2nd ride observations...The break in gas is finally gone!!

Bought my 09' XP a few months ago and a coupla weeks back finally found some snow to break it in but couldnt burn all that premixed dealer break-in fuel out of it.

So today I headed up to Cottonwood pass in Colorado outside of Buena Vista...A whopping 2 hour drive from my house to 9-10K of what could pass for actual real life snow!!

Needless to say it took me another hour to burn out the break-in gas....I had an issue though. My check engine light came on very briefly during a few WFO runs and may have beeped what seemed like once. It went out right away. With a tankfull of greasy Ethanolated crap gas I had been expecting this considering I'm running a 14.8 RK Tek "Jug Buster Edition" head.

Also, My fuel gauge is a bad joke. It goes from half a tank to empty with the low fuel light on and back to half without any reason or rhyme. I dont like the XP fuel gauge! Its crap.

After burning out the last of the trashy 2 month old Ethanolated grease gas, Checking the plug condition (Good brown with anice greasy edge) I poured in 5 gallons of non-ethanol 91 mixed with 10% straight Toluene making a 93.5 blend and headed back out....

With just a RK Tek head, HPS can, 450 Mains, Shims and Rooster Built clutching and an SLP intake....This sled absolutely rips!

The check engine light did not come on at all once I had the good gas in the sled although that pesky gas gauge is evidently shot as it dosent know what to say!

Did some RPM tests and with the clickers set at 3 the sled hit 8 grand on the nose and wouldnt budge.

Put the clickers at 4...8200-8300 and rippin'. I never rode the sled with the stock clutching but as far as I can tell I cant imagine how my clutching could be better than how the Rooster Built stuff works. Its always on boil and essentially feels fault free. Hit gas and go. Go fast.

Went on a trail ride as the hillclimbing areas arent quite ready (Stumps, Rocks, Bushes) and within just a few miles on the trail realized that I could essentially wheelie the sled into any whoops or bumps like a dirt bike yet tasted the snow a few times when I found myself leaning in on off camber turns....

No sway bar, last hole on the limiter, fox zero pros set soft....You could fart and this sled will fall over on its side. I was actually wishing I had my quick connect to hook up the sway bar as the faster I started going the more squirrly and instable my sled felt especially on the off camber stuff that always seemed to lead to rocks, water and danger!....Then again I'm a dirtbike guy and an absolute newb to this sled thing so???

After ending up stuck pretty badly in some kinda weird undersnow creek or spring deal and exhuasting myself extricating I decided to call it a day. Pulled over and changed the settings on my rear torsions from 3 to 4...No good. Tried setting 2 and liked it there. I bought the heavy springs and wanted to see what effect diffrent amounts of sag have.

XP's need sag. Sled rides like crap without any static sag. Next time up I'm gonna work on the center and front shock spring preload as well.

Tried my Handlebar and flapper warmers and found that on a 45 degree day? Them things will dern near burn a guys hands!

Sled is faster than heck on a trail...Too fast for its handling abilities combined with my newb riding ability. My best analogy would be to say that riding my sled on tight trails with lots of trees is akin to ridng a CR500 Open class 2 stroke desert race bike on a single track trail...A snap at that flapper pulls up the skis and rockets me down the trail at an insane speed. This sled belongs in the steep and deep. Trails suck!!

My solo figure stuff out rides are now over...Monday I'm heading up with a buddy on a modded out big bore Polaris and the following weekend my buddy on a 2010 Artic Cat HCR will also be in the fray....

I'm curious to see how my XP runs compared to the HCR and the Polaris.

Sorry for the long post I figger maybe some other first year new dudes can chime and share in the joy!!:face-icon-small-hap

Ya' know I'm sore as heck!! That shoveling lifting, looking up to make sure its not getting dark stuff whilst trying to unstick a new sled out alone......

Sucks.

I'll not ride solo again!

cdnsleddog said:

Put the sway bar back in and enjoy this thing on the trail. They handle like they are on rails...I know its a mountain sled...built on a cross country chassis...they rock all around. Let us know how the AC HCR does against your "stocker".

Click to expand...

I left the quick connect link in my derned glovebox!! Or it would have gone back on. I crashed twice on the trail today. Tricky off camber stuff. Got up on the downhill or outside ski and ended up face first in the snow! This ended with me stuck in a hidden creek for over an hour....I think I was trying to ride way over my skill level though. I stood up and tried to hammer it like my dirtbike...It worked most of time. Just not when it mattered most!!

Odd deal on the HCR as my dirtbike riding buddy who is financially challenged had like 5 grand to spend on a sled this year....Sheffield laughed at his loan request as evidently he dosent like paying bills or attention!

The HCR was 11 grand OTD.

I actually own the controlling share as I put up $5800 to his $5200 on the understanding that the HCR is MSO'd in my name, will live in my garage, be on my ins policy and by all rights I'm the true owner....

If the HCR absolutely rocks and proves to be the better sled?

I will buy out my broke-dick buddy for a few grand end up with $7800 in it and keep the thing.


It just arrived at the dealership and got set-up two weeks ago....I'm going to pick it next weekend....Been way too busy setting up my XP to pay it much mind right now....It has really funky old school ergonomics and I really dont like all the green.

I also dont want it to whip my XP so I've been dragging my feet on picking it up until I feel confident in my little XP mods and performance.

Chazmanian, When I get back to the springs next spring if you want I will take you do some spring riding and with some good hero snow you can only Imagine what that XP will do. Do you by chance ever dirtbike the rainbow falls and 667 area behind Woodland park?

Click to expand...

That would be cool! I dont ride woodland park/rainbow falls unless I'm with those crafty old Hippies from Apex sports who know the secret single track stuff....I typically ride Capt Jacks, Taylor park, st charles snowslide etc....I've been on a KTM 300 with a trials tire for the last two seasons and it has made me a technical trail hero! Soon as i sold off my thumper I gave up on the big double track stuff and have focused on slow technical singles. Lets ride!

Chaz- When you start hitting the deep you are going to want to try and stay at about 8100 or so RPM if possible with the clickers

Click to expand...

OK...Then clicker 3 would be where I wanna be as the missing 100 RPM is certainly due to tight motor newness? clicker 4 is a consistant 200 higher or 8200. I really gotta get a few more miles on the thing.

I haven't had a chance to ride this year yet and I was wondering about the springs you were experimenting with. I set mine on three and was going to try it there. You said you went from three to four and then to two. I am wondering how much you weigh. I am 220 and just looking for a baseline to start. I am not worried about the 'sag'.
Thanks

Click to expand...

287/289's. I'm 235...All this shoveling I should be down to 200 by January tho! setting 2 is nice and I have about 2" of static sag and the sled feels more sorted. I can feel by virtue of the design that having no static sag isnt what the original design team had in mind. Feels funky and out of sorts with the arse jacked up too high and its harder to turn.

Chaz - trails are fun on dirt bikes but gaaaay on sleds (IMO). This a mountain sled!!! Wait until you ride your sled in real mountain terrain. you are gonna love it!

Click to expand...

LOL! I found a couple little spots but hit a big rock and got a bit spooked when the bars were yanked outta my paws....When I ended up in the creek I was in one of those off trail area's that had some decent snow depth...Powdery and good...But it was that kinda snow without enough real base to be safe...Kinda fluffy and hiding danger snow. Hit the flapper on the mighty XP without a good base and that big track digs down and finds chit to hit!!

I think we are still a few weeks away from the bowls and stuff being ridable up at cottonwood pass....At this point I just need to get all the sled time I can possibly get as I hate being the lame slow guy outta the group. Man I hate that lame slow guy. He lives in every town across the country and ruins perfectly good rides everyday of the year in every genre of riding...I cannot be that guy. I will not be that guy! Arrrggghhh!

Better get used to digging newb. Just kidding.

Click to expand...

LOL

Dude I'm such a Newb that I took off my helmet and put it off to the side whilst I dug, started, gassed, spun, dug, repeat etc..etc...

By the time I had it unstuck and reached for my helmut and goggles? I had somehow aimed the track at the derned thing as I spun the track!

My helmet wasnt just packed with snow...It was packed with a mix of snow and creek mud/water/pine needles and my goggles were frozen solid!

But its gets better.....

After all that digging, lifting and exertion?

That snow packed muddy pine needled cold arse Helmut felt really good on my sweat covered noggin!!!

SDSX8 said:

Chaz,


Happy to hear you love your new XP and welcome to the best sport on earth! I rode dirtbikes for a decade before i got into sledding, and have never looked back! the freedom and not being restricted to a trail is one of the resons I love sledding over any other motorsport.

I just wanted to put something out there for you to keep in mind when your trying to advance your riding skill on your xp. Your XP is the lightest mountain sled on the market, BUT, it is not the strongest. I know first hand. Be cautious this early in the season and this winter when your boondocking. One decent hit to the the front, a-arms, or skis from a tree or rock, and you will be looking at a new s-module, e-module, or even an entire chassis. Trust me. I kissed a tree last year dead on with the left ski at 10mph, this year.....my sled is getting an ENTIRE chassis. the hit bent my chassis from end to end, and it was a very minor hit. the a-arms/spindles are tuff enough that they will transfer all of that force directly into the chassis.


other than that be safe have fun and haul *** take chances!

Click to expand...

I will confess to being a retard!!

I figured the answer for my retardation was Progressive full coverage ins....$510.00 a year. $250 deductable.

I hit a rock yesterday not very hard and was almost pitched when it snatched the bars outta me hands. I then ended up in an undersnow creekbed.....I stayed the trail after that chit.

Its still early for trying to have off trail fun up here. Way early.