Perceptions.

[Cat-man-Doo]

Just in the shop today putting my Fox EVOL's on my new Summit X 165 and got to thinking back when CAT came out with the King Cat 154". A LOT of people that grew up riding "long track" 136's, me included thought "what a useless track length for anything but point and shoot high working. you will never be able to turn that thing!!". Today, 154" is considered by many, including me as a "short track" in the mountains lost suitable for smaller (re LIGHTER) riders and there are MANY guys riding 175's that can maneuver better than most of us could back on our 136" old school machines. My how times have changed. Of course the changes in machines goes FAR beyond just the track length but still...

 

[jdog1]

Yep right there with you on that.

 

[hansenmac]

im a North Dakota flat lander and when dad and i were buying our first mountain sleds everyone said "you cant turn those things" they won't work on the trails etc etc. started with 153's and then went longer.

 

[Ken65]

Just in the shop today putting my Fox EVOL's on my new Summit X 165 and got to thinking back when CAT came out with the King Cat 154". A LOT of people that grew up riding "long track" 136's, me included thought "what a useless track length for anything but point and shoot high working. you will never be able to turn that thing!!". Today, 154" is considered by many, including me as a "short track" in the mountains lost suitable for smaller (re LIGHTER) riders and there are MANY guys riding 175's that can maneuver better than most of us could back on our 136" old school machines. My how times have changed. Of course the changes in machines goes FAR beyond just the track length but still...

It actually started with Ski Doo in 2000. They came out with a 151 inch track on the 700 Summit. The yellow school bus we called them. What a great sled though. All the manufacturers scoffed at it and said it would never work. Then, all hell broke loose on track lengths.

 

[revrider07]

It was the opening of tree riding. And the beginning of chasing snow because unless there is two feet of fresh it’s just no fun. Yamaha came with a 141 was king for about a week and ski doo crushed them with a summit 151 700. I had a lot of fun learning to ride in the mts with a 136 it made me a better rider and tuner today.