Belt drive is longer b/c driveshaft has been dropped /can't remember if rolled also....
Spindles are taller, drop brackets longer
ON-THE-SNOW RIDE IMPRESSIONS: 2016 AXYS-PRO RMK ... OUR DAY IN APINE WYO.
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Belt drive is longer b/c driveshaft has been dropped /can't remember if rolled also....
Spindles are taller, drop brackets longer
PART 2: ON-THE-SNOW RIDE IMPRESSIONS: 2016 AXYS-PRO RMK ... OUR DAY IN APINE ...
The footwell plates that are full of holes on the pro are solid on the axys.
With a raised panel for strength.
The footwell plates that are full of holes on the pro are solid on the axys.
With a raised panel for strength.
the interesting thing about the raised CG is the effect on "roll center"
Years ago Honda made an "upside down" NS500 Grand Prix bike with the fuel tank underneath the engine..... It was a handling nightmare.
"Mass centralization" became the next buzzword in Honda-speak. Not only did the bike need to be light, but the weight needed to be centralized around the roll axis of the machine so it would transition left to right and right to left quickly and efficiently without a pendulum effect.
I think we have entered that era in mountain sleds.... The engineeres are no longer thinking of sleds moving in a flat plane (I.e. Trail sleds) but thinking of all camber situations. Deep pow turns are never going to be the same.
Years ago Honda made an "upside down" NS500 Grand Prix bike with the fuel tank underneath the engine..... It was a handling nightmare.
"Mass centralization" became the next buzzword in Honda-speak. Not only did the bike need to be light, but the weight needed to be centralized around the roll axis of the machine so it would transition left to right and right to left quickly and efficiently without a pendulum effect.
I think we have entered that era in mountain sleds.... The engineeres are no longer thinking of sleds moving in a flat plane (I.e. Trail sleds) but thinking of all camber situations. Deep pow turns are never going to be the same.
I was truly hoping for a more forward rider position like the XM/T3. Based on looking at the chassis photos, that did not happen. I have exactly one ride on an XM and after a few hours, I loved how it worked for me. I am pretty torn right now between the T3 and the RMK Pro Axys. I am going to have to ride the Axys before I decide what I am going to do. Damn! I also had hoped for a brake relocation to the driveshaft. That is not a deal killer but it would have been nice. The motor appears to be the big deal in this iteration. That is a good thing but it won't matter if it doesn't outshine the XM/T3for me in the handling department. The XM left me fresher at the end of the day period. Less difficult to ride and put it where I wanted it to go. Uphill turns were particularly effortless on it compared to my 13 Pro. I don't want any part of a sled that feels like the old Doo XP which is how one of the test riders compared it. I could not ride one of those for long. I have bad shoulders (5 surgeries) and the XM was appreciated for how easy it was on those worn out body parts. My comments are based on me and not the 35 year old hot shots. I am an athletic 62.5 years old and I need something that works for me. I felt like the XM worked incredibly well in the trees for me compared to my Pro too. This is a real conundrum since I have been on Polaris sleds for 17 years.
You're not the only one. Kinda bummed they didn't move it.
And it should be illegal for anyone to make a powder sled without a powdercoated tunnel in 2015........
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I too have bad shoulders and that is the appealing thing for me when I ride my wife's T3 174. It is half the effort and steers 2 to 3 times as easy as my pro. I hurt at the end of the day with my pro. Does the axys steer easier or is it about the same as the pro?
Originally Posted by Jaynelson View Post
This might be asking a lot from one ride impression....
Would you guys rate this as big a jump as the Pro was over the dragon? Or more of a refinement of the Pro? Or something in between?
---> after riding the 2nd generation Pro (2013-2015) I didn't feel the need to upgrade my 1st generation Pros. But, the Axys Pro is another big jump.
I really can't wait to get Val on one, the reduced effort for direction changes is going to be huge.
This might be asking a lot from one ride impression....
Would you guys rate this as big a jump as the Pro was over the dragon? Or more of a refinement of the Pro? Or something in between?
---> after riding the 2nd generation Pro (2013-2015) I didn't feel the need to upgrade my 1st generation Pros. But, the Axys Pro is another big jump.
I really can't wait to get Val on one, the reduced effort for direction changes is going to be huge.
It's not a Rush front end. It's an entirely NEW front suspension.
New A arms.
New spindles.
New shocks.
http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=391362
I actually felt like it was more difficult to steer. BUT, remember we were riding mostly set up snow and didn't have a chance to tweak any of the suspension which could change that a bit. In the soft stuff, steering (IE carving) was a breeze!
I believe with suspension adjustments you can dial in less ski pressure, just as the T3. I don't recall if they went to a adjustqble limiter strap, but that is easy to add to help lessen ski pressure.
I didn't notice it being a handful on the trail, it was better on the bumps than the old Pro but still not plush. I'm sure some slight refinements to the shocks and springs can address this issue like some did on the Pro.
Maybe someone can answer this question(or maybe it was buried above) - does the new chassis initiate a roll into a carve in the low snow conditions that you had easier than the current chassis? In a downhill carve turn do you still have to counter steer to get the sled to roll or will it just lean over into the roll?
J
Jaynelson
Well-known member
Hopefully the snowcheck, or upgrade, or whatever models will have the option of the Walked remote res's....ala 2015 snowcheck options. The WE remote res's were a BIG upgrade over the standard WE's in my opinion....more of an upgrade than I expected actually.
TOTAL speculation...and many guys in this thread obvs know more than me, but given the options for previous snowchecks, I would bet that there will be higher models with upgraded shocks, 163" track, power coated tunnel and rails, etc. That stuff is pretty easy to add as options/accessories, and went over very well on the 2015's....so that seems logical.
TOTAL speculation...and many guys in this thread obvs know more than me, but given the options for previous snowchecks, I would bet that there will be higher models with upgraded shocks, 163" track, power coated tunnel and rails, etc. That stuff is pretty easy to add as options/accessories, and went over very well on the 2015's....so that seems logical.
Snow made it more difficult to be able to "powder ride"...but with that said, it wasn't difficult with the snow conditions.
Getting onto the 15 Pro in the same conditions...yes, the 16 was easier to to initiate carve in those conditions.
I don't know if this has been mentioned... and it's a minor detail but I like the new footwell plate. Hopefully it's a bit bigger opening so some guys boots don't get stuck...
Good stuff to those that rode and now review...
My '13 seems so old and outdated now. I don't remember the last time I knew I was buying something but didn't know exactly what it was. March 2nd can't come soon enough.
I'm really hoping that March 2nd brings the following: 3" track, painted/wrapped tunnel (to reduce snow build up), better shock options (rebound adjustment), shorter bars and bumper options like the current TD has.
I was dreaming that Polaris would drop Walker Evans and pick up Fox. The details seemed to be there. The WE's have never been good with exception of the piggy back version (they are ok). AC is going from Fox to Elka so I thought that cleared the way for Polaris. Burandt and others obviously don't ride the WE's. Perhaps...with any luck...the WE standard coil over will be the basic shock and Fox Evol R's will be a deluxe package - I'll PAY FOR THAT!
My '13 seems so old and outdated now. I don't remember the last time I knew I was buying something but didn't know exactly what it was. March 2nd can't come soon enough.
I'm really hoping that March 2nd brings the following: 3" track, painted/wrapped tunnel (to reduce snow build up), better shock options (rebound adjustment), shorter bars and bumper options like the current TD has.
I was dreaming that Polaris would drop Walker Evans and pick up Fox. The details seemed to be there. The WE's have never been good with exception of the piggy back version (they are ok). AC is going from Fox to Elka so I thought that cleared the way for Polaris. Burandt and others obviously don't ride the WE's. Perhaps...with any luck...the WE standard coil over will be the basic shock and Fox Evol R's will be a deluxe package - I'll PAY FOR THAT!
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