Volkl V Werks Mantra Thread

Don't see a thread on these yet (other than Touring for turns ski for the alps. Mantra V-Works or BMT90?), anyone have any mounting recommendations or experiences to share? Rangerjake mounted his at -1 to improve float.

Couldn't find a 170 VTA 98 anywhere, so just picked up a pair of 170 MVW for Spring touring. Ski has a really nice shape and profile. It's not a noodle, but surprised it's not stiffer given it's a relatively-hefty 1,605g of carbon, wood and a strip of metal. Suppose that's by design to help keep it from feeling chattery, like a BMT-99 (if it existed) might.

I bought a pair of Mantra V Werks last spring. Objective was to use it as a day touring ski in the Alps and as a get in shape for the Alps by hiking the resort here in VT. Mounted them on the line with a pair of G3 Zeds. Boot is a Tecnica 0G Scout. Limited use so far. What I did learn was that I needed to take a lot of metal off the bottom edge to get things flat....ish. I went over them once when they were new with a 1 degree base bevel. Skied them and wasn't happy. Gave them another filing with the same bevel. Better. Went back a third time and seem to have them right. Before they didn't want to finish a turn, now solid/predictable in all phases of the turn. I think that they will work fine for my intended purpose. They are very stable. Easy to turn (178cm). I've skied them on groomers, ice, and some very nice early season VT pow where any ski would shine, and in some junkier, lumpier stuff. They are replacing a pair of Kastle TX98's. Much more solid than the Kastles (which I still like). Better at speed than the TX98's. The Volkl feels like an alpine ski. The Kastle feels like a touring ski.

Now that we're into 2020, anyone have mounting recommendations for the MVW?

Planning to punch mine this week, currently thinking drill at -5mm for ZeroG Tour so I'm on the line for Alien RS (shorter BSL).

Just drilled mine at 2mm back for my vulcan so if I ever decide to get some TLT8 it’ll work. ATK R12. First day with them tomorrow at the resort to try them. Approx the same weight as my BMT 94 with Ions.

Awesome, looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Edit: Paul Bonhomme is damn amazing.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIO...FKy8gJA/videos

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Originally Posted by 1000-oaks

Don't see a thread on these yet (other than Touring for turns ski for the alps. Mantra V-Works or BMT90?), anyone have any mounting recommendations or experiences to share? Rangerjake mounted his at -1 to improve float.

Couldn't find a 170 VTA 98 anywhere, so just picked up a pair of 170 MVW for Spring touring. Ski has a really nice shape and profile. It's not a noodle, but surprised it's not stiffer given it's a relatively-hefty 1,605g of carbon, wood and a strip of metal. Suppose that's by design to help keep it from feeling chattery, like a BMT-99 (if it existed) might.

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On the line with a Shift and Cochise, no problems but found nothing to float on in Yurp so far ....

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Originally Posted by mishmash

found nothing to float on in Yurp so far ....

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I feel your pain...... it hasnt been as epic as the last two winters and my still truly awesome Vwerks Katana would love the company of a narrower brother.

Does anyone have the weight on a 178 VWM?

1670g per ski approx
Found some pow today with the mantra VW :) I’ll let you know my impressions ASAP
I’m in EU too btw.

https://i.lensdump.com/i/i5OXMq.jpg
Some pictures :) There is 1.5mm of camber per ski, so 3mm total. I have the 178 one mounted with ATK R12 2020, about 2kg ski + binding. The ATK R12 2020 97mm stoppers fits the 99mm Mantra VW without bending but it's tight.

Basically when looking at the specs it looks like a lighter wider Kendo. This is also what I experienced at the resort, on groomed slopes. It's quite nimble but still quite stable. As turny as my 2017 kendo, so more than my 2017 flat Mantra. They carve quite well and are quite dynamic, more than the 2017 kendo. They're not that stiff about the same as the BMT 94 I'd say (I sold them so can't compare IRL but telling by memory)

I did my first tour with them today.
1000m d+ from the lift. On the up traction was ok considering the skintrack was in hard snow sometimes icy.
On the down I've had powder, hard snow, and some crust. Some clouds came just when I started to ski so I didn't went as fast as I wished.
In powder I'd say they float just a touch better than the 176 BMT 94. There are more turny that was I'm used to but it was ok. In crust the tail was a bit hooky sometimes but not a lot. I've just detuned a little bit the rockered sections to see if it helps.
In soft snow (pow and crust) I have to say that I wished I had my BMT 109 which are better, more "instinctive", with their reverse camber. But on the up with the short sections of icy skin track I was happy to be on the mantra. And if the snow had been hard or icy on the down, the BMT 109 would have been a bit scary. Anyway I sold them already so I don't have the choice anymore :) Replaced them with Katana VW.
On groomed slopes going back home I was happy to have the Mantra VW so I could still have fun, with the BMT 109 you just go down but can't really carve, I mean you can if you really want to but it's not fun.
So I'd say it's a pretty good versatile ski, it's not magic in pow like the BMT 109 but you can't have everything.

About the mounting point I'm on the line (well 1mm back so on the line), seems good to me ...

Not much to add here except;
Damn Völkl! Why oh why don't you make a >190 V-Werks Mantra ...:confused::rolleyes2

I have a few more days on them, did one fast run in pow and they were excellent and stable (footage here : https://www.instagram.com/p/B8whjSCogz3/ ).

Maybe I’m getting used to them, I like them more now than on the first days.

Anyone besides RJ mount at -1?

If you center the 170 Mantra VW on a 177 Katana VW, the Katana line is 3.5cm behind the MVW. Do the same on a 174 MX98, the MX line is 1cm behind the MVW.

Yep but if you compare the Mantra VW 178 to the BMT94 176, the Mantra VW is 5mm back, so I choosed not to mess with the MP. The MVW is really nimble though so no problem mounting -1 IMO.

Btw now I’d say that the flotation is better on the MVW vs the BMT94.

And also better than the Mantra v4 flat camber, most likely because it’s softer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 1000-oaks

Awesome, looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Edit: Paul Bonhomme is damn amazing.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIO...FKy8gJA/videos

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I think I read he has four kids, can't believe his wife let's him out of the house with the stuff he's doing!

Wonder how many pairs of skis he goes through in a season? I

f the Vwerks holds up to what he puts them through, it sure would put away any doubts about VWerks durability to rock abuse.

I’ve had 5 pairs of V-Werks in the last 3 seasons and no durability issues. I hit a rock at high speed with my Katana VW, I thought the edge might be shot and nothing just a tiny hole in the base. My Mantra VW have 20 days I think and there in a super good condition.
On the other hand about non WV skis, I delaminated a pair of 100Eights after 30 days, I compressed and delaminated the edge of a Kendo after 5 days of piste skiing and I didn’t noticed I hit anything ... Also If you look at the Confession reviews on the French forum Skipass, half the owners got delam issues after a few days or weeks ...

My main concern when i picked up bmt's was durability - i use the 94s as the go-to objective / spring skiing ski. Lots of skiing across small rock bands, skinning over rocks, etc. Admittedly nothing like bonhomme above, but have 100+ days in the bc on them at this point and they're holding up.

The mantra looks like a similar option except for the mount point? Bo - you're saying the mantra is 5cm back from the bmt mount point, right? Never had an issue w/ float on the bmt 94's, but i'm skiing the 186 and they're not my soft snow skis. Still, ripped a few lines in 1ft+ of soft stuff and they plane up nicely. Glad to hear the mantra is at least on par on that front

The music on the "2 lines, 2 days" video on bonhomme's youtube channel got my wife to walk in and ask what the fuck i'm doing... i think she thought it was some nineties style hbo late night...such saxophone...

The Mantra VW mount point is 5mm (0.5cm) back from the BMT 94 one, comparing similar sizes (178 vs 176). So almost the same.

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Originally Posted by stuntmanbo

https://i.lensdump.com/i/i5OXMq.jpg
Some pictures :) There is 1.5mm of camber per ski, so 3mm total. I have the 178 one mounted with ATK R12 2020, about 2kg ski + binding. The ATK R12 2020 97mm stoppers fits the 99mm Mantra VW without bending but it's tight.

Basically when looking at the specs it looks like a lighter wider Kendo. This is also what I experienced at the resort, on groomed slopes. It's quite nimble but still quite stable. As turny as my 2017 kendo, so more than my 2017 flat Mantra. They carve quite well and are quite dynamic, more than the 2017 kendo. They're not that stiff about the same as the BMT 94 I'd say (I sold them so can't compare IRL but telling by memory)

I did my first tour with them today.
1000m d+ from the lift. On the up traction was ok considering the skintrack was in hard snow sometimes icy.
On the down I've had powder, hard snow, and some crust. Some clouds came just when I started to ski so I didn't went as fast as I wished.
In powder I'd say they float just a touch better than the 176 BMT 94. There are more turny that was I'm used to but it was ok. In crust the tail was a bit hooky sometimes but not a lot. I've just detuned a little bit the rockered sections to see if it helps.
In soft snow (pow and crust) I have to say that I wished I had my BMT 109 which are better, more "instinctive", with their reverse camber. But on the up with the short sections of icy skin track I was happy to be on the mantra. And if the snow had been hard or icy on the down, the BMT 109 would have been a bit scary. Anyway I sold them already so I don't have the choice anymore :) Replaced them with Katana VW.
On groomed slopes going back home I was happy to have the Mantra VW so I could still have fun, with the BMT 109 you just go down but can't really carve, I mean you can if you really want to but it's not fun.
So I'd say it's a pretty good versatile ski, it's not magic in pow like the BMT 109 but you can't have everything.

About the mounting point I'm on the line (well 1mm back so on the line), seems good to me ...

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Hi. What ski boots you use with mantra and katana. I have katana with tecton and lange xt free. And my second touring boot is fisher traverse 1kg with lighter skis 1kg .. 1.5kg and atk r12 bondings. Thanks.


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I use a Dynafit Vulcan with Booster Strap and without tongue. I’m 70kg. It’s perfect.

I did one tour on the Mantra with a TLT6P, but that boot didn’t fit me well so I don’t really have much to say about that combo.

Finally got a few turns in on the 170 MVW. Only low-speed steep stuff in sticky pine needles & dirt conditions, but like them so far. You can get on the tips without them folding/washing, even though I went short for booting chutes. Mounted at -6mm.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA5636EA1jf/