Need advice.....sled for the wife

[fredster]

Wifey rides a 2005 Polaris 600 Classic with M10....she is not an agressive rider.....she rode a 1998 500 Classic Touring before getting her this one in 2007. She complains all the time that the 600 is "hard to turn" and "slides around a lot". I know the shorter track will never be as stable as her old long-track touring was, and the old-school straight-lug 1" track on the 600 clearly doesn't grip like the newer ripsaw designs do.

So I'm debating the following: do I install a ripsaw or iceripper track and replace the factory plastic skis with something that will hopefully be stable while providing less steering effort? Or do I go for something new like a SkiDoo Ace or GSX 600, or a Vector LTX with power steering? I ride a Rage GT and it's far more tiring to ride than her existing sled will ever be, but with the 136" ripsaw track it's very stable, and I must admit that power steering would help a lot. So wondering if I go with "lightest" or with "most power assists" or ???

She only rides 400-500 miles a year and the Classic only has 4000 miles on it (engine was rebuilt at 2500 due to a failed exhaust valve) so I'm inclined to install an ice ripper track and better ski's and start there.....at her current rate she can ride another 6-8 years before rebuild time comes around again.

What has worked for others whose significant other wants an easy-to-handle sled that is stable and easy to turn? We have owned Polaris and Yamaha and I'm eyeing an SR Viper Yamacat right now for me so I'm not attached to one brand or another. Our other sleds are 4S and I prefer this, but she doesn't ride that much so keeping 2S oil around for her sled has not been a problem.

One other note: we also had a 1993 Indy 440 in the stable in the 2005-2007 timeframe that had a 1" hacksaw track......she liked riding that one because it was "easy to control". This was a physically smaller sled, and I must admit that with the hacksaw track it really hooked up.

Thanks in advance!

 

[79_srx]

2013 indy 600 , $6400 she will love it. or xp 600 sport $6700.00 love that also

 

[skutr]

You might want to make sure that the front & rear suspension is set up for her size and riding style. Having it set up correctly for her will make a big difference. My wife is only 5' 4" tall & weighs 130 lbs and rides a 2002 Indy 500 that is adjusted for her and she loves it.

 

[tman]

Ski Doo XP chassis, one of the nicer riding and handling sleds out there.

 

[dickmsp]

Yes, get her something modern, rider forward. She'll probably ride lots more than 500 miles a year. I've seen quite a few couples out on the trails, hubby has the latest and greatest and the Mrs Is banging around on the old school torture chamber.. Of course this could be part of the master plan to keep the wife at home!!

 

[lenny]

I'd go 4stroke w/power steering, you'll never regret it,,,,I've ridden them and they are sweet and so easy to steer, great gas mileage Last season I saw a lady bouncing back and forth on the trail and was very concerned for her and I didn't even know her. The wives deserve the best ride because us big boys can handle most situations. just my opinion

 

[sledheadbrp]

Just got my wife a Ski Doo TNT 600 ACE, leftover 2011 brand new for $5999.
We went up to the U.P 2 weeks ago and she absolutely loved it. The rider forward position, ease of handling, very easy throttle pull, electric start, gas mileage, and just how light it feels makes it ideal for her. And she even got up to 70 mph on the lake. I like the fact that it is a four stroke so I won't have to do as much maintenance on it (I personally am a 2-stroke guy). By the end of the weekend she was keeping up with me better than ever on the trails (which she knew and was quite proud of). Don't know how old your wife is, but for my 40 something queen, I think it is the perfect sled.

 

[doo_crazy]

x2 to skutr Setup is extreamly important.... any snowmobile will handle like @#$# and can be hard to steer...
if your first choice is not to spend the $ on a new sled... then new track...1.25 with some studs (96) and new ski's...

x2 to sledheadbrp...

if you are thinking about new and dropping the coin... go with a nice 4stroke for her... quiet, no smoke, easy on gas, no maint.. and new suspension set up correctly will be really nice for her.

but... that is a lot of $ for 500 miles per yr.

Last option... rent a brand new sled for each time she goes...
if she is like my wife... it will get her out to ride more miles in a weekend cause she hates spending/wasting money and cost benefit wise you would be $$$$ ahead at 500 mi per year...

 

[whitedust]

If you are going to test ride Viper have your wife test ride a Vector LTX saw one Kip had used on JD with 500 miles are so. If wife not happy on Vector LTX with EPS just not going to be happy. I always made sure my wife was on the best tech out there but dropped out of the sport eventally, but best shot at keeping her in is light steering & studs. Best of luck!

 

[fredster]

Guys thanks for all the suggestions. I did download a tuning guide for the M10, made some changes to the front suspension and tried several different settings on the rear suspension and although it's better, it's not great. This sled is a 600 XC SP in sheep's clothing which was a great handler in it's time but it's also a 12 year old design. So it probably needs to go.

The spring sled show is coming to Grand Rapids in mid March and it's on our calenders. I'll have her check out all the sleds you mentioned (all four brands are supposed to be here) and I'll let you know what she has to say.

Thanks -
Fredster

 

[fusionfool]

I will only comment on what worked for my wife. We had IQ Turbo 4 strokes. Before that Fusion 600`s, and before that Indy Classic`s with M10. We now ride Yamaha Vector LTX`s without power steering but Slim Jim carbides were a must for steering. Now with that said her preferred sled is the Vector. Second favorite was the 600 Fusion. I can not justify the new Vector LTX because in 2012 they took away the rear suspension comfort adjust on the tunnel. Yes you can adjust on the carriage, but we all know when all iced up, not practical. Power steering, or comfort on rough trail; we both said comfort on rough trail. We use the comfort adjust at about 2:00 every afternoon of riding to overcome the mogals. Any hoooo just our 2 cents worth. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[russholio]

LOVE my new 2013 Skidoo GSX-SE 4 stroke 1200. I think that's what it is! It's comfortable to ride and easy to handle. I love the heated seat!

Mrs. Russholio

 

[tgun]

My 2 cents is to make the adjustments on the sled along with the Ice Ripper XT and Bergstrom shim and ski savers. The track and ski saver will keep it in a straight line.

 

[kkpolaris]

X2 on the Bergstrom shims & ski savers. The difference they make is unbelievable.

 

[lenny]

Just got my wife a Ski Doo TNT 600 ACE, leftover 2011 brand new for $5999.
We went up to the U.P 2 weeks ago and she absolutely loved it. The rider forward position, ease of handling, very easy throttle pull, electric start, gas mileage, and just how light it feels makes it ideal for her. And she even got up to 70 mph on the lake. I like the fact that it is a four stroke so I won't have to do as much maintenance on it (I personally am a 2-stroke guy). By the end of the weekend she was keeping up with me better than ever on the trails (which she knew and was quite proud of). Don't know how old your wife is, but for my 40 something queen, I think it is the perfect sled.

great suggestion, I rode that sled and you are correct, it is very nice and easy to handle, great gas mileage,

 

[megan600]

I had a 2001 Polaris Classis 600 with M10 and it kicked my @ss often when trying to keep up with everyone on the rider forward style sleds. I upgraded to a 2009 Polaris IQ 600 and I loved it. I will admit that at first I did not care for the handling in the corners. I had the limitor straps tightened a bit based on a recommendation from fellow Dee'ers and it made a world of difference. I assume much like me, your wife doesnt have the upper body strength to throw a sled around in the corners like some guys can, but that IQ helped me tremendously with the steering, and for once my back didnt hurt after a long day of riding.

Good luck!

 

[mjkaliszak]

I was impressed with the 6 hundo's doo's, Been away from new BRP's since 2011 but the TNT/Sport line was a perfect loaner many years. I got out ran by the 8's down the stretch but light, quick out of then hole, and a good back up is always a good justification for the " Colonel's " sled.... even if mine doesn't ride, I tell her she has 1.

Heck I even left the young guns behind me one year, it must have been too early in the morning for them or something.... LOL

 

[renegade600]

My wife always rode my old sleds, when I would get a new one. They never really fit her well as she was fighting the extra weight (ski-doo Formula Z, MXz, etc.).

She wanted a lighter sled and went out on her own and bought a REV with a 550Fan. She wanted one after riding a friends, and has since put about 3800 miles on it.

She is no longer one of the first across the lake, but she no longer is fighting a fishtailing back end, too heavy sled thing.......

She is about 110# and about 5'3", so this seems to work well for her.
Tom

 

[lvr1000]

My wife has about 10,000 miles on her '07 Z1 Jag (128"track) with Bergstrom shims, ski savers and 8" Triple Points. She loves the sled and handling, so much so she turned down my offer to get her another with a heated seat. She refers to it as "finger tip steering"