Hey everybody,

I'm getting a new Firecat and thought I'd get a little bit of jumping advice. My previous sleds were ZRT600's and they were OK to jump but quite heavy. A few times I did find myself in odd situations while in the air... :ohmy: For example, on long jumps it can be quite scary when you start seeing the ski...the sun...the clouds...birds flying...the moon at night...and land in the same position :( Not good on the sled or the body :confused: :cussing: . A few of my friends told me that I should apply the brakes in the air while in that situation. This way, like the dirt bikes, my front end'll go down and I'll have a perfect landing :wink: . OK, before I try it... is that true :slick: ? Also, couldn't that bring the front end down too much? And by locking your track, doesn't that make it hard on your undercarriage when you do land, cause all of a sudden, even if you do let go of the brakes, your track starts moving and it would create alot of torque down there... :crazy:
I know with the Firecat, which I've tried before, it will jump much better than the ZRT, but I would still like to get your opinions if I do get in that odd situation again...with that long stare at the sky... :whistling:

Thanks,
Steph

Just let off the gas....

You don't get as much of a nose dropping effect on a sled as you would on a bike because there isn't one single point for the sled to rotate around.

You also might want to check your preload on the front springs if it is always nose up...

Landing on the gas hard isn't good for your chaincase....it might decide to ventilate itself!

Tapping or even locking the brake will deffinatly bring your nose down while you are in the air, to much gas after takeoff is alos part of your problem. But more important is hitting the jumps with the right amount of power so you don't find yourself in desperate need of changing the sleds attitude in the air. Once you jump enough stuff you will get e batter idea of how fast you need to go to hits a jump just right!
sometimes even hitting the brakes can't save you form making an acordian out of your tunnel!

zrt`s have no buisiness being in the air .they were never ... nevermind.lol M

as far as jumping goes. over 40 don't lol.firecat still has a tendency for rear to drop some.too much rear weight. taller bar risers will help so you can stand easier and more forward. the brake deals helps some,but not as much as getting your weight more forward. also get some foot well grips. feet seem to slide around a little more than i like. had my foot slide off while hill x. not a good feeling.hope this helps

Snowmobiles adjust in the air about 10X more than a dirt bike when you hit the brakes or the gas, because there's a lot more rotating mass. However, this can cause problems as much as it can help you. They also tend to be more stable in the air than a bike, so the best thing to is to start small and figure out how your sled flies. Start by going off a easy jump without changing the throttle. Does it tend to nose dive? If so, give it a little blip when you go off the face next time. If wants to land on the tail, then let off a little in the air, but don't cram on the brakes. You can adjust in the air too, but don't over do it. If you come over a big roller in the power lines and think you're going to land with the skiis too high so you cram on the brakes in the air, it can be bad... Also, locking up the track in the air and then running WOT right as you land is also really bad for your whole drivetrain.

Snowmobiles adjust in the air about 10X more than a dirt bike when you hit the brakes or the gas, because there's a lot more rotating mass. [/b]


I respectfully disagree....

There is no single point for the inertia of the tract to be transfered to. A bike/ quad will easily rotate around the rear axle as the inertia is transimitted directly to the swingarm.

Not trying to start a fight....just discussing....