Why do we do this?

[viper2]

Just would like to get comments why you guys ride snowmobiles. I got alot of things going through my head lately and I will try to get some out here in an orderly manner. Snowmobiling has changed so much in the last 30 years...................for better or worse. Some things have been great others...............well lets just say be careful what you ask for it may come true. I started riding my own sled when I was 10. My family always had Arctic Cats my first recollection was a Puma and a Panther. In 1978 my dad got a 440 Exciter and we have been on Yamahas ever since. He bought them because they were dependable and we never looked back. The thing with me and riding is I love anything that moves under it's own power, especially if I can be on it. I have had motorcycles and ATV's I raced go karts and later stock cars. The thing with snowmobiling is alot different, it keeps you active in the winter and for me personally it is much easier to get away from the family business in the winter. One thing I learned in racing is we are our own worst enemy when it comes to making it expensive and that holds true for snowmobiling. In the 80's the sleds were light,fast,tough and easy to work on. Now they have gotten almost like cars where you can hardly work on it yourself. The first thing we wanted was more power (I admit I wanted to go over 90 mph myself) with this came the race to be the biggest and fastest and also lots of weight. Then we wanted it to ride like a luxury car presto................. more weight. More recently we asked for lighter,lighter,lighter and we are getting it......... so long to the tough (everything is plastic now and if you need storage you better put bags on it) To get to this weight everything is crammed in a tight space, my '09 Apex GT is so hard to work on you have to take the hood,side panels,gas tank cover,headlight assembly,and airbox off the snowmobile to change the battery.We are getting so many relays,sensors etc. that it's like a car, how can we figure this stuff out on the trail? :wacko: Now don't get me wrong guys I am not saying I want to go back to 1980, I mean I know I am not going to do a 300mi. day on a 1982 250 enticer, but how far have we come? Even in the late 80's we could ride our Phazer or SRV fan cool's 90-95 mph 90-95 miles to a tank (8 gal. tank) the suspension was not what it is today but they were fairly light and easy to work on. Up until the 4 strokes the gas mileage wasn't much better top speed was slightly higher (how much time do we spend above 90mph) and we have a cheesy sled (plastic) that you can't work on. I ride because I love it and I always will no matter what the future brings. If you ever want to taste a little nostalgia get off your 2010 with the the GPS and heated grips and all the bells and whistles and jump on a sled from 1987 (like I did on my kids Phazer) and you will truely remember why you started this. The old sleds were a blast, they were quick,narrow, light you could throw them around and just have fun. These are the sleds that made you the rider you are today and these are the sleds that challenged you. One more thing, we are driving the price of our sport out of control and it will soon be a rich mans sport. We will be the ones to blame we only got what we asked for. Have fun........keep it upright

[NHTOM]

Just would like to get comments why you guys ride snowmobiles. I got alot of things going through my head lately and I will try to get some out here in an orderly manner. Snowmobiling has changed so much in the last 30 years...................for better or worse. Some things have been great others...............well lets just say be careful what you ask for it may come true. I started riding my own sled when I was 10. My family always had Arctic Cats my first recollection was a Puma and a Panther. In 1978 my dad got a 440 Exciter and we have been on Yamahas ever since. He bought them because they were dependable and we never looked back. The thing with me and riding is I love anything that moves under it's own power, especially if I can be on it. I have had motorcycles and ATV's I raced go karts and later stock cars. The thing with snowmobiling is alot different, it keeps you active in the winter and for me personally it is much easier to get away from the family business in the winter. One thing I learned in racing is we are our own worst enemy when it comes to making it expensive and that holds true for snowmobiling. In the 80's the sleds were light,fast,tough and easy to work on. Now they have gotten almost like cars where you can hardly work on it yourself. The first thing we wanted was more power (I admit I wanted to go over 90 mph myself) with this came the race to be the biggest and fastest and also lots of weight. Then we wanted it to ride like a luxury car presto................. more weight. More recently we asked for lighter,lighter,lighter and we are getting it......... so long to the tough (everything is plastic now and if you need storage you better put bags on it) To get to this weight everything is crammed in a tight space, my '09 Apex GT is so hard to work on you have to take the hood,side panels,gas tank cover,headlight assembly,and airbox off the snowmobile to change the battery.We are getting so many relays,sensors etc. that it's like a car, how can we figure this stuff out on the trail? :wacko: Now don't get me wrong guys I am not saying I want to go back to 1980, I mean I know I am not going to do a 300mi. day on a 1982 250 enticer, but how far have we come? Even in the late 80's we could ride our Phazer or SRV fan cool's 90-95 mph 90-95 miles to a tank (8 gal. tank) the suspension was not what it is today but they were fairly light and easy to work on. Up until the 4 strokes the gas mileage wasn't much better top speed was slightly higher (how much time do we spend above 90mph) and we have a cheesy sled (plastic) that you can't work on. I ride because I love it and I always will no matter what the future brings. If you ever want to taste a little nostalgia get off your 2010 with the the GPS and heated grips and all the bells and whistles and jump on a sled from 1987 (like I did on my kids Phazer) and you will truely remember why you started this. The old sleds were a blast, they were quick,narrow, light you could throw them around and just have fun. These are the sleds that made you the rider you are today and these are the sleds that challenged you. One more thing, we are driving the price of our sport out of control and it will soon be a rich mans sport. We will be the ones to blame we only got what we asked for. Have fun........keep it upright

Well, Ill agree with 90% of what you said, but lets not forget trail grooming. Especially in Quebec. The trails everywhere are 100X better than they were in the 80's.

I agree that the new sleds are a pain in the ass to work on. And your APEX is pretty much a dealer only maitainence rig. I think your married to Yamaha and thats great, but, you may want to get back on a light 2 stroke to have more fun. The Ski-doos are light, great gas milage (better than an APEX) and haul ass. Yes they are more fragile (cracked chain cases, etc) but they are nimble and peppy and thats what makes snowmobiles unique. I think Yamaha made a mistake going 100% 4 stroke, and time will tell if they were right or wrong.

I still think the 2002 SRX triple triple 700 will beat your Apex up to 100, and after 100 who cares? Virtually all cars on the raod go faster top end than any snowmobile and what fun are they?

[viper2]

Well, Ill agree with 90% of what you said, but lets not forget trail grooming. Especially in Quebec. The trails everywhere are 100X better than they were in the 80's.

I agree that the new sleds are a pain in the ass to work on. And your APEX is pretty much a dealer only maitainence rig. I think your married to Yamaha and thats great, but, you may want to get back on a light 2 stroke to have more fun. The Ski-doos are light, great gas milage (better than an APEX) and haul ass. Yes they are more fragile (cracked chain cases, etc) but they are nimble and peppy and thats what makes snowmobiles unique. I think Yamaha made a mistake going 100% 4 stroke, and time will tell if they were right or wrong.

I still think the 2002 SRX triple triple 700 will beat your Apex up to 100, and after 100 who cares? Virtually all cars on the raod go faster top end than any snowmobile and what fun are they?

Heck, I think my '02 Viper could beat my Apex, but I don't ride Yamaha's because they are the fastest. I guess if I had to be fastest I would jump around every year or 2 like alot of guys do. Like I said I ride Yammy's because they are #1 in reliability, if Yamaha went out of the snowmobile business tommorrow I would probably go to Polaris. I am not looking to ruffle feathers here but I ride with alot of different guys with diff. brands and the Doo's are about the most prone to problems. But hey let's get back to why I started this thread why or what do you like about snowmobiling? Oh and ditto on the grooming there is def. some better eqipment in that dept. and it shows.

Edited January 3, 2010 by viper2

[600IQHO]

Good Question Viper! Where should I start? Thrill of the ride! Going to places we would never have seen without snowmobiling. Doing something most people would not even think about doing. We actually love going to Quebec and meeting new people of a different culture who speak a different language (and trying to communicate with them), and we love to try foods from all the different restaurants in Quebec. Plus most of the people we know think that we are absolutely nuts for walking out the door at 20 to 30 below or colder and jumping on the sleds and riding. Going back to cost, that you started, you are absolutely correct, it is out of hand. Every time we need to upgrade to new equipment I want o quit , but I cannot! As Polaris found out you cannot sit on the old and depend on your old customers to return. I truly believe this almost took them out of making snowmobile because almost everybody wants the newest and best technology out there and that is what drives up the cost of sleds-R&D!! That is probably half the cost of each slead, at least that is my opinion.

[revct1]

About the different brands - All of the sleds will take you where you want to go for the most part. With a little care and attention they are all relatively reliable one brand to the next otherwise they wouldn't still be in business. I am loyal to the dealer that I use and I feel that he is loyal to me. If I have a problem, he does his best to fix it in a timely manner. He knows the season is short and time is very important. Service counts! From my humble point of view, the dealer and service are more important than the sticker on the sled.

About the subject - I started snowmobiling in the late 60's and I have never gotten away from it. I was single and had extra spending money and this was the newest thing to do. It may have started off as more of a fad, riding around in the back yard and the fields next door, but the sport has grown and I have stayed hooked. Most of my friends that rode way back then have stopped for various reasons.

My wife, girlfriend back in the 70's, started because I did and it was a way she could spend time with me. Then she got hooked on it too. Fortunately, our work schedule now allows time off during the winter.

My wife and I both have a business and the winter months are quiet. I have met many riders that own their own business. I'm not sure what that says about the sport, just an observation.

Snowmobiling is our vacation time. Like Viper2, we love something with a motor. With that said, we ride mostly in Quebec and not only enjoy the riding, the vistas, the food, the weather and the challenges but especially the people that we meet whether they are other snowmobilers or the people that work in the hotel or restaurant or relais that take care of us.

If I was out there by myself, it would still be fun but sharing the experiences with others, the socializing, makes it that much better. That probably holds true for any other hobby.

Jack & Sandi

[viper2]

Great comments, I feel the same way as you guys. Once it gets in your blood it is hard to stop,people think your nuts when you tell them you go to Quebec in the winter and them when you tell them you ride 200-300 miles a day sometimes with temps. at -30 or -40 they say when does the fun begin? You just can't explain it

[SnowIsLikeCrack]

To start out, we ride because we love the sport. We pray to the snow gods every year for at least one great week to ride for the season being so short. It’s filled with the adrenaline of riding fast, riding challenging trails, and hanging out with friends you may barely see throughout the year but still talk to. To be free and enjoy a part of life you may not wake up to the next day. The smell of the crisp, cold air in the morning, catching wildlife up close, and snow blowing by you.

I own a 09 Nytro, it is far better than my old 600 Polaris. My old sled I maybe got around 11 mpg, now I average no less than 15 mpg. Course everything depends on conditions. I don’t have to carry nearly as much oil for a 4 stroke than I did for a 2 stroke. Cleaner burring, no oil smell at the end of a days ride, or season. Before that sled I had a 97 skidoo trailblazer, and before that I ran my dads old 1971 Motoski 640 w/ a hurst motor, single carb, no heated grips and bogie wheel suspension.

Everybody will say their sled is better than the next, no matter what. Yamaha does have the reputation for reliability. Cats are heavy and don’t like water. Doo’s, maybe light and get good gas mileage, but the 800’s have blown jackshafts before, some R&D research there. Polaris still has some work to do to stay up with the pack.

As far as riding in Quebec, they have their shit together. I’ve been practically everywhere, 20 miles east of Montreal, to Gaspe’. North of La Tuque, and started down from Thetford Mines. The fact remains, no matter what you ride, anyone you encounter on the trail is willing to help you out. People will help you out and offer you a place to stay if you need one in a tight spot. Once you’ve been to Canada, you’ll be spoiled, and not want to ride anywhere else.

[iceman]

SnowIsLikeCrack 100% true Quebec has it's shit together and why ride anywhere else.

[viper2]

SnowIsLikeCrack 100% true Quebec has it's shit together and why ride anywhere else.

X3 on Quebec I do 95% of my riding in Quebec and the people are awesome. Met alot of good people up there and made many friends.

[600IQHO]

X3 on Quebec I do 95% of my riding in Quebec and the people are awesome. Met alot of good people up there and made many friends.

Make that X4 on Quebec! I tried riding for the 1st time in 4 years in the US. this week. I do not see myself riding again stateside in a long time! It just does not compare at all!!