BTS Set-up

[Silver Bullet]

Just wondering if anyone has had a chance to dial in their BTS kits yet. I rode mine today for the first time. I'm about 195 lbs and ordered the blue(medium) springs. They seem a little soft on toes side carves even though i've got them preloaded(top spring nut almost an inch down) Are there any rules of thumb that should be considered when setting them up?

[bobdea]

yes, deal with the softness, I promiss you'll like it aafter awhile in most cases

what boot do you have?

FYI, I am in Indys and I ride the BTS with almost no preload with the soft long springs and the medium short springs and weigh 250.

if you're riding a softer boot I can see needing stiffer springs but I'm liking the extended travel and supple feel of the BTS

[fin]

Silver Bullet,

The BTS will generally make your boot a bit softer. By default the system allows for more travel/deflection of the boot as compared to using the stock lock-down mechanism, but it does this with proper resistance. You could run your boots in the "walk" mode and get lots of movement but little to no resistance and thus little feedback to the rider.

That said, you can tune the BTS to make it feel the way you like. At 195 I would say you are not out of the range of the Blue springs. Don't forget, you can also move the lower nut upward to also increase spring pre-load. But maybe a Red spring will give you the feel you want.

As a side note, Bobdea does mention a good point, a softer but proper flexing boot is not a bad thing. You can still get the response of a hardboot but some of the comfort of a softer boot. It is a fine balance. As the years have gone on we have not seen as much "cast in concrete" type boots as the solution.

[Mike T]

I have been using them since the original shipment was sent out last January or February. I currently weigh 189 and have Suzukas. I own a full set of both blue and yellow springs and am currently using the blue springs all around with little preload - maybe a half and inch at most on each boot, probably less. I'd say I have them pretty much dialed right now.

I like to employ a pretty angulated technique... the range of motion offered by the BTS allows me to do that with ease. I feel like I can power the board through turns from a very stable position this way. If I am making a gentler turn I can still be pretty un-angulated and get the power I need. Someone who rides more upright and surfy like D-Sub would probably not find my setup dialed at all.

[Silver Bullet]

Fin and Bob,

Thanks for the feedback. I've got Susukas and Head Stratos Pros. I've been riding the head boots a bit more recently because the flex seamed nicer and the strap at the top holds the tongue in snuggly without having to tighten the boot. I also ride these in walk mode.

I have to crank down the boot straps on the Suskas to to get rid of that gushy feeling and keep my heal down. Perhaps the a power strap would keep the boot together and allow the BTS to do its job.

[lonerider]

Yea, I wish I has gotten the BTS earlier. The Suzukas I had before were a bit too stiff... I love the BTS, but they make my current pair of Lemans feel a little soft (and I'm only 150 lbs with size 24 feet). I think I'll wait until they come out with new buckle Suzuka and get that (the 325 is stiffer supposedly, how much Fin?).

[fin]

lonerider,

That is the million dollar questions "How much stiffer?"

It is so hard to say. I would love nothing more then to be able to state "why they are exactly 2.6 times stiffer" but I can't, it is too hard to judge.

I can tell you they are (the 325 Track) quite a bit stiffer then the Track 225 as that has been the general feedback we have gotten this year. How it compares to the Suzuka is hard to say. Stiffer but by how much? Hopefully others can chime in here and give us their experiences.

[lonerider]

lonerider,

That is the million dollar questions "How much stiffer?"

It is so hard to say. I would love nothing more then to be able to state "why they are exactly 2.6 times stiffer" but I can't, it is too hard to judge.

I can tell you they are (the 325 Track) quite a bit stiffer then the Track 225 as that has been the general feedback we have gotten this year. How it compares to the Suzuka is hard to say. Stiffer but by how much? Hopefully others can chime in here and give us their experiences.

I see... hmm... I'm more of an all-mountain rider myself and pretty light (145 lbs). I recall the Suzukas in 24.0 were too stiff even in powder mode (5-position unlocked) although that might be because the 24.0 cm size isn't the best design. I might go with the 225T and get a foam liner to deal with my chronically narrow heels and ankles.

[bobdea]

put a booster on these boots and played with the preload on the BTS springs sometime tonight I realized that I've spent way more on parts for these boots than I did for the boots themselves, on my third set of intec heels, third set of liners, third set of toe pads, one bts and one booster

man, those new thermoflex liners are different than the older ones, I was not sure they'd work as well but that thought ended as soon as I got out on the hill.

lonerider, I have no idea why they even think about putting the five posisition mechanism on the suzuka, it just does not work with that shell IMHO I had them on my AF700s after I lost my springs a couple seasons ago, what happens is even in freeflex mode it bottoms out on the shell

on the suzuka the shell deforms more than the indy but still it's sort of a dead flex, IMHO the absolute best thing you can do with the suzuka is give it springs be them from a pair of indys or BTS

[lonerider]

lonerider, I have no idea why they even think about putting the five posisition mechanism on the suzuka, it just does not work with that shell IMHO I had them on my AF600s (edited) after I lost my springs a couple seasons ago, what happens is even in freeflex mode it bottoms out on the shell

on the suzuka the shell deforms more than the indy but still it's sort of a dead flex, IMHO the absolute best thing you can do with the suzuka is give it springs be them from a pair of indys or BTS

How are the new liners different? They kind of look like the ones on my gf's 32 boots (Intuition liners). Anyways, yea my AF700 (aka Suzukas) would bottom out even when I duct taped the 5-position lean mechanism in powder mode. As I have really bony shins it hurt a lot.

Yea, actually since I'm only 145 lbs and I do a lot of all-mountain stuff and I have good strong ankles I probably don't need a super stiff boot anyways. Just something that have some basic support and fits me well... I'll let my legs and technique do the rest (hopefully ^_^)

[bobdea]

the shape is a little different, the seams are in different places and they are just a little softer

ohh, and they are a little more plush on the inside too

the suzuka was the AF 600, the 700 was stiffer and came with springs by default until you take them off and then lose them during summer so you have to rob a pair of other boots for FLADs

[lonerider]

the shape is a little different, the seams are in different places and they are just a little softer

ohh, and they are a little more plush on the inside too

the suzuka was the AF 600, the 700 was stiffer and came with springs by default until you take them off and then lose them during summer so you have to rob a pair of other boots for FLADs

Right, I meant AF600, but couldn't do the mental math and typed out 700 anyways. :(