Turblue
Active VIP Member
So I had a discussion the other day with a family member, actually more of a argument.
She said “you would never catch me riding snowmobile in the mountains”
I said “yes the fear of misunderstanding you need to live life”
She said”Lol, yeah but to me that is too close to taking a life”
Is this how the majority of society view snowmobiling in the mountains? That there’s a avalanche around every corner trying to kill you?
Manufacturers say the snowmobile sales are steadily decreasing.....why is this reclining? People misunderstanding the benefits of the great sport, environment issues, cost of doing the sport? What would it take to get more people involved?
I feel that snowmobile technology has come to a point where sleds are lasting longer then ever. The old saying “ride a hour and fix a hour” doesn’t apply anymore. Maybe this is a reason for the lower sales......It’s rare to have a break down unless it’s self inflicted..lol. I find the parking lots are overfilled most days...sure doesn’t feel like it’s declining.
Another aspect that will be a huge part in the next 10 years will be emissions. Four strokes and electric will probably be more of the mainstream in 10years, unless technology really changes for the 2 stroke. I assume there will be some real whizzy 4 stroke technology in the next few year to make the light weight.
Noise is another huge factor, I am truly surprised most aftermarket exhaust manufacturers are not racing to be the quietest, maybe I’m getting older but listening to a loud sled across the valley is not helping our cause.
Education is key.....the Avalanche educators have to get a huge thanks!!!! The amount of information available at your fingertips is unbelievable. The hours that are put in it truly remarkable!!!!! They do such a great job making sure everyone has what the need to make critical riding decisions for the day. There are risks in everything we do in life, but the more information people can access the better.
Just curious what everyone’s thoughts are?
Here are some things I think of for myself.....Make sure you take the time to talk about how great sledding is to non sledders, take as many new riders and teach them what you know, respect the environment, pack out what you pack in, enjoy a drink after the day, support your local snowmobile club, take kids sledding, get avalanche educated, have a way to communicate while riding, respect fellow riders, always wear a beacon and safety gear, never ride alone, help any fellow rider if the are in need, support your local dealerships, don’t get to caught up in the latest and greatest, make sure you do your part so our kids have a place to ride, make smart riding decisions, someone in the group “spider sense tingling” you don’t do it, stick together as a group, be prepared for the worse, learn the mechanics of what you ride and above all have fun!!!!
Cheers
She said “you would never catch me riding snowmobile in the mountains”
I said “yes the fear of misunderstanding you need to live life”
She said”Lol, yeah but to me that is too close to taking a life”
Is this how the majority of society view snowmobiling in the mountains? That there’s a avalanche around every corner trying to kill you?
Manufacturers say the snowmobile sales are steadily decreasing.....why is this reclining? People misunderstanding the benefits of the great sport, environment issues, cost of doing the sport? What would it take to get more people involved?
I feel that snowmobile technology has come to a point where sleds are lasting longer then ever. The old saying “ride a hour and fix a hour” doesn’t apply anymore. Maybe this is a reason for the lower sales......It’s rare to have a break down unless it’s self inflicted..lol. I find the parking lots are overfilled most days...sure doesn’t feel like it’s declining.
Another aspect that will be a huge part in the next 10 years will be emissions. Four strokes and electric will probably be more of the mainstream in 10years, unless technology really changes for the 2 stroke. I assume there will be some real whizzy 4 stroke technology in the next few year to make the light weight.
Noise is another huge factor, I am truly surprised most aftermarket exhaust manufacturers are not racing to be the quietest, maybe I’m getting older but listening to a loud sled across the valley is not helping our cause.
Education is key.....the Avalanche educators have to get a huge thanks!!!! The amount of information available at your fingertips is unbelievable. The hours that are put in it truly remarkable!!!!! They do such a great job making sure everyone has what the need to make critical riding decisions for the day. There are risks in everything we do in life, but the more information people can access the better.
Just curious what everyone’s thoughts are?
Here are some things I think of for myself.....Make sure you take the time to talk about how great sledding is to non sledders, take as many new riders and teach them what you know, respect the environment, pack out what you pack in, enjoy a drink after the day, support your local snowmobile club, take kids sledding, get avalanche educated, have a way to communicate while riding, respect fellow riders, always wear a beacon and safety gear, never ride alone, help any fellow rider if the are in need, support your local dealerships, don’t get to caught up in the latest and greatest, make sure you do your part so our kids have a place to ride, make smart riding decisions, someone in the group “spider sense tingling” you don’t do it, stick together as a group, be prepared for the worse, learn the mechanics of what you ride and above all have fun!!!!
Cheers
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