Ok I have seen the ATV running down the road in groups with other ATV's and with bikes. Kind of gay but hey to each his own. Now I have seen two in the ditch with tracks. One was a Razor with a guy in swear shirt running windshield wipers and fogged up on all other windows he could only see out of the front. I hate to tell him I could grab a 72 Etigre and run circles around him in the same ditch. At least the Black Hills trails system does state that all vehicles on their system has to a snowmobile not a ATV probably because of width and possible danger to oncoming traffic. It will not be long before you see a group of these Fred Astaire enclosed ATV's unloading at a trail head. I will bet you see a few at a poker run that most of us in the midwest are familiar with during the sledding this season.
Enough is enough, ATVS are not sleds or bikes
- Thread starter Sledbrain2
- Start date
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Adrenaline Revolution
Well-known member
hmmm...are ya interested in being pimped out...
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snowmobiler
Well-known member
riding legal is for sissys.LOL
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Arctic Thunder
Well-known member
I know in our area as long as you purchase a snowmobile sticker and have tracks all the way around your good to go on groomer trails and you must follow all the other rules the same as a sled.
Two things I can think of.
First, the groomer clubs and the states want the money so as long as we can purchase snowmobile stickers, they will take it.
Second, this isn't all bad, I know of a lot of folks that have nice enclosed cabs on their rangers, rzrs, canam, etc. A five thousand dollar set of tracks on the 15 thousand dollar UTV. they aren't out hill climbing, jumping, etc, but they are outdoors enjoying the country we live in, in a 20K + machine. Pretty good on the local economy I would say.
IMO, live with it. PS, I will take 100 UTV's on my groomed trail before one cross country skier.
Thunder
Two things I can think of.
First, the groomer clubs and the states want the money so as long as we can purchase snowmobile stickers, they will take it.
Second, this isn't all bad, I know of a lot of folks that have nice enclosed cabs on their rangers, rzrs, canam, etc. A five thousand dollar set of tracks on the 15 thousand dollar UTV. they aren't out hill climbing, jumping, etc, but they are outdoors enjoying the country we live in, in a 20K + machine. Pretty good on the local economy I would say.
IMO, live with it. PS, I will take 100 UTV's on my groomed trail before one cross country skier.
Thunder
Also in SD (on snowmobile trails) they need to be licensed as a snowmobile or displaying the new license for the motorcycle conversions and be no wider than 48 inches.
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BikerPepe`
Well-known member
hate to say it... because I get the frustration, but with the greenies trying to grab up every piece of land they can keep us out of, the more folks involved in the sport (not the specific machine so much, as the sport of back country, motorized winter rec.), the better!
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Arctic Thunder
Well-known member
You nailed it here. We are a minority at this point. We need all the numbers we can on our side. Even if they ride something different.
Thunder
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waxer
Well-known member
Groomers don't have skis but Sandman would like to ban them, lol!
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Bowfisher
Well-known member
Couldn't agree more. I don't care what your riding just get out there and enjoy it.
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CBX
Well-known member
I wished they'd let everyone buy tags. Would solve groomer and parking lot fund issues. I wouldn't even mind if parks and rec got involved with some kind of pass deal for the lots. A little fleecing goes along ways sometimes.
Don't be hater. Sledbrain. Make sure they invite their buddies.
Don't be hater. Sledbrain. Make sure they invite their buddies.
Well I do not ride ditches much anymore but here in SD ATV have gotten banned from some ditches. Apparently people to not appreciate getting their nice ditch tore up but the ATVs. I am afraid as more of them get tracks some of our popular ditches could be shut down. One thing is for sure if they plan on running down any trail system that I have ever been on the trails will have to be wider.
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sno_mo_racer
Well-known member
I do not get why they would want to try protect the ditches. Most aren't there naturally, they were made for drainage on the sides of the roads or were caused by streams then dried out. Don't see them going to a muddy ditch and having a picnic with there food and saying "now isn't this a beautiful area?" Sledbrain2? I for one wouldn't mind them on our side, as long as they pay there fees and follow the rules. Heck the groomed trails are already wrecked after a couple hours of use so the tracks of a utv would be no different.
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Snappy Sledder
Well-known member
I for one would like to see these vehicles on the trails. Ya they may be wider than we'd like, but really, most riders in the mountains don't ride the trail that often, so why does it matter how wide they are on the trails? And as stated by BikerPepe, we need numbers bad, because I'm sure a lot of them would be willing to join a club or association if it meant keeping land open for them to enjoy their $20,000+ rig unlike most snowmobilers who spend half that on their sled.
I agree that we could use some help against the greenies and there are a lot more atvs then sleds in the country. I do ride the black hills from time to time and there are a lot of eastern riders that come there thinking there is a I500 race from bar to bar. I see a bad accident on many of the hair pin corners of the trail system if a track atvs are running the same trails. The reason why some ditches got banned from atvs is from people building a house on a county rd thinking its in the city. The home owners would put in nice grass right next to road ditch with tall grass. As far as I know it is only one county that has the ban.
The issues and conflicts of ATV use on snowmobile trails are much different in the East as compared to the mountain west. In the east the trails are where almost all of the snowmobile riding occurs. Most are narrow due to being in road ditches, and on trails cut through the trees. Options to ride off trail are almost non existent. Some cross private property by lease agreement. These trails receive heavy use and wide UTV's and ATV's can create a safety hazard due to their width. Also landowners who give permission for snowmobile trails to cross their property have experienced damage caused by ATV's during the summer months and would not allow a snowmobile trail to cross their property if it was open to ATV's in any form. Also when the snowmobile trails melt the snowmobiles are done but the ATV's are still going. In the mountain west trails are usually only a pathway to back country areas and numerous options to ride off trail exist. The amount of trail traffic is lighter and there is little need for leases across private property. The Black Hills of SD is a hybrid of the east and west where some come only to ride trails including many on rental sleds, some use trails to get to some of the limited back country, and some avoid the trails at all costs. The Black Hills trails system has many narrow areas and utilizes some private lands. ATV's are not allowed on the trail system managed by the state of SD but tracked ATV's are allowed on FS lands and roads open to snowmobiles and wheeled ATV's are allowed on roads not closed to snowmobile use. I agree the snowmobile community would benefit from the extra numbers of the ATV community but both groups need to realize in some areas sharing the same trails may not be always work.
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