Because you have the $$$ doesn't always mean you should.

[modmanmike]

its all about looking cool these days and who has the deepest pockets. Its absolutely true that it is the hotshot attitude that isnt good. like underdog said guys that have never rode a sled buying 250+ hp yammies and hitting the mountains with no avi training or proper gear. thats whats scary... an 800 is no biggie if the person has an attitude like rowdy and can set there own limits so as to not get them or others in to a situation.

 

[eclipse1966]

a newbie should not be buying a turbo sled then going to the mountains. Accident waiting to happen imo. But I have no problem with 800's or similar sleds provided the individual can keep their attitude / macho in check. This is by far the larger issue and no matter the age some people are full of it.

 

[zeebs]

The biggest thing is to know the limits of your riding ability and the limits of your sled and keep in mind to NEVER over ride either one of them. As long as you keep them 2 in check I dont see anything wrong about a bigger sled.

 

[OVERKILL 19]

I thought this thread was about hookers!!! I'm out!

 

[RMK Junky]

As we get well into another year of epic snow conditions and endless possabilities I am constantly looking over threads and articals of who is buying what and why. What strikes me as a great concern is the amount of stories I am reading about new riders going out and buying the biggest and the best. I see some of these people in parking lots getting ready to go out for the day with little more then a sack lunch and maybe a toque. I know no one is brought into this world with knowledge or skill but it does concern me that so few people especially new riders have such little respect for what can and does happen. Sleds today are generating so much power and getting into places that a meire 10 years ago we couldn't get to until spring. Think back to when you got your first car. Was it the biggest, fastest in town? Probably not... I met a kid the other day who had over heard myself and another talking about mountain riding, he proceeded to tell me that on his days off he was going to buy the Cat 800 and he was headed to golden for the weekend and he was going to show everyone how to ride in the mountains. His reason for buying that particular sled was because it looked the coolest and he wanted to be better then his friends. The only words I could think of was "stay away from me, I am looking at dead man". The problem is there are hundred more cases just like this out there. Whatever happened to walking before you run? Learning how to ride? I understand everyone has to start someplace I just have trouble believing its on the back of a 150+ HP machine in the mountains.....

Just because you can doesn't always mean that you should......
Just saying

Keeping up with the Joneses - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia might have alittle to do with this.

 

[S.W.A.T.]

I wasn't trying to pigeon hole any one hear young or mature (HAHA not using th "O" word) it was to shed light on the question is it really the right thing to do. I first experianced this about 2 years ago when riding with some frinds in a fairly experianced area. My self and most of the riders in the group had been sledding since we were kids and familure with this location. We were taking turn poking at a hill just seeing who had what really. One of the guys in the group was new to town and had a brand new m8 with a turbo. I made the mistake of assuming that anyone who would buy a sled like that would have some experiance under his belt. I was sorly mistaken. It wasnt only his first ride with the sled, it was his first time sledding ever. Now I do have to agree with Rowdy and say that sledding is only as dangerous as you make it, however after making about 4 turns in the bottom of the bowl and getting stuck and people helping him out it was apparrent to me this guy shouldn`t be here. Without a word or a moments notice he takes off straight up the hill full speed, not knowing what is or isn`t in the chute or if there is even anything on the other side. Needless to say practicing 4 turns wasnt enough for him and for the first time in my life I was able to watch first hand what it was like to have 20k disapear before your eyes. I read a thread yesterday about guy who was saying he got the new 800 and it was his first sled ever and how it was so fast and couldn`t wait to see how fast it can really go.

Im just saying these types of people with extra money is more likely to cause a bad situation.

Just sayin...

 

[jay007]

I agree with what you re saying for sure. I rode many small sled from a Super Olimpique (spelling?) sigle cylinder, to a Rupp, to a 440 intvader, to a 583 mach, 670 summit, 800 summit. I think spending some time riding the smaller sleds and leaning how to use them to get you places is a great learning experience. I have seen friends of mine that spent time making too much money and bought their 1st sled a turbo'd monster and their only skill is to piont it straight up and pin it. Not like the days of trying to work to get to the top. In my opinion riding my 670 in the mountains for a few years gave me a lot of skill and knowledge that these guys just dont have cause they didnt need it, but one day they will and their point and pin it skill level isnt going to get them anyhere!

But I stll agree with others that if someone buys an 800 for their first sled and has the proper mind set that they need to learn what they are doing that it can be done, that person just has to realize what they are doing and need to realize they have a learning curve that they need to pay attention to. IMO

 

[Bogger]

fawk I knew I shoulda gone with a 600..... gonna kill myself on the M8

 

[zeebs]

fawk I knew I shoulda gone with a 600..... gonna kill myself on the M8

you'd be dangerous on a 330. js

 

[tukernater]

fawk I knew I shoulda gone with a 600..... gonna kill myself on the M8

A M-8 is =To the new Doo 600 You'll be fine.J/K

 

[barleyfarmer]

I worked in sales at a sled and atv shop for a while a few years back. I lost a few sales because I wouldn't sell a big sled to some kid with his first big oil field cheque and no riding experience because I had to sleep at night!I've been on these things since I was a kid and been going to the mountains since the late 80's and can tell rather fast if someone is bs'ing about their riding abilities!If you have the right way of thinking you can start out on a big sled but you just have to respect how much power they have!I'm teaching my kids to use their heads when they take out a big machine and it seems to work so far!But when I was selling I couldn't understand how some of these other places in good conscience could sell a sled that was way above the riders ability.One kid had his dad snowballed about how much power the one sled had till I let him take it for a rip!!Needless to say that was a 15 year old that was pissed because he wasn't going to get a 800 rmk for his first sled!!Never rode a sled in his life but I sold him a used 500 rmk and by spring he had damn near had it wrote off!!His dad still thanked me for talking him out of a 800!Start out on a smaller machine and work your way up,it will make you a better rider!Just my opinion!!

 

[Sparky's]

I'm still riding my 700 and by the time i get around to buying the next sled ill be ready to buy someones to much money then brains sled. real cheap because they get scared and sell it! Last spring buddys ran into a guy that went up a hill on a turbo yammy and got scared on top and left there, too scared to bring it back down. He was the kinda guy that should be on a 800 short track!

 

[J__Zak]

I believe it all depends on the rider himself. I got my first sled last winter a 2006 Summit 1000 with only riding a sled maybe once before that on the farm. But being as i have been riding quads and dirt bikes since i was 18months old i made the transition quite easily. Granted my first ride wasn't to the mountains either....

 

[stams]

my son is 19 now and he started riding last year, i rented him a 800 summit. He had lots of fun in the mountians, but could not handle the power of a 800. He now owns a 2012 pro rmk 600 and he loves it, and he goes anywhere i go with my 800. The nice thing is he feels comfortable on the sled and will make him a better rider in the following years.

 

[Mike270412]

Would sure hate to see someone climb to somewhere they are scared to ride down from!!!LOL!

Well said that deserves a wisers clap.



Clap..................clap................clap............................clap.


Let's just hope some people listen.

Posted from my BlackBerry using BerryBlab

 

[kbrunlees]

I am in full agreement with SWAT. I suspect that attitude and ability have more to play than you think. I started on a smaller sled a few years ago (440 fan cooled) and now have a 600 water cooled. 3 times the power. Am i an expert, hell no. There are a lot more riders out there who are far better than me, just the way it is. I did ride an 800 and realized I could kill my self in a heartbeat. I know my limits, but unfortunately a lot don't. The one size fits all approach doesnt work. There is no good answer. I have a young friend that is learning to sled this winter and he is getting the 440 for a while and thats all there is to it. When he gets better we will talk about something bigger. I would rather have the trailing wheels on and have him learn to ride well then be responsible for something bad. Some people are just natural good riders and take to it fast, most of us are not. We have to learn bit by bit. Don't deride someone because they don't have your skills, let them learn. JMHO

 

[S.W.A.T.]

I think the attitude is becoming part of the whole community. Still many threads out there having people tell one another not to go to the mountains unless you have a big sled and big track.

Not so much what your ride as how you ride what you have

 

[barleyfarmer]

I think the attitude is becoming part of the whole community. Still many threads out there having people tell one another not to go to the mountains unless you have a big sled and big track.

Not so much what your ride as how you ride what you have

I agree but you still see some guys going out there with short tracks!Shorter than 136's!That's getting into a safety issue because some of these guys figure that it works good at home it will work in the mountains!They don't comprehend the difference till you get there!!Plus some of these guys watch sled videos all summer and figure they can do whatever the guys on the video are doing!!They don't realize that the video guys most times have the chopper bring their sleds back down!I've seen with my own eyes where a guy buys a sled that goes to high for them and then they're to scared to go back down!That's the knee knocking part is coming back down!Gravity's an unforgiving bitch!!!!

 

[Carrots]

I agree but you still see some guys going out there with short tracks!Shorter than 136's!That's getting into a safety issue because some of these guys figure that it works good at home it will work in the mountains!They don't comprehend the difference till you get there!!Plus some of these guys watch sled videos all summer and figure they can do whatever the guys on the video are doing!!They don't realize that the video guys most times have the chopper bring their sleds back down!I've seen with my own eyes where a guy buys a sled that goes to high for them and then they're to scared to go back down!That's the knee knocking part is coming back down!Gravity's an unforgiving bitch!!!!

My brother has always rode a short track in the mountains. He has a 121 inch and 3 quarter track on it and he can go anywhere our group goes.

And there's nothing wrong with beginners taking short tracks into the mountains, on my first trips to the mountains I rode a short track and never got my self into too much trouble. Just gotta be smart with it and not drop down the side of the mountain thinking you can get back out.




Sent from my mobile phone

 

[barleyfarmer]

Good point!I would sooner see someone on a short track in the mountains who can ride instead of someone with too much sled and can't!Too many guys are getting into trouble going into spots because the sled has the ability but the rider doesn't!!