Dear Ralph: I absolutely love my Yamaha RX-1, but there is one thing that happens when running it through the rough that concerns me. Every now and then it’ll hesitate, not quite miss, but you know there’s something not quite right. Have you any ideas on what, if anything,... Read more

Dear Ralph: I absolutely love my Yamaha RX-1, but there is one thing that happens when running it through the rough that concerns me. Every now and then it’ll hesitate, not quite miss, but you know there’s something not quite right. Have you any ideas on what, if anything,... Read more

Dear Ralph: I absolutely love my Yamaha RX-1, but there is one thing that happens when running it through the rough that concerns me. Every now and then it’ll hesitate, not quite miss, but you know there’s something not quite right. Have you any ideas on what, if anything,... Read more

Dear Ralph: My sled has a thumping noise and vibration that gets worse as I go faster. Where should I be looking for the cause? Clueless in Seattle That’s a classic; usually this is caused by an “hour glassed” drive belt. This condition is usually brought about by burning... Read more

Dear Ralph: I’ve heard that the Polaris models fitted with the TEAM roller secondary clutch have springs that coil bind, and that the 2005 and later models have backwards wound springs to eliminate this problem. So, my question is do I need to replace the spring in my 2004... Read more

Dear Ralph: I am the owner of a 2005 Ski-Doo MXZ 800HO Adrenaline with the push-button RER electronic reverse. I bought it in February 2005 from a guy who put 280 miles on it and decided he didn’t like it. I put a few hundred miles on it myself... Read more

Dear Ralph: A thought occurred to me the other day that made me think of you. With all of the latest injection systems, leaner calibrations, cleaner burning oils, stronger-firing ignitions, electronic engine controls, it has started to become more obvious that snowmobilers don’t spend much time (if at all)... Read more

Dear Ralph: Why is there a “dummy” starter gear (a solid ring instead of a gear) on the backside of a drive clutch on some sleds? Isn’t this just extra rotating mass that slows down the acceleration of the engine? Chris Caldwell There have been many instances over the... Read more

Dear Ralph: I own a Polaris XC 700 SP with VES. I’ve read with great interest some of the changes and issues the 800s have been dealing with, specifically with the power valves, but it seems as if the 700s are not mentioned in the same page as the... Read more

Dear Ralph: I have a question that may be difficult to answer but here goes. You always hear people say that dealer setup can have a lot to do with how good a sled goes. Assuming the sled is setup per manufacturer spec (e.g. track tension, belt alignment, deflection,... Read more