New timbermototraxsled issues

[Norma Stitz]

I picked up a 2019 Aro recently and I’m coming off a mototrax which were notorious for poor R&D so coming to a timbersled was going to be a relief. Or so I thought! But I’m reading that 18/19 aro had swing arm pivots drilled wrong location and the forward one needs to be raised 3/4”? What the literal F?! So, anyone know about this?

 

[CB-BLR]

It is the rear one that needs to be moved up 3/4 of an inch...this reduces ski pressure.

Chris

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

I picked up a 2019 Aro recently and I’m coming off a mototrax which were notorious for poor R&D so coming to a timbersled was going to be a relief. Or so I thought! But I’m reading that 18/19 aro had swing arm pivots drilled wrong location and the forward one needs to be raised 3/4”? What the literal F?! So, anyone know about this?

Yeah it’s terrible polaris made improvements on the newer kits. ?

It is the rear one that needs to be moved up 3/4 of an inch...this reduces ski pressure.

Chris

^^^^ sounds easier than 5 mototrax updates that still don’t work.........

 

[AllHatNoCattle]

I have a 2019 SX120 and this is the first I am hearing about this. Can someone give me more information?

 

[tribalbc]

Can someone actually give me a list of the Mototrax "issues"
I keep hearing about all the problems but no one specifically lays anything out. I have owned a Mototrax kit for 3 years now and yes there was a little tweaking but nothing game changing. Not like the other kits don't have issues too. They all come with their strengths and weaknesses.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Can someone actually give me a list of the Mototrax "issues"
I keep hearing about all the problems but no one specifically lays anything out. I have owned a Mototrax kit for 3 years now and yes there was a little tweaking but nothing game changing. Not like the other kits don't have issues too. They all come with their strengths and weaknesses.

My brother bought a 2017 new.

Pivot bushings cracked and fell out in 3 miles. (Track derails while sidehilling)

Track tensioners (mini gas shocks) wouldn’t hold the axle and track becomes loose after a minor bump. (Track derail)

Didn’t come with the “yoke” standard so the lean angle even with new pivot bushings would still cause track derail.

Ski saddle made of chintzy metal which deformed after 1 ride and the ski starts tipping straight up throwing you over the bars when carving. (The extremely high ski pressure designed into the kit does not help this)

Brake caliper bolt studs came out and mangled the assembly.

“Bushing” on rear connecting slider wears extremely fast causing track derail.

All in all a terrible experience..........

 

[tribalbc]

My brother bought a 2017 new.

Pivot bushings cracked and fell out in 3 miles. (Track derails while sidehilling)

Track tensioners (mini gas shocks) wouldn’t hold the axle and track becomes loose after a minor bump. (Track derail)

Didn’t come with the “yoke” standard so the lean angle even with new pivot bushings would still cause track derail.

Ski saddle made of chintzy metal which deformed after 1 ride and the ski starts tipping straight up throwing you over the bars when carving. (The extremely high ski pressure designed into the kit does not help this)

Brake caliper bolt studs came out and mangled the assembly.

“Bushing” on rear connecting slider wears extremely fast causing track derail.

All in all a terrible experience..........

I guess that's the list of all the issues they were having with their first gen. I bought a 2017 new with all the "updates" in 2019 and I can say all those issues were dealt with. I am getting close to 100 days on mine and I have never had a track derail.
I think they have some real positives that seem to be overlooked with everyone focusing on the early issues. The rising rate suspension is light years ahead of the others imo. You don't get beat up in the whoops and you still have good bottoming resistance. Also the way the track is so open with nothing on the sides helps immensely with not getting stuck.
They all have their pros and cons imo.

 

[Norma Stitz]

Yep all that stuff ^^^^ plus, terrible customer service, multiple rear slider bushing “fixes” that don’t fix anything and the latest one, the urethane bushing which locks the action completely actually makes the kit much more sensitive to setup and just terrible to ride, their ski was downright joke, their spindle downright joke, flex too much, won’t hold from rotating forward so you can’t pull on ski to recover bike, plus many many other more subtle issues that I even forget some of. I never had a derail either actually and it never left me stranded so I can’t really complain too much but I dunno, I think the two shock system is going to be a lot easier to tune and more better in many ways. We will see.

as for whoops my buddies on timbersleds rip past me like I’m standing still on the mototrax.

 

[SkyRider800]

In regards to the Timbersled swing arm relocation was there an a bulletin that was released on this? I asked my local dealer and he had not heard of it. I have an 18 ARO 129.

 

[aka Mr Floyd]

Short answer: kit will work fine without moving the bolt hole as long as you set the kit up so track sits flat to the garage floor.

Longer answer: Apparently timbersled meant to have the two upper swingarm bolts (front one and back one) in a straight line. Somehow there was a goof up and rear mount ended up being 3/4" lower. You can check your kit to see if it is one of these by running a straight edge along the top of your tracks center lugs. If its one of the affected years, track will run straight from the lug on top of the driver to the lug on top of the first set of idlers and then will drop 3/4" to the second (rearward) set of idlers. They didn't do any fixes or bulletins because the kits work just fine this way as long as you set them up correctly. Most kits have not been changed, most guys riding don't even know it is a "known issue". Changes to ski pressure are similar to the same changes you would get by shortening a fixed strut as it brings the rear of the track up.

For my kit, I decided not to worry about it. If I moved the rear swingarm up I would just have to lengthen the fixed strut to get track to sit flat. Bike would be slightly taller which I didn't want. Chain line would change slightly. Approach angle would change like the tiniest amount. Would the track spin easier if I moved it? Doubtful any amount that I would notice.

Just my 2c.

 

[eric82930]

I can only imagine the only real difference verses lowering the strut would be if you had gas and tool box mounted on tunnel the new aro would have all that weight 3/4 "lower cg, not a big deal. Also possibly more friction from track tension on the front set of wheels?

 

[Robster]

My brother bought a 2017 new.

Pivot bushings cracked and fell out in 3 miles. (Track derails while sidehilling)

Track tensioners (mini gas shocks) wouldn’t hold the axle and track becomes loose after a minor bump. (Track derail)

Didn’t come with the “yoke” standard so the lean angle even with new pivot bushings would still cause track derail.

Ski saddle made of chintzy metal which deformed after 1 ride and the ski starts tipping straight up throwing you over the bars when carving. (The extremely high ski pressure designed into the kit does not help this)

Brake caliper bolt studs came out and mangled the assembly.

“Bushing” on rear connecting slider wears extremely fast causing track derail.

All in all a terrible experience..........

That is exactly what the annual "Timbersled Game changer" always have consisted of. Lots of small and big rookie mistakes that are quieted down by the TS factory riders (why report faults... thx RS and the rest) and the TS admirers.
Switched to Tedesled 4 years ago and only changed chains and bearings ever since. Best and lightest kit by far on the market.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

That is exactly what the annual "Timbersled Game changer" always have consisted of. Lots of small and big rookie mistakes that are quieted down by the TS factory riders (why report faults... thx RS and the rest) and the TS admirers.
Switched to Tedesled 4 years ago and only changed chains and bearings ever since. Best and lightest kit by far on the market.

And there’s zero point in even talking about it because Peter has no plans on selling across the pond.

Woo woo cheerleaders are great.

 

[Robster]

And there’s zero point in even talking about it because Peter has no plans on selling across the pond.

Woo woo cheerleaders are great.

Still there are used Tedesled kits that are for sale and can be shipped across the pond to ride. I did the same 8 years ago when I bought my first TS kit. Sold my sled 2 weeks after trying my snowbike kit and ever since I have ridden almost all kits on the market and will continue to do so to ride the best kit possible. So I guess we just look upon it differently.

Regards from the woo woo cheerleader to the other cheerleader ;-)