I'm not sure why someone would put that type of pressure on the drivetrain but I know having your sled in reverse in avalanche scenario seems to be one of the dumber things to do!! If your worried about a decent put a belt over your ski spindle(or belts) and under ski to slow yourself down and...
I'm thinking that if hotels have always told you about early /late check in fees for half your life then just maybe you would have assumed or even asked about it ! Rules are rules why is everybody so surprised? Common courtesy is long gone
Honestly , one of the best sleds I've owned was a 93 xlt! First year sled that held up perfectly. Put almost 12000 km on that triple without a problem!!
Mine left a baseball sized spot on garage floor too! Over oiled from factory for initial break -in .Definetly coming from exhaust so take it out and run it.Nothing to worry about. Just make sure to clean it up before your Polaris buddies come over!!