Snow flaps suck in POW!

[Clarke673]

Never will I run a snow flap again. I kept trenching my 800 shorty today and I decided that my flap was holding the back of the sled up.

So i pulled it off and put it on upside down and the sled instantly did MUCH better in the deep dry Montana POW and I noticed it whipped easier as well as seemed to keep people off my *** when I was taking a break and riding the trails.


The only reason why I run a flap is because I don’t want to roost some one and it might help with cooling while running down a trail but I don’t care anymore! It might get put back on in spring….MAYBE My theory is that if its going to overhead without a flap, its probably going to over heat with a flap almost as fast. I guess if you can keep up you better pass me!

Anyone else have a similar experience?

 

[Trashy]

My current sled is the first one to have a flap in the last 5 years... Can't say it really makes any difference either way.

 

[ynotride]

Idea?- next time ride without all the rivets and tools to re place the mudflap and see if it trenches?

 

[shortstop20]

I could see it if you have a flap that is rock hard and doesn't bend. If you have a flap that will bend it ain't gonna make any difference.

The sled with a flap will cool much better than a sled without a flap on hardpack trails, no comparison.

 

[Clarke673]

I had standard head bolts threaded in so if you are going to try and get me not to bring my flat blade screw driver....well.... screw you! lol

rivets are for ski-doos and hi-priced babies!

 

[Sled365]

why not just cut it down thats what my friend did looks pretty sweet

 

[Clarke673]

I was running this flap set up and then I took the hard plastic thing off and it didn’t help at all so I ended up just taking it all off. I love the looks of the orange flap and I have never seen another orange Polaris snow flap. I am going to call Polaris west and see if they still have the Polaris racing mud flaps in stock and see about getting one of the rubber ones.



This is my friend riding my sled the other day. Best and most recent pic i have of my old set up.

 

[Dootimes2]

Ok, call me crazy, but on a sled the flap is on the rear of the tunnel and not the front. Therefore it follows in the trench the ( track ) makes and does not drag much in the snow. By the looks of your track do you really expect it not to trench in the powder. I guess if I take the flap off my 174x 2.5 I won't trench any more and can save the $$ on a 3".

 

[Clarke673]

It holds the back of the sled up in the pow. I spent all day hill climbing through the trees and i can really feel the difference while making technical climbs. Granted im not hitting the shoots or winning the big dog iron shoot out, but It sure is fun to go flying up through the trees making a line no one else has ever made.

BTW, it gets a 153” track just as soon as I can afford the rails!

 

[Dootimes2]

Not to say that it don't, but just how stiff can that flap be that it has the strength to lift your sled up? If I lift up on mine that hard it will bend in half.

 

[duke1n]

Is it possible your sled just trenches too much? Just a thought... Did you take any pics whippin it good?

 

[One]

Another downfall is when you're stuck and can't get your fingers around the rear bumper because the flap is pressed up against it. A buddy has a flap of truck mudflap material, real flexible stuff, and it hangs a good 4 inches off the back of the trailer...NOT fun when he gets mired in the deep.

I have an A20 in hillcimb position with a cute little flap and people are always complaining about what a mess it spits on the trails. Is it so hard to back off another 30 feet? Honestly.

 

[Clarke673]

X2!

I hate it when people think they are the next snow cross champion and have to race you on the trails. Don’t get me wrong, I love racing but after riding all day I don’t feel like having to deal with some a-hole trying to pass me.

Something else I noticed is it is a lot easier to spin cookies in the snow and it really seems like I can turn out a bit quicker.

 

[MNSLEDNECK56308]

Its not the flap its the tall spindles and the attach angle of the IQR that make it trench! I got the 2 drop spindles, helped some!

 

[89sandman]

if you don't think not having a snow flap in the deep is a help you need to ride a little harder!!! would never run one again, and if your worried about overheating on the trail maybe you should try getting off it once on a while like posted above was tired of the thing dragging and scrubbing my track speed when trenching, having to shovel that pos evertime i'm trenched in and stuck just s@cks!!! also not being able to even get my hand in the bumper to try and pull the sled up.

 

[CO 2.0]

Flap has just always gotten in my way in the pow. Same reasons as these other guys don't run one. Havent run one for 4 years now and I have no reason to go back and put it on. If the sled gets hot on the hardpack I just throw down the scratchers and the sled stays cool.

 

[Reeb]

Just to stir the pot a little bit.

On a 2008 XP, had a custoemr pretty much totally destroy his 800R because he took the flap off. Constantly overheated(in the powder) and came up with some funky error codes. Destroyed the top end and his engine builder later found his bottom end was scorched. In 3 or 4 rides. HE attributes the whole thing to no snowflap.

Of course we are talking different sleds. IQR vs. 154 XP but principles apply.

 

[CO 2.0]

How are the coolers situated on the XP? In pow there is so much snow being kicked up even without a mudflap that I find it interesting that his sled was overheating.

 

[JROD]

Simply added 4" to the length of mine and dropped 15 degrees running temperature.

To the ignoramus' that said "Try getting of the trail once in a while", this is not always possible. Seriously I'm a mountain rider just as much as the next guy but where I ride, there's a certain amount a trail that you just have to ride through areas where getting off the trail is illegal. Or the trees are so thick that you it's simply impossible to get off. Don't see a lot of 121s where I ride either...

And what about those spring rides when the snow has settle the day before and frozen overnight. When you hit the trail in the morning, there's not much getting kicked up on your coolers.

Sure you guys might get away with it for awhile but these engines were designed to run with a certain amount of heat soak. Just because your light isn't on doesn't mean that it's not running hotter. I guess there's probably not many out there with a temp gauge. So you're running your engine hotter for the duration of it's life. It will take it's toll after time.

But if your Poo 121 race chassis does technical climbs better and doesn't trench anymore than congrats on your new mod!

 

[Vern]

i'll put another vote for no flap, agree with what the others have said and besides that you can always throw the "it looks cool" factor out there. as for overheating on the trail we've had a few m7s in our group with no flap for a few years with no issues and the m7s are supposed to be bad enough stock on the trail for overheating. im not saying your wrong jrod, or anyone else for that matter, they very well could be running somewhat hotter on the icy trails but with the scratchers down once we get back to the truck there is still quite the amount of snow buildup in the back of the tunnel around the cooler which tells me they are still gettin good amounts of snow. but if its really icy we will still stop occasionally and toss some snow up at the exchangers and on top of the tunnel just to be safe. as for the roost, from what ive seen most of the time the sleds with the flaps are worse to follow cuz they throw the roost straight out the back under the flap where as without the flap the bulk of the roost tends to shoot straight up into the air and not so far back.