Making it fun for her

[Kong]

ok, my wife is an avid powder hound.

I wouldn't recommend the nytro. For only one reason. It is heavier than the other 3. Once she learns to ride and how to make the sled do the work for her, then it might be a good option.

I would strongly recommend letting her ride the other 3.
Not around a field or anything like that, but try and get a half day or full day ride on one. That will give her a good feel for the sled.

Once she figures out which one she likes set it up for HER. Have her test the bar height, how does the seat feel, how does the steering feel, etc. What ever sled she chooses has to "feel" right for her.

Pretty much any sled you choose will run MUCH cleaner than the one she is on.
My wife runs the 07 700 dragon. I changed the ski's, spindles, modified the seat, put a bar riser on it, tail light relocation kit, different windshield and put a couple vent kits on it. You couldn't get her off that sled with dynamite.

Agree and add. Don't treat her set up as second class. As a matter of fact put her sled first. All the difference in the world. My wife went to an 03 AC 600 when they came out and BIG diff, then went to 05 M7 then 06 M7 153. Changed her whole world. She is unstoppable now, loves her sled, and you can't keep her off it. We boonie everywhere and she is right there. Often the guys on the older sleds get stuck... not her.

Get your wife a light sled, with power (power and good track/length means she doesn't have to full throttle up the hills and in the deep).

You asked all the right questions, good luck. BTW my wife is 58.

 

[NWPow]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. It seems like a lot of the ladies are happy the Polaris and Ski-Doo sleds. Sticking with the 2-stroke is probably the best idea, especially for my back unsticking her.

Any suggestions on the best way to demo sleds in Washington. Do most manufacturers have demo days up on Snoqualmie?

 

[Ollie]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. It seems like a lot of the ladies are happy the Polaris and Ski-Doo sleds. Sticking with the 2-stroke is probably the best idea, especially for my back unsticking her.

Any suggestions on the best way to demo sleds in Washington. Do most manufacturers have demo days up on Snoqualmie?

Simple way to find out.
Just call the local dealers and ask. They will be MORE than willing to give you all the info you need. Some will have a sign up sheet for a test ride.

 

[switchback04]

Just want to put my 2 cents in. After you have decided on a sled, have your wife go into the dealer, have her sit on it and have them adjust it to her weight and height. That's what I did and I can't complain about the ride. Also, for all you females out there, please check out the article in Supertrax at www.supertraxmag.com about the gear available from ARCTIVA.com. It sounds great and I'm going to bite!

 

[switchback04]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. It seems like a lot of the ladies are happy the Polaris and Ski-Doo sleds. Sticking with the 2-stroke is probably the best idea, especially for my back unsticking her.

Any suggestions on the best way to demo sleds in Washington. Do most manufacturers have demo days up on Snoqualmie?

After living in Seattle for 20 years, I can't remember any manufactures' having demo days at Snoqualmie. I would think, once you have selected a sled, any of the dealers in the area would be more than willing to let you take it out for a test drive (kind of like test driving a car). You may have to fork out the money to haul it to the snow. The only other suggestion I have is to find out where SnoWest is planning on having their snowshoot for next year. They usually invite people to apply to test drive their sleds. (I don't know if they still do that or not). Anyway, just a thought.

 

[dre]

Everyone has said it: a newer sled will generally be a lot more fun.
I got my wife an 05 M6 with 153 track. Most of our riding is mtn & deep snow.
I got the sled for about $ 4000 with 300 miles on it. I have to admit, it's a pretty capable, affordable mtn sled & she likes it.... & a decent backup sled for me or friends. For the money, hard to beat. Handles great off trail. Feels light & steers easy.

I'd recommend reverse for sure & electric start if possible. My wife weighs 100lbs so I have to start the sled most of the time. That gets old for us both. The M7 or M8 cost a bit more but if you have the cash, go there. Same chassis + more power. There are a couple of bad things about the 05 models: rear suspension needs some work (holz relocation bracket) & the Attack 20 track is garbage. I think Arctic Cat fixed the suspension on 06 models.

 

[CatWoman]

I'm a lighter gal, and I prefer to start my own sled. I know not every gal is the same. Electric start.....I could take it or leave it. It's really not an issue for me to start my sled.....even on my tiredest of days after riding with the guys on one of the *big boy rides*. Lets me know I'm getting a good muscle workout.

 

[bigfoot]

hi, i am bigfoots fiancee and would like to offer some advice. you need to invest in a sled with good suspension.when i was learning to ride i rode a mid 90's polaris 500 and i would be tore up by the end of the day,great sled to learn on but not easy on the body. also i have a friend who has a gel seat, that is comfort! reverse is nice to have but if im that stuck usually someone else has to unstick me, so its nicer for the guys who bail me out. starting the slead can be tough so for comfort, electric start. i really like riding the polaris 600 rmk iq. that sled cuts through snow like butter, its easy to ride, start and manuever. a cute outfit is nice too, doesnt hurt to look hot while riding!

 

[slyrydr]

my wife is on the smaller side and had the same problems everyone else has talked about.....i got her an m-7 with a 162 track....because of the efi, she can put both hands on the pull start, and doesn't need help anymore....because of the 162, she seldom gets stuck, and is now more confident, and therefore rides better....because of the 700 she doesn't have to ride too fast towards a hill, but can approach more slowly, knowing she has enough power to get over (i'm carefull not to take her places that are too hard for her), ....she was complaining about the exhaust, i blew it off for a while, but rode her sled one day...she was right....i investigated more closely and discovered that the springs holding the pipe to the y-pipe had lost some of their tension, so....i got 6 new springs, double springed the pipe on and used a little silicone to help seal the graphite seals....problems all solved, she's always wanting to go riding now....warm hands, warm feet, good face protection....20 degrees below zero, no problem....life is good

 

[switchback04]

hi, i am bigfoots fiancee and would like to offer some advice. you need to invest in a sled with good suspension.when i was learning to ride i rode a mid 90's polaris 500 and i would be tore up by the end of the day,great sled to learn on but not easy on the body. also i have a friend who has a gel seat, that is comfort! reverse is nice to have but if im that stuck usually someone else has to unstick me, so its nicer for the guys who bail me out. starting the slead can be tough so for comfort, electric start. i really like riding the polaris 600 rmk iq. that sled cuts through snow like butter, its easy to ride, start and manuever. a cute outfit is nice too, doesnt hurt to look hot while riding!

Hey! I have to admit that for an easy start I have to go with Polaris, I was initiated to snowmobiling on a 340 Indy trail (I'm not going to admit to the year), then progressed to a Polaris Indy 500 SKS and finally on to a Polaris Swithback. I still love that 500 SKS sled. Starts on the first pull and has been as reliable as your dog! We now use it for our friends that come out to visit but I would go back to it in s]a heartbeat. It has never let us down.
OK, so I'm done pushing Polaris! Whatever you decide on, make sure it is fitted to you. Please request that from the seller.

 

[snowlovers]

I have been riding for many years and was riding a 05 M7 ...just got a skidoo xp and love it.. but both sleds are great to ride ...the xp is much lighter and handles very well in the powder, climb awesome and has plenty of power.
The M7 seems to sit higher off the snow and is easier to handle in heavier snow and on the trails ,if you ride the trails alot. I like it so much I kept it too. But most of all tell her we ALL get stuck, laugh it off and have a great time.

 

[switchback04]

Yes, we ALL get stuck, just remember your camera! In fact, get her one of her own so she can take her own pictures. Please take this in the friendly matter that it was written. Chuckle!

 

[skidooboy]

i'm gonna suggest go the other way of most of the above suggestions. take it with a grain of salt if you must. put the wife in better or equal equipment than yourself and both of you will have a better time. this means everything from gear, sleds and accesories.

we bought the wife and myself new nytro mtx's with reverse this fall. she came off 04 rev rengade 600sdi with a 2" track. she took to the mtx like a duck to a june bug, especially the e start. and i personally would never have thought i would love the e start and reverse but, i do.

i'm tired of hearing about the weight of 4 strokes, they are all heavy when stuck, i dont care if they weigh 400 or 4000 lbs. work smarter not harder when getting them unstuck. BUY A DARN SNOBUNJIE AND USE IT! we learned via noah at togwotee mountain lodge to use the sled to sled bunjie and now we dont even get off the sleds for most stucks. hook em up, give it a snap and unhook and ride. we have had the hand held bunjies for years and they work great but, after seeing the sled to sled unit. i bought one the first day we got home, and use it when we need it. no more digging, picking up the rear of the sled, draggin the sled around for traction ect.. pull and go.

few of the pluses, the cost of one day of injection oil on the two stroke, is in some cases the cost for the whole year on the 4 stroke. you got a built in goggle dryer and hand warmer stickin out of the rear seat. if you maintain the oil, the first valve adjustment interval is 25000 miles. try letting a 2 stroke go that long without a top end rebuild.

on the weight issue, her zx chassis summit will weigh about the same as the nytro. no it isnt xp, dragon or m class light but it is as good or better than what she came off of. and with efi, no jetting for elevation, e start is instant even to -30 faranheight (we tested that a few days this winter)

all boils down to personal preference, LET HER CHOOSE WHAT SHE WANTS! both of you will be happier.

nytros with lady pilots can fly.....

ski

 

[RGM]

The summit 600SDI burn very little oil so there is almost no smake and the new e-tec will be even better and lighter. If you get a chance to demo one it would probably be worth while.

 

[fassteddie]

just switched her from 06 800 summit x 144. to xp 154. she cant beleive the differance. not only is it easy for her to handle there is vary little oil/gas smell. she loves it. and therefore at the end of the day i reep the rewards if ya know what i mean!

 

[AZ800]

My wife had the same experience as Sled*dunk. Came off a 98 ZR500, her first sled, and pretty decent suspension and handling in the pow for a short tracker.
She moved up to a M7 2 years ago and hasn't looked back since. It's n0t that she didn't enjoy ridin' her ZR, but she enjoys the new long track MUCH MORE! Just now this year, learned how to carve up the powder!
Can't help w/ the 2 stroke smell unless you go Yami, but sno bunje or not, a lighter sled is going to treat your wife better, IMO.
I'd equally reccomend a M6 (no M7's w/ reverse), RMK 6 or 7 2006 on up, or a Rev 6 Summit.
I rode an XP and felt that it, although a sweet sled, was not as easy to throw around as the above mentioned sleds, took some getting used to.
Only your wife knows exactly what she wants and getting that will be the best for her, but give the 06-08's a look. You can get into a 600 of your choice, practically new for under $5k, and that leaves alot of $$ left for good gear (matching gear is somehow important to my wife) and lots of scents to put in the gas tank!

 

[Osborne Performance]

it doesnt matter what sled it is my wife rides a 700 dragon came off of a 700 edge see likes to go now. she would like electric start though make sure they like the sled they ride get a sled that is stable but easy to move around on. {and get them warm clothing} my wife wont let me rider her 700 and i bought her the new sled so she would enjoy the sport i still ride the edge sleds it was the smart thing to do

 

[NoSecondChances]

Great discussion you guys, have been following this thread, looking at all the great replies. I would love to get my wife involved in the sport, I would like to ease her into it though, she is kinda timid when it comes to power sports. All the info I see here is great, gives me a great starting point, so thank you.

Anyway, my other point is to the author mainly, but generally overall, Ski Doo sleds are notorious for over-oiling. Use a quality oil like Shell Ultra Advance. It costs a little more, but there is literally no smoke with it and you can turn the oiler down because it lubricates much better (even less smoke and odour).
This was our experience with it anyway. I'm betting that your 600 is over-oiling. Also, I do agree with one of the replies, if she is always following you, she will always be inhaling your exhaust, which means you should change oil too, or let her lead once in a while. I never have experienced an issue with inhaling my own exhaust. Does she have a high windshield where maybe the exhaust is coming up into and drafting in behind and causing her to inhale it more? What about sealing the exhaust out of the engine compartment better and also some sort of exhaust deflector to direct the exhaust farther back under the running board so that it vents behind the sled? Just some things I was thinking about to try and help.

Thanks again!

 

[giddyup]

lighter helps

anyone who tells you weight dosent matter to a light rider is not a light rider. i just took my wife from her 05 600sdi 144 and put her on an 08 146xp. she loves the sled now that i took off the sway bar she loves it more or that is until she drove my 154. now she likes it more. i also gave her the best gear, and got her an expensive snowcross helmet. i think the more you pay the lighter it gets, im dam near broke but she is not tired at the end of the day and is more eger to plan the next trip to the mountians.
good luck

 

[PowderGirl]

Since the subject of starting our own sleds came up, I gotta say my Dragon 700 is not near as easy to start as my old M7 was. In fact, I'd say at least twice every ride - someone has to start my sled for me.

And regarding the weight thing - I was worried about riding a sled this year that is 50 lbs heavier than my last sled (we shaved quite a bit of weight off my old M7). But my heavier sled is actually easier to ride - however, not as easy to get unstuck or move around in the garage. At least I get stuck a lot less now on the new machine and we have little rolly things to put under the skis and track that make it easy to move around in the garage. I really havent put much thought into trying to shave weight off my D7 but it might be worth a shot, it always made a difference on my oder sleds - but that was older technology.