Build or buy... suggestions? Help?

[Modman440]

so u think it is better to buy a short track get stuck way more than needed work harder to lay them over .then after all that buy a mountain sled when the main objective is to buy a sled to go boondocking ?
I cant tell u how much I wish I would not have wasted yrs and 10s of thousands on trying to make worthless crossovers do what they just cant do.

I don't think that's what he's getting at crossovers are going to be a way better sled to learn on then a full bore boosted mountain sled I would never recommend for someone to just get a mountain sled and have at it.... it's a whole different style of riding and will be even more difficult to learn when he has basically zero experience in general. Plus crossovers are not small sleds they are actually much bigger than anything made 16 years ago when I started riding

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X2 ezra

MOD

 

[frnash]

… crossovers are going to be a way better sled to learn on then a full bore boosted mountain sled …

Hmmm, Crossovers first, then a mountain sled?? p)

 

[Modman440]

Frnash you know what I mean!!!!!!! I mean we could do it right and start him on an old 340 then let him work his way up lol I mean a crossover is a better starting point that a boosted mountain sled but really a good old trail sled is a good start to heck Even a first gen rmk or powder special would be a good learning sled YES YES I KNOW big heavy old school turd but you gotta learn and start somewhere I just don't think a 200 hp monster is the right place to start. my m8 is a great sled and it's a mild build and I ride u,p pow and out west with it and for the most part it does very well slight lack of floatation but that's a given..... I hope he makes a good decision he can learn and be comfortable on.... I LOVE seeing the rookie riders who have something way to big and way outer there league just because a sales guy talked them into it.... anyways good luck on the hunt for a sled glad to have some fresh blood in the jd family.

MOD

 

[ezra]

so a new 300lb guy attempting to learn to boondock is better off on a 141 1.3/4 than a 153 2 in . got it better send a memo out west and let all those guys know the m5s they buy for there 10yr olds is not the right sled and they should be looking for a old z570 .
just dot see the logic in any of this chit. yeah go out and get a machine that is not excellent at anything a compromise at every turn at best. or buy a sled built to lay over with ease built to get up on top of the snow.
no no better to get that wide fr end with sway bars built to keep the sled level on a trail and a skid designed to keep the skis planted with a track sort of built for deep and sort of for trail. yeah u can sort of work around that stuff if u know what u are trying to achieve. A new guy has no idea what his sled should or could do and it will take time for him to even figure out what what cuppeling blocks are let alone that they should be thrown away for his application.he will come on these forums and guys will tell him the sway bars are a good thing on his renegade others will say yank em . all along not even knowing the sled will never hold a edge. a new guy needs to just go out and buy the sled for what he wants to use it for.
yeah I started ridding trail sleds because it was all there was for 30yrs. I only wish I did not waste so much time and money on worthless crossovers when I should have just went out and got the 1m 15yrs ago . money and more important years wasted on trying to make some pos xlt 1.75 track to zr conversion to 136 multi crossfires do what they never could even in pro riders hands let alone me or some new guy to the sport. really don't care look and see what your buds ride and buy that at least there is a chance he had a idea of what worked for where they ride when they bought.
I agree he needs no boost just a 10/11 m8 pref the 11 best bang for the buck for a guy on a budget tough as nails best sled of the time can be had cheep still have a hood and very open to mods in a yr after he gets some time in

 

[mattmillme]

Thank you for the continued thoughts guys. I am by no means looking to start on a 'monster' or 'franken' sled. I just want a sled that is pretty off trail/big bump capable with my size considered for mainly riding in the UP with probably 125-150ish hp for the first year and maybe two. I do however want to be able to upgrade to the big power and bigger track with relative ease later down the line for more aggressive riding and bigger obstacles/typical mountainous terrain riding, such as some decent hill climbing and deep powder backcountry for a few trips per year out west.

 

[ezra]

I will say it again if on a budget the 11 M8 sp is a real performer they had that thing dialed in in 11 and they can be had relatively cheep. the 10 is the same just diff valving in the shocks .the zuk 800 is the undisputed champ in reliability and very open to mods. now if u want a crossover and u think it will get your large size up the hills with a 141 and a trail track giver her a shot see how it works out for u u may like it? I would still be looking at a crossfire the doo in those yrs will not lay over well and the poo well there 800 is ok at best especially in those yrs and I sure chit would not be attempting to put any more strain on there cranks than they already have .
if u have the bucks any of the new stuff is pretty sweet but we are talking 13g or better .