Originally Posted by
blubs
As someone who gets out 20+ times a year, the best thing you can do is rent one with a guide for the first time. In all honesty the newest chassis make such a difference in you having a fun day out in the mountains. If you aren't sure what you want, or not even sure that you will be going out enough, it will end up being significantly cheaper to rent them.
Most new sleds end up being ~16k by the time you are all said and done, and even if you put on zero kms, you are going to loose 4-5k easily in the first year. Thats a lot of rentals, and even more so when you think that you dont have to maintain it, tow it out there etc. Not trying to stray you away from getting into the amazing sport, but the learning curve of mountain riding is extremely steep and doing it this way normally leads to a better experience.
For an engine a 800/850CC 2 stroke is what 90% of the mountain rides. It really is the best balance between horsepower, and being easy to get unstuck etc.
For track length, if you are over 160lbs, go with a 16x" track. With the longer tracks you gain the ability to go quite a bit slower in tricky sections, and they do climb quite a bit easier than the 15x" range. As a lighter rider I really like my 153, but I do notice that I have to carry quite a bit more speed than some of my other riding groups, especially in the trees.
Lastly - do some avalanche training, and get the gear. Our group wont even allow anyone to come out that hasnt done this. You gotta remember its not saving you that we are worried about, its you being knowledgable enough to save my ass if it ever happened. Having a tight knit group is key.
E31 is right in the respect of snowbikes kits though. They really are amazing, and have a much shorter learning curve. After riding a YETI kit last year for an hour I was able to go in area's that took me years to be comfortable enough to get a sled into. That being said, if you dont have friends who are also on them it can be a bit annoying. The terrain that is fun on a snowbike, just isn't the same as a sled.
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