Did Doo go to far with the X-RS suspension?

2006 Views 33 Replies 28 Participants Last post by jlk_250, Oct 1, 2006

rocketman

Discussion Starter · Sep 29, 2006

In SnowGoers Top-Level Shootout , they stated the Polaris Dragon was steady and stable when slammed through the 1 to 3 foot 1-mile section of test trail. They even sat through some bumps. The Dragons headlight beam was steady and the sled stayed on course. This reduced fatigue and kept them in better control compared to the Ski-Doo or Yamaha. The X-RS headlight bobbed up, down, back and forth as the sled swayed and hunted across trail. This instability robbed confidence from the driver. A major element that set apart the Dragon from the MXZX-RS was the fact we could sit as we pounded through the rough; we had no choice but to stand on the Ski-Doo or we'd have ended up in the woods with a broken $11,000 snowmobile. Without a doubt, the Dragon has THE suspension package for AGGRESSIVE, rough-trail riding. Sounds like they really really liked the Dragon in the rough. Isn't the rough were the X-RS should shine? Did Doo miss the mark by putting the 440 snow-cross type suspension under the X-RS? Did Doo over spring the X-RS for the rough trail crowd to satisfy the ditch jumper ect...crowd?

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renegadeight

· #2 · Sep 29, 2006

Wasnt that the point of the XRS? To have basically race ready suspension. When people start complaining about things being too stiff thats how the x package ended being as soft as it is.

Davey_Boy

· #3 · Sep 29, 2006

rocketman said:
In SnowGoers Top-Level Shootout , they stated the Polaris Dragon was steady and stable when slammed through the 1 to 3 foot 1-mile section of test trail. They even sat through some bumps. The Dragons headlight beam was steady and the sled stayed on course. This reduced fatigue and kept them in better control compared to the Ski-Doo or Yamaha. The X-RS headlight bobbed up, down, back and forth as the sled swayed and hunted across trail. This instability robbed confidence from the driver. A major element that set apart the Dragon from the MXZX-RS was the fact we could sit as we pounded through the rough; we had no choice but to stand on the Ski-Doo or we'd have ended up in the woods with a broken $11,000 snowmobile. Without a doubt, the Dragon has THE suspension package for AGGRESSIVE, rough-trail riding. Sounds like they really really liked the Dragon in the rough. Isn't the rough were the X-RS should shine? Did Doo miss the mark by putting the 440 snow-cross type suspension under the X-RS? Did Doo over spring the X-RS for the rough trail crowd to satisfy the ditch jumper ect...crowd?

[snapback]914482[/snapback]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

They have the normal x package for people who dont want race like suspension. Hopefully trail riders dont kill this sled.

Intimdtr77

· #4 · Sep 29, 2006

Why would you want to be sitting if you are driving agressivly? I'm sure it's nice to do, and it looks good on paper but why would you do it? As Baron stated in a previous thread, if your complaining about the suspension being to stiff, you bought the wrong sled.

AKracer

· #5 · Sep 29, 2006

I'd have to see a picture of the trail they did their testing on. If the Dragon is more calibrated for XC type conditions and the X-RS for a snowcross track then the Dragon is gong to be more controllable. Take the Dragon on a sno-x track and chances are it is too soft and would bottom uncontrollably off jumps, in the deep whoops, etc.

I don't put a whole lot of faith in what magazine test riders have to say about suspension performance. Besides, the shocks can be adjusted and/or revalved for your riding style and conditions.

tweener

· #6 · Sep 29, 2006

who cares...........XRS is going to bad A$$ and I will race any dragon through any trail to prove it........

renegadeight

· #7 · Sep 29, 2006

i wholeheartedly agree, if its too stiff you bought the wrong sled.

doorules

· #8 · Sep 29, 2006

and it bears mentioning that if they were able to sit on the sled thru the bumps, you need bigger bumps, and more of them, if they found the doo too hard then they should have punched it up a little, a 440 suspension type setup works alot better at speed than putt putting around

SDI-POWER

· #9 · Sep 29, 2006

The Dragon is almost an mxzx, it´s not an RS.
Am.snow compared the Dragon, Blizzard and F8, and the Blizzard was the best sled in that test. F8 2nd and Dragon last.

Go to a snowcross track and the RS would kick "edit for bad language"...

SDI-POWER

hondolane

· #10 · Sep 29, 2006

Head to TUG HILL, NY on a Saturday afternoon! Nuff Said... XR-S just so you can sit on the bar stool at night!

HUPHLUNGPU

· #11 · Sep 29, 2006

Obviously they were not riding it hard enough you are not going to be sitting down and pushing it to the limits........idiots.

Sledslapper

· #12 · Sep 29, 2006

I would think that you can take any MXZ rev, throw a $2000 shock upgrade on it from Hygear thats valved to your weight and the riding conditions, and that will beat or keep up with anything out there....

...anyone agree??

cdog2323

· #13 · Sep 29, 2006

hondolane said:
Head to TUG HILL, NY on a Saturday afternoon! Nuff Said... XR-S just so you can sit on the bar stool at night!

[snapback]914597[/snapback]

yes i agree. somebody on doo talk last year said they were at a ski doo show last year and were talking to one of the reps. the rep said that tug hill was one of the main places they were testing and designing the sled for. the rep also said there was actually talk about calling the xrs the tug hill special.

revgod

· #14 · Sep 29, 2006

hondolane said:
Head to TUG HILL, NY on a Saturday afternoon! Nuff Said... XR-S just so you can sit on the bar stool at night!

[snapback]914597[/snapback]

AMEN. Tug Hill gets so beat up on ANY saturday afternoon up there especially right about 3:00 -4:00 PM. This is when we love to ride as most pople resort to sitting in the bar and drinking when trails get beat. I doubt Doo tests on Tug Hill as I have been going for over twenty years now and the only testing I have seen was by Redline. And that was funny because they were testing in the fields and blew a motor up so when they went back to trail riding the Redline was being towed by another one, LOL....

X-RS should be a great sled for guys that love to pound bumps but I really don't see sled mag writers being the end all authority on how a sled suspension is set up.. I mean just because they could ride the Dragon sitting down, they say it works better in extreme moguls?? That statement just shows the stupidity of sled mag writers as anyone who knows how to ride knows, you stand most of the time when the bumps get really big so you have better control over sled and so you can use your legs to help absorb the punishing hits to chassis. Those sled mag writers obviously don't have much time on a really stiffly set up REV so of course they say it is too stiff. And yea, I would challenge anybody on a Dragon (well anybody but a Pro level Sno-X racer, LOL) to outride a REV on really big bumps. Don't get me wrong the new poo dragon is worlds vbetter than anything poo has had for quite some time but I still don't think it will be better than a REV over big bumps. What I still hate about Dragon is the fact that chaincase still takes up room in right footwell and that is so uncomfortable to have your foot rubbing directly on that chaincase cover. I realize just about every sled has chaincase on right side but at least they keep it out of footwell.. Not so on Dragon...

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ViperER

· #15 · Sep 29, 2006

the dragon is "supposed" to be calibrated like a REV X sled... again, too stiff for most riders... and not stiff enough for RS riders and or racers...

BUT and RU telling me you are going to believe ANY of the crap the rags put out?

they fall all over themselves telling us how GREAT all the new stuff is at the same time panning all last seasons "stuff" that they spoke so great about the year before!

the mags suck, all of them, if you want a place to see sleds b4 the season starts or see a bunch of "mostly" useless accessories, or need something to start the bbq with they are great... but for ride-reports... not a chance...

and if you don't believe me, read all the GOOD press about the Fusions...NONE of it was EVER true... Now they all say the RX-1 was WAY to heavy but in 03 they said "you could not feel the weight"

the RS is going to be one GREAT sled for guys that want a VERY stiff sled... and want to bounce around on "average" weekend trails... but jumping whatch out!

all sled rags suck! and while snotech is "fatter" its just filled with more crap

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doorules

· #16 · Sep 29, 2006

well if you just want to roll thru the moguls and bumps get a touring sled and stay as far to the right as you can, if you plan on actually giving yourself and the sled a workout, you will love the newer stiffer suspension, and how it reacts

doorules

· #17 · Sep 29, 2006

i agree that you will for sure want to set up this suspension for your weight and riding characteristics if you are gonna enjoy it, after thats done she will be ready for some serious bumps

Empire Sport Riders

· #18 · Sep 29, 2006

renegadeight said:
Wasnt that the point of the XRS? To have basically race ready suspension. When people start complaining about things being too stiff thats how the x package ended being as soft as it is.

[snapback]914515[/snapback]

EXACTLY!!!

nobog

· #19 · Sep 29, 2006

ViperER - I agree 100%. The mags test something and they are all perfect then 2 years later the exact same thing sucks. They must read Consumer Reports (same M.O. - mostly opinion). There is very little science put into the mag "tests". What they need to do is have 2 different sleds with one (pro) rider and test them stock. By testing I mean have an accelerometer on the sleds and plot g's vs time. Or go a step farther and put an LVDT on the suspensions and go over the same ground. I want facts - not opinions. Then have a good suspension tech standing by and let them dial it in and watch the change. [email protected]

Sledslapper

· #20 · Sep 29, 2006 (Edited by Moderator)

They were probably promissed a few good demo sleds from Polaris this year so they are pumping their product as best they can. Lets be honest, they have a good relationship with them considering they loved the fusion the last few years.

Can you say KICKBACKS!

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