Making a shorty west worthy

[Doonbuggy12]

I am moving to Idaho from Wisconsin. I have a 120" 09 TNT etec 600. I would like to keep it for this year until I find out what I want for a summit. And then I will have it as a back up sled after that. What can I do to it to have fun for this winter around McCall, Id?

My thoughts are a deep lug track. Maybe 1.75. Maybe taller if possible. I don't know what you can get away with without clearance issues.
Clutching
Gearing down to a 49 tooth bottom gear.

Let me know any opinions. And if you think it's a waste of time or not.
Thanks guys

 

[goridedoo]

Find a mountain sled.

 

[mtsummitx]

Diddo!! 120 isn't going to cut it off trail in prime mountain pow! I would say 144 minimum depending on your skill level and how much you like to be stuck. If you are a good powder rider you could get away with a 136 if you don't plan to climb alot but a 144 or longer will keep you from being stuck very much, unless the snow is EPIC!!!! A 120 probably isn't going to make your friends very happy as you and they will be shoveling alot. Except maybe on hard spring snow.

 

[1Fast68]

What you can do to make that sled usable is fairly simple;

Hop on your local Craigslist, create a posting and Rid yourself of that blasphemous short track excuse for a mountain sled. Someone in Wisconsin/ Michigan who is scared of heights will enjoy its lack of ability to climb, wide ski stance to prevent sidehilling and shortage of 200cc's aka Horsepower. Find someone back east will love it.... long time.

Now take this new found funding and start browsing the Classifieds here and in your soon to be home state of Idaho. Buy something built for the mountains. A good 700-800 151-155" are my recommendations for a newbie to the mountains.

Seriously, save yourself the frustration, McCall gets some good snow, buy a good sled and enjoy it. Do you want to be sitting at home after a big dump because your 120" sled can't hang? Or be that guy no one wants to go riding with because you can't leave the trail

 

[hornson3]

I agree find a mountain sled to buy or just rent a couple different ones till you find one you like. You will probably have better luck selling yours before you move out west. Not much call for those sleds in the deep snow states. Not much for a back up sled for out here either. Although you could go like a bat out of hell on the trails with it.

 

[skidoorulz]

You young people crack me up You will have fun riding a short track in the mountains. I never had a "long track" til I put a 136 1 and a half on my 97 Doo in 2000. And I rode Cooke everytime I went out back then. Not many people can say they have dropped of Daisy on a John Deere or a Scorpian. I rode more miles per day and had just as much fun then as I do now. Ride it! Put a 2 inch on it and hold it to the bars, it will make you a better rider. You may not be able to go as high, (you won't) but you will have just as much fun. And if you friends can't handle it tell them to stay home

 

[mtsummitx]

You young people crack me up You will have fun riding a short track in the mountains. I never had a "long track" til I put a 136 1 and a half on my 97 Doo in 2000. And I rode Cooke everytime I went out back then. Not many people can say they have dropped of Daisy on a John Deere or a Scorpian. I rode more miles per day and had just as much fun then as I do now. Ride it! Put a 2 inch on it and hold it to the bars, it will make you a better rider. You may not be able to go as high, (you won't) but you will have just as much fun. And if you friends can't handle it tell them to stay home

I have way more fun now with the 800 144" than I did in the John Deere days!!!!

 

[mtsummitx]

And way more fun than the Summit 500 136" and Summit 670 136" days too.

 

[89sandman]

if you want to do any real mt. riding you will spend more upgrading than you can buy a sled already done. as posted above i'd sell it where you are, once you get to idaho you won't be able to give it away. if you want to ride off trail in the deep i wouldn't even look at a sled with less than a 150's track...

 

[mtsummitx]

if you want to ride off trail in the deep i wouldn't even look at a sled with less than a 150's track...

I wouldn't rule out anything less than 150. We currently have been riding 144's for years and the only time we are on the trail is to get to the deep. They do just fine. Now, with that being said, my next sled will be in the 150's, maybe even 163 but if I were looking for a mountain sled and on a budget I wouldn't rule out a 144.

 

[Rush44]

This is the minimum requirement to ride deep powder in the West. Every person has at least this long of a track. I'm thinking about a 269 for next season with 5 inch paddles.

 

[mtsummitx]

Nice Pic!! Someone did a good photochop job!

 

[tdblakes]

lol this one is legit

 

[tdblakes]

to the OP, you CAN make your 09 120 ridable in the mountains. I wouldnt go shorter than a 144 though. The EASIEST thing to do is like the others said, sell yours or trade it in toward a legit mountain sled. you can mod your shorty all you want but in the end, its the details of the mountain sled that give it the edge over a trail sled with a long track. You don't have to drop a ton of coin and buy new, there are good used sleds out there too. You just have to be somewhat picky.

 

[mtsummitx]

201!!!! Good god man!!! I'd hate to have to dig that out if ya did get it stuck!

 

[hockeyb4]

well you can keep it. here is my reasoning, not everyday is going to be "epic" as far as powder goes. You will be able to ride the trails and or roads no prob most of the season, provided you are close to an area that grooms or has roads that get alot of traffic sled wise. When the spring hits you will have a blast for sure. I would not worry so much about making it mountain worthy I think you are on the right track with deeper lugs and re gear then look for a mountain sled when you have the money. Your riding will improve by leaps and bounds if you can find anyone to ride with you. short tracks can be ridden in the mountains it just takes a lot more work in all aspects. When you do get on a mountian sled you will be a very capable rider in no time at all

But be prepared to be stuck alot and have some long days, but it can be done

 

[Coldfinger]

I agree you will have a hard time selling it at a decent price out west and for what it will cost you to upgrade track length, you should probably sell it where you are.

Yes, you can ride a true short tracker out west but when the people you're riding with probably have 144+ tracks you'll quickly find out that you are the one who is limiting where the group can go, in a big way, if they like doing off-trail stuff.

 

[suitcase]

If money is tight, I would look into some rail extentions to move you out to a 136" x2". Maybe a tooth or so in your chain case, and go have fun. We did it for alot of yrs before the big tracks came out, youll just have to be a rider!! If your buddies get mad because your stuck from time to time, you may need new buddies!!

 

[makaio]

Sell the shorty and buy a mountain specific machine. You will not regret it.

 

[X2Freeride]

gear down to 49? thats still pretty high.