your wife's sled

[Scott]

I would guess that many of us guys could also learn a lot from a female instructor.

We (guys) naturally use our upper body strength to muscle through maneuvers that could easily be finessed with proper technique.

We make riding a lot more physically demanding than it needs to be.

I think you have a valid point.
Some guys would for sure.

Smaller stature guys will ride totally different that someone 6'4" and 250lbs.

I have to rely more on technique than muscle. I'm only 5'8" and 145...but I'm all tendon, so I rely in keen sense of leverage, wrestler strength and cat-like reflexes. LOL

 

[AKtoad]

My wife and her sled, 2008 renegade with the s-36 front end, 2" track, race clutch and team secondary. Best mod was defiantly revalved shocks for her weight. Putting a 144 2.5" camo X under it soon

 

[V-Man]

My wife's riding has gone to a whole new level once I got her an 2013 XM 800 154". She loves the extra power of the 800 when the snow is deep, but the motor is so smooth that it never intimidates her. The ETEC stinks so much less than our older sleds (and some other new brands), which is a big deal for her.

The XM's handling was the game changer though, especially since she doesn't have weight or strength on her side. She's was boondocking and side hilling better than lots of the guys I saw up there today!

Prior to that she was on a 2010 XP 600 and a 2000 Summit 600. Unless the snow was super deep she always had a hard time carving turns with those sleds, and then she'd get stuck often. She was out there just to humor me, and wasn't having that much fun.

Now she leaves the mountain with a smile, my back doesn't hurt since we're digging out far less, and I have an awesome backup sled. I couldn't speak higher of the XM's!

Check her out in this vid: http://vimeo.com/57351874 The snow isn't deep and she's still carving all over the place.

<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/57351874" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/57351874">Blewett Jan 12 2013</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user3830734">Tami A.</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

 

[snohomish]

Well folks I found a 13 xm 800 154 on here ( thanks white wash) and will be trying it out soon. If it turns out to much well I guess my 09 will have to go and we will try something different. I did get a few hours in this morning on it and to say it is a completely different machine than the 09 is an understatement. Rolls so much easier. Thanks again for all the input.

 

[Nads]

800 Is a lot of power for a little lady.if she can handle it the 8 is where my money would go.makes a good backup for you!!!

Honestly do you want to be digging her out on a 600 or having her love the sport and get around easier with an 800?

You only save 20lbs with a 600 and you don't have the power when you need it.

Get her a 800cc 154/153 sled. All the new Skidoo, Cat, Polaris are super nimble.

All the girls around here in Whistler ride 800 doo's or cats. Even the 5'3" 110lb girls.

 

[Bushpilot]

wife rides a new A/C 8000. I took her to a demo day and she rode all the sleds and liked the cat the best. She accually prefered the 800 over the 600 because she had to rev the 600 up so high to get it going. On the 800 she could idle out, so it was much easier. If you get her something she likes to ride and will enjoy you will be a much happier person. It must be the same or better than you ride or she will outgrow quickly or not like. I have a couple that rides with us and he has a new pro but his wife ride a 2001 skidoo 800. she gets stuck and hates the ride and does not have fun and complains all day. I finally put her on my sled and rode hers, It was a total change in her attitude to get a sled she can ride easily. Go big or feel the wrath

 

[Summit8]

Just speaking as a Doo rider, if your looking at that brand, get her a 154 in the XM chassis. I've been updating my 09X 154 the last couple years, 2.5 Flex-edge track, changing suspension geometry, clutch kits, S36 front end.
All it took was a couple rides on a 2013 XM SP 163 and I'm picking up a 2014 X 163 with 73 miles on it next week.
Way less work riding the XM chassis, I'm fired up to ride again and my older body likes the lighter, nimbler feeling of the XM chassis.
I've got a few more years of riding in me yet I think!!

 

[Summit8]

Snohomish, lol, missed your last post on the previous page. You bought whitewash's wife sled for your wife, I'm heading west next Wednesday to load up whitewash's sled.
Am jacked. already ordered up several $100 worth of goodies to install that I can't live without (I Think!!)
Had to get a set of the Manta Green Free Ride skis for it. just because!

 

[2XM3]

600 pro for my wife, great sled, zero issues and very easy to ride

 

[turboless terry]

Honestly do you want to be digging her out on a 600 or having her love the sport and get around easier with an 800?

You only save 20lbs with a 600 and you don't have the power when you need it.

Get her a 800cc 154/153 sled. All the new Skidoo, Cat, Polaris are super nimble.

All the girls around here in Whistler ride 800 doo's or cats. Even the 5'3" 110lb girls.

I always said get the 800 because they are almost identical weight wise and then if we go bowl hopping she can get it there. Also, if I steal it, it is something I want to ride. Sometimes I think I should just get her a 600 because she doesn't utilize what she has so the 600 would be easier to ride. There would be instances that the extra power would pull her out of stuff that the 600 wouldn't have. When they are a little lurchier I have seen gals get too shy on the throttle. I have even seen guys that do good on an 800 and when they turbo it you could've taken a stock sled farther. I guess it depends on skill set. I have seen a video of you and you can obviously throw it down but you are one of the few. In all the years of sledding I have only seen a couple that could hang with you. I guess where I am going is there are a lot of gals and guys that could benefit from an improved skill set before they get an 800 because the 800 cheats them out of learning to ride properly in some instances.

 

[Nads]

I always said get the 800 because they are almost identical weight wise and then if we go bowl hopping she can get it there. Also, if I steal it, it is something I want to ride. Sometimes I think I should just get her a 600 because she doesn't utilize what she has so the 600 would be easier to ride. There would be instances that the extra power would pull her out of stuff that the 600 wouldn't have. When they are a little lurchier I have seen gals get too shy on the throttle. I have even seen guys that do good on an 800 and when they turbo it you could've taken a stock sled farther. I guess it depends on skill set. I have seen a video of you and you can obviously throw it down but you are one of the few. In all the years of sledding I have only seen a couple that could hang with you. I guess where I am going is there are a lot of gals and guys that could benefit from an improved skill set before they get an 800 because the 800 cheats them out of learning to ride properly in some instances.

Around here in Whistler you need an 800cc machine to get around in the deep snow. Honestly I think the whole 600vs800 is holding a lot of riders back by throwing them on machines they will outgrow in 5 or 10 rides. Every single one of my friends I've introduced to the sport were all put on 800cc machines and they seemed to learn quite fast and love the sport now. This includes tiny 100lb girls with chicken arms. Having more power makes it easier to turn and less work.

There are probably 50+ girls between the ages of 17-30 here all riding 800cc 146-154 machines, and doing just fine. I honestly don't even know of a single girl here on a 600cc machine, and there are so many stories you can read on the internet of guys and girls outgrowing them and wishing they had gotten an 800cc machine.

The e-tecs are NOT lurchy at all. Have you ridden one? They have the smoothest engagement ever and so much bottom end torque. The 600 vs 800 argument is like talking about horsepower in a car... you don't HAVE to put the pedal to the ground, but it's there if you need it, and will perform better as the weight to power ratio is better. Do you talk your wife into getting a car or truck with less torque/horsepower/displacement because she can't handle it too? I just talked this 18 year old girl who weighs 110lbs into dropping her spring check on a 600cc e-tec and she got an 800cc e-tec instead, she is SOOOOO stoked on that 800 you have no idea.

 

[turboless terry]

Around here in Whistler you need an 800cc machine to get around in the deep snow. Honestly I think the whole 600vs800 is holding a lot of riders back by throwing them on machines they will outgrow in 5 or 10 rides. Every single one of my friends I've introduced to the sport were all put on 800cc machines and they seemed to learn quite fast and love the sport now. This includes tiny 100lb girls with chicken arms. Having more power makes it easier to turn and less work.

There are probably 50+ girls between the ages of 17-30 here all riding 800cc 146-154 machines, and doing just fine. I honestly don't even know of a single girl here on a 600cc machine, and there are so many stories you can read on the internet of guys and girls outgrowing them and wishing they had gotten an 800cc machine.

The e-tecs are NOT lurchy at all. Have you ridden one? They have the smoothest engagement ever and so much bottom end torque. The 600 vs 800 argument is like talking about horsepower in a car... you don't HAVE to put the pedal to the ground, but it's there if you need it, and will perform better as the weight to power ratio is better. Do you talk your wife into getting a car or truck with less torque/horsepower/displacement because she can't handle it too? I just talked this 18 year old girl who weighs 110lbs into dropping her spring check on a 600cc e-tec and she got an 800cc e-tec instead, she is SOOOOO stoked on that 800 you have no idea.

In a way I'm not really argueing with you. I always said why buy a 600 when you can buy an 800 and they are within 5 pounds of each other. If you need a little more throttle you have it where the 600 only has so much. I have road 600 sleds that are a hoot. Obviously, to me and you, they are down on power but they were still fun. I actually think they feel lighter and easier because they don't have that gyro effect, for lack of a better word. I happen to have an xm with a big bore and my wife has a pro. Both awesome sleds. She would have to quit riding the pro and put some time in before she would like the xm. I can jump back and fourth but it is the steering difference that bothers most people. When she goes down the trail the pro is 30- 40 degrees hotter when she is on marginal snow compared to me. I tell her to get in some powder and crack that thing open and get the track to spin. Even if it is for a split second. She thinks she does it but she is just going through the motions. I have also tried to get her to crack the thing open to set the sled on it's side. It is only a burst and the sled doesn't hardly move or even grabbing the brake to stop you but she is just so gun shy or ***** foots with the throttle. I can't make her give it the throttle. I guess what i am getting at is that most girls stucks aren't a 600 or 800 issue. They are a pilot error issue. Now that I mention it most of my stucks are a pilot error issue with some lumber involved. I agree that there will be stuff that would be made on an 800 that they wouldn't on a 600. some days I would almost like to start over on a 600, even if it was only for 5-10 rides, and get her to use the throttle and gain some confidence and then put her back on an 800. I guess I would rather have her come up short on the hill and have to learn how to turn out, on a 600, and have to think about plan b than just have plan a and just keep going straight up and over the hill all the time with the 800. I know a gal, that rides an 800 and all she does is ride in a track all day and it is a struggle to do that. Too me it is pointless to even go if that is what you do all day. It is fun, in the trees, to ride another track but not all day. She probably makes it farther on an 800 then she would on a 600. The way she ride she is going to struggle on anything. I've tried to get her to give up the left hand throttle and mountain bar but she won't so don't give her any pointers anymore. I don't want my wife to be that way and she is not. My wife's biggest downfall is her confidence. I am going to send her to Amber Holt so she can get a woman's perspective. I guess the one thing I always forget is that everyone has their own Idea of fun. I am probably pushing her too hard for my own selfish reasons.

Just so you know, we've been argueing this 6 and 8 deal and I won't buy a 600 either unless it is for my daughter and that is a ways off. I bought her an old kitty cat and I suppose you would have went for the 120