Been a rough month

indy_500

indy_500

Well-known member
This sport has been testing my patience lately… little man totalled his ace 600 few weeks ago. Coming back from lake of the clouds into silver city where the unplowed section of the road ends by the ski hill, ran into the back of mom, pushed mom’s sled into my mom’s sled. Was able to get the woman’s 19 MXZ fixed up pretty quickly, couldn’t believe how little damage, still waiting on parts for my moms 14 renegade unfortunately. Luckily no injuries other than a bruised shin, State Farm was great to work with and got a check for over a grand more than I paid. He’s a Little shaken up about riding but he’ll be fine. Fast forward a few weeks, try to go for a ride Friday from tigerton to antigo and back with the woman and my parents. Dads 19 MXZ X was grinding taking off so I sent him back to the truck… the woman and I still made the 110 mile ride, on not very many good trails (much improved after Friday nights snow). Dad’s secondary clutch rollers were shattered into pieces, so I spent a few hours Friday night fixing it up with the upgraded heavy duty rollers. Got clobbered with 10” Friday night and Saturday, all the local trails opened up. We all go for a ride from my house down to the beehive west of Neenah. Busting powder the entire way, was a great time. On the way back I get absolutely launched off a rock doing 20-30mph, sled landed upside down on a gravely driveway area and scuffs up the side panel real good, cracked windshield side deflector and vent, busted kill switch. Otherwise somehow no other damage it looks like. Not sure how the front end survived. Flung me up into the air and landed on my shoulder and head, busted my visor and shield on my ckx mission. Was able to pry up the inside mechanism of the kill switch to ride it back home, very angry and pissed. Shoulder hurts like hell… Looking out the window I just had to go ride today regardless how bad my shoulder was, so I hop on my dads old Indy 600 that my mom has been riding since her renegade is still down, and go for a ride with my dad. We make it about 30 miles and I believe a jack or driveshaft bearing bit the dust on the Indy 600 as it started thumping really bad. So I head back to my house on my dads sled while he waits at a bar to grab the Truck and trailer. Looks like we only have a week before it warms up and kills the local trails. EUP may break records this year and here we sit. Man oh man… what’s next…
 
goofy600

goofy600

Well-known member
Bummer to hear, but as stated no major injuries, sleds can be fixed and you have many more years to get out and ride. Ride long enough and everyone will have a season like that just have to keep doing it.
 
heckler56

heckler56

Active member
goofy600 said:
Bummer to hear, but as stated no major injuries, sleds can be fixed and you have many more years to get out and ride. Ride long enough and everyone will have a season like that just have to keep doing it.
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Ditto. Your resilience is admirable and I bet your parents are very proud of the man you become…
 
pclark

pclark

Well-known member
Sorry to hear of your issues but at least everyone is ok and not seriously injured. I remember my first trip with my daughter on her newer Yamaha VMAX 500. We had a good ride to lunch and on the way back she rolled the sled, a little damage to the hood but otherwise it was fine, flipped it back over, gave her a little pep talk and off we went. I told her that everyone pretty much rolls their sled once in their life. Otherwise you’re not a real snowmobiler, should have kept that little rocket but sold it as we downsized when we moved north. You’re son will ride again and be better rider for it.
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C

chunk06

Active member
I have a daughter that will be old enough to ride next year and i'm not ready for it because I fear the same outcome or worse. I have no interest in looking but wife wants me to look for a starter sled with prices being low. At that age I had thousands of miles riding or driving various things, kids nowadays just don't have the same opportunities to learn. Not to mention the idiots on the trails
 
H

Hoosier

Well-known member
Hang in there. Riding with kids will test your patience, but they need to learn. Unfortunately making mistakes is the best teacher. You're also the mechanic for what sounds like at least 6 sleds and people, so it's all falling on you.
 
indy_500

indy_500

Well-known member
chunk06 said:
I have a daughter that will be old enough to ride next year and i'm not ready for it because I fear the same outcome or worse. I have no interest in looking but wife wants me to look for a starter sled with prices being low. At that age I had thousands of miles riding or driving various things, kids nowadays just don't have the same opportunities to learn. Not to mention the idiots on the trails
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Yep, urban sprawl really limits where kids can ride anything nowadays, not to mention Karen’s calling kids in if they see anything but a pedal bike to past their house. He put tons of miles on his 120 at our old house and his 90cc 4 wheeler a handful of years ago, now living in a subdivision and having limited snow the last few years he hasn’t ridden a ton. We do go to his aunts farm whenever we get snow and mess around but still not a ton of seat time the last few years. He did fairly well this year on our first trip to Munising and kept getting better with every mile. This trip he did great the first day, second day when he crashed, I feel like we pushed him too hard so everyone could get a chance to see lake of the clouds. Likely going to pass mom’s 19 down to him when he’s ready, and upgrade hers for next year.
 
indy_500

indy_500

Well-known member
Hoosier said:
Hang in there. Riding with kids will test your patience, but they need to learn. Unfortunately making mistakes is the best teacher. You're also the mechanic for what sounds like at least 6 sleds and people, so it's all falling on you.
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Trying my best. Yes this is the case, 3 of my own plus a beater Indy 440, and then my parents have 3 sleds as well I maintain. Also did a lot of work to my cousins and uncles last fall.
 
gary_in_neenah

gary_in_neenah

Super Moderator
Staff member
Indy, You've been riding long enough to experience the good days and the bad and it sure sounds like you had a bad one.
The following is posted here on JohnDee.com, and I'm reminded of it each time I go out.

Good Days on a Snowmobile give Happiness,
Bad Days give Experience,
Worst Days give Lessons,
and
The Best Days give Memories!
​
 
mezz

mezz

Well-known member
Sorry to hear of the string of bad luck, but, glad to hear nobody was seriously hurt. Sometimes, shit happens, this too will pass. Hopefully your little man will be able to get past it & become a better rider for it.
 
favoritos

favoritos

Well-known member
Crud.
These things are supposed to break on the last trip so you get all summer to fix them.

The sled stuff is all fixable. I'm more concerned about the little man getting back into the groove. One of our group's regulars never really got back into riding after a tree clanger incident. Sounds like your little guy will snap back so that's encouraging.
 
W

wisco-mb

Active member
Sorry to hear! Hang in there! Stuff happens....

I had one of them days couple weeks ago. I replaced my u-joints when replacing my transfer case. First time doing it. I made it 9 hrs pulling it up to Houghton and back. 2nd trip up to Hurley, I get north of Wausau and felt a terrible vibration. Get out and find one of the $0.20 clips worked it's way out, u-joint came out and egged out the driveshaft....... Had to get that towed, and had the FIL come up and swap vehicles to get us up to Hurley.
Get to the hotel and somehow, Expedia had the wrong date for the hotel booked.:(
Later, we get 20 miles down the trail and dad's driveshaft bearing went out....
We had the backup sled and backup truck to get us by!

Another story to tell!
 
hermie

hermie

Well-known member
Indy just curious do you wear any kind of chest protection? The wife and I both have chest protectors. She wears the 509 r mor and I wear the klim which is just a tek vest. Personally feel like the tek vest gives better protection but the 509 is less bulky but no shoulder protection. Things happen fast out there like it did for you and that's the reason we now wear them. I am glad to hear you are ok. Those rollers are a huge weak spot on Doo. That's why I normally just replace them right away. If I ever get my 25 back I will do it on both sleds next fall.
 
heckler56

heckler56

Active member
hermie said:
Indy just curious do you wear any kind of chest protection? The wife and I both have chest protectors. She wears the 509 r mor and I wear the klim which is just a tek vest. Personally feel like the tek vest gives better protection but the 509 is less bulky but no shoulder protection. Things happen fast out there like it did for you and that's the reason we now wear them. I am glad to hear you are ok. Those rollers are a huge weak spot on Doo. That's why I normally just replace them right away. If I ever get my 25 back I will do it on both sleds next fall.
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Fyi Indy, Sled Solutions has some of last year’s 501’s for a good price (youth on sale). I finally decided it was time to get one and glad I did.
 
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