What did you start riding on?

[Timber_12]

Heylo ladies! I'm thinking of getting a sled for the girlfriend and was wondering what everyone started riding on. She's never rode on her own before and only rode a long time ago tripling to get into the bush for work.
She's a small girl so I'm wondering what kind of sled might be good for her. So far the two thoughts I have is either me giving her my hcr M8 and I ride my 99 xc or try to find newer (05 and up) polaris 600. What are your thoughts?

 

[Hotlips]

I so like that you are reaching out to ladies. I started out on a 600 RMK if you want a riding partner who will stay out there with you, get her something that she can keep up with you on and that is also not a dinosaur. At minimum a 600 2006 or newer, I like Polaris but not brand picky. Take her for as few test rides and let her decide. She'll appreciate you for that.

Keep me posted!

Hotlips

 

[PEAK SEEKER]

I'd go with an m6. Definitely. Stay with cat and it's snappy & light. I think it would be a good choice. Although I know you were tryin to get a female perspective but just throwin in my opinion

 

[-LadyDirt-]

I am a very tiny girl and I plan and have been recommended the M6, helps when you learn how to bag a 2 stroke dirt bike I suppose before getting a sled, but I am pumped and ready for one soon and dont think I will ever need more than a 600 given that I have learned to ride sleds on a 800 and 1000... at least not for a very, very long time

 

[skinnybitch]

Definitely something with newer technology. You ride a newer sled because it's easier and better to ride so why shouldn't she? A 600 is probably a really good choice especially if she's a small girl and never ridden before! Then with time and experience she can decide what suits her best!

 

[Snow Monkey]

So, I am 5' 1 3/4 inches and my kids' are bigger than I am.
I first rode a 96 Polaris XLT 600, then a Polaris XCR SP 600 . Now onto a Ski-Doo Summit 670. I like to jump and not go too fast or get stuck. (Although I think I will change my mind about going fast this year).
First track was a 121. YUCK !!!! Stuck ALL the time in the good snow. Now a 144 track which should be awesome.
I didn't have a really comfortable seat before, and found that when I would try and squeeze the throttle on the Polaris ones, they must be made for larger hands, because my hands would cramp and hurt. This Ski-Doo one is easier to squeeze, it is not such a stretch for my hand. The seat structure is different too, which is more comfortable right off the bat.

I wanted to try out Artic Cats, but hubby said they are too heavy for me, since I like to jump.

Just my 31 cents for you, I just got the Ski-Doo yesterday, so haven't ridden it enough to give a real opinion on it yet.

Please.............. whatever you do... Don't spin gravel into her eyes or make her go where she isn't comfortable, it might be kind of boring for you at the start, but she will love you more for it. And make sure the gas cap doesn't leak.
Just sayin, not from experience of course.

Good luck man !

 

[PINKalicious]

I so like that you are reaching out to ladies. I started out on a 600 RMK if you want a riding partner who will stay out there with you, get her something that she can keep up with you on and that is also not a dinosaur. At minimum a 600 2006 or newer, I like Polaris but not brand picky. Take her for as few test rides and let her decide. She'll appreciate you for that.
keep me posted!
Hotlips

yup what she said being left behind is no fun!

Definitely something with newer technology. You ride a newer sled because it's easier and better to ride so why shouldn't she? A 600 is probably a really good choice especially if she's a small girl and never ridden before! Then with time and experience she can decide what suits her best!

x2 newer technology i plan on upgrading mine

 

[DragonDiva]

I started on a 2008 700 dragon and had never sat on a sled before that. I wouldn't look at anything larger than that since she is just starting out. I would have probably gone with a 600 but they weren't fuel injected that year. DH only wanted fuel injected for ease of altitude correction. Like everyone said, include her in some test rides if possible.

 

[mur190]

my sister rides a 2007 M6... loves it... she can hold it to the wick and still have fun... she said it can scare her if she wicks out the M8's.

 

[Trashy]

In March I rode an 08 RMK 600 155 for a week daily. I found it to be the perfect sled for someone, who would just be starting out, or for a good second choice machine. I just sold my 700 RMK, and currently in the market for a Doo 800 for my type of riding. But I honestly did like the 600, and would be happy to use it again, if need be. Or to get for someone.

Just my

 

[polcat]

This my oldest daughter on her first trip last march. She really liked the shorter track on this rmk (136). she found the longer track(151) a bit hard to handle bein a new rider.

 

[whitegold]

Where is she going to be riding? .... trails or mountains?

 

[SledMamma]

First sled: turboed Yamaha Phazer. Heavy. Tippy. Hard to turn. Didn't go too far on this baby...

First REAL sled: M8 snopro 153" track and LOVE IT! I'm a small framed person and pretty tall (aka gangly!) and this sled has taken me some pretty gnarly places this season.

Get her something new, zippy and easy to ride. The doos and M- series seem pretty popular with the ladies from what I have seen ...

 

[Timber_12]

First few rides will be fields around home. Something to learn how to turn, stop, go and such. The end goal will be to ride in the mountains. But it'll be really dependant on what she wants and is comfortable with. I'm not going to take her where she's not comfortable.

I was initially thinking a Poo 600 with a 144 2 inch track. I remember how much easier it was for me to ride a 136 vs a 156. Not really impressed with my Cat atm. Something fuel inj. with electric start and reverse.

 

[snowdrifter]

My Girfriend strated on a RMK 600 144, In my opinion an excellent sled for a beginner, stable but light at the same time. After 3 seasons, she now keeps up pretty good since she is so light. Try to get one with estart. Hard to pull for a smaller girl. Hope you guys have a great time together.

 

[whitegold]

My Girfriend strated on a RMK 600 144, In my opinion an excellent sled for a beginner, stable but light at the same time. After 3 seasons, she now keeps up pretty good since she is so light. Try to get one with estart. Hard to pull for a smaller girl. Hope you guys have a great time together.

Agreed!!! That is a good "all-around" sled.... light enough for her to learn to handle, but enough power and track to keep her going!

 

[white6]

I'd recommend an M6 or an M8 if your going to the mountains (so your HCR idea is pretty good).. 600 if shes staying to the trails. The girls are right in making sure its newer so that its more rider friendly. I started out on a kitty kat so my early years don't really count When my brother got his now fiance into riding he bought her a 2009 m8 153" sno pro and she loves it.. so does he for backup haha she is 5'0" 125lbs and is doing well learning.. she just cant start it haha so Estart or 600 is worth thinking about.

that said.. my bro has a 2008 M6 153" for sale LOL

 

[nursepwdr]

I started on a RMK 600 .....I have ridden for a few yrs now and thanks to riding with the guys I have learned alot about riding and now ride M8 ...awesome sled ...Each sled handles different , my advice is let her try a few and see which one handles the best for her and go from there ........Good Luck ...More ladies riding is a good thing!!

 

[Modman]

I'm a guy and don't have an opinion on how easy is it to ride a bigger sled for a smaller framed lady, but I will give you some pointers on what most beginners (guys or gals) should be considering.

1) Most 600's will take a lighter framed person to places they shouldn't be. 700's are a nice compromise between a sled that most can learn on, but that still has decent power that they will not outgrow too soon. I've been riding for almost 20 yrs and one of my sleds is a 700 class sled. Guys like Jack Struthers can take a 600 where people cannot (and will not) take an 800. Power, like an 800cc class sled, is good but learning how to control it is another. Power will compensate for lack of ability but power can get u into some scary spots and people can easily get overconfident - which leads to the next point.

2) I would say for any beginner, don't buy the fanciest thing out there - since its going to be rolled on its lid or side, bumped and banged, etc. Buy something that will run well and has good ergonomics and is the right size for the rider, but unless you can afford a showroom sled, I usually recommend something with less "shine" that will be easier on the bank account. Save the extra $$$ and spend it on a fancy sled later, once the rougher one has taken the learning curve abuse. Inevitably, people get confident with their abilty and find themselves in a new situation, sometimes which leads to the sled being upside down. this is fine, the only way to learn is to push the boundary but (and this is mainly aimed at guys riding with their wives) don't be mad if the sled comes homes with a few bumps and scratches. It's part of the game. If you're one of "those" guys described, BR Tech makes these great things called Thrasher hoods......

3) Regardless of who you are (LADIES THIS MEANS YOU TOO!!!!!) you need to be able to start your sled!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE learn how to do this! In a survival situation if you are out with one other riding partner and they are injured and you cannot start your sled, you are screwed. E-start if you can afford it is fine but you still need to know who to do it, practice starting it and figure out a system, even if you need both hands. Even if your riding partner starts it 99% of the time you are out together, you do need to have a way or be able to start it if you are separated from them or they are injured or if your e-start fails and no one is around (the other 1% of the time). Our general rule is you have to start it at least once each ride out, even if someone does it the rest of the time.

4) Learn the basics of sled repair enough to get you off the hill if something happened. I'm not saying you need to learn piston replacement, but things like: How to change a belt, plug etc. Pull a plug wire one day and learn what the motor sounds and feels like when a plug fouls, just in case it happens you will know the possible fix. Same with replacing a belt. Also, understand that your newer sleds might retard the timing and make the sled run underpowered and rough if you are spring riding and it overheats. Learn to look at the gauges while riding and what kind of - the little red temperature light is there for a reason. Put the park brake on and try and ride it, learn what it feels like with a little friction on the driveline (just briefly, don't actually ride around like this or you will have a brake fire and potentially burn your sled to the ground). This will help you realize that if the sled doesn't feel like it's "right", stop and check things because it probably isn't. Also, if you find yourself in a situation as described in #2 where the sled is upside down, learn things like the fuel shut off. If you cannot get the sled back on its skis without help, at least you won't be puking precious fuel onto the ground in the meantime, you may need it to get home.

5) Learn to understand the snow conditions and how your sled will react when riding on them. Spring riding in hard snow will make your sled overheat, use the scratchers. Also, you can't sidehill in spring so if you go up something and try to sidehill, you won't be able to cut into it like you can in powder. If you stop on a spring sidehill you're going to tip over. Move off to the side so the sled does not steamroll you. Also, hard spring snow allows you to climb just about anything, but what goes up must come down and coming down your brakes are not going to work so make sure you have a straight run out. Icy days on the trail can leave you eating the weeds if u don't adjust your speed and mountain tracks do not stop very well on ice.

Hope that helps.

 

[whitegold]

Very well said modman!!!