High- and low-speed compression changes are made here .

BYJOHN T . PRUSAK

In model year 2022 , Lynx snowmobiles were introduced to North American riders after strictly being a Scandinavian brand for its first 55 years of production .

Then and now , the crew from the BRP-owned brand proudly proclaims its sleds are built to excel in rough situations that would allegedly overtax snowmobiles from any other brand . Company taglines say of Lynx , “ Just like the Finnish folk who build them , they ’ re totally at home in extreme conditions .” Promotional videos reinforce the message by featuring two massive , shirtless weightlifting brothers unafraid of subarctic weather .

Let ’ s face it , there ’ s always some bravado in marketing campaigns , so grains of salt should be added . Yet at the same time , Lynx insists its Rave snowmobiles and specifically their suspensions are designed to be ridden on harsh , never-groomed trails with the skis dangling in the air .

If that reflects the rider ’ s modus operandi and the conditions they regularly pursue and encounter , that ’ s great . However , we personally know of many common trail riders who bought Lynx Rave models over the last three years due to the machine ’ s exotic look and previous forbidden-fruit appeal . But then when they went out and rode the red-and-black rockets , they realized that the unique , uncoupled PPS3 suspension could make the machines less than ideal for zooming corner-to-corner on a twisting path .

The PPS3 design from Lynx .

To help those people dial in better ride characteristics for the trails on which they ride , we interviewed Janne Tapio , a former snocross phenom who is now the manager for Lynx ’ s R & D department . He explained the “ why ” behind the design and then gave practical tips on how to dial it in for North American-style trail riding .

While some self-proclaimed online experts focus on the shock settings , Tapio said to start with rear ride height , and then move to the limiter strap .

PPS3 Background

Tapio said the PPS design dates all the way back to the brand ’ s racing efforts decades ago .

“ In the 1990s and even going back into the 1980s , we were riding snocross here in Scandinavia , and snocross in our case always meant rough tracks ” that were often snow-covered motocross facilities . Meanwhile , so-called “ snocross ” races in North America at the time were primarily ice lemans races with small jumps .

“ And at the same time , the trail system [ in Finland ] in the 1980s and ’ 90s didn ’ t really have any maintenance ,” Tapio continued . “ So we had these trails , powerlines and forest roads that people were riding on that ended up having big bumps and moguls . For both racing and our trails here , we were asking for the same thing : To have suspension capabilities maximized and to use good quality shocks .”

Therefore , a team at Lynx led by legendary motocross and snocross

50 / NOVEMBER 2024 / SNOWGOER . COM