| Author | Message | ||
     No_rice |
anyone got any goodies going on the sleds for this year? or big projects to be done before season really kicks off? | ||
| Biffdotorg |
I think I am going to repaint my handguards. I painted them last spring when I got them to match the sled. But I left the inserts white. I think it looks cheesy. I may paint the whole thing to match the sled, or try changing the white to black. Other than a Skid plate, I'm ready for snow!    | ||
| Loose1 |
I'm hoping to get my tnt project on the snow this year. I have to modify the rev gas tank to clear the coolant crossover tube, hinge the clutch side belly pan side so I can easily change out the belt, make some mounts for the hand guards, and do some finish welding. I found some skis at a swapmeet last weekend so I think I have all the parts. I just need to make them all fit together. I'll do all the finish work once I get a season of riding on it. I don't even have any up date pictures of it. May be I can get some this weekend. It has an sc-10 skid under it now with AC A-arm front suspension.   Matt | ||
| No_rice |
well, we had a busy weekend at my dads. hooked up the Duramax and went up there to pick up a bed full of big limestones from an old foundation to use for landscaping. then put some tires and rims on, as well as stripped the grenaded motor and trans out of the old chevy ive had sitting behind his shop for years(he hauled it home some time ago, and i told him once he finally decided he wasnt going to do anything with it that id take it...)   after getting that on the trailer, we started bringing a few sleds down out of the loft so he coud get a couple ready to haul up to wisconsin for the winter. brought down his M7(because the long track makes it harder to get down so he needed my help)  as well as his lone polaris.   and then the 440 prowler that the stepson hit a tree with last winter, so that we can try to get it fixed up this season, and loaded it up for the ride to my place.  the prowler is now in the garage while i search for a parts sled. it seems to be cheaper to buy a whole sled then to buy just a hood?! it needs a new hood(couple chunks gone and the hinge snapped) we think he wrecked because one of the cross bars holding some bogey wheels broke and wedged in the track locking it up. we were maybe doing 20 mph on a straight trail when the backend swung around and took a 90 degree right, off the trail and into a tree... so it also need some new rear suspension. oh... and he managed to hook the gas cap on his way over the handlebars and snap the filler neck off the fuel tank... lol. ugh. and the 50 chevy is sitting behind my garage waiting to have a gas grill mounted under the hood as well as getting a flatbed with a hot tub mounted on the back of it and parked at one end of my deck. i just started adding up a list of goodies i want to add/change on the new sled... racewerxs white front bumper, green skidplate, white c&a skis, white powder coated a arms, white windscreen, green headlight cover, hand guards, knee pads, 14 seat foam, 4 wheel kit for the rear wheels, upgraded belt guard and inner belly pan guard(blown belts are doing a number on these things) some sort of muffler... i just shook my head when i looked at the total... | ||
| No_rice |
I think I am going to repaint my handguards. yes, i think all blue would probably look better. It has an sc-10 skid under it now with AC A-arm front suspension. ive seen a few old models done up with much newer underpinnings. they sure look interesting that way! be a hoot to ride im sure. | ||
| Jeepinbueller |
This was my ride to work while living and working in Aspen for a few months back in '09. Never knew much about the machine since they'd always change which one I was on, but I know it was a 4-stroke, heavy, and SUCKED THAT WINTER!! So much powder, and that thing would just sink and flop over, even with me hanging off trying to convince it to stay true!  | ||
| Loose1 |
Latest pics. I got the tank/seat mounted and working on the trunk. Matt   | ||
| Biffdotorg |
Frankensleds are a blast to look at! I think it's a riot figuring out where each component came from. I think it important that you keep both red and yellow wheels in that skid to match the color scheme of the... of the... or forget it, it won't matter! HA! keep the pics coming. I put the boat away Saturday, and pulled my sled trailer home, and the other sled back in the garage. It's sad to see the bikes get moved to the back of the garage. We have some nice weather coming again this week during the day. But the frost on the streets in the morning sort of freaks me out riding to work. That may have to end. Hell, it is the end of October! | ||
| No_rice |
 got the old prowler moved around and up on the lift to look over a little better after the tree incident last winter. the rear, rear skid mounts apparently to a good bang at some point. the rivets holing the mount to the tunnel are all tweaked pretty badly, and the mounts are moved towards the left side of the tunnel. looks like i get to drill all those out and bolt it back together a little more solidly. as well as find a cross brace and upper idlers for the rear skid(the part that broke and caused the track to lock, causing the direction change and tree encounter...) take the tank loose and fix the filler spout(i think i have a good idea for sleeving the spout and epoxying it. then get the hood reinforced in a few spots and set it up to be a strap mount like the old sno pros used to have with no hinge, just unstrap it and lift off. this thing was a nice clean sled, but it really isnt worth me investing much in, so i'll home brew most the fixes just so the kids have a sled to ride again this winter that no one really will care alot about... | ||
| Sifo |
That sure isn't how I remember the old TNTs!  | ||
| Loose1 |
The reason I built this tnt is it was my first sled I bought with my money. I found another one and used the good parts off of mine to restore the "new" one. The tunnel on the original one was ruff so I didn't feel bad about cutting it up. I got offered good money for the stuck motor but I'll keep it for a spare. tnt 640 motors are hard to find. Nobody makes pistons for them. So I'll have a restored and modded '71 tnt, a 640 and 617. They should look good next to each other. Here's my restored one Matt  | ||
| Sifo |
That's more what I remember. Just crack the hood and bust up the windshield!  | ||
| Loose1 |
That wouldn't be good, nobody makes a correct windshield for that sled | ||
| Loose1 |
Here's a cool video documentary about vintage sledding in MN. It's short segments. They're still adding new episodes. This is what I do during the long MN winter. Matt http://www.onelungers.com/ | ||
| Biffdotorg |
Snow seen in our neck of MN today! IT'S COMING!!! Like it or not, it's here!! Got my skid plate in last night and gonna spend some quality time putting that bad boy on. From the last few I installed, it's a two beer job. But that does not include the part where I fire it up and rev it on the stand. That makes it a 6 beer job | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
OK you schmoes, I know nothing about these things, but I'm now in a great place to learn. Give me some sensible advice for a newb. Equipment. Sleds. Etc. So that I can enjoy it & not get turned off due to wrong kit or whatever. Also I really don't want somebody to sell me on the equivalent of a Busa with a stretched swingarm, that I've no use for or skills to ride decently, neither do I want to find myself with something I'll immediately outgrow. | ||
| No_rice |
Where are you at currently grumpy? I can't remember where you landed. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I'm in Trois Rivieres QC mate. | ||
| Etennuly |
Where are you at currently grumpy? I can't remember where you landed He landed in Canadia.....Eh?! I had a couple of those 640 TNTs, a '71 and a '72. They looked as pretty as the picture above. Then I painted them black with orange yellow and red flames to match the riding suit I had at the time. | ||
| No_rice |
well, i dont know exactly what kind of terrain or trail systems they have around there. not sure if more people to back country off trail riding or on trail systems. if you were to plan mostly trail riding a regular short track 5-600(i'd lean towards the 600, but for a good deal the 5's work well also) is a great sled. they are usually abundant, been around for years and years, and have some decent power for most riders and situations. my preference is the Arctic Cat ZR or ZL 600 of the early 2000's vintage(but polaris, and skidoo also make good products). my family has a few zr/zl's and they work great! ive also got an 03 ZR900 which is a beast! may be more motor then your looking for though. the zr has a sportier suspension, and the zl is a little softer more comfortable suspension(not that the zr is overly stiff) they are good to begin with, and still have enough power to be enjoyable once you become more confident. i say those sleds, because they are plentiful, fairly easy to work on if needed, and some proven reliability when maintained. plus i can pick them up all over for around $1500-$2500 US regularly. if you will be riding more back country, off trail or mountain type riding, then you want a long track. you can still stick with a 600, but the longer the track and the bigger the paddles, the more oomph it takes to spin them. if you can find one in your price range, a bit bigger motor is of benefit. but a 600 will still do its job for normal play. what do you think you would be looking to spend on one? and any idea of what type of riding you may do in your area? | ||
| Biffdotorg |
I am going to put as much brand bias behind me with my opinion. From what I have heard, you live in the "God's Country" of trail riding. Quebec is known for thousands of KM of the best trails in Canada if not North America. You are also in SkiDoo country. Finding deals, parts and service on anything BRP is easy. Not that anything else mentioned would not work. But you are only 133km from Valcourt. It would be like riding a doo through Thief River Falls, MN (home of Arctic Cat) Trail riders up that direction like fuel economy not for cost, just miles per tank. There are plenty of stretches that can drain a tank. Good wind coverage is a plus as much as good clothing. I'm sure there is plenty of off-trail riding, but you will find the majority of riders in your region are groomed trail folk. I could only hope to one day venture up that direction to check it all out. All I can do is watch the television programs of the guys doing saddlebag trips for days through Quebec! I see something with a 600SDI or 600Etec in your future. The real hardcores will also consider a 4 stroke for reliability. Most 2-stroke guys start to question their motor past four thousand miles without a top-end rebuild. Check out some sledding forums with location based boards. It's cool to catch up to folks in your region to show you around and compare notes. www.hardcoresledder.com www.arcticchat.com www.dootalk.com www.totallyamaha.com You can also download some free apps with GPS maps of trails in your region. It's cool to see what is available nearby. Go download the Polaris SnowTrails app for iphone or android and just look at all the trails near you. It's amazing! Good luck! (Message edited by biffdotorg on November 03, 2014) (Message edited by biffdotorg on November 03, 2014) | ||
| Loose1 |
If any of you need a real nice cover I bought 2 of these and they are great and cheep. Matt http://www.ebay.com/itm/301335261101?_trksid=p2060 778.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Ta for the info guys, I'd better get researching. | ||
| No_rice |
as i mentioned, i dont know the terrain where you are, but i did notice in my research what seemed to be plentiful trail systems. and as Biff said, there are many good options out there. i mention the arctic cat 5-600's because of my personal experience with them and their durability. but the other brands all make good sleds also. but if skidoo is prevalent there, it may be easier for you to look more for one of those. cost and repair wise. | ||
| No_rice |
have a few goodies to pick up currently at another shop, but look what showed up for me at my work today for the 800RR!!! ooooohhhh! C&A Pro Razors, with some 6" studboy shaper carbides! and i got them brand new for $260 instead of the $400+ retail!  i dont plan on studding the track this year(atleast not till ive ridden it a bit and decided for sure) so hopefully these carbides are enough, but not to much bite... i have never run anything but stock skis on any sled i have ever had so this will be different also. also, i have started painting a few odds and ends. speedometer mount was just raw stamped tin, and with my extreme low windscreen going on, you will see even more then you already can of it so i had to make it nice.  once i get the prowler all buttoned up, then i can get the 800 on the lift and tear the a arms off for powder coat, and start messing with the rear skid. as well as probably new front bumper, skid plate, and some new belt guards | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Looks like I'm going to be on a steeeeeep learning curve once the snow gets here. | ||
| Biffdotorg |
C&A Pro's rule from what I have heard. I run the Studboy Deuce bars on my XTX as the stock Yammie skis sucked before the Dual Tuner skis came out. Grumpy, don't worry, it's not that steep. Some are just more into it than others. Honestly, it may be worth going out to a rental shop and trying it for a weekend. If you have friends with sleds, pay for the gas and get some seat time. It's fun to try other sleds. Unlike bikes, most guys don't mind letting others have a few miles of seat time on their ride. I am cautious, but I don't usually mind. | ||
| No_rice |
so who got in on all that damn snow falling?! we barely got a dusting, but sounds like its sure stacking up for some others! swapped the hyfax on my dads M7 this weekend, im re-purposing his long track, to put on the old short track prowler, since the part that always seems to go bad first is the bend up front. cut that off and counter sink a new screw hole. whala! need to grab some rivets for the new hood latches i got for it also. then to start trying to rig up a new way to hold the broken hood on via hood latch straps and no hinge. unstrap, and pick the whole hood off. | ||
| Loose1 |
We got it. I heard 16". The roads are bad and will be like that all winter. The city does a horrible job plowing. You can't drive more than 10 mph on my road or you'll destroy you truck. I'm glad it's here and hope it stays. Matt | ||
| Sifo |
They are were heavy wet snow up near Traverse City, MI this morning. This truck made a wrong turn into my mom's lot coming down the hill.  Took a good part of the day to get it yanked out again. Driver was OK. That's my mom's driveway with the blue pickup truck. Fun hill in the winter!  |
