timbo
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Posts posted by timbo
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Happy Birthday Tim
Here is to many more!!!
Andy
thanks to all for the birthday greetings!!!!!
at least i am able to sit on my sled and to take nourishment. guess i'll get another winter on the snow.
hope to see all you guys on the trails in la belle proviince cette hiver!!
the astounding potatoe brothers are planning to do the monts valins during the first week of december. we've got Snowcoach 1 ready to roll.
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Incredible!
Put the sound on... it's different from other clip!
WOW!
:good: :good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKn9kOtVgEg
What do you think about this clip?
Outrageous!!! Best Ive seen!!!
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Here is a favorite stop over with sledders. Any guesses??
looks like copper to me.
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Richly justified recognition, Bill, for all you do for those of us yankees traversing the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean.
May you savour many more years of your daily rides in paradise. Mayhaps i'll have the opportunity to purchase you a beverage one chilly evening at the HI.
regards
timbo
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I have the Ski-Doo BV2S Helmet since the 04 / 05 season and love it.
Some of the pluses IMO are,
Very comfotable.
Warm.
No wind noize.
Built in sun visor. (Don't know how I rode without one before)
Rear light. (People who rode behind me say it shows up good)
Great perefial vision (spelling?)
Negitives IMO are.
Its a tight fiting helmet, so make sure you get the right size.
It takes a little longer to put on then a regular helmet.
Make sure you put it on correctly, don't rush it. If you do not seal it up right it will ice up on ya. It took a while to figure it out.
They doo have heated shields $$$$ but doo you realy need one?
I bought one just to play it safe, and I could not see very good out of it, so I tried to clean the shield and it got worse.
The dealer gave me another one and the same thing happen so I tried too use some compounds to clean the lense and it got some minor scractches in it and I got a little pee'ed off and put it back in the box, maybe someday I will try it again???
If you use a commnucator, good luck, I have the chatter box and could not attach it to the helmet, so I bought an extension wire so I could attach the box to my side, that will work, but then you need to put the mic in the mouth piece without having a air leak, so that went back in the box also. :o( if you ever figure out a good method to attach it to helmet let us all know.
All in all, I think the +'s out way the neg's.
Yo GTSE800
I use a chatterbox and put off using an impusle-bought BV2S for the concern you mention. I had used a polaris modular/hinged helmet the last few years and was experiencing sealing problems with the face shield. Last fall when I had a little time on my hands, i got the BV2S out of the box and played around with it for a few hours. I came up with a "fix" that worked well and held up thru the entire season last winter.
1: remove the rubber face/mouth piece from the helmet.
2: hold it on your face in the position that it will be in when it is in-place over your mouth/nose area when the helmet is on and sealed up
3: on the left, lower side, about 1/2" from the edge of the flutter valve, take you a sharpie and make a dot on the outside of the mouthpiece.
4: take your chatterbox "in-helmet" wiring harness and (this is tuff to do) cut your mike cord about two inches from its harness end.
5: fire up your propane torch and get you a small finishing nail, awl, punch, ice pick, etc, that is about 1/2 the diameter of your mike wire.
6: heat the rascal up till it is nice and cherry.
7: pierce the mouthpiece where you made the dot. just touch it to the rubber. you will have seared a nice round hole into the side of the mouthpiece
8: remove the perforated protective cover sleve from the microphone. the hard plastic microphone assembly is perforated on one side and solid on the other.
9: "try" position the microphone inside the mouthpiece, with the mike on an angle alongside the crease at the bottom of the mouthpiece. you need to ensure
that the mike lies along side of, and will not interfere with the flutter valve. obviously, at this time you thread the mike cord from the inside, out of the m mouthpiece. with the mike in the position you have selected, take your sharpie and make two dots on the exterior of the mouthpiece, at either end
of the mike to mark where you want to secure it in the mouthpiece.
10: get you a tube of ordinary "household" GOOP.
11: put a drop of goop on the inside of your mask between the two dots you marked on the outside indicating where the mike was to be bedded.
12: put a small drop of goop on the back side of the mike (the non-perforated side)
13: get you a small "C" clamp and, with one end on the inside, on the mike, and one on the outside of the mask between your two dot marks, dog the clamp
down and hold the mike in place till the goop cures.
14: splice the mike back into the wiring harness (there are just two wires, but they are tiny, so be careful stripping and soldering them). reinstall the wiring
harness in your helmet.
15: the connector that hooks up your in-helmet wiring harness to your chatterbox is the same "end" as is found in the computer industry to connect keyboards
to a computer (pre-usb). You can either buy an "extension cord" directly from chatterbox, or go to a computer/electronics store and buy a short one.
16. Where you normally would install your chatterbox on your helmet, you instead, epoxy a plastic "wire hanger" like you would use to hold trailer wiring, on
the side of your helmet, at the location where you would install your chatterbox if the BV2S had the proper exterior geometry to install one. You place
the plug at the end of your in-helmet wiring assembly in the loop of the wire hanger, then epoxy it fast. (I am not terribly concerned with the exterior
appearance of my helmet, being more of a function over appearance dude, so i drilled a very small hole in my helmet and affixed the wire hanger with
a small pan head sheet metal screw).
17. You now carry your chatterbox, safe, secure, and warm, inside your front jacket pocket. You run your coiled extension wire from your chatterbox inside
your jacket, up to the plug which is attached to the side of your helmet. Presto, you are good to go.
18. With your Chatterbox inside your jacket, expect roughly 20 - 25% longer battery life, as your chatterbox is no longer exposed to normal riding temps
you traverse the winter wonderland in La Belle Province. PS: you no longer have the weight of your radio on your helmet.
19. Variations on this theme entail carrying your radio in a tank or windshield bag; to really soup it up, put the radio in a cloth bag, together with a chemical
hand warmer. You'll get the longer battery life mentioned above. From time to time, when i'm riding with buddies who give me a hand, i put my radio in
my backpack, wrapped in a sock with a handwarmer.
Even with the extra two wires i use, (my ptt handlebar button and my dc feed off my sled to keep the radio charged up to max all the time, when i have the radio in a tank or windshield bag there is no sweat. It's all right there in front of me.
We've been doing this (radio off the helmet) for the last few years. With the chatterbox X-2"s we have experienced minimal degradation in transmission or reception range with the units off the helmet and in the jacket or windshield bag.
last comments on the "mike in the mouthpiece" installation. after you have finished up the installation job, take a soft washcloth with warm soapy water, and gently wash over the inside of the mouthpiece around the installed mike. that goop has a nasty smell when and immediately after curing. if you air it out for a day after it cures, then wash the interior of the mouthpiece with the soapy water and rinse well, after a day or two any aroma will be gone. The goop to goop bond, enhanced by squishing the bond a little with the c-clamp, is very durable.
The hole where the mike wire goes thru the cheekpiece of the mouthpiece seals well and is no issue if you make a small enough hole with your burn thru.
If you don't want to epoxy a wire hanger on, or drill a hole in your helmet to secure the end of the in-helmet wiring harness; just use gorilla tape and tape it to the outside of your helmet. it works just as well
You may have to trim your in mouthpiece diaper to ensure that it doesn't cover the mike perforations and interfere with your transmission volume.
timbo
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I know, this has been discussed before. But too often it amounts to, "I bought such-and-such tires and they are the greatest". I'm looking for a more detailed discussion from guys that have experience with some of the winter specialty tires available now. Are they worth the trouble of switching tires every spring and fall? Do they really wear out too fast if you are lazy and leave them on all summer? I'm just trying to determine if they are worth it. I drive a 2004 chev ext cab half ton 4x4. It has about 28k on the OEM tires, and they aren't bald by any means, but for winter driving they are a little marginal in my opinion. Tires are one area I don't like to scrimp on, because I tend to drive fast on bad roads. I'm less interested in deep snow performance but I want a tire that has good ice capability.
I've been looking around and two tires have caught my eye, the Bridgestone Blizzak DM-Z3, and the Michelin Latitude X-Ice. Here is a good article: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=24
Does anyone here have any experience with either of those two tires?
Thanks.
Rob
Ive used the Blizzak's for the last 4 years since my local tire dealer turned me on to them when we were discussing winter tire options. In over 40 years of driving in winter weather I have never experienced a tire that gives me the performance in winter conditions that the Blizzak's do. They are especially comforting on the ice; seem to stick like glue to black ice. On snow packed roads they excell, especially when towing. I have guys who ride with me on my trips up to Quebec when things get really scary and they cannot believe the traction and control. They are great on deep snow, as well, which is a tad puzzling as they do not have a real aggressive lug. It is all in the tread design. Oh yeah, they are great on dry roads, as well.
Caveats. They are kinda soft and for what you pay for them, i take mine off after my last trip north each winter. Put them on prior to my first trip to the Mts. Valins (cuz we never get much snow here in PA till December). If you let them on a light truck (Yukon XL for me) you will wear them out in 25,000 miles.
Also, the same wear factors mean you need to keep your wheels in balance.
oh yeah. they ride great as well. I put about 10,000 miles per winter on them and will be on my third set this winter.
timbo
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I could say a few, but yes, Motel Mont St-Pierre is one of them. Raymond is an excellent host.
Raymond is also quite a harley enthusiast, so lodging with him in the "off season" (summer) is a treat for bikers, as well.
timbo
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what do most of you lads wear on your hands when it is real cold. Claws?? Heavy mittens?? Gauntlets? Neoprene??? Heated Gloves. packets....electric?? Leather?? Fabric???
Some guys won't use gauntlets at all: claim the reduced feel and mobility (safety?) isn't wort the trade-off for warmer hands?? Others won't ride without em when it is outrageously cold?? Some ride with one gauntlet???
????????
timbo
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I wear Choko jacket, pants, boots, Claw Mitts and RU Outside EC2 base layer. I can quite honestly say I have never been cold while sledding.
It's that Maritime tempering that you have enjoyed for your whole life that aids your battle with the cold Steven!!
I jumped big on the layering theme about 5 or 6 years ago. Got rid of my Reima Jacket (Haikonnen. remember when Toni was the Reima poster boy???) and my reima bibs. Started layering with a Klimb goretex shell, over mid weight fleece vest, over a windstopper (light) jacket; over a thermax t-neck top. My bottoms are the Cabela reima nock-off goretex bibs that they introduced about 5 years ago. They come in "longs" and they work just great over a mid-weight pair of fleece trou. When it is jumbo cold, below minus 25F, I add a pair of lightweight thermax long underwear bottoms if I'm contemplating a speedy ride like the railroad grade from Lebel sur Quevion to Chapais.
Last year, when i turned the big 60, in a gesture to accomodate my advancing years and growing penchant for bodily comfort, I traded in the Klimb goretex shell for the new Klimb insulated goretex jacket that they came out with last year (i believe it is the "Klimate"????) Anyhoo, it is real similar to the Klimb shells i used before; jumbo pit zips and two other vent zips; and the insulation is fairly light. Very comfy. I layer under it just like i did before. When it's really warm in the spring, i just wear the windstopper top over a lite polypro "T".
I wear Altimate Boots (made by Baffin). Have for over 10 years. Best boots made for snowmobiling, imho.
timbo
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You know I'll be honest with you- We had people from 25 years old to 75 years old in the group. I had ridden once before in a big group and decided I would never do it again. This outing however was great. The slower people stayed in a group, and the faster paced ones were in a group....
In the 154 kilometer going up - we stopped 3 times everyone regrouped, take a break Then we'd take off again. The one nice thing about this ride was my buddy and I did not know anyone else and yet the we almost felt like we knew everyone. Very friendly group of riders, and the great thing was nobody was trying to impress another, the most people had at lunch was 1 beer, and one one occasion there was one guy that passed another sled in a bit of a "could have been an incident", and that person was basically told- We are here to enjoy ourselves, don't go aout and ruin it for others. He apologized imediately
and there were no hard feelings. This group of people are absolute hardcore sledders- They ride about 10 to 12000 kilometers per year. They are out to enjoy the sport and don't care if your sled is faster than theirs. Maybe yours is, but they will ride 4 times as much in a winter as you. You wana be fast or you wanna go out and ride..
Well said, TDI-HAM!! Welcome aboard!
timbo
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all of this makes great sense. the buck a mile matrix sure seems pretty close to accurate. just one caveat. till you accomplish the exchange nick, you can very well stop worrying about the difference between the US and CAD dollar. seems we must get used to money being close to parity, eh?
riding in la Belle Province remains one of the great bargains of the recreational world.
timbo
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might that have been just west of Chapais????timboThis was looking west, just west of Chibougamau right after you pass the sawmill Barrett (I think was the name) The rail line started about 10 miles from here.
perhaps just east of Quebec City?????timboDoes anyone recognize this fancy place??
perhaps just east of Quebec City?????timboDoes anyone recognize this fancy place?? -
Hello everyone!
Welcome to a different kind of snowmobile forum. We are going back to basics here, and intend to highlight the positive. This forum is meant to make riding in Quebec even more enjoyable. We will provide weather, trail conditions, and more. But perhaps most importantly, we will try to create a feeling of friendship between snowmobilers from both sides of the border. This has been a long time goal of mine, and I think it may be easier to achieve on a smaller forum like this. Please join us as we look forward to another enjoyable winter riding in Quebec.
rob
A great idea Rob, and one that's overdue. Looking forward to the good info and exchanges this site will provide those of us who love to ride in La Belle Province!!
Well done!
Timbo
Happy Birthday Timbo
in General Discussion
Posted
Hi Skipper
Yes! One of my best riding buddies lives in Gianes. We will start out from there; ride to Germania, then head down for the Black Forest, on down past Pat Reeders, then on to Happy Acres, Occassionally we'll take a "secret" shortcut and drop into the Waterville Hotel for a mountain burger!!
But that was primarily in the "old days". With the low snow seasons of late, we're spending most of our time in la belle province. We did 5 trips to Quebec last winter. Did get up to Cross Fork one day last winter, one day at Parker Dan, and one day at Raymond B. Winter. Hope PA gets some decent snow this winter. Nice to take a little local spin when the opportunity presents itself.
Timbo
""Formerly acclaimed as the Blizzard Wizzard"
Master Spud of the Astounding Potatoe Brothers