Stiff Sway
Lift the Arm
If you have an adjustable sway bar, or the option to swap out your stock sway bar for a stiffer version, do so. A stiffer sway bar will eliminate excessive body roll. Too much body roll will load the track and outside ski, prompting the sled to want to nose-up or “catch” through the turn.
real quick with a drill bit and few bolts. “Sucking up” the strap loads the skis and reduces the amount of track on the ground while accelerating. There is a fine line here however, and trial and error will be your best judge to find the sweet spot. Too much lift will result in excessive ski lift, and you need front-end bite and weighting to break the back-end free.
Off the Side
Get Bent
As the rider, you represent the largest chunk of movable mass on the snowmobile. With that in mind, adjust your sled’s ergonomics so you can get low and hang off the sled. Tip the bars down, swap out your seat for a lower version, or better yet, find an old seat and cut the seat bun down.
A big part of “hanging-off” ergonomics modifications are the handlebars. Look at an ice-oval or Soo-500 sled, and you’ll see over-reaching, hooked bars and accompanying bent brake lever. You gain valuable inches of body “hang” by modifying your bars, and when it comes to leaning off and drifting, more is more.
Another way to load the skis and reduce traction is by dramatically lifting the front arm through the front arm limited strap. While not all modern sleds feature an adjustable strap, you can make it one
TORONTO SNOWMOBILE, ATV & POWERSPORTS SHOW • OCT 24-26, 2014 • TORONTO INTERNATIONAL CENTRE • www.torontosnowmobileatvshow.com
ON SNOW MAGAZINE
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VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 1 ✪
69