The next great innovation for the trail snowmobiler is here in the form of the EZRyde Trail rear suspension. We had the opportunity to test out this new suspension and it opened our eyes to a whole new ride on the trails!
First, it’s important for the consumer to know this is very different from a stock suspension setup. The geometry is changed, so the skid reacts a little differently in certain situations. It’s also important to note that this is not the same as upgrading your shocks. It’s a completely new rear skid that replaces the stock rear skid, shocks and all. The product is not out yet, save for a handful of units installed on rental fleet sleds as demos, but it’s available to preorder through EZRyde’s dealer network and will be available for the 2015-16 season. As long as there is snow on the ground, demo rides are available at M&M Powersports in Hancock, Mich.
So how does it work and what are the benefits? I’m glad you asked! The first thing anyone with eyes will notice is the longer rear arm of the suspension. Yea, it’s different, but that change is a primary reason why the suspension works so well. The best comparison for how this suspension works is to think of the rear arm of a dirt bike. Think of the huge air and big hits you see at a Supercross bike event. You know how hard those suspensions are working. The same principles apply with the EZRyde suspensions. In addition to the longer swing arm and high performance piggyback shocks, the EZRyde Trail also takes advantage of the Carve™ technology utilized in their mountain suspension line. The EZRyde Carve™ allows the suspension to rotate similar to the Ski-Doo T-motion, but it uses an elastomer to limit the travel and bring it back to center. Unlike the T-motion, it also rotates in the front allowing the whole suspension to adapt to any terrain and sucking up off camber bumps without pitching the whole snowmobile. This translates to a more forgiving suspension that gives the rider more confidence when approaching any trail.
Now, we’re not saying you need to be launching over doubles and triples quite like Mr. LaVallee to get the benefit out of this new suspension, but believe me; it can handle the chaincase-cracking moguls with ease! The weekend warrior and ditch banging crowd will get plenty of benefit out of this new suspension as well.
The vast majority of riders don’t use their suspension for big drops and hard hits, although it’s nice to have that capability. Most people will want to know how well a suspension soaks up the stutters and trail chatter. Believe me when I say they become virtually nonexistent with the EZRyde Trail suspension.
The real eye-opener for me came when I saw two sleds coming at me, one EZRyde equipped, the other on the best stock suspension available from a particular OEM. The headlight on the stock sled was bouncing around as usual while the EZRyde sled headlight showed barely a bobble on the same terrain.
It’s not often we find a suspension that handles the roughest of the rough stuff AND ups the level of comfort on your typical trail cruise. Usually it’s one or the other, but the EZRyde Trail does it all well. Part of the credit goes to the revised geometry of the skid, but part also goes to the EZRyde designed and built shocks. The engineering group behind the suspension tested just about every brand of aftermarket and stock shock you can think of. In the end, they could not find exactly what they were looking for, so they came up with their own design and specifications precisely engineered for the EZRyde suspension. They’re high quality piggyback shocks with easily-adjustable clickers. In fact, the entire suspension and shocks are designed and built right in their shop in Houghton, Mich.
Our test riding experience on the EZRyde trail was top notch right from the word go! From the minute we first sat on it, you could tell we were on a very capable suspension. It was confidence inspiring, but I was a little worried the ride would be too harsh because you don’t get that inch or two of sag that you experience on a stock suspension. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The intensity of the terrain or aggressiveness of the rider rarely mattered. The sled stayed quiet, the rider was confident and comfortable, and the track stayed planted. It wasn’t long before I went bump hunting to see what the capabilities of this rear suspension really were!
After a day and a half of ditches, trails, moguls and road approaches, I still don’t think I found the limits of the suspension. I did, however, find the limits of the stock front suspension on more than one occasion. That would be my only concern in purchasing this suspension. You’ll quickly find you can overdrive your stock front end. But not to worry, the folks at EZRyde have you covered there too with available front ski shocks with their position sensitive needle technology.
So what sleds can the EZRyde go on? Just about anything within the last decade. They’ve got fittings and mounting instructions for most sleds from all four major OEMs. The fitting for Polaris’ Axys sleds is currently in the works. Log on to www.ezryde.com for more information. EZRyde also has a complete line of mountain suspensions that fit most sleds from 2007 and up and work exactly the same as the EZRyde Trail. I’ve obviously done enough gushing over this for today, but the truth is, those who are aggressive riders demanding the top level of performance and comfort from their sled need to check the EZRyde Trail suspension out in person. Use the Dealer Locator function on the EZRyde website to find a participating dealer near you and get out and ride this thing! You’ll be glad you did!
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