Opinions on spare/girlfriend mtn sled.

[700rmk03]

My girlfriend's sled

My girlfriend rides a 05 Mtn Cat 159 modified 900. Her dad is a Cat dealer and doesn't believe in anything stock when it comes to sleds. If your girlfriend rides like mine does, don't go with fancy cuz she finds the big trees. Her sled is nicer than mine is. Can you say spoiled? She loves her sled though. Its great to see they other guy's face when a chick shows them up on the mtn. Hers has billet pull rope handle and wheels along with a chrome effects windshield. Last year was her first year on it and she about unassed after grabbing ahold of the throttle going down the trail. Its got some balls. If you want a kick *** Cat built specifically by a long time mountain rider talk to KJCatmaster. Her dad is one of the best in the business.

 

[Bushpilot]

My wife started out on a 01 RMK 700 144. Was not good experience for her or myself for that matter. I bought her an M7 she totally fell in love with sledding. I have since bought her an M8. She cant wait to go sledding. I also got her a 162 because of the powder snow we have in the area. She can start out without getting stuck now and ride all day hard in deep powder.
Get your wife the same equipment you ride or better and dont forget most women prefer to go big!!!!

 

[AZ800]

My wife rides a M sled and loves it. I was worried she'd be scared of the M7 power and not like the long track/no sway bar since she hates riding my RMK and loved her old ZR ('98 model w/ paddle track).
I'd say M-sled or Rev. She's really comfortable on a Rev too.
If you're out west, I'd skip the 136 crossovers and get her something w/ some flotation. My wife would rarely venture off trail on her 121 because she had to keep it pinned or get stuck. W/ the 153, she'll follow me into alot more powder w/o the fear of getting stuck.

 

[Turtlehead]

I wouldn't buy anything I wouldn't want to ride myself, they don't have to use all the throttle but it's sure nice to have when you need it. Nothing more aggravating than constantly getting your girlfriend / wife unstuck because she has a shorter under powered sled .And its also nice to have a good sled as a backup.


Keep in mind "If she's not happy, Your not happy"

 

[sledsurfer]

I'm surprised at all the recommendations for tracks over 144, I would have guessed that to be the magic number for an all-around woman's sled. I have an 02 skidoo 800 with a 151" track, and last year picked up a '99 polaris rmk 700 136" track for the girlfriend/spare sled. Took both of them out in the fresh stuff we had last week with the gf and we traded rides half way through the day. While the 136 is no match for breaking trail, I must admit that it felt way more responsive for turning/leaning in the powder. I'm new to the sport with last year being my first so I've never ridden anything bigger than my 151... maybe the newer long tracks handle as well as the older short tracks?

 

[Goose Lake]

The old red Phazer Mountain Lite is 437 lbs. Not intimidating to newbies and occasionals. Used them for years myself. Utterly reliable and forgiving.

A new XP 144 is the same with lots of go and real suspension. Light is right. What can you afford?

I think I'll pick up my sister-in-law's 95 Phazer for a loaner ($1500). Not much depreciation left and big fun factor. My sister-in-law bought an 07 144 Summit X and loves it. Electric start. 486lbs. Works fine for her and she can run with the boys.

Love to have some short XP's around but hate to see newbies wreck them.
Goose.

 

[Billy Bigrigger]

Wife and Girl friend

I ride a 1200 162, wife is on a 900 151 and girlfriend is on a 600HO 144. It's been working out well

 

[F-Bomb]

Here is a picture of my girlfriends first sled..tomorrow morning is her first real snowmobile ride. I hope it still looks like this on Monday!

As with any new sledder you have to base their buggy on what you will be encountering and who you will be riding with. How they are broken in (to sledding) is far more important then what they are on. It doesn't matter if it's for a girl, a boy. Buy the newest and bestest of what you can afford and safely go have a good time!

Do this before you buy. Go rent, borrow, or steal some varieties and configurations of sleds and let her be the judge of what she likes. Or give her your old sled and hope for the best!

 

[PowderGirl]

She's pretty inexperienced at riding. In the past, she's only ridden about three times per year, but I figure she might liike it alot more and want to go more if she had a sled that was right for her. I've heard that the phazer is a little tippy, but I should rent one and let her ride it for half a day. I've ridden yamahas for twenty years, but willing to try another brand. The RX1 was too heavy for me, so it's definitely out of the question. I really like the looks of the new 600 rmks (2006-2008), they are lighter than the phazer, and seem like they would be very capable off the trails. Any women reading this that owns an 06 or 07 rmk 600?

Thanks for your input aksnowmachinechic. I wish the girls around here were into "snowmachining" as much as they are in AK. I spent a summer in Fairbanks two years ago and couldn't believe how many girls loved snowmachining and would save up and buy their own sled. What a turn on!

I would definitely ecourage you to get her new technology no matter what - IQ, Rev/XP or M series, sounds like the Nytro would be a good choice too but I defiitely wouldnt recommend the Phazer (interesting to ride but wasnt what I thought or had hoped it would be).

Out of the 600 class - I'd probably stick with the Polaris over the M or Rev - the Po 600 has great throttle response, have been told by several the other 600s dont quite feel as strong but havent been on them myself. It could be a great trail sled as well as off trail sled too.

Out of the M series - I'd go with at least a 7 and it wouldnt hurt to go to the 8 one bit. My 2005 M7 felt a little more tracter-ish than peppey like my old 2002 RMK 600 but the agility of the M is far superior - especially for a 120 lb rider like me. The suspension was rather harsh on trail however, even after adjustments and it's tippy on trail.

If you are considering a 2006 or 2007 600 RMK - I know you cant go wrong with it. We have a buddy who rides a 2007 600 RMK IQ 155 and it is just amazing what this "little" sled will do!

I now ride a Dragon 700 155 and have been really pleased with everything about this machine so far (other than the track feels a little long at times but is a savior at other times). To start - booggying down the most whooped out trails is a breeze (sucks them right up and is very stable) but most importantly, it handles nearly effortlessly off trail and have surprised even myself with what I could get through; climbs anything and everything I have the balls to climb so far(but I'm a conservative hill climber these days); has good throttle response and consistent power all through the power band; has a nice seat (I like it alot better than M7's seat because it's narrower, I feel I have a better stance on it); the bars are already in the perfect position for me (I'm 5'4") my M's bars were set just right for me too though; and it comes with a warranty!

Older machines I would reccomend if the newer dont fit the budget are the 600, 700 & 800 Polaris Vertical Escape.

 

[800poodragon]

My wife rides the 800 Vertical Escape. She likes the 144 track and does well keeping up in the powder.

 

[Hammertime]

M7 or M8 all the way

I got my wife an 2006 M7 and her riding improved the first day out. She loves it. She says it's the easiest Sled she has ever ridden. She doesn't get stuck near as much which makes me happy. And on rare occassions I have ridden it but for the most part I stay off. She also won't let me MOD it she says MOD=BROKE so I left it stock. If you can pick up an M it would be a good choice nothing less than a 7 just in case you have to ride. Good Luck!

 

[H2SNOW]

My Bad .. I thought that this was about spare girlfriends and mountain sleds which was better I for one vote for the spare girlfriend

 

[aksteepndeep]

I had a turbo phazer until my wife rode it
I'm a yami guy and would still look at a 05 summit 600 for a woman. I don't think you would loose much in resale if you bought it right. If it's realy for you to ride, 800 then. They are better at using PART throttle than us!!

 

[cowkiller]

women are all alike (just kiddin)

. And on rare occassions I have ridden it but for the most part I stay off. She also won't let me MOD it she says MOD=BROKE so I left it stock.

Mine say's exactly the same thing. hers still has the stock can!

 

[mtnrider800]

fwiw, I got my wife an 03 800 Vertical edge. 151 track. She rode mine last year quite a bit and loved it. We looked for a 700 so we wouldn't have to worry about crank problems, but couldn't find one. good luck.

 

[Polar Express]

I talked to Coyotegirl a lot about that idea before I got my wife a sled. My wife is tall - 6 feet, but she's skinny, so she's not real strong. My goal was a sled that would be comfortable for her to learn on, as easy as possible, but still have decent enough ergos for a tall person, but still have enough power for her to grow into. (in my humble experience, buy more power than you think you need, you'll be happier in the long run, because you'll 'grow into it')

i went with another M7, (I ride one as well) and put one of ole's 4" bar risers on it. It fits her height well, of all the platforms available, its one of the easier sleds to learn on. It's pretty forgiving, and since I personally believe Satan himself invented carburetors, I got an EFI. And, now, there are a lot of them out there for a pretty reasonable price.

I got her a shorter track - i ride a 162, hers is a 153, but shes 60 lbs lighter, so its a pretty good fit for her.

the cool thing is that the consumables, (plugs, belt, oil, etc.,) are all the same.... for now.......

 

[RMKcowboy]

We got my wife a 99 RMK 700 136". It's got plenty of onions for her, and the track is just long enough to get her where she wants but not so long that it's a handful for her. She grew up riding on old 70's era Yamahas, then rode an 87 Phazer for about 3 years (which we still have and need to sell) until I traded my dirt bike, 00 YZ 426F, straight up for her sled. It worked out well for me too, because now I have a backup sled to ride, plus I got myself a new 06 YZ 450F out of the deal!

 

[speedemon]

Get her a 600RMK 144" or 155" depending on your snow conditions. The Phazer is a kid's sled, don't go there.

ditto

 

[Cat Kid]

Mom started out and continues to like the mountain cat600/m6 the best. They are easy for her to handle and have enough power to get back into the areas we ride.

I rented a phazer last year. I liked it, but its not the best mountain sled not because of a lack of power, but a lack of floatation. It is also the complete opposite of tippy, I really had to work to carve. It really likes to keep both skis planted. I tried to trade with my mom on that trip b/c she had an M6. I thought she'd like it better because the ski pressure did make it track nicely in the conditions that day, however she hated it because the ski pressure made it really hard for her to steer.

She's also tried rev 600's and did well on them, but I think she likes the cat set-up better.

 

[gunslinger770]

Here's the deal.............if shes a hardcore powder junkie get here something that will carve where she desires to go..........but if not, get her something easier to handle that she can have fun with rather than muscling her around at every turn. She'll have alot more fun throughout the day if she's concentrating on being with you and having fun rather then fighting with the sled because it's not a good fit for her.

My wife rides a 98 RMK 700 which seems to be a good fit for her BUT she's happiest because she's with me, having fun and not having to fight the sled. She's not the powder hound that I am. Then she can laugh and take pictures of me when I stick my RMK 900 into 10 feet of powder and I can wonder, "what the heck was I thinking....."?!