Are Turbo Sleds More Dangerous?

[Wheel House Motorsports]

If you dont know how to let off the gas you will kill yourself .

But that goes for a stock sled also , if you are dumb you can hurt yourself in a padded room.

I feel the most safe and comfortable with in my group around the people with the mod sleds.. they seem to know when is when better.

its my buddies on the stock 600 showing off that i worry about!!! sorta like nothing to prove.

yes, obviously the sled is more of a hazard as it is faster, BUT, you still control the fast.

 

[zebiraross]

It depends on what your talking about as being "safer". Honestly, I think climbing they are safer. With out a turbo you start to trench, dig deep, and eventually sidehill. All of which are huge avy triggers. With a turbo usually you will blow over what your trying to climb leaving it less likely to set off a avy. Obviously there are some things even turbo's stuggle to climb, and if that is the case and you start to dig and trench and sidehill your in the same boat. But, your not going to be in that situation near as much as a n/a sled.

 

[NoSecondChances]

It depends on what your talking about as being "safer". Honestly, I think climbing they are safer. With out a turbo you start to trench, dig deep, and eventually sidehill. All of which are huge avy triggers. With a turbo usually you will blow over what your trying to climb leaving it less likely to set off a avy. Obviously there are some things even turbo's stuggle to climb, and if that is the case and you start to dig and trench and sidehill your in the same boat. But, your not going to be in that situation near as much as a n/a sled.

The point could be argued that anything a turbo is not able to climb (where you have to turn out and start a big trench)...is likely to be far steeper and more dangerous than what a stock sled would be able to climb - making it far more likely to fail and have a higher risk of avy trigger than where you would be turning out with a stocker. I agree that most bunny hills you will blow over with a turbo instead of turning out 3/4's of the way up is probably safer, however, if you're into something that a 260+HP sled cant' climb, I'd say that you're in a bad spot if the avy conditions are not favorable.

Ultimately, its the rider. Yes you will want to climb stuff and yes there is a strong urge to just continue up that chute, instead of turning out. The only thing stopping you....is you. Don't be an arrogant d!ck that thinks he is invincible because he has a fast sled and an avy beacon. Be the guy that knows he can climb that hill, and as much fun as it would be, still doesn't do it because he knows that living to ride another day and going home to his family is far more worth it than becoming a statistic.

Being a humble and safe rider (who climbs crazy stuff only when its safe) earns far more respect than being a throttle happy douche-bag who climbs everything in sight (cuz they think they are cool), with no regard for yourself or your riding buddies safety. Remember, if you get caught in an avy, they will be ones that come to your aid, its bad enough that you will jeopardize your life, but people often forget they are not only jeopardizing their safety, but the safety of their rescuers well. Just somethings to think about.

The fact that you have identified though is evidence of self-awareness, and this is one key to being a safe and responsible rider. Green rep to ya dude!

NSC

 

[Adrenaline Revolution]

Is a .45 more dangerous than a .40?

Nope...They'le both kill you in a split second if you're dumb enough to point them at your brain and pull the trigger.

Use your brain when you point your sled and squeeze that trigger too.

I imagine you could kill yourself on a kitty kat if you worked at it hard enough!

 

[ccoleman77]

I imagine you could kill yourself on a kitty kat if you worked at it hard enough!

That's just cruel. Be nicer to the poor kitty's it's not their fault they always fail half-way up the mountain. Oh wait maybe that was just when I was riding one nevermind.

 

[zebiraross]

The point could be argued that anything a turbo is not able to climb (where you have to turn out and start a big trench)...is likely to be far steeper and more dangerous than what a stock sled would be able to climb - making it far more likely to fail and have a higher risk of avy trigger than where you would be turning out with a stocker. I agree that most bunny hills you will blow over with a turbo instead of turning out 3/4's of the way up is probably safer, however, if you're into something that a 260+HP sled cant' climb, I'd say that you're in a bad spot if the avy conditions are not favorable.

NSC

That's why I said "Obviously there are some things even turbo's stuggle to climb, and if that is the case and you start to dig and trench and sidehill your in the same boat. But, your not going to be in that situation near as much as a n/a sled."

Unfortunetly some people are just wired wrong, uneducated, or just stupid to climb stuff they are not suppose to, regardless of what sled they are riding. A proper running turbo doesn't just blow over bunny hills, they will blow over a lot of steep deep crazy stuff. N/a sleds are going to trench regardless and are more likely to set off a avy. And what do most n/a climbers climb? Big open face 40-45 deg hills that they can turn out on or sidehill. Most turbo guys have blown over those so many times doing a wheele that they are going to skip that hill and go find a more challanging technical chute. Chutes are far less likely to avy because they are 5-30 ft wide in most spots, and steeper. Yes steeper hills are less likely to avy because they will normally natually slide, and there is a lot less surface area to build up snow like a big open face hill.

I bet if we were to research all the avy deaths in the last 5 years, at lest 95-99% of them were on n/a sleds. I realize that there are far more n/a sleds then turbo's. But still if turbo's were really that more dangerous there would be far more avy deaths with guys having turbo's.

 

[BV_Boondocker]

Its only as dangerous as you make it, someone once told me that "snowmobiling is like riding a bull, it can be safe if you know what your doing but will always have risks, but its your choice if you wanna kick the bull in the nuts or not."

 

[Weekday Warrior]

Is a turbo sled more dangerous?


I'd like to find out

 

[BigT]

Turbos are not more dangerous.
Saying a turbo is more dangerous is like saying a crotch rocket is more dangerous than a cruiser. Or, its like saying a turbo diesel pickup is more dangerous than a naturally asperated diesel. NOT
Simply not so---its the loose nut behind the throttle that's the danger.

BigT

 

[SylvanLaker]

I think the hardest part is going to be restraining myself when I know I could just climb over that bill hill. That's the part I'm worried about. I think this year I will finally add a avy bag to my list of safety gear. With a sled like this any risk reduction is worth a grand..

good posts..

 

[drinkwyo]

It should not be "HARD" to restrain yourself if you respect the people you ride with. Its not worth getting yourself killed or one of your buddies!!!
When the right conditions allow you to pull big hills, then do it and dont look back.
If the conditions do not allow you to hit the big stuff, then dont do it. Its that easy!!!!

Obviously this is easier said than done, but everyone needs remember it and more importantly DO IT!!

With that said -------- Pray for snow........

 

[EZmoney]

You hit it on the hammer there. when the snow report is unstable, screw it. I dont want to be buried alive.Why put your self in that situation and leave the earth like that? leaving my kids with out a dad and some one else doing my wif down the road? Ive heard what its like from good friends that got out from being buried alive. Feeling like a helpless baby down there thinking they were going to die, and i for one never want to go through that. Just be smart with what ever sled your on turbo or not!

 

[Ex-Member]

My cat can eat a whole watermelon.

 

[polaris4evr]

what does that have to do with any of this post?

 

[relentless rider]

power saves life's

 

[89sandman]

My cat can eat a whole watermelon.

seeded or seedless???

 

[snowmobiler]

what does that have to do with any of this post?

mules watermelon eating cat was on tv last week.pretty cool.

 

[Adrenaline Revolution]

My cat can eat a whole watermelon.

Heres an effeminate monkey sitting....

And here's a bunch of people I don't know...

 

[manowar]

I always look at it this way. Any thing you do has been done before and that means the time crush of being the first is passed so if it is an unfavorable day just wait and set your personal goal at staing alive.