136 inch track opinions

[dooski_dan]

I have only ridden 121 inch tracks in the past but am looking at a 136 inch track Ski Doo Renegade. Can someone tell me the difference in riding with the longer track? I strictly ride trails so wondering if there is a noticable difference.

 

[ezra]

I have only ridden 121 inch tracks in the past but am looking at a 136 inch track Ski Doo Renegade. Can someone tell me the difference in riding with the longer track? I strictly ride trails so wondering if there is a noticable difference.

you wont look back best move you will make.sled will not fish tailwill bridge bumps better hook up better.it is a win win I dont know any one who wanted to go back to a short track after owning a 136 or in your case a 137

 

[ezra]

I have only ridden 121 inch tracks in the past but am looking at a 136 inch track Ski Doo Renegade. Can someone tell me the difference in riding with the longer track? I strictly ride trails so wondering if there is a noticable difference.

you wont look back best move you will make.sled will not fish tailwill bridge bumps better hook up better.it is a win win I dont know any one who wanted to go back to a short track after owning a 136 or in your case a 137.
121 will shortly be going the way of the Carbuertor

 

[Skylar]

you wont look back best move you will make.sled will not fish tailwill bridge bumps better hook up better.it is a win win I dont know any one who wanted to go back to a short track after owning a 136 or in your case a 137

Depends on what year Renegade, my 05 was a 136"

You will notice a difference on the trail, but not enough to warrant not getting the 136".

 

[renegade]

I would recommend it. I will never go back. Everyone I know who went to one bought another. The only notable drawback we found was having to move tie downs on the four place! Lol

 

[Hoosier]

Other than rental sleds out West, I've only ridden short tracks. Seems like a 136" track sled would have more of a tendency to push through the turns but I haven't heard anyone complaining about that. Any comments on that?

 

[alwaysright]

slight push less than 10% of the time only on tight twisties. the bump bridging, extra traction (for starts and stops), and extra floatation are so much better and outweigh the negatives that are rarely felt.

 

[ezra]

I have never had any 121 pull away in the tight twisty you will not notice any push.
I do notice push on my 153 and 155 but not 136

 

[mezz]

You won't regret going from 121 to 136, or for that matter to a 144. I can pretty much guarantee you will not go back to a 121. It will handle a tad different in the corners, but you will adjust. I was a 121 rider for over 20 yrs & in the backwoods to boot, NEVER AGAIN.-Mezz

 

[skiroule]

Mezz, interesting you should mention the 144. I'm moving to a 155x2.4 sled next year and I'm seriously considering keeping my 144x2 sled as my "trail" machine. I've logged a fair number of trail miles on this sled and have always liked the hook-up and acceleration that the longer track/lugs can provide under most trail conditions.

It's kind of funny, it wasn't that long ago that a 136 was considered a "mountain" sled track length. Now, many would consider the 136 to be too short, even for midwest boondocking, but as a trail track it might be right in the sweet spot of trail track lengths.

 

[Hoosier]

Thanks for the answers. As I've said in other threads, my Fusion needs a track. I'll probably put one on this Fall, and I'm trying to figure out how long to go.

How long has 121" been standard? Seems like when the suspensions started getting taller, that there wold have started to be less track on the ground, so that the 136" might not be that much different than a 121" from the early 90's or so.

 

[ezra]

IMHO for a up sled the old like 2010 assult thick lug 146 track is about perfect.it blows in the mountian bottemless pow but great for trail/stump grinding/brush clearing/rock climbing

 

[skiroule]

Stump grinding? Heck with the rental grinder, I just need to find a used, stock Assault the next time I take down a couple of trees.

Still mulling over Hoosier’s question. I’m sure the suspension experts will light me up on this, but it does seem that for a given track length, as the travel increases, something has to give in how much track is on the snow when the suspension is unloaded. Realistically though, as the suspension is loaded, I’m guessing the difference is negligible, certainly not enough to make a 136 equivalent to a 90's 121.

Still, this could mean that a chubby boy like me that puts a higher load on the suspension would actually have more track on the snow than…well, someone who is not so chubby. Now if I actually lose some weight in Lenny’s weight challenge, I will be reducing my effective track length next year. Guess I should have looked at a 163.

Back to the subject at hand: Agree with Ezra and others, push on a 136 Renegade is basically a non-factor. On some of the older 136 Indy’s, maybe, but the Rev is a whole different animal.

 

[xcr440]

The front of the suspension is generally the same on 121" vs. 136" tracks. The difference of track on the ground is about 7", or 2-3 lugs.

 

[alwaysright]

Hoosier,

Just one word of advice, if your fusion needs a track, do not consider any kind of track extension. I had a fusion for a few years as did my dad. I bought mine and before logging 10 miles on it I extended the track to a 136 from tracks USA. This was a great well built kit but it throws the handling of that machine off so bad you will not be happy. I suffered with it for 2 years and sold it for a renegade 136. My best advise would be to sell it and buy a sled with a factory designed 136" skid. If that's not an option you should then consider trying to find a 136 skid and track for the sled. the rail extensions make that sled push much more than a sled with a factory designed 136". I rode my renegade for 3 years and sold it this last fall and moved back to poo I'm on a '09 shift 136. factory designed 136" tracks are GREAT trail sleds, homemade 136" sleds, not so much, just my .02

 

[mezz]

Mezz, interesting you should mention the 144. I'm moving to a 155x2.4 sled next year and I'm seriously considering keeping my 144x2 sled as my "trail" machine. I've logged a fair number of trail miles on this sled and have always liked the hook-up and acceleration that the longer track/lugs can provide under most trail conditions.

It's kind of funny, it wasn't that long ago that a 136 was considered a "mountain" sled track length. Now, many would consider the 136 to be too short, even for midwest boondocking, but as a trail track it might be right in the sweet spot of trail track lengths.

I mention the 144 because I lengthened my 136. I didn't want to go to anything longer & found this to be very versitile. Despite what some may say, the 144 x 2 does quite well in the bottomless pow. Granted it's not a 151+, but it does get around just fine. For the majority of riding here in the Keweenaw, it is just right & I am not a steady trail rider. In the late 90's the Mountain Sleds were 136" with a 1" lug! A friend of mine ran a Powder Extreme, the only thing extreme about it was the weight of that 600 triple triple! LOL. The rest of us were on our 121's, he was stuck more than we were. Compared to what sleds have evolved into today, they are 2 entirely different animals, for which I am ever so greatful. Now if they could just do something about the pricing. BTW skiroule, I would hang onto that 144.-Mezz

 

[Hoosier]

Hoosier,

Just one word of advice, if your fusion needs a track, do not consider any kind of track extension. I had a fusion for a few years as did my dad. I bought mine and before logging 10 miles on it I extended the track to a 136 from tracks USA. This was a great well built kit but it throws the handling of that machine off so bad you will not be happy. I suffered with it for 2 years and sold it for a renegade 136. My best advise would be to sell it and buy a sled with a factory designed 136" skid. If that's not an option you should then consider trying to find a 136 skid and track for the sled. the rail extensions make that sled push much more than a sled with a factory designed 136". I rode my renegade for 3 years and sold it this last fall and moved back to poo I'm on a '09 shift 136. factory designed 136" tracks are GREAT trail sleds, homemade 136" sleds, not so much, just my .02

Thanks for the advice. I haven't heard of anyone having issues with handling related to the extensions, but it's something to think about. If fact, all I've heard is good things about doing so.

I've thought about replacing the sled with a crossover instead of extending it (maybe a switchback or a crossfire), but I'm guessing my 06 Fusion 600 isn't worth a whole lot anymore, and the entire engine was rebuilt about 1300 miles ago, so I think it has more value to me than I could get for it from someone else. My Fusion has about 5,000 miles on it and is now 6 years old. Say I could get $3,000 for it...it would probably cost me $6,000 to get into a used crossover that is well-cared for and low enough miles that I could trust it for trips (after my experiences with this Fusion, which I bought with 200 miles on it, I'm scared to death of used sleds), or at least $7,000-8,000 I'm assuming for a new leftover (maybe much more than that). It would be nice to get something EFI so I don't have to play with jetting, but I could extend mine without much cost at all.

Ahh...decisions, decisions...we'll probably end up driving West every other year now, so that's why I wanted to extend it. I took it to the snowies last year, and had a heck of a time, but definitely wanted more track.

 

[skiroule]

Despite what some may say, the 144 x 2 does quite well in the bottomless pow. Granted it's not a 151+, but it does get around just fine. For the majority of riding here in the Keweenaw, it is just right & I am not a steady trail rider. BTW skiroule, I would hang onto that 144.-Mezz

Couldn't agree more with your statement and I think I will hang onto it. The biggest deficiency I've encountered when riding it off-trail in the Midwest is lack of rider ability. Plus, in 04, the Summits ran what is basically a Challenger track and it wears like iron on the trail.

Hoosier, problems with stretching a sled may be a model thing. My friend has stretched his stock 06 MXZ from 121 to 136 to 144 to 155 (although the 155 is a custom setup). I've always thought it rode well at all lengths. But there's no substitute for first-hand experience and it sounds like alwaysright did not have a very good experience with his Fusion. It was a different generation, but my brother really screwed up his 96 Ultra going to a 136. Lost a lot of top end and it wasn't much better in the deep snow.

One option is to just go a little taller on your track and when you head west, hit the trails and tracked areas for 2-3 days with your sled and rent for a couple of days. You're heading in a dangerous direction though, you could easily find yourself becoming an on and off-trail guy and then what do you do?

 

[ezra]

I streched a Ultra 1st long track I had/made I thought it was great I ran a 1.5 on it so it did not do much better off trail but then what did I know at the time.only off trail I was doing at that point was in the 70s as a kid on early 70s cats because there was no groumer of a bit of dipping off the trail in a open field.
but after my first trip to the up in I took a logging road with a 121 ultra and the next week was looking for a 136 set up.
I was not wored about top speed with that poo It never was going to take my 1000 cat any way

 

[Hoosier]

You're heading in a dangerous direction though, you could easily find yourself becoming an on and off-trail guy and then what do you do?

I'm finding that's the problem with getting off the trail a few times...gets into your blood and then spend your time justifying stretching the sled or maybe replacing it...