Will a 163 track shoot you up hill?

bobback said:

Seems like when I'm side hilling with my 155 track; depending on snow and steepness of hill and how much I'm in the throttle; sometimes the sled seems to want to shoot up hill.

Will a 163 track hold a side hill better / not have a tendency to shoot up hill?

Or is it simply rider error?

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163 definitely helps a lot.

You can do some suspension work and make the 155 better without spending money though.
(Tighten rear spring/ loosen front)

Lower your bars so you can get farther forward.

Ride slower (too fast of sidehill is a common washout precursor)
Wrong foot forward, bla bla bla



In the end if you’re riding has progressed far enough you will want the 163 to keep progressing steeper and more technical.

(Also If you are over 180# and or 6’ the 163 is nice)

bobback said:

Seems like when I'm side hilling with my 155 track; depending on snow and steepness of hill and how much I'm in the throttle; sometimes the sled seems to want to shoot up hill.

Will a 163 track hold a side hill better / not have a tendency to shoot up hill?

Or is it simply rider error?

Click to expand...

Its not the sled its you, with the new sleds its all about how far back and or forward you are running your feet.

the 163 is more stable but its you. Sorry when I first rode the axys I had the same problem on the 163. They love to climb!

"In the end if you’re riding has progressed far enough you will want the 163 to keep progressing steeper and more technical. "

So the 155" is for riders who haven't progressed far enough? Dang... So the best riders must be on the 174" then?

He isn't saying that at all. What he is saying is if you are on the right stuff the 163 will pull it off where the 155 might not. I actually like the 155 better for all around more fun but they are not quite as good in the trees in some situations. There is no best. There is a best for a certain scenario but that doesn't mean the others can't do it. Usually rider error not the sled.

Totally correct, this past weekend I swapped off with my 174 turbo for my friends 155 600 pro, sidehilled same hill with both, 2-3 feet powder, good base, no issues you just have to practice the balance/weight/throttle to maintain a nice straight line across

Get forward

I agree with this being a rider control issue, not a track length issue. Watch some Bret Rasmussen videos as he talks about this a lot. The basics are as mentioned above. Get your weight/foot farther forward, and slow down. But mostly, get your weight farther forward.

I think that is why Rasmussen talks about it so much is because right after he says that, then skid-doo pipes in and says "look how far forward you can get your fee on the G4 chassis!!" And, actually, there maybe is at least a touch of truth there. During my G4 test ride, I rarely found myself putting my feet all the way to the front, where I put it there often on my Axys. I still like my Axys better, don't get me wrong, but it definitely helps ski-doo if he constantly lectures on that point, which he does.

Edit: One more thing. I'm going to respectfully disagree with what seems to have been insinuated above. I don't feel at all that I need, or even should have, a 163 instead of my 155 in order to continue to "progress" my riding. On the contrary, I think I'll progress my skills faster on the 155 as it will be easier to learn new things with a more nimble more agile sled. I'll just run out of juice faster on the few days per year that the snow is ridiculously deep. To me, that's the real deciding factor on how long of a track you should have is what is your average depth of snow you're riding in. As I understand it, there are some guys in B.C. that seem to get 3 feet of fresh every stinking time they ride. Lucky Jerks!! Well by all means then, grab a 174. For me though, I'm lucky to get 1 or 2 days a year that the snow is deep enough to have me wishing I had a 163. I enjoy having the more nimble and agile sled on all the other days when there is 2.5 feet or less of fresh powder.

turboless terry said:

He isn't saying that at all. What he is saying is if you are on the right stuff the 163 will pull it off where the 155 might not. I actually like the 155 better for all around more fun but they are not quite as good in the trees in some situations. There is no best. There is a best for a certain scenario but that doesn't mean the others can't do it. Usually rider error not the sled.

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Its all about what you are going to do with your sled on a consent basis. I ride a 163 because I spend 95% of my time in technical trees and drainage's. On its edge the 163 is a bit more stable and gives me that little bit extra on the last steep pull to the top. The 155 makes it easier to return and hop over and the 174 is a tractor on a deep day.

On an axys its all about were you put your feet and throttle control. Specifically setting the sled in the snow on a hill. once you use those Technics very little bar control is needed to side hill, I can do anything on a sidehill that i can do on any of these platforms using those Technics. Thats how small the difference is on my average side hill. Each sled holds the edge a little less or a little more depending on length. When you get into a line were you need to point it up hill and put the hammer down your track length comes into play.

On your next sidehill hop to the front and the back of the boards, due it on a hill that you can easily go up and down with out obstruction and you will see how touchy that these sleds (all three brands) are to foot placement.

Im 6'1" i believe in this so much in the tight stuff that I have the lowest bars possible so I can get as far forward and into the sled as I can.

I love this about these sleds. Its like a four foot long gas peddle. Front to go down hop on the back to flip it over backwards lol

Just ride a 121" and you won't shoot up a hill anymore.

It's rider error, just takes time to get to know the sled and snow conditions. More set up snow requires further forward foot placement. Practice, practice, practice the wrong-foot-forward method, regardless of the hill incline. Just leaning to the side requires twice the effort and twice the speed to maintain a line. Also, make certain you're up on your sled. No monkey-butt moves, your hips need to be right up by the bars. Good luck.

tuneman said:

Just ride a 121" and you won't shoot up a hill anymore.

It's rider error, just takes time to get to know the sled and snow conditions. More set up snow requires further forward foot placement. Practice, practice, practice the wrong-foot-forward method, regardless of the hill incline. Just leaning to the side requires twice the effort and twice the speed to maintain a line. Also, make certain you're up on your sled. No monkey-butt moves, your hips need to be right up by the bars. Good luck.

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haha that is good stuff. IMO the guys are right, it's more rider error. In my experience, it is usually brought on by carrying too much speed. You may find you like the 163 better in the end but it will have the same tendencies if ridden the same way.

And lets be clear. As you progress in "age" you will get a 163", then 174", and then... a snowbike. (just jokes just jokes!)

Don't be afraid to tap the brake while sidehilling under throttle, it will usually help bring the nose down

bobback said:

So keep on the throttle while tapping the brake? Or let off the throttle briefly while taping the brake?

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Chop the throttle tap the brake and this is where a bit of feel comes into play. you just want to get on the throttle enough to get you back into the hill and on top of the snow. You should ride with your finger covering the brake to begin with so just a quick dab of brake will do it.

Its not as complex as it sounds.

ktm131rob said:

Chop the throttle tap the brake and this is where a bit of feel comes into play. you just want to get on the throttle enough to get you back into the hill and on top of the snow. You should ride with your finger covering the brake to begin with so just a quick dab of brake will do it.

Its not as complex as it sounds.

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Exactly. You have to feel the balance of the sled, I always sidehill with a finger on the brake, a little tap here and there can make a big difference in where your sled goes

bobback said:

So keep on the throttle while tapping the brake? Or let off the throttle briefly while taping the brake?

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You can lose good backshift response if you let off the throttle too much. It's ok to ride the brake. But with that said, Polaris sleds slow very quickly even without brake. It probably has something to do with the tight track tension, or whatever, but it's significant compared to a Doo. So, don't overwhelm yourself with doing too many things at once. It's only when the terrain gets extremely technical and full of trees when you really need to use the brake. Slowing down and moving up on the running board are the keys to prevent shooting up hill.