kgallis
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Posts posted by kgallis
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Is that Mikerider back on an Arctic Cat?
It sure looks like it to me. What happened to the TNT?
Karl
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Bill- How many miles so far this year?
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Hi Karl,
Over 3,000 miles on the TNT. Seat is like a brick and the rear suspension is stiff. Weird electrical problems. Handwarmers went and were replaced. No wheel problems. Very bad top speed vibration. Drive belt gets narrower by the minute.
Handles really nice after some help from Rob in finding a good suspension set up. Ergonomics are best I have ridden. The hooked handlebars are worth it but only come on the TNT. I have heard next year the TNT suspension will be dialed in better. I just had the Renegade seat foam put in my TNT, it is much, much softer and cushier. Original foam sacked out, looked like the back of a camel and dealer is trying to warranty it.
Gas mileage on the TNT is usually better than the SDI unless running very hard.
The sled is a hoot to drive; I can t say that about too many sleds. Its just fun. But I would wait for the 09 models as I believe they will be better dialed in.
There was a new E-Tech Doo in the hotel yard this AM. Half a pull and it fired to life after sitting out all night. Idled so smooth! Guy said he is getting 29 mpg, I assume he meant Canadian. No smoke at all while it idled and we talked.
mike
Mike,
Thanks for the review. There are a few '08's left at our dealer in PA, but I'm not going to touch one of them. I'm probably going to go for an '09 TNT (if they make it), since I don't want to be a guinea pig on the first model year E-tech. My brother picked up a new Nytro, which is a nice sled. Everything about it is better than the '07 and earlier Rev's with the exception of the slight push in the corners- it doesn't handle as good in the tight turns as my 500SS. The seating position, power and refinement of the engine are very nice. The only thing that is a negative is the smaller gas tank. I'm going to go with the XP next year so we can switch back and forth during our rides- it's nice to change it up a little bit.
Thanks for the info!
Karl
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Sounds great so far. Any issues with rear wheels or belts, etc.?
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I'm on the fence about a new sled for next year. I had the opportunity to get a few hours of seat time on a new Nytro but I have not ridden with anyone that has an XP. How do you guys like the new sleds? Rob, Mikerider, others? Anything to share?
Thanks,
Karl
PS. It's 33 and raining in Havre de Grace, MD....
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Holy crap the fuel economy has gone from 25 mpg to 30 mpg in less than 24 hours!!! I was reading about it yesterday. I hope that this is something that will work and that 2 strokes do have a future. From what I was reading yesterday the guys with the 2 stroke e-tec (Direct Injection) outboards love them. I would be interested to see how the oiling system will work and see how the whole package is going to be. The SDIs already are sippy on fuel- I wonder if you weigh the extra cost of purchase compared to an SDI if you'll really come out ahead- I'll be kind of like paying an extra 5000$ for a Hybrid car- (5000$ will buy you a lot of gas...)
Last night on dootalk it was 21 mpg.... Oil ratio was in the 100:1 range, but that is now elevated as well....
It does look like a nice sled though. The questions I have are about the lubrication of the crank bearings. With only 100:1 oil going directly into the cylinder, those crank bearings are going to be prone to failure. I heard on an evinrude e-tech engine, there is some sort of system that keeps the crank lubricated. Hopefully this engine will have a similar system. Otherwise, it will be hard pressed to last 10-12k.
Time will tell.
Karl
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Glad to see that you are up at the HI. We are all looking forward to your daily reports.
Karl
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Verizon for me and Nextel for my brother, both worked.
Gutz
Any GSM or Quadband phone will work throughout the world (ATT/Cingular). Verizon uses there own network and service is very limited outside the US. It will probably work in Montreal, Quebec city, but outside of there it is anyones guess (I switched to ATT from Verizon for this reason since I travel internationally a few times/yr).
Karl
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How was the range on the Nytro n your group? Love those trails......my favorite place on earth.
It got pretty much the same mpg as my 500SS (~ 17 mpg depending upon the snow conditions). The last day it was warmer and the snow kind of sticky- it ran out of gas with 102 miles on the trip meter. We carried extra fuel so the range was not too much of a problem. The ergo's, engine and fit and finish are excellent on the Nytro. It pushed a little in the corners, but we adjusted the limiter strap on the front shock of the rear skid, so that should help give it a little more ski pressure. Overall, it is a much more comfortable sled to ride than the rev- once we dial in the handling it will be an excellent machine.
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on the way to Mt Valin
From Auberge 31
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12/25- drove all night from Scranton, PA and arrived at Bernards at 6:30 am on Wednesday. Got on the trail by 8:00 am and arrived at the HI at 7:30 pm via Mekinac, LaTuque, Lac Edouard, St Andre, Jonquiere. Trails were groomed but a little hard, 6.5/10. Rode 281 miles. We had breakfast at Auberge Beau-Lieu in Mekinac. Jean was very good host (we stayed here last week too) and served a great breakfast. It is definitely a good place to stop when in this area.
12/27- Rode to Mt Valin and had lunch at Auberge 31 and then back to the HI. Trails were 9.5/10. Groomed flat with ~ 3" of fresh snow on top. I wanted to see how far I could go with my '05 500 SS with fuel before running out. I made it 168.5 miles and gassed up at the station by the HI. I still had 3 L of fuel left. The SDI's and 500SS's have great range.
12/28- Rode to St Raymond via 23 through the Laurentides park. This was the first time we rode these trails and they were great. 9.5/10. Groomed flat wtih 5" of fresh snow on top. The scenery in the park was absolutely gorgeous. We got gas at eltape and we were able to pay with a credit card. We stayed in St. Raymond. Rode ~ 200 miles.
12/29- Rode #3 back to Shawinigan. Trails were in very good shape and we made it back to the truck in 4 hours (a little over 100 miles).
All in all, it was one of the best saddle bagging trips we ever did. The sleds ran great, the food/beer was great and all the people we ran into along the way were very nice. All the trails are in great shape and are ready for everyone. Get out there and ride. I'll post a few pic's when I get a chance to download them from the camera. Back to reality....
Karl
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trails I n great
shape . Rode 285 miles from bernards to hi
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There's a guy on TY who has and has ridden both. He has threads on TY4S and Dootalk about each. I'll take the liberty to summarize - he's happy with them both so far but is skeptical that the TNT will hold up to much abuse, its his wife's sled.
I read that the other day. Any first hand info?
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Fellow riders,
I'll be riding my '05 500 SS this year, but this will be it's last season. I am interested in either a TNT or a Nytro for 2009. With people beginning to get out riding, does anyone have any impressions of the new iron yet?
Think snow!!!
Karl
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Chris,
I think it is one of those "you're damned if you do, damned if you don't" type of things. I would check the usual suspects (oil/grease behind drive clutch, leaking intake boots, etc). Changing pistons/rings is not going to do anything to prevent spinning a crank bearing, etc. It's a coin toss. I wish the Yamaha Nitro's were 100 lbs lighter. Until they make a light 4 stroke, we're going to have to put up with the lack of reliability of the 2 stroke engine. I have an '05 500SS with 5,000 miles on it that will be traded in at the end of the season (I usually average ~2k miles/season). I cleaned the power valves, checked the intake boots and checked for grease behind the drive clutch and I'm going to run it as is. If it grenades, hopefully it will happen close to the truck!!
Good luck.
Karl
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Well for us that have to trailer to snowmobile we spend a lot more than a skiier. Just the truck and trailer alone put you way past the skiiers cost of equipment.
You can get a seasons pass to ski a mountain for $600 or so. Registration and insurance cost that much for me. Also you don't have to fill your skis up with gas 2 times a day either!!
Snowmobiling is just ridiculously expensive!!!!!
I agree. Especially when you trailer 750 miles one way getting 10-12 mpg to get to the HI. Diesel is running $3.20/gallon here in MD which would translate to approx $480.00 for fuel just for the truck (making the false assumption that the cost of fuel is the same in US as it is in QC). That does not include fuel for the sleds, lodging, meals, broken parts on the sled or the ballet...
Also, there are 3.785 L in one US gallon.
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Rob,
I was reading in another forum about tires, specifically the Goodyear's with the silent armor technology. The vehicle was a full size Dodge Ram and the person experienced a little bit of a squirly ride, especially when the truck was loaded down. The people on the board attributed this to the use of Kevlar in the tire, resulting in a sidewall with a lot more flex. The person actually returned the tires for another brand.
I also have the Goodyear triple treads on my wife's car. The car does not seem to handle as crisply as with the Michelin's that were on it previously. I'm going to be returning to Michelins when it is time to replace them. Treadwear and wet traction, however, have been very good.
For what it's worth...
Karl
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The trail when you pass only a handful of sleds all day, freshly groomed, sun, mid 20's................
Yep, that's the one!
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Nice !!
I converted the scanned image to a .pdf file- I found it easier to read.
Karl
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Hey Karl... We started from Peekskill NY. It's about 40 miles or so from the tip of Manahttan. We went around battery park and up the East river through the Halem river and back on to the Hudson. It was 101 miles on the GPS. Riding time was about 6 hrs. Here is a good shot of the Empire State Bldg.
Nice!!
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looks like fun. Where did you guys start from?
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Skidoo modular helmet. They run small and the breath deflector is a little tight around my mouth, sometimes making it difficult for others to understand me on the communicators. It is the best helmet that I have had so far and will use it this season again.
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I wear the following on real cold days
Armor wear T shirt, or cotton
cotton shorts
Polortec long johns and top
Polortec pants
Polortec top, I also pack another Reima polortec top and use if needed.
Tech vest
SD leather suit
SD gauntlets
Glove liners
Beaverskin mitts, which on bought from a trapper on LSJ, with these hand warmers are on/off all day. Gloves don't cut it on real cold days. I use gloves when temp is 0F or above.
cotton socks
Mario Bilodeau made seal skin boots, these are the greatest boots you can buy, IMO. Have had 2 pair in the past 20 years.
I am looking at Klim to replace my SD leathers as they are beginning to show the wear. They have close to 80,000 miles of riding on them.
I was actually favoring leathers due to their weight (heavier) and ability to stop the wind (the rev does not offer much wind protection). Does the Kilm system offer an advantage over leather?
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Greetings fellow riders!
I had the opportunity to ride with Bill and MikeRider last year on Mt Valin in some really cold temperatures, ranging from -20 to -35 C, and I have to say that I froze my balls off. I am interested in picking up some gear suited for cold temperatures- boots, jacket and pants. I am considering leather and also a layered Goretex system (such as Kilm). What do you guys wear, and what are the pro's/con's of each? I will also be purchasing a tekvest this year, so it will have to fit under the jacket that I choose.
Think Snow,
Karl
Conditions
in Saguenay-Lac St-Jean
Posted
Bill,
How many miles did you finish the year with? Did you reach the 10k mark again? My bro and I will be up at the HI at some point next week. Hopefully the weather holds out and we are able to get a good week of riding in. Have a safe trip home.
Karl