ohlins forks are very thin like the Yamaha bottoms. I built a flat ring that slides inside the fork bottom around the adjustment to give it a thick wall. So far works great, but I hate this ski setup. Too floppy so I'll look at camso front end setup.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[needpowder]

Fork unsafe

Me too. Crap.
30 hrs on the hr meter.

 

[dooman92]

I noticed those thin fork bottoms on my fx. I also noticed that you can pull the ski forward when tugging on the ski or pulling off a trailer with the mototrax setup. When this happens it rotates forward and opens a gap between dbar and fork end. When you hit some resistance going forward the d bar slams into the bottom of the fork causing damage. I thought less chance of damage to fork if the dbar could be held tight to fork end. In addition if secured tightly you could pull on the ski and not rotate the assembly in the axle shaft pinch clamps. So, I made a triangular brace out of heavy sheet metal. With the dbar tight to the forks I drilled the brace and attached with the bolts that hold the fork guards in place. Then I drilled through the brace at the center of dbar and into the dbar end about 3/4". Then I removed the brace and tapped the hole for a large machine screw. Then attached the brace and secured in the end of dbar with machine screw. Now dbar cannot move away from bottom of fork without sheering screws or egging out holes in metal brace. I can pull it out of a hole by the ski without the assembly rotating in the pinch clamps. I have about 35 hours on the kit with no damage to the forks. Seems to work.

 

[J&L Snowhawk]

Made this early on

 

[needpowder]

Guess i didn't get the memo that said i needed to modify it in order to make it work properly.

 

[Throndson]

Guess i didn't get the memo that said i needed to modify it in order to make it work properly.

I didn't get the memo as well. Sorry to see those pics. I was hoping my situation was a one off however it looks like that's not the case. On the bright side the I found the fork lowers online for $185 USD a side which is cheaper than most bikes. I'm not sure ill replace mine as I'm now back to the TS spindle and Ill probably bend the tubes eventually.

 

[needpowder]

I didn't get the memo as well. Sorry to see those pics. I was hoping my situation was a one off however it looks like that's not the case. On the bright side the I found the fork lowers online for $185 USD a side which is cheaper than most bikes. I'm not sure ill replace mine as I'm now back to the TS spindle and Ill probably bend the tubes eventually.

I'm going back to my TS spindle also. My forks aren't quite as damaged as yours. I thought i could replace just the bottom piece. Can't remember what it's called (staunchon maybe?) like you said no reason to replace em running the TS.
I never once hit anything hard enough to ever look down at my forks for damage. I think in my case it was caused by a bucnch of smaller hits (normal snowbike riding). If this is the case, Mototrax is going to have a lot of unhappy customers after people get a few more hours on their kits.

 

[HELICO]

So I got a new bike this year to run on snow (16 Yz 450 Fx). Ive bent fork tubes with the TS front end setup in the past.
I was very excited to try this new technology from mototrax.
I bought a mototrax "Forksafe" ski mount for about $650 Canadian. I was thinking this was a lot of coin but ultimately cheaper than replacing my lowers.
I recently came back from a ride and noticed the "D-Bar" had shifted back ever so slightly. I didn't recall hitting anything hard that ride. I did wheelie off a wind-drift and brought the front hard end down pretty hard but didn't bottom or crash. When I got home and thawed my bike out I realized the Designed "Fail Point" D-Bar had broken the bottom of my lowers off on both sides.
Needless to say I was pretty upset. I decided to give Mototrax phone call which led to me sending an email with photos to them addressing my concerns that it did not act as advertised and that now as a result of the damage incurred by the "Forksafe Ski Mount" that it would no longer function properly.
Mototrax responded saying "the system was designed to not bend tubes and sometimes that comes at the expense of other components". They also said the system will still work. I don't agree as you can see marring on the nuts(rebound adjuster) on the bottom of the fork. I think another ride with this system will result in more component damage and ultimately leave me with a useless fork.
The whole point for me was to not damage my lowers. 10 rides with this setup and my lowers are looking like I need new ones.
One of my riding buddies also has the Mototrax spindle. He has had major fitment issues and It appears his fork bottoms are also beginning to show signs of damage.

All I can say is BUYER BEWARE
FYI this is ten rides on the Mototrax "Forksafe Ski Mount"
I also inspect every ride so I know it was not loose accelerating the damage.

Id like to encourage anyone with this system to inspect for damage.
And anyone considering this system to avoid it.[/QUOTE
Sorry Neil for selling the ski safe to you .I thought that RANDY GENTRY tested his design out on all the bikes. I was wrong. This guy is a work of art. Randy hides behind Zak I feel sorry for Zak . He is taking all the hits from Randy"s poor designs

 

[NEWDUCK]

So from what I see is that ski can actually pivot forward if enough force is applied?

 

[needpowder]

So from what I see is that ski can actually pivot forward if enough force is applied?

Yes, but if you run it tight it doesn't seem to happen.at least I never noticed that on mine even after pulling on the ski.

 

[needpowder]

So I just rode for about an hour and a half with the timber sled spindle. Got up early this morning after staying up until midnight installing it. Night and day difference in the handling. We got about 10 inches of snow but the wind blew so it was loaded up pretty good in spots. My front end doesn't wash out like it did before, and I feel like I can turn it tighter, and overall handling just seems better and more solid. I like what mototrax is doing and I wanted to make their spindle work, but it's just not quite there yet. I'm sitting in my truck right now warming up a little bit. Going to go ride some more but I am stoked I went back to the timber sled spindle. We are going to get another storm in the next few days so I should be able to compare it in deep deep snow hopefully.

 

[HELICO]

Yes, but if you run it tight it doesn't seem to happen.at least I never noticed that on mine even after pulling on the ski.

Is your spindle still off set 3/16 in to the left I know the yz 450fx are and they still have not rectified that .Randy Gentry has known that his measurements were off .
Also 2017 kx 450 bushings were too small Randy knew that Its been 3 months since I gave him the correct measurements

 

[needpowder]

Is your spindle still off set 3/16 in to the left I know the yz 450fx are and they still have not rectified that .Randy Gentry has known that his measurements were off .
Also 2017 kx 450 bushings were too small Randy knew that Its been 3 months since I gave him the correct measurements

I never really measured before I took it off, but I noticed the D-bar was overhanging on one side and under hanging on the other about an eighth of an inch.
Heading down the canyon after burning almost another tank of gas. So happy right now that I'm on the timber sled spindle!

Wife wanted me down by noon. Almost made it.

 

[Norma Stitz]

So I just rode for about an hour and a half with the timber sled spindle. Got up early this morning after staying up until midnight installing it. Night and day difference in the handling. We got about 10 inches of snow but the wind blew so it was loaded up pretty good in spots. My front end doesn't wash out like it did before, and I feel like I can turn it tighter, and overall handling just seems better and more solid. I like what mototrax is doing and I wanted to make their spindle work, but it's just not quite there yet. I'm sitting in my truck right now warming up a little bit. Going to go ride some more but I am stoked I went back to the timber sled spindle. We are going to get another storm in the next few days so I should be able to compare it in deep deep snow hopefully.

So you're using which ski with the TS spindle now?

 

[needpowder]

So you're using which ski with the TS spindle now?

Always been using the ts ski.