Q on binding plate on Elan race skis - can I remove?

[El Chupacabra]

I bought some 191 Elan GSX world cup race skis off craigslist. They have a predrilled binding plate for what I think is a Marker or Tyrolia hole pattern (it's not a Salomon or Look, which I am familiar with). I don't have any Marker or Tyrolia bindings.

Can I remove the metal plate and mount bindings straight to the black risers? I think the risers are plastic -- don't know if it's strong enough material to retain the binding though.

Pics (click to embiggen) -- The right side of the photo is towards the tip of the ski:






Also, it looks like there's some adhesive between the black risers and the ski itself. Can I remove the risers completely, and just mount bindings straight to the ski surface? I've tried that once before on some race skis that had a 1-piece riser plate, and it messed up the flex of the ski badly -- that ski was designed for the riser to stiffen the ski, and without it, it was very soft.

[ZomblibulaX]

Its essentially a VIST plate drilled for tyrolia; IIRC, some of the screws go through both plates into the ski itself, so you wouldn't be able to take the metal part off and mount to the plastic. As far as removing the entire plate, I'd still want some sort of plate on that ski (marker WC piston interface, for example) lest you run into the same issue you had with your previous skis.

In other words, I'd start shopping for a tyrolia binder.

[coldfeet]

I have no experience with race plate skis, but it seems like you could drill and tap the metal plate for machine screws to mount bindings. It would be like one of jondrums' Sollyfit plates.

[sfotex]

Ha,
I got the same skis in 188. You should be able to just redrill them if you can get away from hole interference. The mount line on these skis is off too, let me look at my mount point.

You might want to post this over at epic too.

[El Chupacabra]

Ha,
I got the same skis in 188. You should be able to just redrill them if you can get away from hole interference. The mount line on these skis is off too, let me look at my mount point.

You might want to post this over at epic too.

How do you like the skis? Let me know on the mount point, and if you like where your bindings are mounted, or if you would move them fore/aft any.

[charles martel]

If you can re-drill these, go ahead.

There are these Tyrolias on Levelnine, though:

http://www.levelninesports.com/Tyrol...0-Ski-Bindings

[El Chupacabra]

If I mount about 1cm forward of the marked centerline, I can re-drill for Look bindings.

[sfotex]

How do you like the skis? Let me know on the mount point, and if you like where your bindings are mounted, or if you would move them fore/aft any.

Mine are +1~2 cm forward, the guy I bought them from said that was the sweet spot. They're fun, not they typical ski I'm used too.

[El Chupacabra]

Thanks - I'll mount at +1 and drill for Look.

[El Chupacabra]

Turns out I eyeballed it a little wrong -- can't fit a Look bindings on that plate.

I removed the metal plate + the plastic risers completely. I'm going to mount a Rossi plate on the ski, which will fit Look bindings.

I don't really want to buy a Tyrolia binding for this ski, since I picked it up for so little $, and I have extra Look bindings.