Ok u guys, lets see them sleds! I will post a pic when I get a chance. I ride a 2005 Polaris 800 Switchback, stretched to 151 w/2�paddle,heel clicker in the clutch, v-force reeds ,a great sounding (not) overly loud can , 2� riser, powder pro ski�s, scratchers and a muff pot and last but not least I have a hitch for pulling my 5� Seglin sled. I got over 5000 miles on this sled and �it� knows how to get me home. My kid (25yo) rides a 2012 RMK pro (snow checked orange) you would think there would nothing to improve on a 12000$ sled but he managed to spend even more $ on mods ! (I guess I can�t complain he spends his money on stuff I can ride 2) Better yet> were going to cantwell on this 3 day weekend!

I just really got into riding sleds around 2008 though I did have a 92 MX 470 back around '94, even took it to Arctic Man and broke it.

Wife and I both ride 2008 Ski Doo rev Summit 600 HO SDI's with 144" tracks. Wife has changed the plastics on her's to make it look more womanly, added electric start and we put a AEEN can on it to make it sound throaty plus we also added a floating secondary. She also has a Powder Keg tunnel box to keep her makeup and stuff dry.

Mine on the other hand has a bunch of stuff done to it. I relocated all the handle bar switches to the gauge pod, moved the steering post forward 2", put an MBRP can on it, freshly rebuilt HPG front shocks, rear drop brackets, vents on both side and knee panels, ported the clutch cover, nordlock washers on the y-pipe, floated the secondary, relocated the rear axle and removed 2 wheels. Just recently I put Mods Skis on it and i'll have a DJ clutch kit coming soon, just ordered a new Sleds Solutions E Series tunnel bag so I have someplace to keep my extra gear. Oh yeah, what sled would be complete without a Hot Pot!!

Owning sleds ain't cheap but man are they fun to ride! Will post some pics tomorrow.

I rode a 2011 Pro RMK last weekend. I really hate to say it (I am a Ski-doo guy), but it kinda rocked. Not a ton of snap to it, but I love that chassis.

I blew up my motor this weekend - it wasn't a great day for team Ski-doo.

S.L.E.D. = Slowly Leaching Every Dollar

the power band is in the mid range ... 0 to 4000 feet ... straigth up! this year well'l be at articman once again (12+ years) more good times to come.

lol!!

We're not very hi-tech here at the lake!
We have a couple of 2008 Bravo's and a couple of Polaris's that just keep going,it's hard to justify $10.000 on a new machine!

Here is my first sled. It was an '02 800 Summit Highmark 151". It had low end snap that would yank your arms out of their sockets, if you weren't paying attention. I miss that power, sometimes.




The current ride is an '05 Summit 600 w/ a 144" track. It doesn't have the grunt that the 800 had, but it's much easier on fuel and goes plenty fast enough to keep my novice riding skills entertained. The newer chassis is much easier to ride, but I've avoided riding the newest Ski-Doo offerings. I'm afraid I might need one.

Here's mine sitting in the driveway.


Spring in Petersville.

Hard to beat a Tundra for work purpose.

Why so modest Dan?

Here's my sled, about $600 ago....

Dan, that looks like Petersville. Nice shot of Denali in the background.

i rode a herters huskey 440 in the ealry 70's ...then a john derre...in 1985 i moved up to a tundra...

Yeah, they're the cat's meow for work, that's for sure. Love 'em.

Here's Dan's old tundra lt that I traded for:



I finally got into sleds a few weeks ago with a what I figured was a good deal, '96 skandic 500 fan for $400. I figured, hey it runs what could be wrong? Long story short, it has over 10,000 miles on it and the good news is the engine was replaced or re-built fairly reasonably. The bad news started when I pulled the stock track out to swap in a used summit paddle track. The front shock in the skid had a busted spring so was useless, all the bearings in the idlers were shot, driveshaft bearing shot, the driveshaft bearing was replaced at some point and the oil seal in the chain case was knocked loose so no oil in the chaincase. The oil splash ring was put in the wrong way which resulted in it grinding against the snap ring and the bolt wasn't properly torqued so it came loose and the large gear was beat up as well as the inboard half of the chaincase bearing. The jackshaft bearing was pretty much toast.

I did manage to replace all that stuff minus the front shock, added a missing windshield and discovered the carb boots were cracking so got replacements. I'm thinking It's up to $1200 and still needs the seat recovered and a new front bumper. I did go out for a ride on Sunday with the kids, the oldest boy managed to get it stuck twice, first time before I even got the tundra out of the truck. Second time was him not listening to me telling him to stay off the overflow. It's a lesson better learned within a mile of home with temps in the 30's then way out in the boonies with sub zero temps.

I'll get some pics when it's finally all back together. Should be a perfect sled for accessing remote property which is why I got the sleds in the first place. Might also be getting another one sooner than later.

Overflow can be a royal pain-in-the-ass. I've gone through a few times. One time ended up thigh-deep in the stuff at -40 something. Wasn't fun. I was a long way from the cabin. It's a risky business.

What year Summit did that track come off of?

You'll need to make sure your drivers will work, that you have sufficient clearance for those 2 1/4" paddles and your rails (136) need to be extended to fit whatever length track your putting on it.

Not sure on the year, but they are 1 1/2" paddles. The pitch is correct and the driver works. The skandic has a 136" skid so the 136" track fit fine.

Fortunately it was only as deep as my boots, so wet feet and socks. But man, that nice light tundra get's aweful heavy when the track is packed full of slush.

My boy managed to get across the overflow and into nice deep wet snow before getting stuck the second time. He saw some open water and wisely shut the machine down. After walking through the overflow and digging the snow I was able to get the nose and tracked moved enough to climb out of the hole he parked it in and powered back across the overflow. He got to walk back

I found a good thread on what to do when dealing with a stuck in overflow situation:

http://www.dootalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=448197

I need to add a few items into the don't leave the trailhead without it kit.

I know how heavy those things can be. I always bring a come-along and a length of stout nylon in the tarpaulin-covered sled behind the machine. One time on a spring bear hunt, a client stuck the Bearcat in overflow and that was miserable. The both of us ended up being wet from head to toe trying to get that one out. Just another day at the "office".

Must be an older model ZX chassis Summit. Sounds like you got her all figured out, good luck and have fun on those sleds!

That was actually a pretty cool link Paul. Most important thing you can bring with you is another rider or two... that one gets a lot of people.

If you haven't tried a snow bungee, I'll lend you one.

Older still, S-2000 chassis.

As to the overflow on Friday I was running from the N-fork Eagle River trail head. It starts off on a side channel and I headed up river, but went across enough overlow that I figured I'd head back. Then I decided to go down river. I got to a section that was too narrow to turn around and decided I'd keep going down river. This is warning #2 after all the overflow up river, I should have just gotten off and moved the sled around and called it a day.

I headed out over thin ice over overflow and could feel the sled going slower and slower. I did manage to get across it. Then I figured I'd turn it around by heading up a bank. I was suprised that it would go through waste deep powder, not fast and the engine was really working, but it did make it. I thought when I headed back down the bank I was on good ice as there was a layer of snow over it. Turns out it was snow over overflow and I wasn't going that fast coming down from the bank.

So many lessons learned, mainly riding solo on a river is a bad idea no matter how short the ride, that warming trends cause overflow, and that you should always bring a shovel and other gear to get unstuck.

Even a light sled is fricken heavy when you're the only idiot on the trail.

Best wood line sled I ever had was a Polaris 440 transport w/rev,141� track 1.25 paddle��faster, better on gas than the tundra (85 and a 92 tundra!) then there was the 550lq bearcat 20x159�.it would stay on top of the deepest snow�guy would trench in and I�d pull along side leaving just paddle and stud marks in the snow.i rode that 550cat for a few years and ....THEN one day at articman 2005 my kid had to go back to town for the day��.. so I took his mod�ed out 700cc x151� rmk out to the back side of the tit�.that was it wo- ho ! good time !!!! Sold my sled the week I got back and picked up a /the new-used 800 with 175 miles on it..and now I never look back as I will run into something up front!! lol

Remember �when in dought throttle out� i have some good picks of water skiping....(i had to as there was 75' between me and a beer at pikes landing )

I keep a few going; don't owe me anything...
















The five I run have approximately 15,000 each on them; not too sporty perhaps, but they do the work.

Just being honest. I've seen awesome riding from the likes of others, and I don't measure up.

Keep in mind that overflow occurs during extremely cold temperatures, too. It doesn't need to be a warming trend to cause overflow and as a matter of fact, extremely cold temperatures usually cause more overflow than warm temperatures - for the simple fact that water doesn't have anywhere to go as the ice presses against the stream bed, except to go up and out through the surface cracks.

That's the worst kind of overflow, and common on some rivers/some years. Can't see it and you can get hundreds of yards into it before you realize if you aren't really paying attention; gotta listen to and 'feel' what the machine is telling you in that 'nice, smooth' powder, and don't tailgate.

We should do an "Alaskan section" forum ride someday, i'm always looking for someone to ride with and teach me new riding techniques.

If you are gonna be stupid, ya gotta be tuff.

I ride a Yamaha Bravo up here.

I also get laughed at a lot ("Hey, that thing is only firing on one cylinder!"). But I also didn't pay 12K for it back in '94, either.

Seth Kantner (my landlord) is right- it's like riding a tool box, but it gets me there as fast as I wish to go (under 40mph).

My chiropractor is adding a wing....

If I was to buy a new one (why????), I'd get something with some suspension and high gas milage. Maybe a Skidoo Renegade.

I can certify, however, that one can get an entire field-butchered out caribou on the back cargo rack, with cortage. I have pics, but they aren't on photobucket yet.

Nice looking sleds you're pulling behind your machines.

Thanks. Sled-making is a craft which seems to be dying out in favor of plastics. But nothing pulls as nice as a well-made wood sled. And they'll take a lot more abuse than many people realize. I traded cabinet-making woodworking for sled building quite a few years back...with no regrets.

Yes, it seems that functional sled-crafting has become a thing of the past. As mentioned, nowadays everything seems to be going plastic. The problem with plastic toboggans is that they have a tendency to roll. Of course that's an aggravating feature. Over the years I've had great luck with a self-fabricated aluminum-frame sled, which is then completely covered with heavy canvas that's been treated with a thorough dose of Thompson's Waterseal.

I seem to keep going backwards. 96 skandic, 91 tundra, and last night I picked up this yamaha



It was advertised as a 340 enticer, which is what the hood says. But looking at pics of oldy yammies, the handlebars and stripes on the tunnel, I think it's a 340 exciter. Doesn't really matter, for $100 I wasn't going to argue. He said it quite on him and the local shop diagnosed it as the stator going out. Based on some google fu I should be able to swap out the coils in the stator and have it running again fairly cheaply. Oh, also missing the throttle? I'll probably just order the cheapest throttle I can find off of flea bay.

How hard is it to find parts for those older machines? Do good dealers still stock them or is it strictly a fleabay affair? Are certain brands better than others for both longevity and OEM parts support?

I'd really like to own a pair of machines, but am NOT willing to dump $12K+ apiece on 'em. I just want reliable back country transportation, and as fast as they depreciate, the used market likely holds some bargains if I know what to look for.

Ideally, I'd like a skid-doo Tundra, but they're pretty rare down here.

This machine is 10 years or less overall. It's a machine that began locally as only the chassis. It was a project I built with students a couple of years ago with all other parts from eBay. It is not color coordinated, but it is a sound machine in every way. The cost was somewhere between $1000-2000. It was 200 miles from home in this pic on a caribou hunting expedition last spring.

Snowmachine junkyards, fleabay and craigslist. I'd say on the early 90's and newer machines parts aren't too hard to find. 80's vintage a bit tougher, and the 70's sleds are more of a restoration deal than something I'd want for remote travel.

You should be able to find an older sled in good condtion for under $2k.

Thanks for the replies. I'll start poking around the internet, learning about options and availability.

When it comes to sleds, bargains often aren't. Beware the great deal...

Especially if you don't have some experience wrenching on sleds, ideally the model that you are buying.

Also, if you want to get an idea of what you can dump into a particular model, follow this link and you'll get a parts diagram with prices.

Ski-doo Parts

This one only goes back to 1996.

You could also try Alaskalist as well as Snowmachine Salvage in Anch.

Thanks for the additional ideas.

You CAN get a whole caribou on a Bravo rack!

A sled like this would compliment your rig nicely (and be way cooler than the plastic tub I presume is pulled by the Yella-Doo. )

Just added a DJ clutch kit to my sled and holy cow did it wake my little 600 up! If your into playing around in the steep and deep I highly recommend you add this to your machine.

what I ride, depends upon where I'm going and conditions

mostly 98 Summit X 670

or my old 92 Indy 500 both have saddlebags, which I love, but I leave em stock, I don't like to wrench


new to the stable for me 2007 Skandic wide trac, 550 fan my new farm machinery for pulling sleds into and especially uphill away from our cabin

bought it from a guy in Salcha a few days before Xmas, I didn't own a sled as clean as this one, it's pretty cherry with only 3K trail miles on it, though it did need new skags pretty badly, bastids are $120, maybe they were road miles? (grin)

on the way out to look at it, she texted me "buy it if you want, but I was gonna surprise you with a brand new sled this Xmas"

(there's a chance she got my number mixed up with the pool boy's I suppose)

told her "you know me better than anyone dang near, new doesn't interest me, someone else taking the depreciation hit does"


mom rides a 2002 Indy trail classic it's a 550 fan cooled bought it brand new for her guess 10 years ago, she doesn't put a lot of miles on it cept to the cabin, the kids "borrowin" it have probably put dang near as many miles on it as she has!


for the kids we have a 93 Indy lite GT, man I love that little sled


and a '92 Starfire, can't wait to get rid of it, but guess with having a grand daughter I'll just keep it and gift it to her



just broke the news to my cabin neighbor last night, he's inherited my '82 moto ski spirit (think Elan) he was looking for a cheap sled for his wife, they mostly mush dogs, but sometimes he'd like her to have a sled so they don't have to double up on his bearcat

first I told him $200, but went to the cabin the weekend before this one, snowshoed over to his cabin as I heard the dogs through the woods and his 67 year old wife was there solo, been down there 4 days with just the dogs for company, she seemed pretty content, but happy to have a visitor that said a few words back.

when I went back my cabin I thought about how much that old place means to me, and I'd never got it, if her husband hadn't told me about it when it came up for sale.


sooo I got to figurin $0 was a mite cheaper than $200 and it would give me a grin ever time I saw it knowing I gave Dave a little something back


that's it on sleds for me, though I've bought and sold a few others over the years. as you can see by my list I'm better at buying than selling. (grin)

not worth takin pix of em, but I do enjoy that mode of transportation. Made for a lot of memories and miles of smiles, also taught me some new cuss words too

You guys have any experience with the Ski Doo 600 ACE 4 stroke engines? Looking at Tundras and wondering if the real world MPG makes it worthwhile to go with the 4 stroke.

A local fellow has one of the new Tundras with the Etec motor. It's easy on gas and oil. We've talked about the ACE as a way of going even easier on fuel. However, his Etec doesn't like temps below -20 (and can't be started without battery power.) I imagine the ACE might have similar issues. It's interesting technology to contemplate. At $6-8 gallon for gas and having to haul what we need between distant fueling stops, a reliable gas sipper would be nice. But 12 grand???

There's a brand new 2011 Tundra LT with the ACE 4 stroke for sale near here for $8,200. The same dealer is advertising the same sled with the 550 for 7 grand. Don't know where you are in AK but I'm sure shipping adds a pile...

If the MPG difference is substantial over the 550 the extra $1,200 for the 4 stroke will be payed back in fuel savings quickly.

My bad on the price. I was thinking Skandic while I typed Tundra. I haven't run their 550s, but my understanding of them is that they are not good on gas. The ACE, OTOH, is reportedly giving good mileage even on the bigger Skandic. A $1200 price difference would make the fuel cost recovery a no-brainer, at least at our prices.

pard has one of the new Skandics with ACE, says he's getting 20 mpg and it started at -40 just fine.


still leaves me troubled though, depending upon a battery the way the thermo can dive off a cliff here.


so far so good I guess, but I believe if I had one, I'd be replacing that battery pretty often.

When your not using the sled, just pull the battery out and leave it inside where it's warm. Or put a battery tender on it and plug it in when you get to where ever your going.

I put weather pack connectors on all my quads (i dont have sleds) and i take my batterys out if its really cold (im in the midwest so -5 is cold around here) or if im not gonna be on it for a few weeks, i then plug the weather packs into the corrisponding plugs on the battery tender

Machines our here get used daily. At less than around -20 many of them begin having starting problems. -15 is generally okay; -25 gets iffy. The new EFI Honda ATVs are worse than the older carbureted models. Many of the newer snowmachines which are supposed to run cleaner have a difficult time without adding heat. A heat gun is a wonderfully simple and useful tool in the cold. You quickly discover that most battery chargers and other electric devices don't have insulation on their wires that are good for much in terms of deep temps though.
I was contemplating a four stroke 'Cat a couple of years ago with some concern about starting in severe cold. They had an accessory package that would automatically start the motor and warm it up whenever it began to get too cold. It was supposed to prevent cold start-up problems resulting from being left overnight at -30 or whatever.

I think a pop up ice fishing tent and Mr. Buddy heater is the key to keeping stuff happy in severe cold. Also makes for a nicer environment for wrenching on a sled.

you fella's sure got her figured out, if only the people in the lower 48 were as resourceful and down to earth as alaskans this country wouldnt be going down the crapper.

2011 Polaris Switchback Assualt 800 Snowcheck Orange

Finally got my skandic just about finished so went with a ride with the boy on Monday

Those remind me of the days when dividend amounts determined the color of the machine crop in a village many years. Lower amounts meant the yellow brand. 'Course that was just a bit earlier than these year models, since a better dividend meant more people could afford the brand with "IFS". I miss those days. My first new machine was a Skandic 277. I don't miss that machine.

He's getting to be packing-size, Paul!

take a mapp gas tourch with u heat the y pipe in front of the cyc head......pull the rope...off u go ....we use them on the trail/cabin at 37 to 42 below(we have temp gauges installed on the sleds get'em at power and transmisson on van horn/its a kenworth gauge-if anything it will show u where not to park/camp)

ATV, so Mapp gas will light/vaporize at lower temps than propane? If so, that is good to know.

Used to ride Arctic Cat ZRs in the mid to late 90s. A mortgage and kids put an end to that.

i keep it inside the cabin , and keep it handy enroute. i have never left the /a bottle outside to test (i use propane to) but if i have to go i grab a bottle from inside and head out the door to get her started....my 800rmk aint no fun at those temps. a guy showed me the trick about 10 years ago.

Like a Reddy heater and metal dryer pipe for a vehicle!

6' stove pipe with a 90 on the end, that and a weed burnner is my friend.

YO! We talked about you guys having sleds, but I didn't know you guys rocked it like that! Way cool, brother.

Two questions:

1. Can you 'wheelie' them consistently?
2. Which one do I get to hurt myself on, er, I mean go for a spin on?

Answers ...

Question 1) Yes. Sort of.

a) You pull the skis up on a hard lauch or over a bump or jump.

b) In the right condtions you can do a sideways wheelie on one ski for as far as you can go in straight line.

Question 2) Sorry. I can't help with that one. I sold my snowmachines when I left Alaska.

1995 AC ZR 580 EFI Mountain Cat
2001 Yamaha 700 Mountain Max 141

I generally use boiling water on the exhaust manifold of the snowmachines. Same deal but safer perhaps; can also be used on stubborn/iced carbs without worry about an open flame. Obvious precautions apply in applying water/steam around a fuel system, of course, to avoid exacerbating an existing problem.

I know my sled will stand up on it's tail. I put a clutch kit in it which really changed the performance on this thing and it flat out rips for a 600. My wifes would probably stand up but she doesn't ride it as hard as I do. These newer machines perform so much better compared to technology from 10 years ago. I'd let you rip on mine, if you wreck it, it gives me an excuse to buy a new one!

We have a great time on these things and we get to see lots of country most folks don't get to see. We're staying at a friends cabin up near Talkeetna this coming weekend to watch the start of the Iditarod and will be taking lots of pictures. Good times!

I am with las on the snowmachine style....I have 2 Bravo LT's but I do have 1 Bearcat 570. Put a set of Kimpex ski skins on the Bravo and some 6" carbides and it is just one fine lil' runner. The Bearcat has all the footing I need and plenty of power. The mechanical shifter is very good to have. The Bravo's I use when I trap, am considering a Comet 102 for one of them soon.

I understand that the 2 strokes will be "underfire" soon so am currently studying a 4 stroke....question is what model for my mountain travels and trapping that "will" start in the cold weather.

What do you mean by "underfire"? If you don't want to spend the bucks on a new sled especially a $10K - $15k 4-stroker, just rebuild what you have. That is what I have been doing.

kusko......I have heard and am led to believe the standards which we are so use to may just change. The days of 2 strokes of any kind are waning thin. Most recreational dealerships are becoming aware of EPA req/changes and most if not all of us will have to deal with it.
I wanted to know about the power and efficiencies of a 4 stroke sno-mobile and its ability to start when cold. I have used many a big atv 4 strokers and still own one 750 EFI King Quad...try starting that at -15 degrees.
I continued to perserver(sp) and found the 600 ACE in a Tundra to possibly be the next purchase...money be damned!
Wish I could use a nice rippin sled like some of them city dudes use but have no absolute use of them
The sales fella at the Fairbanks dealership just mentioned the cold start up temp is -35 max on the 600 ACE..seriously?
Just passing my day by with my grandaughter here so...."word" of the day is 4 stroke.
hope I did not deter from the original post

Nothing yet is beating a simple old piston port two stroke for starting with some ease in the cold. And a fan-cooled is the best way to insure the ability to cool the engine when running at work speed. Liquid-cooleds - and I like them- require much more maintenance and rebuilding out on the coast where snow is hard. I can't imagine having to go through a four-stroke engine on a regular basis due to overheating damage. (And don't forget to keep the crankcase breather clear or you'll blow seals.)

This is old news, they've been talking about this for many years now. They are hoping that by putting hard restrictions on 2 stroke motors that the manufacturers will stop making them but Iserioulsy doubt that will eve happen.

4 strokers are nice but they are heavy and don't have much power compared to a comparable 2 stroke. Using 1 for trails and such should be fine but not for hard mountain riding and boondocking.

The problem with cold starting a 4 stroke is the oil in the crancase that turns to molases on cold temps. It is intrinsic in how the machines opperate and you'll need a means of heating that oil to get the machine to start in exterme cold. They also tend to be electric start only in the bigger cc's.

2 strokes can clean up their emisions with direct cylinder fuel injection which also improves fuel economy, but then you have the complexity of a computer for the fuel injection. Also air cooled engines require more fuel as it effectively works to help cool the cylinders.

well put 458 Lott, seems like the only logical extreme measure to take if one owns one and uses it in far and distant places is to buy a small wattage heating pad and glue it on the bottom of crankcase. An additional batter would be necessary to draw from and a inverter for this type of cold startup. What a picture!

The most effective way to heat a liquid-cooled is through the coolant IMO. Pad heaters have negligible effects in many conditions. Oil technology is such that viscosity problems can be overcome by purchasing good chemistry. A warm cylinder gets by the worst of the cold oil problems which involve the cylinder/piston contact. Added heat in the combustion chamber really enhances ignition at cold temps as well. Throw a quart or two of hot water into the cooling fins on a stubborn old ATV and you'll see the difference.

www.hiperf.com sells a little inline heater for the coolant that works like a charm. Had one on my 1999 XCR-800 and it only took 45 minutes to warm it up. One pull starting at -15* below!

01 Polaris 550

Lots of short straws to be drawn with that mill. Plan to fire up the '01 550 SS tomorrow myself. 10,000 something miles, just finishing the fourth (or is it fifth?) rebuild. The previous fan motors Polaris built would usually need rings at 10K.

2500 miles to a build on those motes is not uncommon