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I have been riding my Pro RMK with a group of guys that have RMK Assaults which we all know are TALLER and WIDER than the normal PRO RMK. We rarely get good conditions so we make due with aht we have. One place we ride is a steep rock slide coverd with snow that has no runout at the base. It is mandatory that you put the sled on the panel and hold it there or go down through inpenatrable forest. I have had some days that I felt like the king of that spot and other day that I felt like a total kook compared to my friends on the Assaults. I have been trying to figure out if it is me or something to do with the geometry of the sleds we ride.
I have developed a theory:
The TALLER / WIDER assault is better for junk snow sidehilling.
WHY:
The wider front end which is harder to initially flop on to one ski actually can lock itself into a nasty first snow sidepanel carve better because it can get further over with the TALLER WIDER ski stance. My Pro RMK can sidehill in those conditions but it is harder to keep over there because it "PANELS OUT" sooner than the Assault.
The taller ride height and steeper angle of attack also help hold the sled over and create more clearance for the boards when at an extreme lean angle as well.
There one day my PRO RMK spanked the ASSAULTS was when we got a killer storm and the snow was deeper than any other day that year. I couldn't feel the base upsetting the chassis. I was able to effortlessly go out carve across tha face with a downhill turn in the midle of the hill and return to the right side where we have an entrance. I wasn't even winded like everyone usually gets riding that spot. That day the snow was so deep it cradled my side panel and my belly pan supporting it like a shelf. The Comp track was awful that day and the rest of the Assault riders struggled.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO ME?
Next year when the assault gets a belt drive I will get one and run a 5.1 track early in the year than throw the Comp track on it in April. I will also mount the skid in the top hole until I swap to the Comp track. I will alway run the narrower stance which is just a little wider than the PRO RMK at full wide.
That same theory applies to why SKI DOOS behave poorly in anything but virgin powder. I have seen some really good ridiers try to follow us on Summits and they all behave the same. They just don't hold an edge in anything that isn't fluff.
I have developed a theory:
The TALLER / WIDER assault is better for junk snow sidehilling.
WHY:
The wider front end which is harder to initially flop on to one ski actually can lock itself into a nasty first snow sidepanel carve better because it can get further over with the TALLER WIDER ski stance. My Pro RMK can sidehill in those conditions but it is harder to keep over there because it "PANELS OUT" sooner than the Assault.
The taller ride height and steeper angle of attack also help hold the sled over and create more clearance for the boards when at an extreme lean angle as well.
There one day my PRO RMK spanked the ASSAULTS was when we got a killer storm and the snow was deeper than any other day that year. I couldn't feel the base upsetting the chassis. I was able to effortlessly go out carve across tha face with a downhill turn in the midle of the hill and return to the right side where we have an entrance. I wasn't even winded like everyone usually gets riding that spot. That day the snow was so deep it cradled my side panel and my belly pan supporting it like a shelf. The Comp track was awful that day and the rest of the Assault riders struggled.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO ME?
Next year when the assault gets a belt drive I will get one and run a 5.1 track early in the year than throw the Comp track on it in April. I will also mount the skid in the top hole until I swap to the Comp track. I will alway run the narrower stance which is just a little wider than the PRO RMK at full wide.
That same theory applies to why SKI DOOS behave poorly in anything but virgin powder. I have seen some really good ridiers try to follow us on Summits and they all behave the same. They just don't hold an edge in anything that isn't fluff.
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