Pro and Cons of buying a new(er) sled.

[KEPT ENT.]

Ok, here is the deal. I currently have an 01 Mountain Cat 800 LE. It has minor bolt ons but is slightly damaged. In the recent week I have done alot of surfing on the web and have found some great deals on newer used sleds. I have also just visited the Artic Cat website and was impressed by the new M8. So my quiestion would be : should I stick with a sled that has been good to me and buy an older used one for the wife or give her the 01 and buy something newer for me?

 

[blacksnow]

merry christmas

it's time to reward yourself my friend for all the hard work you've done. your wife will be happy with the hand-me-down. for you, on the other hand, go for the gusto!!

 

[KEPT ENT.]

Thats the way I was thinking but she is only 5 foot nothing and this would be her first sled.

 

[vdog0531]

the pros are endless but there is one big con.... you'll be kicking yourself for not getting the newer chassis sooner!!!

 

[Ultra]

Your 5' nothing wife is not going to like an 01 800 arctic LE. They are pretty heavy and it will make a lousy first sled. She will most likely bail.
Bought one for my 24 year old daughter that is 5'8" and has been riding sleds since she was 6 years old. Rode it one weekend, she hated it, I sold it and bought an 04 600 1M and long tracked it, way better.
Good plan for you, bad plan for her. If you really want her to go with you, get her something she will like.

 

[KEPT ENT.]

New plan, just bought a Super 7 ticket for 21 Mil. The new HRC is MINE!!

 

[Ultra]

GooooLuck...............hope that didn't jinks you

 

[76FOMOCO]

sell the 8 and get yourself a newer to you sled and get her one of these

http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=159424

this will make YOU and HER happy.

 

[Transporter]

Some wives like sledding some dont.Wont matter what sled they ride.If they dont like it then they wont go cheaper in the long run.

 

[KEPT ENT.]

There are some really good ideas here, the only problem with me getting a newer sled and her riding the 800 is that she wants a yellow sled. Does anyone this a yellow MC is worth the trouble? I wouldn't be hard to change the colour ( new idlers, skis, repaint the hood, change the seat ) but I have not seen a yellow cat before.

 

[Transporter]

She is getting a sled and she is worried about the color.Seems insignificant to me.If it was my wife id say ride what I give you or stay home or buy your own.

 

[volcano buster]

If you want her to ride with you, find a group of people (local club) that you can go ride with and see if she can ride different sleds. I don't care if it is yellow or not, if she can't handle it, you are going to hear about it. I was also on the hand-me-down process as well. Ended up buying the wife (pushing 5'4") a 2004 600 RMK 144", and she loves it to death.

 

[KEPT ENT.]

OK, decided to buy a newer sled for me and paint my old one for her. The only problem is, I might be converting to the dark side. 2003-2007 skidoos are really cheap right now. I can't believe nobody is selling M8s right now.

 

[coyoteman]

OK, decided to buy a newer sled for me and paint my old one for her. The only problem is, I might be converting to the dark side. 2003-2007 skidoos are really cheap right now. I can't believe nobody is selling M8s right now.

there is a reason they are cheap!!!!! hold out for the cat

 

[AZ800]

Don't paint it. It will look like chit the first time the hood gets bent up, unless you do it right.
Why not get a nice M7, M8, 800 Rev, what ever flavor you like. Let her ride it when she goes with, you ride the new sled when you go without her. If she's really into it, get another newer sled next year.
For a beginner, the rider forward sleds will be much better. My wife came off of a ZR500, which she liked, but not being a natural at it, she didn't get much better until she got the M7. After a couple rides on that she was busting powder and actually wanted to ride my older RMK 800 genII because it had more power and layed over easier in the snow than her M7. (Had the M7 set up wide, less transfer, etc when she first rode it, to make it more like the ZR she was used to.)
Get her a good sled, she'll let you ride it! (among other things!)