Any members here that have sleds too? | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Any members here that have sleds too?

sonnythebull said:
dont go pre 1998 suspension is bad. Newer the better
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True, but with a little time, you can improve things a lot. A few years ago, we put the suspension from a modern sled into an early 80's sled. The new suspension needed narrowed slightly and new mounting holes in the tunnel, but it was a pretty simple process and made a huge difference (especially since it also inherited a newish studded track).

Inferno, don't know much about the sleds you are looking at, but a fire breathing 600 can be a lot of fun (a touring 600 on the other hand, meh).

It won't fit in your current budget, but the 4 stroke sleds are an interesting ride, it's like the hand of god pushing you forward, it's a much different experience than a screaming 2-stroke.
 
2007 Polaris 600 high output IQ LX, great sled for local trails i pay around 250 a yr, if you're planning on places like cochrane than you'll wish you had an 800 or bigger

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Do you guys get any snow or does any use at all involve trailering?

Me and my brothers used to all be into sledding, but there hasn't been a winter to make it worthwhile in probably 20 years now -- at least in Southern Ontario. But those are the days when trail permits were only $40 a year and insurance wasn't required on sleds.
 
I have a 2007 Yamaha Phazer 500. It's a twin so it has lots of torque down low but can still do well over 100k/hr on a frozen lake with 6" of slush. I use it mostly to get to ice fishing but it's great on the trails. I love the narrow seat that it has as it's what I'm used to hence all my dirtbike riding. Bring on the snow cuz I'm anxious!!
 
We have a couple older polaris 600's , mid 90's machines but they live on a trailer and get used a couple times a year, Parry Sound area, out near Listowel and N to Owen Sound, Ottawa area. We havent had a season in a decade or more where there was enough snow to run near here or anywhere worth riding around here.
My friends that are really in have yamaha 800's and when you get out on a lake with a foot of slush the power is very needed. We get around fine on our 600's but I'm pretty envious when they drop us like bricks on a big lake and they roll away at 100kms+.

But ours where paid for years ago.....
 
OP, I get your wanting to test the waters, but I'll go with Sonny on this one. These days you do have to make an effort to get to good snow, but it is out there and finding mid week groomed trails is as good as a day at the track. Skidoo ETEC's have been out since 08 /09 in the XP chassis. If you can find the extra coin to look at a used one, you won't be disappointed. I have 2 09' ETEC's they are 2 stroke 600's (120hp) which will do the ton, and you can ride all day and still walk. I don't think you will find better gas mileage and they sip oil. I had an 06 Polaris prior to that, and it handeled great, it was a pig on gas and oil. The new stuff, is like a high efficeincy furnace, basically water vapour, no smoke or smell. Reverse is instantaneous since it is electronically controlled and simply runs the motor backwards, no gears or additional weight.

Truth is, if you don't make the effort to get out when you can, it will be an expensive dip. The point about the modern machines is that the ride quality and power to weight will make up for the more limited seat time. if you really want to get hooked, bring your trailer up to the Deep River area for a weekend. Tons of snow, trails down the gas pipelines where you can go WOT for miles, along with lots of twisty woods.
 
Oxmach said:
OP, I get your wanting to test the waters, but I'll go with Sonny on this one. These days you do have to make an effort to get to good snow, but it is out there and finding mid week groomed trails is as good as a day at the track. Skidoo ETEC's have been out since 08 /09 in the XP chassis. If you can find the extra coin to look at a used one, you won't be disappointed. I have 2 09' ETEC's they are 2 stroke 600's (120hp) which will do the ton, and you can ride all day and still walk. I don't think you will find better gas mileage and they sip oil. I had an 06 Polaris prior to that, and it handeled great, it was a pig on gas and oil. The new stuff, is like a high efficeincy furnace, basically water vapour, no smoke or smell. Reverse is instantaneous since it is electronically controlled and simply runs the motor backwards, no gears or additional weight.

Truth is, if you don't make the effort to get out when you can, it will be an expensive dip. The point about the modern machines is that the ride quality and power to weight will make up for the more limited seat time. if you really want to get hooked, bring your trailer up to the Deep River area for a weekend. Tons of snow, trails down the gas pipelines where you can go WOT for miles, along with lots of twisty woods.
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Agreeeeeeeeeddddddd
 
Oxmach said:
OP, I get your wanting to test the waters, but I'll go with Sonny on this one. These days you do have to make an effort to get to good snow, but it is out there and finding mid week groomed trails is as good as a day at the track. Skidoo ETEC's have been out since 08 /09 in the XP chassis. If you can find the extra coin to look at a used one, you won't be disappointed. I have 2 09' ETEC's they are 2 stroke 600's (120hp) which will do the ton, and you can ride all day and still walk. I don't think you will find better gas mileage and they sip oil. I had an 06 Polaris prior to that, and it handeled great, it was a pig on gas and oil. The new stuff, is like a high efficeincy furnace, basically water vapour, no smoke or smell. Reverse is instantaneous since it is electronically controlled and simply runs the motor backwards, no gears or additional weight.

Truth is, if you don't make the effort to get out when you can, it will be an expensive dip. The point about the modern machines is that the ride quality and power to weight will make up for the more limited seat time. if you really want to get hooked, bring your trailer up to the Deep River area for a weekend. Tons of snow, trails down the gas pipelines where you can go WOT for miles, along with lots of twisty woods.
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Agreed.

I've ridden different brands from the 70s up to the brand new modern stuff. Small sleds, big sleds etc. My last sled was an 04 MXZ 800X that was far from stock. I hardly rode last year because even up here it was an awefull winter. Insurance, I was around $300 a year. But, parts cost (I do all my own work) when you ride hard and fast. Since it was my off season from motocross, I treated the sled like a MX bike which is why it was so custom. With gas in the sled and in the truck (even up here I would from time to time trailer to a spot to meet up with a group), good oil, trail side lunch etc I would easily spend $500 in a weekend. It didn't help that I'm either to the bar or on the brakes when I ride and my sled was a carb sled, so I could barely get 100km for a $60 tank of premimum when I was having fun, and we could do 300km days pretty easy around here when I was riding with my fast buddies.
If you get in with a group of guys that are capable, aggressive riders, you will have a very hard time keeping up on anything less than an older REV style sled or the other brands from 06ish and up.

Part of the reason I stopped sledding is safety. I have to ride way too dang fast to get a thrill on it now (been riding close to 20 years). And while I stick to my side of the trail and don't out ride my limits, there are a lot of people out on these sleds that are way too capable and too fast for their abilitiy. Cutting apexes of corners in to the oncoming side of the trail, not sticking to your side of the trail on the crests of hills, people passing like idiots in rediculous places etc (I sometimes ride slow when on group rides). It's just not worth it. When I'm coming around a corner at 100, leaned right over with the inside ski off the ground and some idiot comes from the other direction, out of control, sideways across the trail... I would rather be jumping doubles bar to bar on the MX bike knowing the guy beside me has some skill, instead of facing the citiots on rental sleds in muskoka without a clue coming from the other direction.

That said, I'm hopefully going to get a Squadron green Renegade 800 in the next couple of years so I can sled again, only from now on I'll be off trail having fun in the hills.

For the older sleds, the 583 R.A.V.E. engines were as previously stated, bullet proof. We had a 99 MachZ 800 with lots of motor and clutch work and that thing hauled in a straight line on cold nights... Almost too fast for a 17 year old kid.

I love sledding, but it was becoming more stress than fun.
 
rmemedic said:
Agreed.

I've ridden different brands from the 70s up to the brand new modern stuff. Small sleds, big sleds etc. My last sled was an 04 MXZ 800X that was far from stock. I hardly rode last year because even up here it was an awefull winter. Insurance, I was around $300 a year. But, parts cost (I do all my own work) when you ride hard and fast. Since it was my off season from motocross, I treated the sled like a MX bike which is why it was so custom. With gas in the sled and in the truck (even up here I would from time to time trailer to a spot to meet up with a group), good oil, trail side lunch etc I would easily spend $500 in a weekend. It didn't help that I'm either to the bar or on the brakes when I ride and my sled was a carb sled, so I could barely get 100km for a $60 tank of premimum when I was having fun, and we could do 300km days pretty easy around here when I was riding with my fast buddies.
If you get in with a group of guys that are capable, aggressive riders, you will have a very hard time keeping up on anything less than an older REV style sled or the other brands from 06ish and up.

Part of the reason I stopped sledding is safety. I have to ride way too dang fast to get a thrill on it now (been riding close to 20 years). And while I stick to my side of the trail and don't out ride my limits, there are a lot of people out on these sleds that are way too capable and too fast for their abilitiy. Cutting apexes of corners in to the oncoming side of the trail, not sticking to your side of the trail on the crests of hills, people passing like idiots in rediculous places etc (I sometimes ride slow when on group rides). It's just not worth it. When I'm coming around a corner at 100, leaned right over with the inside ski off the ground and some idiot comes from the other direction, out of control, sideways across the trail... I would rather be jumping doubles bar to bar on the MX bike knowing the guy beside me has some skill, instead of facing the citiots on rental sleds in muskoka without a clue coming from the other direction.

That said, I'm hopefully going to get a Squadron green Renegade 800 in the next couple of years so I can sled again, only from now on I'll be off trail having fun in the hills.

For the older sleds, the 583 R.A.V.E. engines were as previously stated, bullet proof. We had a 99 MachZ 800 with lots of motor and clutch work and that thing hauled in a straight line on cold nights... Almost too fast for a 17 year old kid.

I love sledding, but it was becoming more stress than fun.
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Ride during the week
 
sonnythebull said:
Ride during the week
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Luckily with where I live, I could hop on the sled and go. Some nights we wouldn't see anyone else out there which was nice. I doubt I'll own a sled if it's not an area I can't just hop on and go.

The section of trail here between pet and deep river is a blast once you know the trail. Clearing the back sides of hills doing 140+ and leaning over the bars to keep the front end down is a blast.
 
rmemedic said:
Luckily with where I live, I could hop on the sled and go. Some nights we wouldn't see anyone else out there which was nice. I doubt I'll own a sled if it's not an area I can't just hop on and go.

The section of trail here between pet and deep river is a blast once you know the trail. Clearing the back sides of hills doing 140+ and leaning over the bars to keep the front end down is a blast.
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Yup
 
A 1999 amd older qualifies for a vintage trail pass, I believe they are around $125.00

I have not bought a trial pass in a few years now due to thew lack of snow in our area.

Lucky for me I live on Lake Simcoe and just ride the lake.
 
RonnieRev said:
A 1999 amd older qualifies for a vintage trail pass, I believe they are around $125.00

I have not bought a trial pass in a few years now due to thew lack of snow in our area.

Lucky for me I live on Lake Simcoe and just ride the lake.
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They upped the classic to $140 before december first.
There was also an option to buy the regular pass for $180 this year before November 1. It was available online only.

It can get pretty frustrating being a snowmobiler in southern ontario these days with the snow conditions.
 
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