What was THE sled to have when you started mountain riding?

[meatbag]

Nah ha! I had the 'fancy' plastic paddles with the serrated ends. I stared at it long and hard. Looked at the bolts, the drill...weighed the pain in the ass to benefit gains--and decided I was too lazy to drill all those stupid holes. I waited for a good track to come out, then I changed it. Sold those dust covered paddles to some low poor sap. Heh, heh, heh...

My first mountain trip was with my 93 wildcat 700 efi... sporting some fresly installed 1 1/4" plastic paddles.... oh man I hated those paddles! skated my ass end around something fierce! On one ride out with a few buds we were shooting across a lake at perty high speed when I guess a paddle let go blowing my track apart! piece of it flew over 1 of the guys heads behind me. thankfully one edge of the track from the cogs to the edge held together and I was able to limp it slowly back to the truck. Beat the heat exchangers up some, but in the end all I needed was a new track. never used paddles again

 

[meatbag]

This is how the ole Tazer looked just before I sold it. I had to put another motor in it cause I was out in a field about 10km from home, it was running really good. I was playing in the middle of the sticks when "BANG!!" It stopped. I looked in the hood and the PTO side crankcase was see through.
No kidding, I could see the crank. The rod broke midway, taking out 3/4 of the casing as it spun. The rod then jammed tight in the flywheel halfs on the crank and did no more damage after that. I pulled it over and I actually watched the whole unit turn. I pulled it a bit faster and it started!...on 1 cylinder. I rode it home(gutless but still fun, kinda)-and for another week-to get my mail, visit friends etc, occasionally spraying liquid grease to lube the crank bearings. Funny. I found another good engine and she was reborn yet again! Cuso always said it 'whistled' in the deep pow with the fan. Lol.

 

[meatbag]

Okay, don't get me started....too late....
-If the mountain parking lots could talk. All the cut hands, leaky things, arguments, snacks and breakdowns/heartaches, stresses and fun times...and then you get out of the truck....
-Old Blizzard 5500 long track. handled like a Innertube or a seadoo in the snow, ok, not quite THAT good.
-Formula Minus...I mean Plus. I think this is when I started having a sore back, over and over...of course the sled being made of lead didn't help, plus It was kinda cracky. it had cracks in it's cracks.
-The MegaUltraQuasar Phazer in 'super get a long run at it, close your eyes, hold on and don't leave a warm gooey lump in your diaper mode'.
-The 076, I mean 670 Plummit was a beast. A heavy beast that didn't like to start when on an angle...Ugh. At least we had scenery to look at. Almost forgot about the always dirty hands from working on it...
-The 700 RMK with a 136" just liked to dig holes...my back is getting sore again just looking at the old pics.
-The MTN Max 600(cuso's leg can be seen) was like a plow. A shiny kinda cool looking plow.
But hey, it sure was fun!

 

[Lund]

Conversation with a buddy about how technology changed leads me to wonder.

For me it was the 98 700 RMK. You were UNSTOPPABLE with one of of these wedges. Some people *cough LHF) apparently still are....

Makes me wonder what my kids will say about my sleds in 15, 20, 30 years...

This could be interesting! Let's hear it guys!

You must be fairly new at sledding or your pretty young.
Both my parents snowmobiled in the late 60s and 70s and i remember riding my dads Arctic Cat...a 1971 Panther 399. While my mom rode a 1970 Ski-doo, Nordic 640 with reverse and electric start AND... CIGARET LIGHTER... that was in Quebec and they belonged to the snowmobile club of the day.
My first sled was a 1976 Skiroul 340, bought it new from the dealer for about $600.
In 1979 i bought an Arctic Cat Panther 5000 from the dealer for $1200.
Has technolegy changed much since.....i hope so but the principle remains the same.
I think anyone that believe sledding will be around in 30yrs is day dreaming, the world is changing and i am glad i've experience this sport at its best.
Even though sleds are getting better, winters are not. Snow conditions were much better in the early days, longer, deeper and colder made for much better seasons. IMO epic sledding is passing us.

 

[J-Roc]

You must be fairly new at sledding or your pretty young.
Both my parents snowmobiled in the late 60s and 70s and i remember riding my dads Arctic Cat...a 1971 Panther 399. While my mom rode a 1970 Ski-doo, Nordic 640 with reverse and electric start AND... CIGARET LIGHTER... that was in Quebec and they belonged to the snowmobile club of the day.
My first sled was a 1976 Skiroul 340, bought it new from the dealer for about $600.
In 1979 i bought an Arctic Cat Panther 5000 from the dealer for $1200.
Has technolegy changed much since.....i hope so but the principle remains the same.
I think anyone that believe sledding will be around in 30yrs is day dreaming, the world is changing and i am glad i've experience this sport at its best.
Even though sleds are getting better, winters are not. Snow conditions were much better in the early days, longer, deeper and colder made for much better seasons. IMO epic sledding is passing us.

I'm young. 29. Started riding at 8 on a Yamaha bravo, then my dad's 84 SS25 *(*(still have it. Want to restore it).

Then I bought my 96 powder special when I started mountain riding in 99. So in those days the RMK was pretty hard to beat!

This thread is awesome guys!

 

[minnow10]

78 centurion 500/ long track and paddles climbed like a goat, but hobbled like one on the trail up and down.

93 xlt 580 w/133 bolt on plastic paddles differenct styles and sizes and colors looked fancy with purple paddles LOL
95 xcr 600 w/141 bolt on plastic paddles differenct styles and sizes and colors/ white and red paddles
99 700 rmk
09 700 rmk
14 800 rmk

 

[Lund]

I'm young. 29. Started riding at 8 on a Yamaha bravo, then my dad's 84 SS25 *(*(still have it. Want to restore it).

Then I bought my 96 powder special when I started mountain riding in 99. So in those days the RMK was pretty hard to beat!

This thread is awesome guys!

Your just a couple years older then my oldest son, he's been riding since a little guy.
Just for fun i went into my filing cab and looked through all the sleds i've personnally owned and rode over the years. I still have all the paperwork and bills of sale for them...hahaha
Not inclueding the wifes sled's and the kids sled's just what i rode....here it is.

1976 340 Ski-roul......$645.00, a POS. from the getgo.
1979 A Cat Panther....$1200.00, awsome sled.
1981 Ski-doo Blizzard 5500...$1895, a POS. major belt eater.
1984 Yamaha Phazer 114" converted to 121"....$2300.....great sled
1986 Yamaha PhazerII 136" ....$2495....AWSOME sled and imo the one that opened the west for mountian riding.
1988 Yamaha Exciter 136"....$3159.....average, phazer better.
1989 Yamaha ExciterII 136"......$3250......much improved but prefered the phazer over all.
1992 A Cat EXT580 mtn 136"......$3950.... great sled
1994 Ski-doo Summit 670 136".....$4200.....average and heavy.
1996 A Cat wild cat 700...136"......$4650.....ok, motors weak poor.
1998 A Cat Thundercat 900...136" converted to 141" ........$5850....wicked
1999 A Cat Thundercat 1000...141" converted to 156"........$7650....more wicked
2000 Ski-doo SummitX 700....151".....$7850....average...motor weak, poor.
2004 A Cat 1M900...159".....$9800.....AWSOME sled
2005 Ski-doo SummitX RT1000...162"...$11500......POS. in so many ways.
2007 A Cat M8.....153" converted to 162"....$8900....AWSOME sled, imo falls in the same league as the Phazer as best sleds ever built.
2010 Yamaha Nytro....162" converted to 174"....$13995.......current sled and still loving it.......YA its turboed

BTW all sleds were purchased NEW from the dealer, alot got moded.
I was looking at the list and that's 7 Arctic Cats, 5 Yamaha's and 3 Doo's.....i got to get a POOPOO soon, cause every real sledder has to own at least ONE POO in their life time.

 

[Modman]

I loved my old plastic paddles, nothing throws a bigger rooster tail than 2" plastics! Little hard to control on icy forestry roads, needed sheet metals screws in the odd paddle to help that.

If anyone wants to re-live their youth, I know a guy that still has boxes of the old style paddles, in serrated and non-serrated and I think some coloured. Guess he's waiting for them to come back in style? LOL

 

[vodoo103]

This thread making me feel old!

 

[moyiesledhead]

If anyone wants to re-live their youth, I know a guy that still has boxes of the old style paddles, in serrated and non-serrated and I think some coloured. Guess he's waiting for them to come back in style? LOL

He better not hold his breath waiting!

 

[RGM]

I loved my old plastic paddles, nothing throws a bigger rooster tail than 2" plastics! Little hard to control on icy forestry roads, needed sheet metals screws in the odd paddle to help that.

If anyone wants to re-live their youth, I know a guy that still has boxes of the old style paddles, in serrated and non-serrated and I think some coloured. Guess he's waiting for them to come back in style? LOL

Yea you're not old unless you have bolted plastic paddles on to your track and had plastic ski boots for the steel skis.

 

[79TXL]

I remember when I was 10, my buddies all got to drive bravo longtracks, enticer longtracks. I was only allowed to drive our 73 Sno-Jet 440 around the yard. I asked my dad if I could go on the trails with my friends, he told me I could but if I got it stuck don't come back without it. Haha. We thought it was funny. That thing was a tank, we were driving on the trail beside the highway and because mine was faster I thought I could pass them and buried that thing. Not 10 minutes after getting stuck the snow plow came by and buried all of us. We dug out the bravo and sent him to get shovels. Talk about panic setting in. 3 hours and one belt later we got it out. Drove the hell out of that thing for another 8 years, sucked in snow but never left me stranded.

 

[Nonhighwayservice]

2013 XM was THE sled when I first stared.

 

[meatbag]

"1998 A Cat Thundercat 900...136" converted to 141" ........$5850....wicked
1999 A Cat Thundercat 1000...141" converted to 156"........$7650....more wicked"



The next great sled I was expecting "More super wicked, then More mega wicked, and finally More ultra super mega wicked bestest". Love it! Lol.

 

[meatbag]

Hey, stupid awful skinny jeans came back...to the squid crowd. Lol.

I loved my old plastic paddles, nothing throws a bigger rooster tail than 2" plastics! Little hard to control on icy forestry roads, needed sheet metals screws in the odd paddle to help that.

If anyone wants to re-live their youth, I know a guy that still has boxes of the old style paddles, in serrated and non-serrated and I think some coloured. Guess he's waiting for them to come back in style? LOL

 

[Old Boy]

Good Morn No matter what sled we had bolt on paddles or not. The beat part was Snowshoes and a shovel.

 

[Lund]

"1998 A Cat Thundercat 900...136" converted to 141" ........$5850....wicked
1999 A Cat Thundercat 1000...141" converted to 156"........$7650....more wicked"



The next great sled I was expecting "More super wicked, then More mega wicked, and finally More ultra super mega wicked bestest". Love it! Lol.

I thought of that but thats more appropriate for Ski-doo riders.....i laughed when i typed it in...lol
.

 

[HotShotHarry]

Not counting the sleds the kids and I on the block pulled the ignition plug-in out on and "borrowed", my parents bought a 1970 and 1971 399 olympiques. Put a zillion miles on them. I was still in school but had a friend who oval track raced Artic Cats.I was on his pit crew. He ended up being sponsered by Snow Jet and raced a 73 Thunder Jet 340. Man that thing was fast! My brother bought a 74 Rupp Nitro 440. I raced that for a season also. Considence- last week a friend just bought a 73 Rupp Nitro II 440. We brought it into my shop and cleaned it up-Damn thing fired up first pull after we were done! Got out of sledding till '93. Bought a 1980 ss 440 yamaha-ended up with 5 of them. Then bought a 93 Phazer II 136. Better in the mountains than the SS that for sure. Then a 95 Polaris Storm 136. IMO the 97 polaris 700 was the sled to catch. Even better than the 98 Polaris as They were de-tuned 10hp and required a Highmark Head to get the hp back. Then I bought a 2000 700 summit 136. Liked that sled. Then a 2002 800 141. I liked the 2000 better. Then a 2006 RT 1000 151. Lots of issues with it but once dialed in-Freakin-Awesome Sled. Now 4 seasons on an 11 Pro-Rmk. Best sled yet! IMO.

 

[fnDan]

02/03 Vertical Escape was THE sled (to me) when I first started. Yellow and silver with a monster 159 track.

 

[Luke The Drifter]

My first sled was a '93 Mountain Cat ext 550 efi with fluorescent pink bolt on track paddles and matching skis. The paddles were so worn off that getting up the trailer ramp was a challenge, I ended up doing my first track swap at 13 years old on that pig haha. I went through my slednecks freestyle phase and picked up a 2002 ZR 440 sno pro because that was the sled to have in my mind. It was a good sled, when it ran. I learned how to work on sleds front to back from that thing, never again. I came to my senses and picked up a new M7 and learned how to ride in the mountains, which is WAY more fun than any ditch banging, drift busting could ever hope to be.