star Pauli Piipola started developing long travel , uncoupled suspensions . Prototypes were first used in racing in the late 1990s before the design made it to consumer sleds starting in model year 2006 . It was called the Pauli Piipola Suspension – or PPS .
Over time the PPS has undergone a couple of big , generational steps , which explains why the latest version is called the PPS3 .
Welcome To North America
Grooming has become more prevelant on some Scandinavia trails since the suspension was originally designed , Tapio said , but riding there is still a mixed bag of often rugged conditions . It ’ s quite a contrast to riding here .
“ From our side of the ocean at the time , we looked at North American trail sleds in your magazines and videos and saw the groomed , flat trails with fast speeds and leather suits and full-face helmet ,” Tapio said with a laugh in a Zoom call while sitting in his office in Finland . “ We understood that in North America it ’ s a totally different story than where we are . And when we ’ d get some of our competitors ’ sleds here , we could see they were developed for a completely different environment than what we have here .”
That gave Lynx an important advantage in Scandinavia .
Now that the Lynx sleds are available here in North American , though , the script has been flipped .
Tapio confirmed that every Lynx Rave RE leaves the factory in Rovaniemi , Finland , with the same exact stock suspension settings and specs , whether the sled is being shipped to a customer in Helsinki , Finland , or Finland , Minnesota . So , it ’ s more-or-less set for Scandinavian conditions .
To make the sled work better for the sort of trail riding done here , Tapio suggested an owner first ensure they have the correct ride height , then adjust the limiter strap to their liking , and then if necessary adjust the clickers on the big KYB Pro 46 shocks .
Set The Sag
Setting the correct ride height / suspension sag is something every rider should do with any snowmobile to get the best ride quality and handling .
In the case of the Lynx Rave RE , Tapio said the ideal amount of sag is 95 millimeters , plus or minus 5 mm .
In imperial measurements , that ’ s 3.75 inches . Setting it correctly can be accomplished in the garage or driveway as long as the sled is on a flat surface .
Start by unweighting the rear suspension . Lift the back of the sled off of the ground by pulling up on the rear bumper , and then flop the sled back down . Then measure and record the distance on the riderless sled from the rear suspension ’ s rear arm mounting bolt to the ground .
Next , the sled ’ s rider should plop onto the seat , wearing the riding gear he or she normally uses plus the stuff they regularly carry ( in a backpack or in tunnel-mounted luggage ). Have a friend measure the distance between that same rear suspension mounting bolt and the ground again . Ideally , the difference between the two measurements should be 3.75 inches . If it ’ s less than that – let ’ s say it ’ s 3 inches – the rear spring likely has too much preload or is too “ stiff .” If the back end drops 4.5 inches , though , the rear end is squatting too much and the spring is set too soft .
Unlike most traditional snowmobile skid frames , the PPS3 has a coil spring on the rear arm instead of a torsion
NOVEMBER 2024 / SNOWGOER . COM / 51