Vwerks katana vs bmt109

[rod9301]

What about for the 184? This ski will be my powder/mid winter touring ski as I have a zero g 95 for spring/hardpack. 6', 170 with no gear btw.

I'm at 1.5 cm forward, great

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[rod9301]

BTW, ski the katanas on firm first, I think you will like them better than the zero g. Truly one ski quiver.

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[Tri-Ungulate]

Flyk, I also have the zeroG 95s for spring or steeps, between those and the carbonKs you’re pretty much set. For the Ks, I have the 184s mounted on the line, remember Volkl has pretty rearward mounts in general. I weigh less than you and I’m still on a tele setup FWIW, but I still think their suggested mount point works fine regardless.

The zeroG 95s are good for longer tours and the lightness is also good for hop turns, but even so, the CKs are almost as bomber in steep firm committing terrain.

[zion zig zag]

Yeah, I'm still a little torn on the mount point. I thought about going 1cm forward for a little more maneuverability in trees/tights spots, but in general, I'm a drive the tips type skier.

Have we skied together since Gordy's camp? We should remedy that this year.

[rod9301]

I skied katanas mounted on the line and 1.5 forward (mine),

And I pressure the tips a lot.

The forward mount makes it easy to tighten the radius of a turn if you pressure the tips.

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[markcjr]

I have both. 191 katanas on line with kingpins are perfect for pow missions

Bmt 109 on line with kingpins for everyday and more maneuverability

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[ACH]

I have two full seasons going on three, skiing the 109's as a daily driver with swap plates, jester/verticals. Given that I switch to L-120s on deeper powder days and Mantras for chalk/ice, I've probably got roughly 100 days on them.

From a durability perspective, they have held up exceedingly well, rock hits, etc.

As has been stated earlier, edge hold is amazing, that said, properly tuned they will transition into a smear and drift with a little flair Input. They are also very willing to drive though chunder. In general I would say they are very versatile.

I've only demoed the V-works Katana once. My impression mirrored others here, though I would say that my perspective is very limited because I didn't get to contrast the two or play with the tune of the ski like I have with my 109's.

For context:
189cm
I am 6' tall, weigh 195 fully loaded with pack, etc.
Boots: Lupo Ti 130
Local mtn: Alpental

PS: for skins I roll with a standard tip bail so it's easier to rip skins with skis on in technical situations.

[smooth operator]

Cool, nice info. Keep m coming. I'm stoked to try my carbokatana's, just need to decide on a binding to mount. Was pretty set on the Tecton, but with the unveiling of the toe dent issue im a little hesitant. might opt for the vipec black.

[ciki62]

Hi, i just mounted katanas (184) with tecton. -1CM. Only skied few runs on wet spring snow +12C, some steep couloirs and spring soft groomers. Such a great ski!!! Fun and playfull. Nice combo with Mythic 97 (177)

[ciki62]

...
When I decided to test the brakes and throw them sideways, they just wouldn't bite... It wasn't like the stopping distance was 20-30% longer... They "chatter-planed" ... for what felt like 2-3 times the amount of time it would have taken a regular katana to dump its speed.... imagine the idea of hydroplaning on a car, just complete lack of contact with the surface. It didn't seem to matter if I leaned into them, they just bent slightly more and continued to vibrate-away any hope of edge-hold. It was at this point that I started to giggle a little... I was kinda blown away at how bad they were... Mind you... with a large asterisk ... This was very hard snow. I bet they are great on the way up. And they are probably much easier to take in an out of the roof box... One wouldn't want to over-exert themselves.

This behavior “hydroplaning “ is a feature not a bug It’s amazing in deep snow . On ice I can’t stop any wide ski . That is the reason that I have all from GS 65 to powder 112


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[Wetdog]

Now that I own both and have had time to compare, despite earlier saying they were very similar after demoing them, they are different enough that it warranted having both for me.

The Katana is big and powerful, good at the resort, but light enough for moderate backcountry forays. They cut through variable snow, hold and edge on firm and surf beautifully in the deep, the more room the better. While they are decent in the trees and can be slarved they shine at higher speeds in the open carving more traditional long radius turns and have great stability.

The BMT 109 is lighter and better suited to dedicated touring. They are much looser feeling and more manoeuvrable at low speeds, and while they are quite stable, I’ve found the speed limit. They are not as stable in variable, hold an edge decently on firm, but not as well as Katanas, and are really in their element at moderate speeds in deep snow.

They both float very well. One is more a bit traditional free ride, while the other a bit looser more free style.


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[stuntmanbo]

I’ve had both (184 Katana and 176 BMT 109), and I agree with that.
I’ll add that the Katana is a way better carver than the BMT 109 even though it’s wider.
Float is good for both, but the BMT 109 really float well for its width and size.

[N1CK.]

bump

so, no downside to going +1 or +1.5 on the V Werks Katana? existing mount too short but no issues moving the toe up to +2, more than I need.
Thanks.

[kid-kapow]

I'm running my KVWs at +2, and if anything I am curious how they would ski mounted even closer to center - them tips sure (still) have a lot of float at +2. Overall I find them to ski beautifully at +2 though - they are awesome skis.

Mr Collinson also skis them at +2 like many mags, so it seems like the +2 mount works really well for lots of folks - from pro skiers to more regular folks.

To be fair, I have not tried them on the line, and I am not tempted to do so either - too little tail, too much ski in front.

[N1CK.]

Thanks.
I'll end up about +1 ish and that looks pretty good.

[rod9301]

bump

so, no downside to going +1 or +1.5 on the V Werks Katana? existing mount too short but no issues moving the toe up to +2, more than I need.
Thanks.

I'm at + 1.5, skis great

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