So here are my sleds... warning, boring rambling ahead :)

[BoxMN]

So I finally have a couple pics. Mt wife was sick, so no pics of actual riding, but I put on about 50 miles or so between the two sleds last weekend, just trying to get to know them.

2002 Yamaha Venture 600 - 1900 miles on it.

2002 Polaris XC 500 - 1200 miles on it.

After the advice from you all, I had no trouble starting either sled from cold or warm. Key was full choke until it started, then half, as you all said. The Polaris seems to start on third pull, but takes longer to warm up than the yammie.

The Yamaha is really comfy, feels real solid and pretty tight in the corners, and reverse and electric start are great. This one seems real "easy" to drive. Not tippy or "squirrely" or anything. Maybe because it is heavy???.. I know this is the one my wife will always drive.

The Polaris is totally different, even in the sound and throttle response. I bet the yamaha is probably faster in the long run, maybe, and more powerful, but the Polaris just screams! Holy cow does it jump to life when you give it some throttle!

The Polaris really feels "squirrely", if that makes sense... I can tell it is much lighter, and easy to "throw around" sort of, but it doesn't seem as tight in corners as the yamaha. I.e. it doesn't corner on a rail, like I was kind of thining it would. It is almost like the front is floating aroudn a bit, which is kinda spooky. Granted, I am a fat arse (250#) and I wasn't really sitting forward. Am I lifting the front off the snow or something? Does this sled sort of handle like that? Or am I just noticing it because I came off a bigger heavier Yamaha and they are just different? Even the track seems to "slide" a bit more sideways.

I am not saying it didn't handle good, but I am just not experienced enough to know what it should and should not feel like. It is really fun, and I love it - holy cow did it fly through the powder on the lake! Maybe it was just the type of snow, the soft light fluffy stuff, and the track just spun like crazy in it when I hit the gas.

I will say this, I had a blast, and look forward to this weekend for more. And now that I am just a bit more used to these (the fastest and nicest I have ever ridden) I will be more comfortable - but I won't be one of those rookie cruisers who just hit the gas - I am learning slowly, and getting used to them.

That's all, thanks for your help so far, I am sure I will have more questions.

[Scott Stein]

we have an 01 supersport,same chassis as ur XC and it also seems kinda squirrely....not sure why this is,maybe just the way the chassis is set up? i know on the older XTRA-10 suspension if u have new carbides and the rear end slides around,some studs would be the answer there,but otherwise nice lookin sleds!

[Steve Bakken]

There is an infinite amount of susp adjusting that a guy can do to these things. If you have an owner's manual with it, it should give you some setup guidelines based on your weight and riding style. Otherwise there are some basic adjustments you can make to try to dial it in. Always do these in increments so that you can tell what makes it better and what makes it worse. I would maybe stiffen the rear track spring and soften up the front track spring a little for starters. Also, you will have more steering control the farther foreword you sit. I am a very aggressive rider and I hug the gas tank when I ride, but not everyone may be comfortable with this either. Find a position that works for you and dial everything in based on that.

[hanson]

You are probably a little bit light on the ski pressure on the Polaris as you are eluding too. There are plenty of adjustments that can be made to the rear suspension to get more pressure back on the front - which holes the rear suspension is mounted to, limiter strap, spring stiffness, etc, etc. Its been too long since I've played around with a rear suspension however to have expert advice here, my ZR came from the store set up perfectly and I've never touched it since. You may also want to check the carbides on your skis to see what condition they are in. If they are pretty worn, they won't grab when you turn and you'll drift (push) a little.