Riot s and aro s??

[raleigh111]

Ran across this the other day. Shorter spindle and lower rear, seat height up to 3 inches lower. My feet are all ready getting pushed off the pegs. Cant imagine being 3 inches lower? Thoughts? Loss of travel in rear also. May work in flat land but cant see how it will help in deep snow. I am 5-9 and gave up on trying to put my feet down. Learn to balance as best you can. Only helps when trying to stop. Last week in wyoming many times i was struggling to keep my boots on the pegs as the deep snow is always pushing against your feet. Just cant think how much worse it would be 3 inches lower.. I need to figure out some highway pegs like I have on my road glide to get my feet higher lol..

 

[Lachoneus]

Ran across this the other day. Shorter spindle and lower rear, seat height up to 3 inches lower. My feet are all ready getting pushed off the pegs. Cant imagine being 3 inches lower? Thoughts? Loss of travel in rear also. May work in flat land but cant see how it will help in deep snow. I am 5-9 and gave up on trying to put my feet down. Learn to balance as best you can. Only helps when trying to stop. Last week in wyoming many times i was struggling to keep my boots on the pegs as the deep snow is always pushing against your feet. Just cant think how much worse it would be 3 inches lower.. I need to figure out some highway pegs like I have on my road glide to get my feet higher lol..

There are some products out like the Obie snow guard or you could go homemade, that help keep your feet from getting pushed off the pegs....

 

[Nwo120]

I was about to make a post about the Riot s as I'm about to snowcheck but have never actually been on a timbersled and am very unsure of which I should pick. Any opinions on where and when a lower seat would be beneficial would be great.
Also what is the seat height normally?

 

[teal_210]

I have gotten to spend a little time on the aro s and riot s. Initially I had the same concerns as many with the lower seat height comes a lower footpeg height as well so I was worried about the drag in the snow.

After riding them, it's not much of a concern. The s models go way better than I expected. They climb on the snow very well and seem to never get stuck. The handling benefits are pretty huge, even at 6'1" it was cool being 3" lower. The kits handle amazing and turn on a dime.

 

[Dr._Z]

What's your opinion on the 3" less shock travel?

 

[teal_210]

What's your opinion on the 3" less shock travel?

Dont have enough time on one to really say. The shocks are valved to compensate for the loss of travel. But more me, more is better.
I'm going to snowcheck a velocity riot.

 

[eric82930]

I've been lowering the spindle and doing custom sub frame to lower seat on my kits for years. Sometimes I lower the pegs a half inch but the drive axle stays as high as possible and suspension travel stays at max. I'm a 28" inseam and everyone else always things my seat is too low. The lower cg is always good for handling and easier to pick up when tipped over. When it's deep my knees drag too so I'm not too worried about the pegs. If the suspension is still plush enough on the s models I would say go for it. There would be no real down side. But it looks like they just put lowering spacers in the shocks which is a pretty dirty way to lower something with falling rate geometry. My guess is the suspension will be more harsh and bottom easier for sure.

Anyone notice the aro s picture on the ts website looks like a riot swingarm? Typo?

 

[raleigh111]

I have gotten to spend a little time on the aro s and riot s. Initially I had the same concerns as many with the lower seat height comes a lower footpeg height as well so I was worried about the drag in the snow.

After riding them, it's not much of a concern. The s models go way better than I expected. They climb on the snow very well and seem to never get stuck. The handling benefits are pretty huge, even at 6'1" it was cool being 3" lower. The kits handle amazing and turn on a dime.

Thanks for the input. How did you get seat time on one? We’re you ridding in the deep? I have had a few close calls with stumps and logs and my feet so it kinda worries me being lower. Thanks again for sharing your experience.

 

[teal_210]

Thanks for the input. How did you get seat time on one? We’re you ridding in the deep? I have had a few close calls with stumps and logs and my feet so it kinda worries me being lower. Thanks again for sharing your experience.

I'm an ambassador so I got to check out all of the new models. The snow that I rode it in was terrible. Somewhat soft spring snow in the open areas but solid ice under the trees. We were supposed to be getting awesome promo shots but it was super tough to do in the conditions that we had. I spent most of my time on the 129s because it was easier, in the crummy conditions it was much easier to look like you were doing something awesome. Lol.

While I'm an ambassador, I'm not the type to hype something that I dont believe in. The s line is super impressive. Is it for everyone- no. It's not for me, but I think it serves a need in the snowbike world and it exceeded my expectations.

For the crowd that struggles with the height of current models the s line is a slam dunk.

I'm trying to line up demos... I've asked to have an s model because it will give those who haven't ridden before so much confidence to ride gnarly terrain that they couldn't on a normal kit.

 

[eric82930]

So how was the plushness and bottoming in the hard snow compared to the taller kits?

 

[teal_210]

So how was the plushness and bottoming in the hard snow compared to the taller kits?

Dont really have enough time on it to answer that. I can say that I did not notice the lack of travel and the kit did not bottom out when I was riding it.

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

I have lowered a lot of dirt bikes/ what I call woods bikes. WHY ? To make a better handling more agile, faster cornering bike when you ride in really gnarly slippery rocky snotty log terrain. Same goal for sno bikes going forward.

When I built from scratch 3 snow bikes in 2011 and 2012 it was obvious the end product with a tall seat height was not by design, just what happens when you fit the azz of a sled onto the azz of my dirt bikes. We rode them and had a blast. But moving on it was obvious the tall snobike seat height was unnecessary, was no advantage, it was just the best the mfg had come up with.

When I dropped my bike 3" and hooked up a TS kit in 2014, I quickly appreciated the lowed center of gravity, the lighter more agile feel of the kit with the only downside ? I have not discovered a down side in the 6 years of riding my KTM 500 setup this way. My current ride is a Riot with the lower seat height. You could hit a rock, you could hit a stump, snow does know my feet off my wide pegs once and awhile, the same as the guys I ride with with the high seats.

 

[Nwo120]

I have lowered a lot of dirt bikes/ what I call woods bikes. WHY ? To make a better handling more agile, faster cornering bike when you ride in really gnarly slippery rocky snotty log terrain. Same goal for sno bikes going forward.

When I built from scratch 3 snow bikes in 2011 and 2012 it was obvious the end product with a tall seat height was not by design, just what happens when you fit the azz of a sled onto the azz of my dirt bikes. We rode them and had a blast. But moving on it was obvious the tall snobike seat height was unnecessary, was no advantage, it was just the best the mfg had come up with.

When I dropped my bike 3" and hooked up a TS kit in 2014, I quickly appreciated the lowed center of gravity, the lighter more agile feel of the kit with the only downside ? I have not discovered a down side in the 6 years of riding my KTM 500 setup this way. My current ride is a Riot with the lower seat height. You could hit a rock, you could hit a stump, snow does know my feet off my wide pegs once and awhile, the same as the guys I ride with with the high seats.

Do you have a opinion on fixed strut vs tss for the riot s. I've read several times people saying they prefer the fixed strut on the riot. Should that be reconsidered one the S model seeing as you're down to 10" of travel but would have 18" with the TSS (vs 13" and 21" of the standard riot)

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

I have not tried a tss on my Riot, for two years I experimented with the tss when it came out and decided for my riding and the mtns of West Mont. it was not a good improvement. Biggest objection, as you go through its range of movement you can go from fair to bad to fair handling. I am not as critical of total suspension travel as I am of poor handling, better to have 8" that work, than 16" of bouncing around. TSS also limited my ability to carry gas,gear on the back of my TS.

When I look at stock TS suspensions including Riot, most riders with stock setup springs only really have about 60% of advertised suspension. With a shorter shock travel with springs appropriated for your weight and riding you will have better suspension than any out of the box setups. Any way, thats what I think.

 

[teal_210]

Do you have a opinion on fixed strut vs tss for the riot s. I've read several times people saying they prefer the fixed strut on the riot. Should that be reconsidered one the S model seeing as you're down to 10" of travel but would have 18" with the TSS (vs 13" and 21" of the standard riot)

Fit kits are the same for the s models, so you can go fixed or tss.
I'm a fan of a fixed strut, especially on the riot.

 

[needpowder]

I personally think the TSS is a huge improvement on the riot. I rode it for quite a while with the fixed strut and bottomed that thing out everywhere. TSS with X tune was much nicer. Allowed me to soften up the preload on the shocks. Also allows me to run in a locked out rear clicker position on mediocre powder days without nearly as harsh a feel. Lots of days I run it locked out now the entire time.It’s definitely more fun not locked out but as soon as you try to climb the other side of that steep azz gully you just dropped into it is way better with it locked out. Running my tss at about 230.

 

[Nwo120]

I personally think the TSS is a huge improvement on the riot. I rode it for quite a while with the fixed strut and bottomed that thing out everywhere. TSS with X tune was much nicer. Allowed me to soften up the preload on the shocks. Also allows me to run in a locked out rear clicker position on mediocre powder days without nearly as harsh a feel. Lots of days I run it locked out now the entire time.It’s definitely more fun not locked out but as soon as you try to climb the other side of that steep azz gully you just dropped into it is way better with it locked out. Running my tss at about 230.

Have any information on this "X tune " you mentioned. I've googled and cant find anything.
Thanks.

 

[needpowder]

Your dealer will send your current TSS shock to Fox and they revalve stiffer. Cost me about 120 bucks I think? Dealer might have given me a slight deal.I would imagine if you buy a TSS fit kit for a riot it comes that way.

 

[eric82930]

Catsledman is right that haveing less good suspension is way better than more bad suspension. Often times long travel set ups on anything don't work better it's just a marketing tool. They end up moving too much/too easy and throws the center of mass all over the place making things hard to control. If you measure travel at the rear of the rails with a tss it's like over 2 feet of travel!
I lower the travel on all my pds ktms and still get equal or better results than the full travel linkage bikes.

 

[CB-BLR]

Catsledman is right that haveing less good suspension is way better than more bad suspension. Often times long travel set ups on anything don't work better it's just a marketing tool. They end up moving too much/too easy and throws the center of mass all over the place making things hard to control. If you measure travel at the rear of the rails with a tss it's like over 2 feet of travel!
I lower the travel on all my pds ktms and still get equal or better results than the full travel linkage bikes.

I lower all of my ktm's 2" as well for woods racing. Makes the bike transition from side to side much quicker, while also making it feel more stable...lol...easier turning and more stable all at the same time...seems like what CAT is saying as well.