Skinz Protective Gear
Today, more so than ever, people across the globe are more passionate and eager to learn about the sport of snowmobiling. If you’re an active industry follower, you’ve seen and read plenty about a number of Skinz Protective Gear (SPG) aftermarket products for both the bicycle and snowmobile industries. SPG is a very unique and innovative company pushing the envelope to develop some very neat & industry leading technologies. These days it is almost the norm for a perfectly new, out-of-the-crate snowmobile to be stripped down to the chassis and rebuilt from the ground up with custom parts to match the rider’s personality and really give it that bling factor.
Most sled mods begin with a main focus in mind – increase horsepower, shave weight, add storage and, in most cases, give it that unique look to make it stick out amongst the wolf-pack. Like most of us, the main goal when customizing my own sleds is to compliment my personal needs. I ride a 2013 Summit XM which I purchased from Rapid Power Sports in Little Rapids. As most of us already know, the 800 Etec has power to spare and great gas mileage. Changing the makeup of my engine to add horsepower was definitely lower on my scale; however, shaving un-necessary weight is something we can all benefit from.
Throughout the winter I cater to large groups either instructing at our Sledcore Ride Clinics or guiding groups into our provinces key snowmobile hot spots. When catering to larger groups having extra storage is imperative – we need to carry extra safety supplies, food and water for our clients. We also pack a variety of camera gear & accessories so at the end of the day we can critique footage and share a few laughs together around the lodge.
There are two key products I cannot say enough about. One is the Headlight Delete Kit for the Ski-doo XM which triples the storage up front (and saves over 3 lbs) and the second being the “El Macho” gear bag for the rear of your whip which is over built to be tough, extremely durable and can carry everything including the kitchen sink. Not only are these products completely functional but also make your sled look trick while shaving weight and maintaining that sleek look.
Most days we ride hard. Unfortunately when you ride hard mishaps are bound to happen at some point. There’s a reason all professional riders wear protective gear after all, so why not protect your whip too. The Rasmussen front and rear bumpers from SPG are not only light weight but are extremely tough especially when your buddies get throttle happy and do not look where they are going. (I know this first hand). The Rasmussen front bumper without question saved me a lot of money when a riding friend got out of control last season! Also, I have to add they are the backbone of style and very recognizable from a distance especially when powder coated.
The latest, and what I like to think are the “finishing touches” to my own sled, are the Pro Tube Running Boards also from SPG. Boy, these are sweet! Not only do they shed more snow than the stock XM boards, but also save over 2 pounds and increase’s the sleds side-hilling responsiveness. Stronger, lighter – better! If you stand on your stock running board you will notice the flex it has. When you push down with your wrong foot forward to initiate a side hill, the flex in your running board soaks up this force causing you to over-compensate by using more initial force. The result of this is more rider fatigue. The Pro Tube Running Board is extremely rigid and has little to no give so when you push down to initiate that side hill, your sled immediately reacts to the energy exerted which makes initiating those side hills that much easier. Less rider fatigue – sign me up!
Of course, Skinz Protective Gear makes a ton of other products besides the ones I’ve mentioned, but you can be certain all the hype is real! Reduce weight, improve gas mileage, increase functionality, reduce rider fatigue, add storage and look good doing it. These are just a few reasons this company is so successful and why we love our Skinz Protective Gear products!
Please visit www.skinzprotectivegear.com for all info regarding Skinz Protective Gear products. Sledcore is proud to have Skinz Protective Gear as a sponsor this season to showcase at the Sledcore Riding Clinics (Tree Zone Cln: Feb 27th and Couples Cln March 27th).
