New to the forum and new to the Axys

[sharptailhunter]

Howdy! I started riding essentially last year with a '16 Ski-Doo Summit 163". This past week I picked up a '17 Pro RMK 163". It's been a lot of fun riding it and I'm quickly getting the feel for it. (Put just around 100 miles on it this week). A couple questions have come to mind.

1. The rear suspension is definitely different than what I'm used to. Granted, I'm a suspension novice and don't know all the terms yet but when I pick up the back end of the Axys the tunnel raises a good ways before the track lifts, maybe 3-4" worth of movment. When I let it return back it falls quickly and easily then pushing down on the tunnel compresses the shocks but they seem kind of harsh. On smaller jumps I can feel the track bottom out. Is this an excessive sag issue? I should mention that I have the standard Walker Evan coil over shocks. So, if I need to adjust it them, which do I adjust first? I've tried to follow the description in my owners manual but I get confused and they really only talk about piggy back shocks.

2. On my Summit I had to adjust the limiter strap one hole because it was forcing the front end down more than I like. After doing that I was able to turn and carve while going down hills more easily. It feels like my Axys can benefit from a similar adjustment. Thoughts?

3. A buddy who rides a '14 Pro broke the lower quick drive pulley bolt. He suggested that I should swap out the stock ones for new ones since it was a common problem. Is that something that Polaris has fixed/upgraded on newer models?

4. Finally, at first it seemed like the Axys was downshifting really well. Yesterday, however, it was kind of struggling to stay engaged. It felt like I was having to really kind of rev the motor to keep the belt from free spinning when coming down steep stuff. Not sure what to think about that. I know many variables can affect how the clutches perform on any given day.

Oh yeah, I should mention that I ride in deep powder and like to climb up through trees to mountain meadows to carve and play in. I also like to jump off reasonable cornices.

So far I love this sled and I'm happy I have it. I'm hoping for a little help and advice to get it dialed in a little better. Thanks!

 

[Ihaveadragon]

Howdy! I started riding essentially last year with a '16 Ski-Doo Summit 163". This past week I picked up a '17 Pro RMK 163". It's been a lot of fun riding it and I'm quickly getting the feel for it. (Put just around 100 miles on it this week). A couple questions have come to mind.

1. The rear suspension is definitely different than what I'm used to. Granted, I'm a suspension novice and don't know all the terms yet but when I pick up the back end of the Axys the tunnel raises a good ways before the track lifts, maybe 3-4" worth of movment. When I let it return back it falls quickly and easily then pushing down on the tunnel compresses the shocks but they seem kind of harsh. On smaller jumps I can feel the track bottom out. Is this an excessive sag issue? I should mention that I have the standard Walker Evan coil over shocks. So, if I need to adjust it them, which do I adjust first? I've tried to follow the description in my owners manual but I get confused and they really only talk about piggy back shocks.

2. On my Summit I had to adjust the limiter strap one hole because it was forcing the front end down more than I like. After doing that I was able to turn and carve while going down hills more easily. It feels like my Axys can benefit from a similar adjustment. Thoughts?

3. A buddy who rides a '14 Pro broke the lower quick drive pulley bolt. He suggested that I should swap out the stock ones for new ones since it was a common problem. Is that something that Polaris has fixed/upgraded on newer models?

4. Finally, at first it seemed like the Axys was downshifting really well. Yesterday, however, it was kind of struggling to stay engaged. It felt like I was having to really kind of rev the motor to keep the belt from free spinning when coming down steep stuff. Not sure what to think about that. I know many variables can affect how the clutches perform on any given day.

Oh yeah, I should mention that I ride in deep powder and like to climb up through trees to mountain meadows to carve and play in. I also like to jump off reasonable cornices.

So far I love this sled and I'm happy I have it. I'm hoping for a little help and advice to get it dialed in a little better. Thanks!

#1 All sleds are like that, if your suspension was tight it wouldn't flex and move in the snow. Trench city is the way i look at it. Tighten your spring or get aftermarket shocks if it bugs you about the bottoming out.
#2 The suspension is pretty great right from factory ....i came from a 2010 dragon. I find if its hard snow vs soft the axys is harder to get up on one ski on flat or mild ground....always feel a pull to go back to 2 skis, with that tho itll hold a side hill like glue in any condition. IMO
#3 Ive heard of the bolt breaking yes just on forums tho. Bolt is cheap.
#4 Check your secondary sheave clearance, my buddys was backed right out causing it to idle low....maybe its to tight?? Someone may want to chim in on this subject, i did find they engage at a higher speed vs my old sled....the dragon was like an exhaust break... on mine anyways

 

[ak]

Don't worry about the bottom quick drive bolt it's better (longer) than the 15-13 model pros just run it.

And take the time to read your owners manual so good info on setting your shocks to your weight.

Enjoy your new sled.

 

[Teth-Air]

Some axles have good splines and the gear sits on tight. Others are terrible. Undo your bolt and take the belt off. See if the gear moves on the shaft. If it does, the bolt will fail and you will lose your brakes. If it is snug, it won't fail. If it is loose use Loctite 660 on the splines. Good idea to use the 10.9 hard bolt either way.

For the suspension, tighten the rear shock so you won't bottom out. This is very important because on mine I removed the spring and moved the suspension through it's motion and realized the shock bottoms out before the swing arm hits the rubber stops on the rails. I have the clicker W.E. shocks so not 100% sure if it is slightly a different length than yours. If the shock bottoms, the center of the swing arm takes all the forces and it can bend or break. Once you have the rear shock just tight enough to stop 99% of the bottoming problem, tighten the front skid shock to adjust for desirable ski pressure. This adjustment is extremely sensitive and too tight you will be out of control and can trench. Too loose and the steering can be too heavy. You may have to adjust the ski shock springs at this point for desired roll, control and ride. Be careful not to loosen the springs too much as the spring retainer can fall out when the shock is extended. I always loosen all springs to start, with sled suspended and put a wire tie around the shock body where the springs starts to rattle so i know never to loosen beyond this point.

Another thing about the front skid shock: This shock shares the load with the rear shock and can reduce the "sag" in the rear when you tighten the front. For this reason you might have to re-adjust your rear shock some if you make big changes to the front skid shock.

Hope this helps.

 

[gonehuntnpowder]

I am not at all a suspension expert. I have been messing around with mine for 2 seasons now. A couple of weeks ago I went back to the stock settings right out of the owners manual for my weight. For me it's the best setup so far.