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PRO handling, less snow?

Norway

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Alright so I 've ridden the pro since X-mas and it's been great. Ride a lot with bro-in-law on his M1000 and he seem to lay over easier than me.

His sled has no sway bar and he got floats up front, his bellypan rubs the snow more than mine off course, but that seems to actually help him when laying over and turning back up the hill?

Remember, this is with firm base/spring conditions and not jan/feb 3ft of pow.

In another thread I read about comparing IQR mtn sleds to the pro. I found words that expressed my feelings: the pro has a tipping point, it is easy to lay over but it's like go/no-go?? A partial gradual layover seems difficult, it wants to upright itself fast.

Anyone else feel this? Any thoughts on swaybar/no swaybar? Siis?

Oh, and please! Think before you type:face-icon-small-win

The "I went from M/XP to pro, and what a difference" is nice, but doesn't really help...

Thanks for looking!

RS
 
Alright so I 've ridden the pro since X-mas and it's been great. Ride a lot with bro-in-law on his M1000 and he seem to lay over easier than me.

His sled has no sway bar and he got floats up front, his bellypan rubs the snow more than mine off course, but that seems to actually help him when laying over and turning back up the hill?

Remember, this is with firm base/spring conditions and not jan/feb 3ft of pow.

In another thread I read about comparing IQR mtn sleds to the pro. I found words that expressed my feelings: the pro has a tipping point, it is easy to lay over but it's like go/no-go?? A partial gradual layover seems difficult, it wants to upright itself fast.

Anyone else feel this? Any thoughts on swaybar/no swaybar? Siis?

Oh, and please! Think before you type:face-icon-small-win

The "I went from M/XP to pro, and what a difference" is nice, but doesn't really help...

Thanks for looking!

RS

x2^^^^ ya, I love my Pro in deep powder. It handles like a dream but when the snow isn't as deep or in spring conditions its a little harder for me to find that balance point. I came off a Dragon and although it was harder to lay over the side panels stuck out more and kind of aided in supporting the sled on some of those lay overs. The pro panels don't do that so it is a little trickier for me in those low or spring snow conditions.
So, I'm with you on that.
Ha de bra!!
Arcteryx
 
On my Pro, ...

If I'm sitting down and making a buttonhook on harder snow, I put my inside knee out to keep from going over too far. When standing up, I goofy foot it and stick my inside foot on the snow with my foot flat on the snow so it slides as I turn the sled around. It takes a bunch of practice and good throttle control as it's not just pinning the throttle and tipping the sled on its side. I practiced by just going in small circles on the flat on spring snow - using just the balance point - pull the sled on one ski using your inside leg as your balance weight, find the balance for your foot position on the running board and you can turn fairly tight without spinning the track. Turning with track spin, for me, requires putting a foot down and using it as a pivot.
 
if you pull the sway bar you will have to stiffen the front shocks or the nose will be sitting on the snow. the shocks are soft already.

i have heard a few people say this but personally i haven't felt this. especially the wanting to flatten back out part. screwing around on saturday i could hold it up on one ski across the flats as long as i wanted without swinging a let over. i know this is different than going up or down a hill but either way it seemed easy. coming from my two iq's i personally ddin't notice a big difference either way in the ease of pulling it over or sidehilling. it does do it better but it doesn't seem to take any more or less effort. i am 190 lbs in my birthday suit, not sure where body weight comes into play. not sure if that added anything to the conversation or not...

pv
 
I can ride on hard pack on one or the other ski on my Pro. I have no problem balancing it either way. I use the foot wells a lot in these instances because my foot/leg strength helps with the balance. I'd say more than anything you just need practice time finding that balance point.
 
A big THANK YOU!!

Cant remember a thread I posted where the answers matched my questions so good. Nice to hear I'm not just imagining things.

And yes, I do need more seat time in general, so hopefully that will help.

Rick: you just gave me an instant flashback to a clip with Rasmussen with that foot planting of yours, gotta practice that one to I guess.

Arcteryx: That "supporting the layovers" is what I see happening with my bro-in-laws M, he can tip it over partially and just slide around.
Not the balancing acts I have to do, but slowly and pretty effortlessly sliding around until he sees it's time to get on the throttle and shoot up the hill again.

Swaybar is getting disconnected, see where that takes things.

Thanks again.
 
Alright so I 've ridden the pro since X-mas and it's been great. Ride a lot with bro-in-law on his M1000 and he seem to lay over easier than me.

His sled has no sway bar and he got floats up front, his bellypan rubs the snow more than mine off course, but that seems to actually help him when laying over and turning back up the hill?

Remember, this is with firm base/spring conditions and not jan/feb 3ft of pow.

In another thread I read about comparing IQR mtn sleds to the pro. I found words that expressed my feelings: the pro has a tipping point, it is easy to lay over but it's like go/no-go?? A partial gradual layover seems difficult, it wants to upright itself fast.

Anyone else feel this? Any thoughts on swaybar/no swaybar? Siis?

Oh, and please! Think before you type:face-icon-small-win

The "I went from M/XP to pro, and what a difference" is nice, but doesn't really help...

Thanks for looking!

RS

I thought you were talking about an Ski Doo XP for a moment. :)
The Dragons are Pros are nowhere NEAR that feeling, IMO. NOT CLOSE.

Don't forget to counter steer a little bit.
Also...time your weight shift on your running boards with a flexed knee bounce and wick the throttle just at the right time.

As already stated....when you ditch the sway bar, you WILL need to stiffen your preload a bit...the shocks will be too soft and you'll dive on the heavy side.
 
The Pro dose have a little bit more desire to sit flat on the snow IMO. So it seems to have just a little of the skidoo flop. I've been riding the IQ since it came out and over time have learned to keep both feet in their respective foot wells, and while carving push down with your inside foot and pull up with your outside foot. It'll take a little practice but you'll find it great when a quick transition is needed, like from one extreme creek or ditch side to the other. Or when crossing drain bottoms in the steep and deep.
 
This is on about a 30 degree hill with about 6 inches of slush sitting on hard pack...take what you will from it but these Pro's will do anything you want them to do. The entire point of the side panels being 4-6 inches inside of the ski is so you don't have that balancing point and you won't sit on your side panel, therefore lifting your track out of the snow resulting in you sliding around and sitting there, confused.

If you are wanting to just sit on the seat and throw the thing over, buy something else.

193719_10150144214688074_681233073_6742624_6280963_o.jpg


204926_10150144215133074_681233073_6742626_515697_o.jpg
 
I also dont' think the Pro wants to right itself back up anymore than any other sled does.
I rode a couple Pros last weekend on HARD snow that barely made a track. Turned and carved just as could be expected for those snow conditions.
 
Having both chassis you speak of myself, I personally think there is more pressure on the back of the PRO ski then on the M1000 when in a countersteer and the PRO will fight you while doing it on harder pack. I cut part of the rear of each gripper experimenting in easing this issue. It worked tremendously, but had a tradeoff on the trail and anywhere else you want to be lazy and use ski backpressure against the snow to steer. In other words, the snow just flys up and over the ski instead of pushing against the ski and moving the sled towards the opposite direction. But that being said, if you are willing to give that up, I can lay the sled over at least 40% easier in harder snow and pull some sick-tight lines in the trees with some angles I never used to think I could do.
BB
 
Thanks guys, useful tips here!

Rode yesterday w/o swaybar. Fun experience, will leave it there until next season (couple rides left probably).

Made a big diff for sidehills and some turning up again. No probs riding to and from the fun places. Could do the same brake tapping and laying over that my bro-in-law does on his M and this does wonders for braking when going down.

Diving became an issue for sure going down.

The change worked in a way I had not expected. It made some turning moves a lot easier (at a cost) and this led me to be more successful and hence aggressive. Learned some moves and body english so even if I put the swaybar back in, I know what to do. Just have to put more force/effort into it.

Great day with sunshine and soft spring snow made for good testing and practicing!

Revalve and maybe a spring change before next season, maybe MODS skis, then we'll see.

RS
 
I kind of noticed this too, so I removed the swaybar and stiffened the shocks. I could live with the poor trail handling, but the off camber dive was just aweful. So I put the sway bar back in and ran the shocks pretty loose trying to get the results similar to no sway bar. I rode this for half a day and was still having difficulties with the off camber dive and being sucked into tree wells. So then, part way thru the day, I stiffened the front shocks quite a bit. This drastically changed everything for the better. Much Better!!! The sled would almost do what ever I was thinking. Alot easier to sidehill, tip over, tight turns ....everything. This took the tippiness out of it and made it more flickable. It kept it from going over the "breaking point". I might even stiffen them up a little more. Didn't seem to be too stiff on the trail, but the trail was in brutal condition anyways.

This seems to be backwards thinking but it really, really works. Try it.
Has anyone else tried it or experienced the same?

:whoo:
 
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I was considering disabling the sway bar to see what I thought. Every other sled I've rode swaybarless.. But I'll try the 'stiffer spring' technique first, just for the helluv it 1st.
 
No swaybar works the best for me in set up snow. Takes less then 10 minutes to pull and stiffen the springs.
 
I kind of noticed this too, so I removed the swaybar and stiffened the shocks. I could live with the poor trail handling, but the off camber dive was just aweful. So I put the sway bar back in and ran the shocks pretty loose trying to get the results similar to no sway bar. I rode this for half a day and was still having difficulties with the off camber dive and being sucked into tree wells. So then, part way thru the day, I stiffened the front shocks quite a bit. This drastically changed everything for the better. Much Better!!! The sled would almost do what ever I was thinking. Alot easier to sidehill, tip over, tight turns ....everything. This took the tippiness out of it and made it more flickable. It kept it from going over the "breaking point". I might even stiffen them up a little more. Didn't seem to be too stiff on the trail, but the trail was in brutal condition anyways.

This seems to be backwards thinking but it really, really works. Try it.
Has anyone else tried it or experienced the same?

:whoo:

Snodawg:

How far did you tighten up the shocks - 1 1/2", 2" ? Good report.
 
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