Here is the rest of the review....
I have to recall back in 2002, I had 5 hours on the (then) prototype 800 PTEK REV beaver tail sled: and when I drove it the first 3 miles, I was ready to turn around and head back to the garage: *compared to my current state of the art '02 ZX 800 my sled would eat the new REV in the corners. *The REV was tall, with a soft front end and wasn't like the low-to-the-ground ZX which cornered very very flat, albeit with alot of bump steer. *So the prototype was changed with feedback I handed in and also what other riders contributed and by production of the 2003 REV, it handled better due mostly to a stiffer spring in the front ski shocks than the sled I was on that March of 2002.
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Jump ahead to present day and its 'deja vu all over again': *this G4 129 was a soft and tall front end, very much like the 02 proto I described above. *I think there's a few areas that will get changed before it hits the snow next season with regards to the spring rate and the final x-pkg shock calibration. *They always wiggle around with this stuff til the very last minute and i'm sure what is being driven now, although it works good, will only be better come fall time.
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Does it handle (corner) as good as my XS, no at the present time. *But its not the same front end: *RAS2 v RAS3. *I use the Pilot R ski, the G4 uses the TS blade setup. *I have some dual rate springs on my XRS and its a much stiffer and familiar suspension FOR ME after having 3000 plus miles of dialing it in this winter. *With only 300 miles on the G4, its kind of apples and oranges. * Given enough time, I can make the G4 work just as well.
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On that note, probably the biggest improvement available will be to install the "XRS suspension package" on the G4. *That will put it much closer to the XRS (XS chassis) I currently enjoy and like. *Although it was an afterthought for BRP, I'm grateful they are making a dealer installed 'kit' available for 2017. *While some guys don't need the XRS, I have had them since 2012 and like the seperate rebound and compression adjustments plus the whole extra oil capacity the remote reservoir shock give you. * *The 15/16 XRS are Easily the best bump sled I've ever rode.
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TNT G4 was not available as a prototype: *the largest advantage to the X-pkg rack system is the short steering rods on each side of the 'rack' which translates into 'zero bump steer' or nearly zero. *Lets just call it minimal bump steer. *So if you are deciding on getting a steering rack vs the other steering found on the TNT, I would advise going with the steering rack, but mostly because that setup comes with the adjustable steering position on the handlebar which is trick and solid feeling. *I rode the sled nearly the entire time in the most forward position because it felt more like the XRS forward steering post position that I've been running the past 5 years.
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I think I answered it mostly above: *but I will add the XS is a wider and bigger feeling sled and the G4 is like a MOTOCROSS BIKE. *Its narrow feeling from your feet forward to the nose. *I think the G4 seat is much better (softer) than my XRS seat (although thats 'prototype' foam I'm sitting on and may not be the production foam for next season). *I like how its narrowed up. *It promotes a forward riding style. *
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The marketing guys at BRP are bragging about the 'open' toe hold thing,,,,really nothing to me that I thought was an advantage, or a disadvantage. *I'm only 6 feet tall, possibly a shorter person 5' or 5' 6" may feel the open toe and the 'hook' are something they need, but when I lean into a corner with my helmet out over the side of the sled both my feet are still on the running boards. *A shorter person may not have the leg length to stay on the running board and thus may hook the sled and pull with their boot. *Thats not my style and doesn't seem necessary for a taller guy like myself. *Just being honest here....
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I know if I was reading what someone else said about their first ride on a new Concept like the G4, I'd want them to keep it REAL. *I'm doing the best I can here.... *Not trying to dis the marketing department, its just they're making a big deal about this 'open toe' hold and its really was a non-issue for me. *And no, my feet didn't get cold as these things blow plenty of clutch heat and exhaust heat onto your boots to keep you toasty.
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Motocross bikes go where you point them: *you lean left, they go left. *You sit back, they pull the front wheels up. *You sit forward and the fork suspension compresses: *Thats how the G4 works. *Much more so than on an XS.
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Its an aggressive chassis that can be run more aggressively than the XS because it responds to where you put your body on the sled and where you have the skis pointed.
