BOONDOCKER TURBO UPDATE

I have to say that the new Boondcker XM turbo rips. I have been out with Rocky for a week or so doing some final tuning on the new turbo kit for the Summit XM. This thing is awesome! I know few of you have these kits on order and are waiting for delivery. Be patient, it IS worth waiting for. We have three XM's turboed and on the snow, riding them daily. Eight pounds of boost on 91 octane with no sign of detonation, instant power with a flip of the throttle. Very manageable power, part throttle operation all day long, on and off throttle in technical riding situations. Yes, I will be keeping this one! Should be shipping very soon.

Running up to 12 pounds of boost with race fuel, but I am finding I need more weight in the clutch arms. I'll get this done right away and report back. The newly developed side exit exhaust is quiet and has a very unique tone. It sounds real grunty, but not too loud. The electronics adjust the boost according to elevation therefore no need to be constantly adjusting clutch weights because of power differences at varying elevations. Very manageable power, easy to ride in technical situations, nice package.

Rasmussen Signature Series Seats

My WRP manufactured Rasmussen Signature series seats are on the shelf and available to anyone who rides Doo, Cat or Polaris. The Ski-Doo version is 4 pounds, 2 full pounds lighter than the factory version, but most importantly is 3+ inches lower than the original. This allows me to transfer more easily from side to side giving me more control of my sled at all times. At the end of the day I am not totally spent, the lowered seat design conserves much energy because getting from one side of the sled to the other is much easier.
This is obviously going against the trend of the manufacturers to build higher and higher seats demanded by consumers. Why do sledders ask for higher seats? It is my opinion that true back country riders do not ask for this and as I am able to visit with groups across the snow belt who ride off trail I have been able to confirm this. Mostly a misconception, but one that is easily overcome. Now don't get me wrong, if you are 6'6" and don't have any problem swinging your leg over that high seat then you will be OK with the OEM version. Or if you are the guy who bought his mountain sled to trail ride with and never stand up during a ride then YOU are the guy they built the seat for in the first place.

 

Ski-Doo XM version shown. Pro RMK and ProClimb seats are similar in appearance and dimension. Please contact Wasatch Recreational Products directly to order. http://www.wr-products.com/





 

 

 

 

SIGNATURE SERIES PRODUCTS

I have partnered with a number of different companies who will be providing Rasmussen Signature Series products. This all started last year while I was determined to make some improvements to the Arctic Cat ProClimb sleds that I was using at the time.
In an effort to turn the ProClimb into a Rasmussen approved back country sled I, with the help of various suppliers, developed some awesome products to improve and enhance the ability of these sleds to attack the terrain easily and increase the fun factor.
While I would like to introduce these products individually, I would like to summarize some of the details that I've arrived at thus far. Also there is a bit of information from older blog posts that will be worthy of review.
Looking forward I will be focusing on products being developed for the Ski-Doo Summit that i will be riding and working with this season. My intention is to identify an area of interest that I feel can be improved or enhanced for a better riding experience. Some items such as the seat are very much proven and will not differ to much in design or function from another brand of sled. Other items however will demand some creativity, thought and a considerable amount of development. I will try to write about each item in great detail from inception to completion, many things will probably take the better part of the season to refine and may not be available until next year. Other items will come together quite quickly. Where some other ideas and concepts will be thrown out because they fail to prove worthy of being labeled "Rasmussen Approved".
For today I will revisit the components offered by Mountain Valley Machine for the Arctic Cat ProClimb. The steering arm extender designed to increase the ski swing by 18 degrees allows a rider to easily hold the sled on edge while traversing a hill side maneuver. More details found here: http://www.mvminc.biz/Snowmobile_Products/Steering%20Arm%20Extender.htm
The second component, suspension rear arm relocation bracket allows the skid to be moved back 20mm improving the track attack angle, this helps the sled to plane out or prevent trenching. The sled climbs out of the snow sooner, increasing speed and sending the rider further up the hill. Secondly, by re drilling and moving the front arm mount back the same 20mm it allows room for the Boondocker tunnel dump exhaust. This is a whole other subject that I will address at a later time. Check out the pictures.

This picture shows the original hole 20mm in front of the current mounting location, the Boondocker exhaust outlet cuts into the original hole. Also shown is the Black Diamond Xtreme Chaincase cover which provides additional room for the exhaust.

Change

"One reason people resist change is that they focus on what they have to give up, rather than what they stand to gain." This is a quote I  picked up the other day, probably from a client and good friend, Dale Lovett on his famous Face Book page. Change drives evolution, evolution creates opportunities for better product and better experiences.

How does this relate to me and my career in the snowmobile industry? I can answer that by saying that I am motivated to provide to my clients, to own and to ride nothing but the very best snowmobile I can create. My personal sleds as well as the sleds in my fleet are all improved to a degree that enhances there ability to make it fun and easy to attack the terrain in the back country that only a few riders can actually experience. I can demand out of a sled what i think a mountain back country sled should be because I want my clients to have the best possible experience they can have.

 I partnered with BRP because they are an aggressive company willing to allow evolution through change. They have a vision to create a mountain back country sled that meets the demands of my program. It is important to me that my clients have a great experience while attending my clinics, this requires a sled that is easy to ride. The 2013 Ski-Doo Summit XM is a great example of of BRP's desire to build a product that sledders appreciate, a product that we all can get on no matter what skill level we are at and have fun, because it is easy to ride. BRP made a statement with the release of this sled saying, we know what a mountain rider wants in a sled, we will deliver that sled! I am ecstatic to be involved with this kind of attitude, this is passion, and passion drives individuals and companies to excel in accomplishing their vision.

In the end, it is fun that I am delivering to my clients. The great outdoors is a wonderful place to experience during the frozen winter time. The best part of all is that there is no dust, nor are there any bugs to deter the fun, only endless mounds of Rocky Mountain powder, unrestricted. I'll be on my new Summit XM ripping up the snow!

SHOW SEASON

Hay Days is coming right up. The first big show of the season. They say that everybody who is anybody attends this show. I'm not missing it, how about you? I can be found in the BRP tent showing off my new Summit XM complete with a Boondocker turbo package. I absolutely can't wait to get this sled in the snow. I'll be at the FXR tent right after the free style show at 10AM and 3AM, stop by for a signed poster. And the Boondocker/SCHOOLED tent is going to be rocking with sledders too, I'll be stopping by there to talk sled with all the cool sledders from out west.
Next stop will be at Driven Powersports in Casper, WY for an open house appearance on Sep 27th. The Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Expo in Denver, CO on Oct 12 & 13. I'll be at the WSSA show in Puyallup, WA conducting a  seminar, don't miss this. And my trailer will be parked in the swap area with tons of Arctic Cat stuff, first come first serve. Rexburg Motorsports Rexburg, ID is having me back to their popular snowmobile expo on Oct 25th. Then it's on to SLC and the Intermountain Snowmobile Show on the 26th and 27th. Nov 2 - 3 brings the ISSA convention to Boise, ID. Nov 10th will be the Winter Knights snow show in Spokane, WA and finally the Idaho snow show in Boise on the 16th & 17th of Nov.
I'll be conducting seminars at most of these shows, signing posters and talking about my new Summit XM. Be sure to look me up at one of these events.

              

            

              

Thank You Arctic Cat

I have had a long run with Arctic Cat and the people that work at building and developing a fine product there. It has certainly been a rewarding experience having been a dealer for 25 years, representing Arctic Cat with their Snowmobile, ATV and even watercraft products. I enjoyed a great racing career with Team Arctic mostly racing in the RMSHA circuit during the 90's and early 00's. I served as the western race coordinator to provide tech support for the Team Arctic racers in '01 through '03. Also, I had a great relationship with the engineering department with development and testing of many good mountain sleds. This is something I take a lot of pride in doing and doing well. I have a passion for back country and off trail snowmobile riding and I have always been one who wants the very best in a mountain sled. I have gone to great lengths to give my sled a slight edge over the next guy's. I came to be good friends with many long standing employees there, I have also seen many good people come and leave the company over the years. This is just part of the life of any corporate environment. Arctic Cat will do just fine without me, they are a strong company and will go on to release many good products. They are a legend in this industry, releasing many technological firsts and will continue to do so. Arctic Cat, it has been an honor to be part of the team, to work by you and with you. Thank you for a great career.

BRP ANNOUNCEMENT

Hi folks, got some super exciting news to share with you all! Yep, be sporting a fleet of Summit XM's this season. That's right, your eyes are not deceiving you, you are reading this right. I've attracted a new sponsor in BRP and I will be riding a tricked out Summit XM this season.

 I have met with the marketing staff at BRP, they are a great team and are dedicated to providing a great product in Ski-Doo. They are passionate about the sport and have the best interests of snowmobilers in mind. In my case they have a desire to be focused on the mountain segment and provide a better experience to the consumer through rider training. I will be conducting seminars and clinics in support of this, I expect to help riders of all brands to have a better experience in the back country by improving their skills and helping them to be more aware of their surroundings.

Off trail technical riding which I promote is a great challenge, I find that when riders are challenged they have a greater desire to get into the back country and play hard. The Summit XM will enhance their abilities to traverse the steep technical country that draws them in. The technology that BRP has developed for the mountain sled makes the sled more responsive with less rider input. Their product is mountain specific and caters to the needs of the off trail rider. The summit works fine on the trail, it excels off the trail.  As a back country rider I typically ride far enough on the trail to access some cool terrain, then it's see you later and if I encounter a trail later in the day I simply cross it and keep going.

Hoping to ride with a ton of new people this year, going to be a ton of fun to show off the new Summit XM package to all of you sledders out there. As usual I will be conducting clinics all over the Rocky Mountains and beyond. Tony Jenkins (Sanchez)will be assist me with his skills as well, he has a reputation of breaking stuff, we will see how the Ski-Doo sleds stack up against my man Sanchez. Sometimes I just shake my head in wonder at some of the crazy things he tries to pull off. And often he makes it work, problem is the sled never survives! So this will be a test!

Spent a substantial amount of time on the Doo's last spring. The sleds rip. Drivability and throttle transition is super good, the calibration team have done a remarkable job with this. The sled is very rippy with never any hesitation. I was also impressed with ease of transitioning to its edge, and it has a wide balance point while on edge. Predictability is good, sled allows for quick reaction without excessive rider input, its agility is superb.

It's the little things that make the difference when riding nearly every day during the winter. Things like the square console that keeps my knees in place while descending a slope instead of allowing my legs to spread apart. The upward facing instrument cluster makes for easy to monitor during stand up riding and how about the grip heater switches mounted to the console. It is great to have the as many of the controls off the bars as possible. This prevents breakage and unplanned switching. The side cut outs in the foot stirrups are a much awaited improvement, I have never been able to align myself with the steering post when wrong foot forward. Just couldn't get far enough forward until riding the new XM, this a great improvement. These are just a few of the subtleties that make this an awesome sled. I cannot wait to get back on the snow to become more acquainted with this super sled.

I'll be attending the Hay Days show and am looking forward to hanging out with the crew at BRP. I'll be signing posters and visiting with all the show goers, please stop by and talk sled with me. I can show you my new ride and point out the cool features it has, while you get a picture with me. I hear everybody who is anybody will be there!

If you can't make it to Hay Days, look me up at any of the other western shows. Probably be offering some seminars and just talking sled to all you sledheads out there. I expect to be attending a few select Ski-Doo open houses at your local dealer. I'll try to post up a schedule when I get a better feel for how my fall season will come together.

Many of my sponsors will remain the same, they are supporting me with this change. Boondocker will be focussed on delivering a turbo package that excels in technical riding and together we will have a very superior product. FXR has stepped it up again with even a more broad line of mountain gear including helmets and boots. I'll be talking more about this later.
It's going to be an awesome winter. I hope the snows come early and deep cause this sled wants to ride Rasmussen style.