“Expert” Edition Thoughts

Reg2view · Feb 20, 2019

Ok. So, unpack Brett and Narona's explanation of the ski stopper/dampener and spindle push and what they are now doing on a sidehill - staying more flat or allowing the tip lower/tail higher to stop the tail pushing the front up and out of the snow on a counter-steer.

We've had that all along with the Poo gripper lawn jart ski and blown out ski rubber, we just didn't know it was actually a feature. How sneaky to hide such technology in plain site and not market it, no wonder it hasn't been "fixed" since the IQ. This is gonna crush the Durapro guys, and peeps can recycle their "broken in" poo ski dampeners for cold cash.

Norona · Feb 20, 2019

Motorbreath_ said:
I'm willing to bet Ski-doo drops at least one of these "upgrades" before shipment..
Just as they dropped the "lightweight exhaust" from the T3 package back in 2015.

I was pretty excited to order a new Backcountry XRS 154 until I seen the price tag. I think I'll hold off and see what Cat and Polaris is offering.

Nope, the exhaust was dropped cause it would not pass sound inspection, they won't ever sell a sled with illegal noice emissions.

fassteddie · Feb 21, 2019

ordered 154 x pert,
anything that adds up to a better ride for this old man i am in... lol

Ski-doo#1 · Feb 21, 2019

Tell ya what, I sure am not knocking it til I try it and don't believe anyone else has reason to either.

I am one to test things out and learn on my own. I am 6'2" and have no complaints about the riser before. I have not tried a shorter riser but I am very interested in doing so.

If your dealer is good enough ask them to swap out the risers, what is the big deal? How can you let a riser stop you from enjoying this sport to its full available potential.

What I do know is the shorter tunnels work. Very excited to upgrade my 2018s front end to the new one because both the lesser tip up and more tip down of the ski flat out make sense to me in their respective situation.

Is it really possible to make a one size fits all? No, but I think they are close. What expert do you know that doesn't have their sled setup in a detailed matter that works for them. This is a sled for the experts of course it is not a one size fits all, not everyone is an expert.

Don't knock it til you try it. Bottomline, it isn't logical to do so.

Blu Du · Feb 21, 2019

Norona said:
Nope, the exhaust was dropped cause it would not pass sound inspection, they won't ever sell a sled with illegal noice emissions.

I have to call BS on this, they could of did something different with the exhaust and still made it light weight

i'llDooit · Feb 21, 2019

A lot of the time there is a 9 mile road in to Mt Baker, and it's not uncommon to be icy the entire way. No way the expert makes it up without overheating. Guess the snow that day is not expert snow

Big10inch · Feb 22, 2019

Dropping 5 lbs is a step forward. Too bad they seem unwilling to fix the things that are really wrong with the sled... Needs a redesigned skid so bad, it is almost laughable how long they have stuck with this design. Marginal shock improvements, no improvement on track attack angle to get it on the snow like the competition, boards still way to wide... It is just the same old sled with a couple changes and not the changes it really needs. Looks like it is also substantially more expensive than the competition too. Might please some of the doo faithful but I do not see anything that would get a guy to change to it from another brand.

Ski-doo#1 · Feb 22, 2019

Big10inch said:
Dropping 5 lbs is a step forward. Too bad they seem unwilling to fix the things that are really wrong with the sled... Needs a redesigned skid so bad, it is almost laughable how long they have stuck with this design. Marginal shock improvements, no improvement on track attack angle to get it on the snow like the competition, boards still way to wide... It is just the same old sled with a couple changes and not the changes it really needs. Looks like it is also substantially more expensive than the competition too. Might please some of the doo faithful but I do not see anything that would get a guy to change to it from another brand.

Explain to me why it needs a redesigned skid? Are you saying this only because they haven't updated it in awhile? That's a poor reason. It doesn't need a redesign because it works great. Might there be something that works better? Maybe but define better? The adjustability that comes with a coil over system? Buy the heavier torsion springs. How often do you really adjust once it is set?

Now a different subject. A different approach angle? Suck up the limiter strap, done.

Boards too wide? Not wider than anything else on the sled so what's the big deal, they literally cut through the snow. As someone who doesn't ride everyday I prefer too have more room for error when hopping from side to side.

I consider myself a Doo faithful and I'm not about to buy it. But it would be the next sled I buy when the time is right. I think I'll get a little more time out of my '18 and spend a little money to get some of the upgrades that are on this sled (front end). I don't think it is supposed to get people to switch brands but I guess if it does more power to em. It is literally aimed at expert riders. Those who have good sled control and know when the thing is going to flip over backwards or not.

rulonjj · Feb 22, 2019

Big10inch said:
Dropping 5 lbs is a step forward. Too bad they seem unwilling to fix the things that are really wrong with the sled... Needs a redesigned skid so bad, it is almost laughable how long they have stuck with this design. Marginal shock improvements, no improvement on track attack angle to get it on the snow like the competition, boards still way to wide... It is just the same old sled with a couple changes and not the changes it really needs. Looks like it is also substantially more expensive than the competition too. Might please some of the doo faithful but I do not see anything that would get a guy to change to it from another brand.

I agree. It’s time that skidoo walks away from the torsion springs and crazy attack angle. Those two things are why I won’t buy another skidoo till they fix them. Buy a skidoo, spend $1500 in shocks just to get it to not wheelie and still handle good, or buy an alpha and ride it the way it is. Not to mention the alpha is $1000 cheaper.....

Tylerdurdan · Feb 23, 2019

Can I buy the ski stoppers or do I have to get the spindles too and where can I get them? For my 2017.

Snow4life · Feb 23, 2019

Tylerdurdan said:
Can I buy the ski stoppers or do I have to get the spindles too and where can I get them? For my 2017.

If you cant buy them from skidoo, I think munster makes a set that look nice.

revrider07 · Feb 23, 2019

christopher said:
The 15 things that make the "Expert" different from the Summit X
To me, "Shorter & Lighter" seem to be the theme this year..

-5 pounds lighter

Shorter 4.7" Riser

Shorter and Lightweight Snow Flap

Shorter Forty7C Seat

Shorter Handlebar Strap

Shorter Tunnel

Tapered Handlebar ends (Smaller Diameter)

Shorter and smaller diameter just doesn't cut it longer and bigger is always better.

i'llDooit · Feb 23, 2019

Not in the trees

Shadydiesel · Feb 26, 2019

ziggity said:
Be interesting to see how much difference the new spindles make in handling.

Same geometry as ZRP spindles. They make a significant difference, been running them for a couple seasons.

caper11 · Mar 2, 2019

All these guys complaining about a sled they have never rode. ??*

The shocks are almost identical to what we have been putting on our sleds for years now.

If I had not built a 19 this year I would of definitely ordered a expert, it has everything we have been putting on our sleds, minus a few accessories of course. There is definitely value in the expert over the x, at least I think so.

Id really like to try a expert and see how the suspension compares to mine. Im thinking the expert will be very similar. Hey Norona, do you have a 165 expert? Are you interested in getting together for a ride?

caper11 · Mar 2, 2019

All these guys complaining about a sled they have never rode.
The shocks are almost identical to what we have been putting on our sleds for years now. Im 5’10” and I lowered the bars and riser on my 19. I know of guys taller than me that went even lower.

If I had not built a 19 this year I would of definitely ordered a expert, it has everything we have been putting on our sleds, minus a few accessories of course. There is definitely value in the expert over the x, at least I think so, but I use my sled strictly for mtn riding and no trail off trail riding. This sled is not going to be for everyone.

Id really like to try a expert and see how the suspension compares to mine. Im thinking the expert will be very similar. Hey Norona, do you have a 165 expert? Are you interested in getting together for a ride?

Asteken · Mar 4, 2019

From a owner of Lynx Boondocker 850

I think they did everything right with this expert packige. Riser is way to high stock and skinner bar is always nice in the backcountry atleast. Short tunnel is awesome, you can flip ur sled so easly if run into a dead end and it looks cool :face-icon-small-coo

My lynx doesent get hot unless i ride really hard snow and going to slow. But then the sliders is probly gonna take damage first so scratchers would probly solve that. A i have no flap at all.

KTMDirtFace · Mar 5, 2019

I'm 6'6" and considering upgrading my 14 to a 2020 expert.

I'm slightly concerned with a couple things.
1) the short riser.
2) Narrow grips, no I want wider grips my hands are huge.
3) The limit strap adjuster looks like I would be kicking it and bending it with my foot.

1 and 2 are easy to fix.

I have the adjustable riser on my 14, and i run it about in the middle. I have tried it all the way out and it feels stupid., but all the way low feels horrible for me too.

What is the rise diff between the X and the Expert? maybe I can get the dealer to throw in a riser for me.

Also, at least with my 14 SP, the shocks would bottom out under the sleds own weight on its side which meant every time i side hilled it was riding bottomed out, same with my friends 14 X. I put fox evols on mine and it made a huge diff. Are the shocks on the expert any better ?

simnil · Mar 5, 2019

KTMDirtFace said:
I'm 6'6" and considering upgrading my 14 to a 2020 expert.

I'm slightly concerned with a couple things.
1) the short riser.
2) Narrow grips, no I want wider grips my hands are huge.
3) The limit strap adjuster looks like I would be kicking it and bending it with my foot.

1 and 2 are easy to fix.

I have the adjustable riser on my 14, and i run it about in the middle. I have tried it all the way out and it feels stupid., but all the way low feels horrible for me too.

What is the rise diff between the X and the Expert? maybe I can get the dealer to throw in a riser for me.

Also, at least with my 14 SP, the shocks would bottom out under the sleds own weight on its side which meant every time i side hilled it was riding bottomed out, same with my friends 14 X. I put fox evols on mine and it made a huge diff. Are the shocks on the expert any better ?

I'm a bit shorter but still a big guy. I put a Skinz post forward kit on my sled and I really like it. GF has a G4 Summit too, without post forward kit, so I have jumped back and forth between them a few times to compare and I would not want to be without it. I makes the sled much roomier and I think it improves my balance not having the bars up against my legs all the time but rather a bit away from me.

On the shocks I think you are confusing shocks and springs. It is the springs that carries the load, the shocks just kills the oscillation. Since you are that tall I assume you are not a featherweight? To anyone closing on 100kg in gear it is almost certain you will benefit from some spring changes. Get the sled sprung for your weight, and that will probably be needed regardless of which new sled you get. The second step is a revalve by a competent shock guy.

PaulAnd · Mar 6, 2019

It would be a lot easier to spring check these new sleds if we could ride them and hear from normal riders that don’t get paid by Doo, anybody out there not paid by Doo ride an expert yet?

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“Expert” Edition Thoughts

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