Want to get mountain sleds for family!

kootenayguy

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Hey guys (and girls). Im going to be getting some mountain sleds for the wife and I (and eventually my soon to be son that's due in June!) and I think Ive got our choices pretty much narrowed down, but I thought Id post on here and see what the more educated opinions are.



First of all, price wise we'll be looking to spend anywhere from $4500 to $9000 for 2 used sleds, totaly depending on what I need to spend in order to get what we need. As far as manufacturers, Ive got in narrowed down to Yamaha and Doo- Now before all the CAt and polaris die hards try to lynch me, let me explain why Ive got to that decision after my research thus far:



First and foremost, reliability is king for me. Ive got a cabin in the mountains in the Okanagan in BC and I live at the coast, so a breakdown for me would not only be a major tow out, but it's something I want to minimize the risk of as much as possible. Second is ability to have some fun in the powder and to be able to hang out in the hills to some degree.



Now as far as my background goes, I have never personally owned a sled, but the majority of my life has been spent on open class dirt bikes- for those who don't know, examples are KTM 525 and CR 500 / KX 500. That's basically HEAPS of power taht's utilized primarilly in open areas like sand dunes, hill climbs, and BIG freeriding. Essentially thats what Id like to do perosnally when it comes to the sled- little to no trail riding save for access to areas, not too much in the trees, and alot of freeriding in open areas.



SO, from what I have read / learned thus far, the general consensus is that Yamaha leads the industry in reliability with ski doo in second. If money was no object I would be buying a couple of nytros and turbo-ing one for myself- currently a nice non turbo nytro used sells for around $8000 here in BC so thats out of the question.



I have read alot of praise for the summit 670 in terms of reliability AND performance, and therefore would be very interested to hear opinions and testimonials of that machine- plus you can get a pair around here for under $6000 easy which is definately affordable.



I guess based on my research I have it narrowed down to a summit 670 - 1000 (basically ehatever I can find for good $) and any of the yamaha 4 stroke mountain machines- I have read nothing but bad stuff about the yamaha 2 stroke moiuntain sleds, so contrary information would be much apreciated!



SO thanks for listening to my rant and for putitng up with a newbie- I can only hope that others find my info and this thread useful and I greatly thank all those who respond for their time!
 

OOC ZigZag

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Hey guys (and girls). Im going to be getting some mountain sleds for the wife and I (and eventually my soon to be son that's due in June!) and I think Ive got our choices pretty much narrowed down, but I thought Id post on here and see what the more educated opinions are.



First of all, price wise we'll be looking to spend anywhere from $4500 to $9000 for 2 used sleds, totaly depending on what I need to spend in order to get what we need. As far as manufacturers, Ive got in narrowed down to Yamaha and Doo- Now before all the CAt and polaris die hards try to lynch me, let me explain why Ive got to that decision after my research thus far:



First and foremost, reliability is king for me. Ive got a cabin in the mountains in the Okanagan in BC and I live at the coast, so a breakdown for me would not only be a major tow out, but it's something I want to minimize the risk of as much as possible. Second is ability to have some fun in the powder and to be able to hang out in the hills to some degree.



Now as far as my background goes, I have never personally owned a sled, but the majority of my life has been spent on open class dirt bikes- for those who don't know, examples are KTM 525 and CR 500 / KX 500. That's basically HEAPS of power taht's utilized primarilly in open areas like sand dunes, hill climbs, and BIG freeriding. Essentially thats what Id like to do perosnally when it comes to the sled- little to no trail riding save for access to areas, not too much in the trees, and alot of freeriding in open areas.



SO, from what I have read / learned thus far, the general consensus is that Yamaha leads the industry in reliability with ski doo in second. If money was no object I would be buying a couple of nytros and turbo-ing one for myself- currently a nice non turbo nytro used sells for around $8000 here in BC so thats out of the question.



I have read alot of praise for the summit 670 in terms of reliability AND performance, and therefore would be very interested to hear opinions and testimonials of that machine- plus you can get a pair around here for under $6000 easy which is definately affordable.



I guess based on my research I have it narrowed down to a summit 670 - 1000 (basically ehatever I can find for good $) and any of the yamaha 4 stroke mountain machines- I have read nothing but bad stuff about the yamaha 2 stroke moiuntain sleds, so contrary information would be much apreciated!



SO thanks for listening to my rant and for putitng up with a newbie- I can only hope that others find my info and this thread useful and I greatly thank all those who respond for their time!

In your price range look for Skidoo 800 highmarks lots out there for a good price.:d:beer:
 

rigrat

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I would recommend that you test ride a few sleds in the mountains. The weight of the Yamaha can be a real issue for a newer rider. In fact i have had some experience on the stock Yamaha mountain sleds and would only buy one if i was going to stick to trail riding. As far a reliability, you either get a good sled or a lemon with any brand. JMHO :beer::beer:
 

leadfoot33

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you wont have a problem with the yammi 2 strokes i have owned three and not one hiccup out of any of them. lots of power and fun to ride. i moved on to cat and have an M7 and an M8 and would not even look back.(coincidently they are for sale :p) like rigrat said maybe go out and test some sleds. you would be surprised as to what you will like. i had the opportunity to try an 05 800 doo this weekend. it was okay i guess just totally different and was not what i would want to ride. but thats just me.
the 670 are a good reliable sled but as i recall were a pig on fuel.
hope any of this helps :)
 

NosRX1

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I agree with Rigrat, the Yamaha's are heavy and will really play you out quick getting them unstuck, My opinion would be going with the ski-doo 800's summits, the Rev's are a great sled and very reliable....I would mention Cat but that seems out of the question at this point..lol. Good luck hope you lean to the 2 stroke side until you get more use to mountain riding.:d
 

beeonaplug

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I would suggest to go out and rent a couple sleds just to get the feel of them, Yami and Doo or whatever.

Then when you have decided what your preference is give this guy a call (Darren) at Xtreme Powersports Okanogan, WA (509) 826-5771 a couple hours south of Kelowna. He usually has 70 to 80 used sleds and is great to deal with. I know he has a bunch of used yamaha phasers, and lots of doos. I'm sure for 8k you could get a xp, and he'd throw in a phaser or 2. Just a suggestion.
 

Dano670

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ive got 3 670x summits and have had no trouble at all with them,they can be thirsty depending on your riding demands,but i don't mind putting out a few dollars more on fuel for a reliable sled.I must add that they will keep up with alot of 800's and with a151 track added its 3 times the fun. Good luck with your qwest:beer:)
 

powderpilot

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X2 on the weight of the Yammy. Cat comes with a 4 year warranty, so I would say it's a reliable choice as well. You can find lots used with remaining warranty on them, and you can always do a turbo later if you want the extra HP.

Skidoo is also a good choice, but I would consider checking the compression on any of the 800's once they get around 3,000km on them.
 

magnet

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ive got 3 670x summits and have had no trouble at all with them,they can be thirsty depending on your riding demands,but i don't mind putting out a few dollars more on fuel for a reliable sled.I must add that they will keep up with alot of 800's and with a151 track added its 3 times the fun. Good luck with your qwest:beer:)

another for the 670, 0r even the 583 both made excelent power for the day, big power with a few dependable minor mods, can pull 150+ dependable hp out of a 670ho, and still run pump gas. with a 151 they are great i really like mine, 5 yrs now and not a macjhine responsible issue with it yet, going on 5000miles and never been apart, except pto side bearing which was the result of a failed belt getting eaten by the engine.:d would probably go with a 800 zx if i had the chance but not really a huge gain i dont think until you hit the rev chassis then your 1500+ more $$$$. good luck with your quest, see lots of 670's in bc for around the 2-25 mark.
 

thunder44

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I'm going to give a female side. I ride an 06 800 rev. I have owned a Yamaha and it was WAY too heavy for me. If you are considering buying sleds for both of you then please don't make this a bad experiance for your wife and buy something she hates. I'm sure I'm going to take some heat for this but..... I love my sled and previous to this sled I always got my husbands hand me downs. You know the old style, heavy ,hard to ride. I love mountain riding now and can control my sled and at the end of the day I'm not dead tired from throwing all that weight around. I have looked in the classifieds on here and the buy and sell and there are alot of Revs out there for a good price.

Good luck with what ever you buy and have fun , take an avalanche course, enjoy the mountains. Sledding is the BEST sport ever.
 

Snohog

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i'm sure thei are lots of people here that would agree the M8 catsare wayy better for a newer rider, they are easy to handle, and not very heavy at all. Yamaha, i'm not hearing he best things about them, they are heavy being a 4-stroke

but i would say a doo would work for you, i personaly have has nothng but greif from the '07 revs, its probly just my luck but the '07's did have some issues, maybe like a '05-06 would work better for ya, just as long as i dont have a ton of KM's it should last as long as you take care of it
 

DownhillBill

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As you seem set to a yammy or a doo, I would say doo. The yammys are very reliable and last the longest but are exremely heavy and can be a pain if your not used of riding them. Personally ridden doo my whole sled career and love them! I totally agree with renting some to try and see what you like! Everyone has a different riding style and what suits some does not for the next. If you go to doo I would recommend getting at least a rev platform, the older zx style is much more difficult to ride in the mountains. And you will never get the performance out of a 670 that you will out of an 800. Unless the 800 is running like a piece of junk...
Just my .02, hope it helps!:d:d
 

Dano670

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you won't get the same power with a standard 670 but enter the HO version and now it's game on ,two of my riding bud's have 800's and are very impressed with my sleds ability to stay with them .my only disadvantage is my 136 track,however 151 will come soon.:p
 

retiredpop

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First of all I'm not a Skidoo or Yamaha rider although I have had both in the past. You have to consider that the weight of a Yamaha 4 stroke is going to be huge negative factor especially for your wife. As Thunder44 pointed out it could be a game killer for her. My wife had a terrible time with a sled that was too heavy and no it wasn't a hand down sled. We just bought the wrong one. After she got a lighter more nimble sled it was full speed ahead for her and she has never looked back. When she's happy I'm happy.:)Skidoo makes a good mountain sled for sure and something in a Rev or XP chassis is the way to go. The older ones just don't ride as good. Get something with a track longer than a 136 if you can. No matter what you think about trails you will spend quite a bit of time riding on them like it or not. Even a short 20km ride on a pounded out trail will seem like a lot further on an older sled. You don't need that at the end of a great day.

edit: Buy a Sno-bunje no matter what sled you buy. They are worth their weight in gold imo especially if it just the two of you riding.
 
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powderhoundbrr

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Around that price range you will be looking at something in the 2004 - 2007 range. At that vintage the REV's and the M7's were really good. My wife rides a 06 M7 and she loves as it is light and nimble.

I ride a a REV and love it. I just can't get a new sled as I seem to just have a ton of fun on the REV and I have had it for 5 years and had ZERO troubles (at least things that weren't caused by rider error, there has been many of those)

I would stay away from the Apex's of that vintage they were beasts. I rode with good riders who had them and they hated them, they were good at pointing and shooting but get them in the trees and...........

The Polaris RMK's around then were a little dated in their chassis as well. Although I would argue that the 01 - 04 Liberty 800's were bombproof. I had 2 of those back then and like the engines but hated the ride.

Of course all the brands just have lemons in the bunch as well.

Good luck and take an avalanche course, buy the gear, and learn how to use it well!!!!!!
 

rmk 800 144

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If i where u i would look at the Ski doo XP about an 2008 or so i think they are in ur price range. being they are a sled you can move around well. from what i know and when i tryed one out .so hope this helps u buy a sled and welcome to the sport hope you have lots of fun out there. have fun and be safe!
 

OOC ZigZag

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I agree with Rigrat, the Yamaha's are heavy and will really play you out quick getting them unstuck, My opinion would be going with the ski-doo 800's summits, the Rev's are a great sled and very reliable....I would mention Cat but that seems out of the question at this point..lol. Good luck hope you lean to the 2 stroke side until you get more use to mountain riding.:d

I thought the 800's for bang for buck with the amount he wants to spend.:d:beer:
 

ratatatat

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The 670x (98, 99) is a good sled once some mods are done. Stock they are not much of a mountain sled. I'm running a 159" track in mine with the skid moved back a bit to slacken the track angle of attack. This combined with some new skis and a fairly fresh motor makes for a pretty good sled. If you go for the summit 700 (00, 01, 02) they already have the track angle of attack sorted out and many came with a 151" track. These are good sleds.

For your budget I don't think you will get into the 4stroke world.

If you want reliability stay away from the 800 revs.

Again considering your budget you should reconsider the cats. The M7 and the M8 are both good strong sleds that can be found for a reasonable price.

Good luck with it.
 

BC Sno-Ghost

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I have to stress...from personal experience, "DO NOT GET A PHAZER". You won't like it because it won't have enough power for you and the wife won't like it because they are way too dam hard to ride...TIPPY!. They are also pretty heavy. I ride an 04 800 REV and i like it. My wife rides an 07 600 REV and she loves it. Whatever sled you get for your wife I can't emphasize enough, make sure you set it up properly for her. If she's fighting with it she won't enjoy it and neither will you. :beer:
 
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