Want to get mountain sleds for family!

[hurtinalbertin]

Try some out but in my opinion go with a cat. They handle nice, good on fuel and are reliable. Doo's are not as reliable as they used to be. out of all my buddies that have them the list is: 5 motors, 2 jack shaft, 3 tracks and 1- 1200 fire. i have 2000 miles on my M1000 and no problems yet. Also checkout your dealers that helps too bad dealer won't be there to help when you need it. jmo

 

[OOC ZigZag]

Try some out but in my opinion go with a cat. They handle nice, good on fuel and are reliable. Doo's are not as reliable as they used to be. out of all my buddies that have them the list is: 5 motors, 2 jack shaft, 3 tracks and 1- 1200 fire. i have 2000 miles on my M1000 and no problems yet. Also checkout your dealers that helps too bad dealer won't be there to help when you need it. jmo

My reasons for not saying cat DIAMOND DRIVE. If we had to tally it up over the last 3 yrs there have been far more cats hualed out and usually a DOO hauling it.:d:d

 

[polaris011]

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!

if reliabiliy is an issue stay away from the skidoo 1000 always an issue with them the group i ride with at one point all owned a 1000 and everyone and problems.... on the other hand sounds like your looking at buying an older sled so i am going to throw it out there that the older rmk's were once considered the best sled in the industry take a look at them you wont be dissapointed. as well if you ride the kelowna area you will have one of the best mechanics around down there to fix anythiing that goes wrong, because i hate to say it but sleds are not like bikes they break down and thats part of it lol anyways good luck with whatever you buy

 

[hurtinalbertin]

My reasons for not saying cat DIAMOND DRIVE. If we had to tally it up over the last 3 yrs there have been far more cats hualed out and usually a DOO hauling it.:d:d

different story here, lots of doo's getting hauled out, i've had 3 M1000's now and the only diamond drive problem ive had was on my '07 at 700km. if you change oil at the begining of every year you should have problems. agian JMO

 

[Grinny]

Notice how nobody has suggested Polaris yet?

 

[powderhoundbrr]

Notice how nobody has suggested Polaris yet?

I mentioned them, he is looking for something a little older in his price range. The motors on the Polaris' RMK's up to 2004 were bombproof. I had 2 and they just went good.

But the chassis rode like a tank. I never really had fun riding those things. I had a way better time on the "Wedge" prior to the Gen 2 chassis. I wish I still had that 97 RMK 700, now that was a good reliable sled.

My 05 REV put the fun back into sledding for me. I will be buying a new sled next winter and will look no further than a XP or M8.

 

[CR500R]

I have both a 2006 Yamaha Vector Mtn SE 162 and a 2010 Summit XP 163. Straight up, I love my Yammy, 5 years of pure fun, the only mechanical issue I had was last season the stator went. Otherwise it's an oil change at the beginning of each season , add gas and go. The weight issue everyone talks about, for me , and I love riding in the trees and creek gulleys ,I tell you it's not noticed when riding, the sled is by far the best balanced sled you'll ever ride, but when it's stuck, you'll learn quick you don't try to lift it up, it's all about packing the snow around it, maybe a bit of digging, give it a tug and off you go. The biggest difference is the fuel economy, I use about 3 gallons less fuel per day than the 2 strokes.
My XP is a blast as well, with 35 more HP than the Vector, it makes those days in the super steep and deep just that much more enjoyable and being about 100 pounds lighter it's abit easier to get unstuck by yourself.

Each sled has it's purpose and you need to really try out a few if you can, some people are brand loyal to no end, I have owned all 4 makes, Polaris was my worst experience, almost made me give up sledding, my cat was was good but had issues, my Yammy by far the best to date, The Doo is still new to me, but so far so good.
Good luck!!

 

[powderpilot]

My reasons for not saying cat DIAMOND DRIVE. If we had to tally it up over the last 3 yrs there have been far more cats hualed out and usually a DOO hauling it.:d:d

ZZ, are these guys replacing the DD bearing? I've heard of a few issues, but I did mine right away, especially since I did a turbo. Also the rollers tend to melt. Not sure which years, but easy problems to fix before they happen.

 

[BC Sno-Ghost]

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!

if reliabiliy is an issue stay away from the skidoo 1000 always an issue with them the group i ride with at one point all owned a 1000 and everyone and problems.... on the other hand sounds like your looking at buying an older sled so i am going to throw it out there that the older rmk's were once considered the best sled in the industry take a look at them you wont be dissapointed. as well if you ride the kelowna area you will have one of the best mechanics around down there to fix anythiing that goes wrong, because i hate to say it but sleds are not like bikes they break down and thats part of it lol anyways good luck with whatever you buy

Who are you referring to in the Kelowna area? At which shop? Just interested because I'm re-doing my REV this Spring.

 

[TheMuffinMan]

I wouldn't rule out a Phazer entirely. Sure they are about 50lbs heavier than an xp and they only have 80hp but for a smaller, lighter rider they have some advantages. It is a tippy sled that requires an active rider, if your lady friend is a sit on the seat and steer with the handlebars kind of rider then forget it. My wife has a lot of dirt bike experience so the tippiness doesn't bother her at all. She's only 5 feet tall and 110lbs so she doesn't have the size to throw around a sled with a wider track like a rev or an xp very easily. The narrow track on the Phazer makes it way easier for her to boondock and sidehill, and you can't ignore the other advantages like great fuel economy, no oil to burn, fuel injection, electric start, light throttle pull, and yamaha reliability. It's also pretty easy to lighten the sled up, air shocks and an aftermarket exhaust alone will shave over 20lbs.