New snowmobile

[Ben 500RR-S]

I bought a Ski Doo Rev 500SS brand new back in 2004. Over the first 6 seasons I had put 9,000 miles on the sled as I was single and was able to ride every weekend, every winter.

Kids came in 2010 and again in 2011. Riding got cut down by a LOT.

The Rev was a great sled but when the RER stopped working last weekend I knew that it was time for rings and probably pistons as the engine had close to 10,000 miles and I last had the top end done at right around 6,000 miles in 2008 or so. The engine was also smokey, loud and had no e-start and the wife could not pull start it. It was time for a new sled.

The wife even gave the blessing to get a new one as she does enjoy riding but not a POS that my 2004 was after 15 years of service.

I got a 2019 Grand Touring Limited with a 600R E-TEC motor. I was going to get a 900 ACE motor as I wanted quiet but did not want to deal with changing the oil along with the extra weight as I often need to muscle the sled in the in-line trailer and any extra weight is, extra weight.

I was lucky in that I got to ride with my 8yo boy on the back on Friday and my oh my, the sled is incredible. It is still in break-in mode so it is smoking but while not 4-stroke quiet, it is worlds quieter than my carbureted 600cc engine from the old-days and with the Gen4 chassis, the sled hardly felt any different than my 121" sled as from what I have been reading the Grand Touring is the 137 Renegade but with 100 extra pounds but it is nice as I don't feel the weight at all when riding.

Adjustable four position handlebar which makes every position feel like a new sled and air adjustable ride with 5 positions that can be adjusted on the fly.

Even though I have fallen in love with the snowbike, I have had to come to the realization that there just are not many legal places to ride it and that I still do love riding snowmobiles as well as either riding with a passenger or being the passenger, the kids can come along and the whole family can have fun together.

Now I want at least 2 if not three more weeks of winter so I can get a few more rides in before the sled gets put away until next December.

 

[Chadx]

Seems like this snowmobile post might be more appropriate in a different snowest section than the snowbike section since, well, it really has nothing to do with snowbikes...
Not trying to be forum police, but...just sayin'.

 

[dirtrebel]

Glad to hear you are doing what u can to enjoy the snow with your family! I like your stories keep em coming right here on the snowbike section!

 

[2smokin]

You could always take a drive to Montana we have months of good snow left!

 

[Norma Stitz]

There’s other sections on snow west? Lol

 

[Norma Stitz]

I’ve considered getting a sled so my GF could ride, but then I’d have to ride with a sled. It’s not always convenient.

 

[Misha Subo]

Seems like this snowmobile post might be more appropriate in a different snowest section than the snowbike section since, well, it really has nothing to do with snowbikes...
Not trying to be forum police, but...just sayin'.

Listen Chad, lay off Ben. He's the only guy on here with a sense of humour at times. We don't want to put a stop to Ben's entertaining accounts of his travels. He's one of the only posters who can form a proper sentence sometimes.

 

[Chadx]

He's one of the only posters who can form a proper sentence sometimes.

Ha. I'll agree there. Some of the grammar, in forums across the internet, just make me shake my head and bite my tongue. Even the basics.
Very well. If the forum mods don't care, who am I to shoot down The Ben Show. Ha. I'll blame my over-enthusiastic sense of organization for pointing out when things are out of place. Besides, my fellow Bozeman guys have outvoted me two to one! Ha. Carry on.

 

[Ben 500RR-S]

Thanks all.

Thanks for letting me share my good fortune as there are not many in my life that give a whit about a new snowmobile and even on here, as it is a mountain forum, someones grandfathers new Grand Touring sled is about exciting as someone getting a new Toyota Corolla, new from the ground-up for 2020 but at least it is a sled and some of you might have some interest in it, and like to read my story about it.

I tell the two guys I have lunch with about it and they don't know a single thing about snowmobiles or riding.

I might be taking the day off tomorrow to go up and ride by myself, if I can't get my friend that I rode with last Friday to come along and then my wife and I will drop the kids off at their aunts on Saturday morning and we'll head up to North Conway New Hampshire, ride, have dinner and stay the night at a Quality Inn and come back sometime Sunday morning so I'm psyched as it won't be long before winter is gone up here in New England.

I'm glad I can share my stories/experiences with y'all. It does mean a lot, as odd as it sounds.

 

[powdermuncher]

Good to see it is ; that you embrace life in all it has to offer and are open of mind.

Good to see indeed young Padawan.


Lets keep the forums entertaining and fun -- Life is serious enough

 

[NEWDUCK]

I dont even own a snowbike. I just live it threw bens posts.

 

[Revv Up]

Someone I know told me the other day that all the guys who sold their sleds to get snowbikes were now selling their snowbikes and going back to sleds, looks like Ben was on top of his game. Who knew these things were just a fad. ��

 

[powdermuncher]

Hold it there -- who is talking about a fad -- I had a Snow bike as well as sled now since 2012, I guess that is the I have to have both fad.

Each has their place and both are worth having -- unless you are a close minded.

It boggles my mind how some guys love sleds for years and then in one go they are no good no more.

Or Vice versa sled guys having issues with snow bikes and know all the bad about them without ever having had any experience on them what so ever.

All in all we can be a sad bunch at times.

 

[NEWDUCK]

Hold it there -- who is talking about a fad -- I had a Snow bike as well as sled now since 2012, I guess that is the I have to have both fad.

Each has their place and both are worth having -- unless you are a close minded.

It boggles my mind how some guys love sleds for years and then in one go they are no good no more.

Or Vice versa sled guys having issues with snow bikes and know all the bad about them without ever having had any experience on them what so ever.

All in all we can be a sad bunch at times.

Kinda like the guys that rode a hawk once, saw a hawk once or have heard of a hawk once have all the knowledge on how bad they are. Yes in stock form they were sketchy but if they really sucked why would our group keep riding them??

I still have my sled also. Something about the power and traction you can get from one is hard to find in a one ski. Deep powder days I prefer the sled.

 

[rhino89523]

I almost bought a sled last year to rescue my snowbike when it was stuck at the top of the mountain. I was going to buy a sled and make a mount on the back so I could pop off my ski and set that on the back of the tunnel, it would have a couple fold out and pin tie down points and I could get my back back. I was struggling for a way to get it and it lived out there for almost 2 weeks. Finally my buddy with a couple sleds took me out there and we retrieved it. It was actually pretty easy to tow.


When I was riding one of his sleds out there I realized there was a serious fault in my plan....I beyond suck on a snowmobile, it would have taken me forever. I am stubborn as hell so it would have happened but man it would have been tough.

 

[2smokin]

I almost bought a sled last year to rescue my snowbike when it was stuck at the top of the mountain. I was going to buy a sled and make a mount on the back so I could pop off my ski and set that on the back of the tunnel, it would have a couple fold out and pin tie down points and I could get my back back. I was struggling for a way to get it and it lived out there for almost 2 weeks. Finally my buddy with a couple sleds took me out there and we retrieved it. It was actually pretty easy to tow.


When I was riding one of his sleds out there I realized there was a serious fault in my plan....I beyond suck on a snowmobile, it would have taken me forever. I am stubborn as hell so it would have happened but man it would have been tough.

Someone had the same idea last time we had to rescue a bike, and as great as it sounds i dont think it stands a chance of a deep snow woods recovery. It would be so much weight up high to balance and would make the sled trench like none other. we laid the bike on its side on top of a tow sled and even then one sled was not pulling it uphill in the deep.

 

[dirtrebel]

Majic carpet under the track and then just ride it out being pulled, easiest way to go!

 

[Ben 500RR-S]

The second ride was today. This time, no 8 yo child on the back tamping down speeds. I was solo and it was glorious.

I will go back to last winter and how I had considered selling my old snowmobile as I remember thinking of not ever riding a sled again as the snowbike was/is so much fun. It took until this past month where I had realized that I really only have one area, at my BIL's to ride the snowbike and if the conditions are not right, with some deeper snow, I'd be limiting my chances to have fun on the snow if I only had a snowbike.

I had also realized that the conditions are almost always great for snowmobile trails, even if it has not snowed in a while as once there is a base, the trails can be groomed and groomed and as long as it stays cold, the trails are always open and ready and I can get out and get my fix with the sled and save the snowbike for when the snow is right.

The 600R E-TEC motor from BRP is incredible. Their Gen2 DI two stroke is rated at 125 HP and even though I have 85% break in left and only have about 130 miles on the sled, the 600 motor is all I need and all I have needed since I got my first new sled back in 2004.

Where I rode was all old railroad beds, with a hard base that had been groomed to perfection and then 3-4" of new fluffy snow had fallen on it last night so this morning I had first tracks for 20 miles out in one direction and then 20 miles back and then 20 miles in another direction and 20 miles back. I was able to ride 90 miles in 3 hours and when I had fueled up at 60 miles, I took 4 gallons for a 15 mpg. Many say that the mpg will go up a bit once break in is over. I was giving the motor some berries to help with break in, the whole "do not cruise at the same speed for any length of time"-mantra was followed all day.

Roll ons from 30 to 50 mph up to 70 or 80 mph were awesome. Awesome and instant. I can only imagine how incredible the 850 motor must be on a lighter trail sled. I only need a 600cc engine to keep me more than happy.

I'm lucky in that I only have to work until 1:30pm tomorrow and then the wife and I will be dropping the kids off at their cousins house and we will head north, 125 miles to ride up in NH and ride, have dinner and then spend the night at a Quality Inn. I'm looking forward to riding with my great wife again as it has been 10 years since we rode together and before kids came in 2010.

I had almost forgotten how much fun trail riding on a sled was/is. It is still awesome and a great alternative to the snowbike when there is either nowhere to ride the snowbike or the conditions are right for the snowmobile. I'm just lucky that I have both to now enjoy. I always did, just that I got a new 2019 sled to enjoy the trails again.

 

[NEWDUCK]

I'm looking forward to riding my great wife again as it has been 10 years since we rode together and before kids came in 2010.

I fixed it for you. What would happen if you bought a old sled for dirt cheap and just used that registration sticker on your bike? Would the peeps in charge really know you cant register a bike?

 

[Ben 500RR-S]

The nice thing about New Hampshire, and all the states in New England, which is just Vermont and Maine, is that the definition of a snowmobile is a vehicle with a ski(s) and a track so that for now, we can easily register the snowbikes so we can ride them on the legal trails.

I have not even registered the snowbike for this winter as I had a feeling I would not be riding it on the trails as it is not all that much fun riding on the groomed trails.