Question:
Dear Motorhead,
I have a 2009 800 XP Renegade and I’m considering upgrading to the Airwave diamond suspension.
I also just found out FAST is now offering air shocks for the front suspension. I would like to know your opinion on these two products.
I’ve been a Supertrax subscriber for 15 years and enjoy the magazine very much.
Any input would be appreciated.
Ray
Reply:
Thanks for being a loyal Supertrax reader for so many years!
Your letter intrigued me – here’s why.
In multiple discussions around our offices since last winter it has become clear the MY09 Renegade platform was among the top two best riding sleds in our PR fleet last winter.
In fact, we racked up almost 3500 miles on our E-Tec Renny. Often, there were fist fights to get the Renny when we have our staff rides.
So…my question is this: Why do you want to invest in an aftermarket suspension?
The SC-5 137 skid when set-up allows for a broad range of rider weights and is simply superb at swallowing trail chatter and craters.
The AirWave is a remake of the Fast M-10 – as I am sure you already know. Yes, the airshock does improve the M-10 but this skid will potentially raise the ride height of your XP Renny and will require a huge amount of fiddling to get it to both ride well and maintain the XP’s razor handling.
Don’t get me wrong – there was a time when the M-10 concept was cutting edge and it did set a new standard in the 90’s when it arrived. However, the trade-off with the M-10 was always its finicky nature and its susceptibility to both rider weight changes and sagging springs as time wore on.
The air shock alleviates some of this although you still need to tweak the air shock with rider weight changes.
I have no experience with the front air shocks you are speaking about. I think the XP with coil over shocks delivers an outstanding ride up front. I would be very careful about moving ahead with both the Airwave skid and front shocks.
When it’s all said and done do I think you’ll get a better ride than the stock Renny delivers? Here’s my best, honest answer. I will be impressed if you get the same ride you’ve got now – so in a word, my answer is “maybe”.
Keep this in mind as well. Your Renny is not likely to bring at resale an amount equal to the extra you’ll have invested in the skid. The right way to sell the sled is to take the skid out. Then you can use it in another sled or sell it seperately however, it’s a lot of work.
I would seriously consider the cost to upgrade the sled to a new one before doing this.
Hope this helps.
Motorhead Mark
