Possible Purchase Dilema

[KCougar]

Hey ladies! My apologies if this topic has been covered previously, I looked briefly but didnt see a similar post. Im looking for advice on purchasing a sled. The two Ive widdled down to would be the 2012 800 Summit with a 146" track or a 2013 M8 153" Sno Pro.

Heres the dilema. Im a beginner rider, never been to the mountains. My bf has a 2011 M8 and I will be following him out there this winter and hope to make this a seasonal hobby. Im primarilly interested in trails and bowls, the thought of highmarking terrifies me at this point in time. Im on the small side, but workout. My quad is a 750 Brute (pre-power steering) so Im not green to throwing something around or hanging off a machine to get it where it needs to go. Salesmen and different friends have given me different opinions on the smaller track length. So my question is, which sled will I struggle with less? What do you/your daughters ride, or rode, as a rookie?

 

[b_doornenbal]

My GF has had good luck with her M series (Arctic cat) and the new chassis is easier to handle, you may need a bit of time to make sure that it gets set up right for you, and if you are light, setting up the suspension will be very important so take the time to do this right away. This will be important on either sled.

My two cents are that even though people may say that a 16 wide 146 has the same track area as a 153 in deep snow I have found the 153 to float a bit better, and sit a bit more level in deep snow which makes it easier to ride. Another thing that I have found when ridding Skidoos is that my thumb gets tired much sooner than on a cat (just check how much easier to push the throttle on a cat than a doo, it will make a big difference over a day). The skidoo will be a bit smoother on the trail, but as a beginner I doubt you will be doing 60 mph on the way up.

One point that would make the choice easy is if the Cat has a 2.6 PC track, if this is the case it will hook up and "pop" up on the snow much easier.

Both sleds are top quality and at the end of the day you will not regret buying either, if you find that sledding in the mountains is now your thing I personally think there are more options to up grade a 153 (track, suspensions, ..... it will handle more power better (less wheelie's) if you decide that you need more) and seems to be a more common length in the mountains.

I will ask the question as well have you looked at a Polaris Pro?

Good luck !!

 

[SledMamma]

153 Cat... It won't disappoint

 

[white6]

Like bd said you wont be disappointed with either machine, especially as a newbie with minimal experience. Your not used to any type position or style yet. There both top quality machines for sure.

If your between the doo and the cat I would def go cat. The brp 146" is great for the primarily trail rider and mtn ride twice a year type. But if you intend to be hittin the hills more, you want the track length. That said brp makes a 154" so on track, go into the 150's for sure. The longer track can also be more forgiving for learning, you dont need as much speed, can stop and go a little more too.

I havent rode the newest of the brp sleds but previous years of the newest chassis style were much more difficult to counter steer and balance with i found. I did not enjoy the rider stance compared to cat either. BUT i did grow up on cats so as a rider im already partly biased to there style. Being small won't hinder you in the hills, just means you will require a bit more technique to do some of the things your looking to do. At the end of the day my vote is for the cat alllll the way. If you dont want the cat, id be lookin at the polaris pro as a second choice if i were u cheers hope to see u on the hills

 

[Taminator]

Both sleds are great sleds. For me, it would be the Cat hands down, and track length is a biggy for mountain riding. It'd be a tougher choice if it was a 154 Doo. I rode a Doo 144 and loved it, then I switched to Cat and am way happier on it, takes less effort to do technical moves for me. The Cat or Poo seem easier for a beginner to handle. I've had a lot of women in the mountains and, not being biased, just stating what happens when we get women on different sleds to try, they find the Cat and Polaris easier to get on and ride and they're more responsive to the less aggressive rider input a beginner has. That being said, you can learn on anything you set your mind to, they are all made to do the same thing and it's just a matter of what works best and feels best to you. You buy the Doo...you will love the Doo, you buy the Cat, you will love the Cat.

 

[KCougar]

Thanks guys! The only reason I'd considered the SkiDoo was due to the fact it had a shorter track in an 800 mountain sled where Cat didn't. I'd ruled out (possibly prematurely?) an RMK as a friend of mine had one and at a similar size and skill level had a hard time handling it. But that's why I joined. Every riders different and I wanted a variety of opinions and experiences from similar riders so I can make a less blind decision. I know they're big sleds and will take patience and trial and error until I get it down but needed somewhere to start. I'm leaning towards the Cat!

 

[snoqueen]

As the ladies above said.....Cat 153!

 

[thunder44]

Well Iam sorry to disagree with the Cat riders LOL. I didn't learn to ride in themountains on a new sled lol. I had my husband’s hand me down, but the firsttime I rode my Rev 151 to in the mountains I fell in love. First the length ofthe track is so important for a newbie. I found that every time I hit thethrottle on the shorter track I was stuck and there were a lot of stucks lol. Ialso found that compared to the Cat the Doo wasn't as tippy. I know as a more experiencedrider love the maneuverability of the narrower track but as a newbie I reallyliked the stability of the Doo. As said before either sled you will love, theyare both great sleds but you wanted an opinion and this is what I have experienced.

 

[powderpilot]

I would say ot depends on what kind of rider you want to be, and what kind of riding you want to do. Every sled handles totally differently, some are so easy to ride it's like having training wheels, but they all have their pros and cons. I started on an XP 146, I LOVED that sled, it was maneuvreable, and super stable because of the wider track, but the balance point is a bit hard to find, like some of the girls have said. I learned a lot about throttle control and counter-steering on the XP sled because of the short track and having to over-balance it all the time. I outgrew the track in about two years, but I think having the short track made me a better rider for having to work at getting it out of places in the steep and deep. The XP was unreal on the trail, you could whip it around corners and the track would slide out, and it would just hug the trail. Awesome for jumping, but when you want to start climbing big stuff you will struggle with trying to keep the skis down. Also, if you are much over 130lbs, you might not get the floatation that the heavier guys with longer tracks are getting.

I'm on a M8 with a 162" now, and I love that one also. It's definitely a lot sloppier than the Doo, but there are some things that it does way better IMO. I have a love-hate relationship with my Powerclaw track... It has great hookup in spring snow, but it sucks going downhill. It's scary sometimes!

You should definitely try them all before you decide. Dealers have demo sleds that you can take out for a day. You don't buy shoes without trying them on, and this is a way bigger commitment! Either way, you won't be disspapointed with anything newer, they keep making them better every year!

 

[Trax 2 Treadz]

Is it possible for you to rent both sleds or very similar sleds for a weekend to try them out before you make your decision?

Jan

 

[KCougar]

I wish my bf had an old one I could cut my teeth on! Or dad, or friends.. lol. I haven't looked into renting, that's a good suggestion though! I basically just looked at purchasing so I could go around home as soon as we get some snow too.

As for riding style, I love going fast. Lol. But realistically I'd like to get good at technical riding. Riding in trees and playing in bowls looks like fun when I watch videos. That's why I was concerned about maneuverability when looking at different brands.

Again, I totally appreciate the advice! You guys have given some suggestions and insight that I was looking for. I'm going to look up some rental options and see whats available.

 

[xc_rider08]

I think you should consider the Polaris Pro Rmk 800 155" in your choices also.. Definetly like the others said. Get out and test ride them first. See what sled fits you better, how u like the handleing, etc...

After that and you have bought a sled, have fun and enjoy what ever sled u pruchase! Good Luck

 

[Taminator]

I wish my bf had an old one I could cut my teeth on! Or dad, or friends.. lol. I haven't looked into renting, that's a good suggestion though! I basically just looked at purchasing so I could go around home as soon as we get some snow too.

As for riding style, I love going fast. Lol. But realistically I'd like to get good at technical riding. Riding in trees and playing in bowls looks like fun when I watch videos. That's why I was concerned about maneuverability when looking at different brands.

Again, I totally appreciate the advice! You guys have given some suggestions and insight that I was looking for. I'm going to look up some rental options and see whats available.

International Take a Newbie Shredding Day is Feb 23. There will be some different rides all over for this, we're hosting one in Golden at Quartz Creek. There will be demo sleds for Cat, Polaris, SkiDoo and Yamaha there as well as some basic instruction, beacon testing and avy info, BBQ at the cabin...all kinds of fun. You might have a decision made by then, but still and event that would be worth taking in as a new rider in the mountains.