SHOP TALK: This section is for current information regarding new products or services as they become available. Any and everything may be listed or talked about. We may cover installation of a product, new item that has been through testing, hints at servicing your unit, or relay some tips we have received from customers. We are always open to new ideas, so if you have something you feel may benefit others, email or call and we will consider it for this section. Anything to help others enjoy the sport!!!
Web Site Only Prices:
Save $$ by ordering directly from our e-store. Items listed with reduced prices are for e-commerce sales only. Saves you time, phone charges, and allows you to order at your convenience. We save time, process orders more efficiently, and leaves phone open to those who need tech advice. This is a win-win situation for everyone. Phone orders do not qualify for discount pricing, so please don't ask. Remember this is a secure site with your credit information fully protected and we do not sell your information to to anyone.
Eliminator:
Stop goggle fogging with this battery powered exhaust fan that fits into most goggles. We have used this small fan with great success. The unit is small and mounts at top of goggle with two threaded studs. The unit senses the humidity inside your goggle and turns on when needed. This gives the triple A battery a long life (I am on my second season with same battery). Best new idea in a long time. Works great to keep my glasses and goggles from fogging. Trail and race tested!!
CAT SP500 Suspension Mods
These sleds are great trail sleds as they are peppy and lightweight. Their chassis is almost indestructible as we haven't broken one yet on the rugged cross country circuit. For trail rider though they are a bit stiff. We are putting the finishing touches on a Ride Tech Package for this sled. Full info will be up shortly under Cat suspension section, but if your back is taking a pounding on this sled, don't wait - send in your shocks for complete revalve. This sled will never be as plush as the F series models but you didn't buy this sled for that type of riding. Lets the front end get a better bite (less push) and takes the sharp back breaking snap out of the rear. Will still soak up the big hits but a lot more comfortable over the ripple and washboard trails.
POLARIS RUSH Suspension Mods
We have put quite a few miles on this sled and have come up with a great setup to get this sled up to the level of suspension performance it should have. Stock the sled pushes excessively in the corners and the back bottoms HARD on bigger hits (a real back breaker). New springs and valving let this sled carve the corners better and give less body roll. In the rear we have softened up the ride in the washboards and allowed the rear to take big G-outs without that spine tingling snap. This Ride Tech Stage 2 kit will bring this sled up to equal performance of the other big sleds on the market. The Rush models in the I-500 cross country race with our suspension kit were some of the few that didn't crack frame members or bend suspension components. Ride Tech Kits are trail and race tested to give you the best ride possible over a wide range of terrain.
NEW TRA Accelerator Arms
Our new TRA arms are here and listed under Ski-doo clutching. These arms are almost 9 grams heavier than stock TRAIII arms. The arm is "Fat Body" design to get the weight where it is needed. Better belt grab with less slippage means longer belt life and less clutch heat, harder low and mid-range acceleration, and now the pin weight can be lighter to tune in top rpm and give faster backshift. Arms are user friendly yet give riders of all models using the TRA III the tuneability to get the best clutching from their sleds. Bolt in installation, easy tuning, reliable, allow full use of clickers, and all at reasonable price. XP600 and XP800R models like these arms.
Quick Adjust Cam Arms
Change the cam arm weight WITHOUT removing the arm from the clutch!!!
These cam arms are now in stock for Cat, Polaris, and Yamaha sleds. We are using these in all our new Accelerator Clutch Kits as they make tuning very easy. Saves time and eliminates the hassle of pulling the clutch to make a clutch change, with just a few twists of a wrench you can add, remove, or move the weight to control rpm. We have had great success with these on our race and trail sleds. Cat SP500, SP600, and CFR with the new Polaris 600 Rush responding well to these cam arms.
SPECIALS
Be sure to check out the Specials page under the Products heading. We have some great savings on miscellaneous items.
2009/2010 XP Suspension Kit for 600 E-Tec and 800R MXZ
Ski-doo made suspension arm changes for the 09 model year (looks like 2010 models will be the same) and what they did was to just move the problem. These sleds have some of the 08 suspension issues plus a few different quirks. Front end, still is way too soft as it bottoms on medium hits and on larger hits will bottom hard enough to put a spike in your wrists (ouch). The rear is way too stiff initially and gives a rough ride in washboard trails but still exhibits bottoming on big G-outs the same as last year.
Ski-doo put a new rear arm in the suspension to help cure last years odd ride, but usually this is a band-aid approach to fix a problem and sure enough, that is the case. The springs are the same but the valving has been stiffened way up. The new arm has taken the flat spot that was in the mid stroke to further into the travel so it is not as noticeable. Some riders will think it is gone but it is still there. What you get is a super firm ride in the stutter bumps and still bottoms on the big G-outs. Along with the soft front end the end result is a sled that can be made a lot better.
Our Ride Tech Stage 2 package will fix the above problems and give the aggressive or heavier trail rider a better ride plus improved handling. Easier to drive longer with less body fatigue, a win-win situation. As is the case with our Ride Tech packages we can improve the ride for lightweight riders or easy cruisers to give them a softer ride that will let them handle the stutters without bouncing around. Ride Tech packages are tailored to match style and types of riders so send in your shocks and improve your sled's handling and ride.
New Accelerator Clutch Kit:
We completed our clutch testing on the 600 E-Tec and found some good performance gains for 2009 and 2010 model years. This engine doesn't respond to the same clutching as the SDI but we found better acceleration by almost 3 lengths in 1000 feet and 2 mph faster. All of this in smooth trail package and great corner to corner backshift. Kits are now available.
2009 CrossFire R and 2010CFR Suspension Kit
The CrossFire R/CFR sleds have all the right parts but the suspension was put together using whatever was left on the shelf. The sled is one of the roughest riding sleds we have seen for a long time. Rough trails will pound you to death and staying on the seat is almost impossible. Quite a challenge but after a lot of testing (a few near get offs and some back breaking rides), we have come up with a complete revalving and respringing package that has turned it into a great trail sled.
Stock out of the box yields the following: Front end leaves the ground with just a bit of throttle so steering in tight trails is non-existent. When hitting sharp bumps or drive approaches the front end bounces sky high. The rear is so stiff that unless the trail is super smooth, even the smallest bumps will have your butt off the seat and on bigger hits it tends to throw you over the windshield. It will bottom but takes a snowcross type landing to do so. A rough, bumpy ride that is totally unnecessary and easily fixed.
Ride Tech Stage 2 package made some of the following mods: Ski shocks revalved and shortened slightly per FireCat specs. Center shock got a new straight rate spring with valving to match. Rear shock had extensive rebound valving mods and a change in spring to give a more controlled ride.
Sled will now rail through the trails without excessive ski lift and keeps the front end low when hitting those unexpected holes and control is needed. The rear will handle the whoops at trail speeds (25-45 mph) without bouncing you off the seat and you can hit the sharp or big hits at speed (50-70 mph) and rear will stay straight and true. Now we have a sled that can run down a rough ditch, whooped out trail, or across a drifted lake with confidence and keep you in control.
2010 CFR will have a new 800HO engine but the suspension stayed the same and we have been fixing those already. Don't take a beating this winter, ride hard and fast on these excellent lake racer sleds.
2009 Accelerator Clutch Kit
Clutch testing went well with this model as we saw good gains and kept the great trail manners. Kits are available now.
2010 Accelerator Clutch Kit
CFR clutch kit is now ready and will be listed under the Cat clutching section as soon as all parts are in stock. Give a call and we will get your kit out as all parts should be available by 2-15-10.
Suspension Sag
This is a critical measurement to get the suspension to work properly. If you can't get the correct sag, your spring may be too stiff or too soft. We send sag measurements in all Ride Tech packages but the basic measurements are 1.5" to 2" of sag in rear and 1" to 1.5" in the front. It takes two people to measure sag correctly.
Rear: Measure at a point on running board about half way between rear scissor arm rail mounting bolt and rear axle (we are talking short track sleds). On a riderless sled, lift rear bumper so suspension is fully extended and measure distance to floor. Then have driver sit on sled and measure distance again. Subtract the two and this is the sag. Turn spring adjusters up or down to get correct amount. Rember, the adjustors do not have to be set on the same position.
Front: Same as rear except measure from the front bumper to the floor. Do the rear end first followed by the front. Turn ski springs up or down to get correct amount. Measure length of exposed threads on shock to make sure both sides have same amount of preload.
Belly Brace:
The new Belly Brace for XP Ski-doo's is very popular to protect and strengthen the vulnerable underside. We have tied the front and rear A-arm mounts together to help prevent breaking the cast steering unit that is prone to cracking under hard hits. The steel construction also offers great protection from rocks, ice chunks, or other imoveable objects that can damage expensive body parts. Get one soon and feel confident all season long.
Clutch Testing
The photos in the right hand column give a bird's eye view of our clutch kit testing procedure. The sled is drove onto the Treadmill and is strapped down front and rear. A high volume fan is strapped in the front to blow out exhaust and spray nozzles are clamped to rear of bed which keep a constant stream of water on the hyfax and also up on the cooler extrusions (keeps hyfax from burning up and helps cool engine).
Control panel contains a porta tree timer, timer gauges, and a load knob with gauge. There is a tank in lower front of unit containing 25 gallons of hydralic fluid to put load on the track which simulates snow conditions, more load would be deeper snow and less load would be similar to ice running.
In lower photo, Dale is setting timer and pushing the GO button. Timer will start as soon as track starts to turn so throttle will then be mashed and held until timer clicks off. Timing checks are preset (we use 60 foot, 500 foot, and 1000 foot distances) and we then record the amount of time it took to reach each preset distance. The sled is ran 3 times and then the times are averaged to give an overall view of time elapsed. During the run the operator keeps a check on the tach and speedo and records the maximum numbers reached.
Times are recorded down to .001 of a second so we can see immediately if something is not working correctly. With this machine we have eliminated any track spin, rider's weight is factored (a lighter rider will go faster than a heavier rider, just like the real world), and we can do back to back runs with consistency which is the most important in any type of testing. Clutching is then changed and the process starts over again. Backshifting is tested just like real world, let off throttle and get back into it again just like going into a corner. You can not only hear and feel any hesitation but an eye on the tach tells how fast the revs climb back to full power.
The results are very accurate as we have taken these settings and used them in all our Accelerator Clutch Kits and we use these same settings on our race sleds. We take the race sleds in late fall, break them in on the Treadmill, do clutch testing, and that is our baseline clutching for the season. Now a racer will make changes due to weather conditions during the season trying to get maximum performance on any given day but the trail rider gets a test proven setup that will work over a wide variety of terrain and conditions.
We have used the Treadmill for the past 5 years and it has not only proved its accuracy but allows us to test and tune when snow is limited. It far safer and accurate to watch a speedo and tack at 100 mph plus when sitting still than trying to watch the lakeshore coming up fast. We don't get horsepower readings but we do know that if we can cover the preset distance quicker and the speedo shows an increase, then we have not only gained top end but have gotten there quicker.
Air Canisters:
Air Canisters 1 and 2:
Fox Float Air Canisters do work. They give a bit more air volume to help prevent the quick ramp up of the Fox Floater which helps prevent the harsh ride at low to mid speeds. The Air Canisters help to soften the ride at low speed and in stutter bumps, after that the shocks will act like normal for the bigger hits. These Canisters have been kept simple with no knobs or dials to screw in or out. Aggressive riders will benefit most from the #1 Can as they will stiffen up faster. Trail riders will like #1 Can as it will stay soft longer through the travel.
Air Can 1: Very popular last season and still a bargain plus this year they are available individually for those who would like to mount one on the rear skid shock of some mountain sleds. These cans hold 4% more air and do take the harshness out of the low speed stutter bumps.
Air Can 2: This holds about 3 times the volume of the Air Can 1 or 12% more air. This means it will take longer to get to the stiff part of the travel or will stay softer longer before becoming firm. You will have a wider range of tuning available as air pressures can be varied to meet more conditions. Soft at the bottom yet will still not bottom on the big hits.
Fox Floats:
The Fox Floaters are not a magic shock. They use the same internals as the regular Fox shocks but have substituted an air chamber for the coil over spring. They still use valves to control the shock action but use the air in place of a spring. They also are still charged with nitrogen. They require the same level of service that regular rebuildable shocks do. We change the valving of these shocks to match a rider's style just like any other shock. Do not expect these shocks to be maintenance free or just float over the bumps. They are setup generically by the factories just like all other shocks as the factories must make them work over a wide range of conditions. To get them to fit YOUR style a bit of valving can work wonders.
Clutch Adjustor Bolts:
We have now added a secondary adjustor bolt for the 08-09 Ski-doo XP models to go along with our Cat Adjustor. Working on the same simple principle, this aluminum adjustor bolt makes adjusting belt deflection quick and easy. We are getting great feedback on these items as riders discover that this simple adjustment to belt deflection means better performance and longer belt life. They also work great to spread the clutch sheaves if you need to remove your belt. Adjusters will include allen wrench this season and there is also an optional spanner wrench available that is a lot more durable than the stock unit. Cat or Ski-doo, we have the tool for you.
Web Page Hints:
We have found some people have problems finding things on web pages as no one has one set standard. Our site is very easy to navigate and here are a few helpful hints.
The narrow black bar across the top (right underneath our name and logo) list the various sections in white lettered text. Reading from left to right:
Home - features items that currently are new, hot, improved, or on special.
Products - gives you a choice of product listings or sections (if looking for ATV performance, only ATV items will come up). Click on appropriate section, then choose sub section if broken down further, and finally chose your brand to see product selection. Products will be shown with brief description, you can either click photo on the left or "details" on the right to see a longer and more detailed description. You may click "add to cart" to purchase any of the items and follow directions for sending order through our secure site.
Search - helps you find items without scrolling through various pages.
Checkout - checkout your items for purchase.
2009 Catalog - a pdf of our new catalog is available for you to view or download and make your own copy.
Shop Talk - information on a variety of products, services, or just helpful hints such as this tidbit.
Dr. Snow - our guest snowmobile sage, who gives his expert opinion on many things and answers various tech questions
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Ride Tech - lists current shock and suspension pricing and information. Also where you can find Ride Tech Form to send in with any shock work you have done.
Fett Racing - lists our current, past, or future race plans, results, and other FAST news.
Links - Some of our favorite web sites that we go to.
Contact page - easiest way to get a hold of us.
We hope this helps you better navigate our site and enjoy the high quality products we offer. Site is certified secure to keep your information private for our use only. Thank YOU for your business and continued support.
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