The Poor Man’s REV by John Harris, P.E. Wasilla, Alaska

My wife simply doesn’t understand all the ergonomic subtleties and advantages found in the new REV chassis. I’ve tried numerous times to explain that the rider is moved forward and higher to a more centralized riding position, that an aggressive rider would be able to ride harder, faster and further with less fatigue with this machine than any other. I even went so far as to show her the old chassis in comparison, like my now outdated 2001 Summit 700 Highmark. The upgrade to a new 2004 Summit REV-X 159 would actually be a great value considering the spring snow-check advantages and the ergonomic benefits to my “40+” year old body, I explained. She countered with a list of “honey-dos” as long as my arm and snapped something about new couches, drapes and throw pillows to match the new carpet…. Arrrrgggghhhh!

There is a silver lining in this, you see: I’ve planted seeds. The seeds will grow over time (or I’ll simply wear her down with incessant nagging) and she will soon see the light. Until then, we Rugged Alaskan Men must be more like the Marines, and “Improvise, adapt, overcome.” To that end I simply had to acquire a riding style and position more REV-like than my current stock steed.

The REV repositions the rider 8-1/2” forward of a standard sled and moves the rider up in the saddle about 4”. Riding forward has long been sought after by mod sledders around the globe. Look at any Sno-Cross machine and you will see radical risers on the handle bars and those risers will be rotated forward so the standing rider can not only be upright while riding, but he is also forward on the machine several inches. The advantage is obvious; the closer your body mass is to the center of the machine, the more aggressive you can ride as the suspensions pivot around a common point. I think we have all tried to achieve this on our stock sleds only to have the handle bars dig mercilessly into our thighs, while riding bent over like a deranged orangutan.

The addition of a rotated-tall riser is a simple and cost effective solution, moving your riding position up and forward without breaking the bank. A block-type riser lifts, but doesn’t separate or rotate forward; it actually moves the bar rearward. There are only a couple of ways to provide a rotation at the base on our older sleds, one of which is a 3-1/2” ROX riser. I put one on my machine and rotated it to a vertical position aligning the handlebars to match. This “lift” allows me to comfortably ride with my feet half in the foot wells while standing straight and holding on to the bar. The days of hunching over my bar like a primordial cave-man and coming home with an aching back are a thing of the past. If you make this modification, you will likely have to install a longer brake cable (AMDS sells a Ski-Doo braided unit) and depending on your machine, you may need a throttle extension as well, but mine did not.

 
Riser Details

The riser was only half of the equation. With the stock seat only 8” above the tunnel deck and my bars up in the air, I felt like I was riding with Peter Fonda across the desert on a monkey-bar equipped, chopped Harley-Davidson. Since I desired to achieve a certain “REV-ness”, I measured the REV seat and found that an additional 4” on my stock sled would be required to put me at the comfortable REV riding height. Combined with the riser, this four inch lift in seat height allows your riding position to move forward so you more naturally “ride the tank” in a comfortable position that is “stand-up” ready. By my calculations, these two modifications move you forward about 3-4” from stock, almost half the distance achieved with the REV.

 
Seat Details

The advantages of the combined forward and taller bar along with the raised seat are enormous. The practical difference between my modified sled and its original configuration speaks volumes to the even further forward design of the REV. Having tested my modified 2001 in the mountains, on powder and hard pack, I can honestly say that I don’t ever want to ride a pre-REV stocker again. I think if I borrowed a REV from AMDS for a test ride, I would probably be reading divorce papers at this very moment. Budgets, and wives with a yearning for household items [Wife/editor’s note: and carpet], are going to keep me on my old steed through next season, but I refuse to be left totally behind. A few dollars and a little effort will keep my riding enjoyable in light of a vastly superior ergonomic riding style found in the REV.

For more information on riser bars, contact Richard in the Parts Department at AMDS. To learn more about modifying your seat, I suggest contacting Jim Sivits, owner of Custom Air Interiors at (907)248-2459 or (907)229-3511 (cell). He added the custom foam rubber (non absorbing) along with regular seat foam to my seat, contoured it, and made a new seat cover using the latest seat fabrics all for a reasonable fare.

John Harris in the mountains of Alaska

~ Story and photos provided by John Harris