Observations on 45 years

G

G

Guest
I am officially retired from snowmobiling as my back is a medical disaster. This really sucks as I have enjoyed this sport and the hardy folks that participate in it. I will always have the memories though. Just some reflections from a snow-geezer over the last many moons..... Production sleds top speeds have not increased that much since 1983. Back then my old Pol 600 triple time bomb would go 106 according to my Dad's old Buick. Nowadays a stock Apex will do about 115 GPS. The new ones get there faster though. We have never had sleds with as much or as sophisticated suspensions as we do now. This is weird because at the same time we have never had smoother trails than we do now. All that suspension would have been handier 40 years ago. I don't know of anybody that seeks out rough trails so they can use all of that wonderful suspension. Everybody wants smooth trails or they scream. Also there are a lot more Tucker Hibbert wannabes than Tucker Hibberts. A very small percentage of current snowmobilers utilize all the suspension feature on their new techno-rockets. Most just gas and go. Snowmobiles still blow up and break just like they always have. Today's snowmobiles are colder to ride than they were 30 years ago. At the same time we have better clothing and gear than we have ever had. The trails are deserted now when the temps get below zero. Sleds are bigger and heavier now than they used to be. In the olden days if you got stuck you could just pick up the rear end and turn it around. Nowadays you need two men and a horse if you get stuck. In the olden days we had actual seats to sit on. Nowadays you get to sit on a football. Nowadays it is fashionable to stand up even when the trails are smooth. People that do this are retards who really should be sterilized. In the old days we got to sit behind a real windshield and not freeze to death. Now in 2014 it is clear that the windshield manufacturers got too greedy so the sled manufacturers just use little tiny pieces of plastic and tell you that is all you need. In the old days we had no organized state to state groomed trail system. We still had fun. Nowadays a person could ride groomed trails all the way from my back door to the Atlantic ocean if you had $2000.00 bucks for all the individual states and provinces trail passes. This is a wonderful thing. People are still very brand loyal. That hasn't changed. Just about everything else has changed though. It is still a fun thing to do even with speed limits and trail passes and $14000 machines that still break down. You guys and gals have it better than it has ever been. So quit whining and go ride !!!!!
 

timo

Well-known member
great post couldn't agree more. i will say though i don't think the new sleds break down as nearly as much as the old iron.

in my youth that's all i seem to remember is break downs or trying to get a sled started.

I havefond memeories of my old man busting his tail for a half hour trying to get two 1972 ski doo's to start. then having to mix gas and oil and say to mom, hon' we can go 90 miles before we have to come back and mix more gas and oil.

also back in the day we could just leave from my parents house. if i tried to do that now i would be drive thru 500 living rooms and down aisle 5 at walmart.

grooming wasn't 1/10th as good as it is today. how my parents rode me and my brother on the back across chiseled corn fields on 1970's suspension is beyond my comprehension. awesome memories of good and bad.
 
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Nowadays it is fashionable to stand up even when the trails are smooth. People that do this are retards who really should be sterilized.

Great post! I don't necessarily agree with this part but it had me laughing my butt off! I like to stand up from time to time (and I'm not ricky racer on the trail).
 

gary_in_neenah

Super Moderator
Staff member
Pretty much "spot on" Grub. You might consider joining a local club, if you're not already a member, to continue to be involved in snowmobiling or volunteer as a groomer if your health permits. Acting as an Instructor for Snowmobile Safety classes would put your experience to good use also. Enjoy your retirement and make the most of it!
 

dab102999

New member
Windshields that kept you warm is an understatement. One of my best memories is seeing my dad ride with his openface (metal flaked cus that was cool) helmet smoking a cigar...rebuilding carbs on the side of the trail...and of course a good kick would always help it start too.
 
great post couldn't agree more. i will say though i don't think the new sleds break down as nearly as much as the old iron.

in my youth that's all i seem to remember is break downs or trying to get a sled started.

I havefond memeories of my old man busting his tail for a half hour trying to get two 1972 ski doo's to start. then having to mix gas and oil and say to mom, hon' we can go 90 miles before we have to come back and mix more gas and oil.

also back in the day we could just leave from my parents house. if i tried to do that now i would be drive thru 500 living rooms and down aisle 5 at walmart.

grooming wasn't 1/10th as good as it is today. how my parents rode me and my brother on the back across chiseled corn fields on 1970's suspension is beyond my comprehension. awesome memories of good and bad.

My family usually had at least three snowmobiles at any given time when I was a young one. My Dad would always say 'Ride for one day, fix for two'!

HH
 

ridindirty800

Active member
Yeah fixing sleds is all I remember my dad doing after riding. I remember sitting in front of him on is 72 ski zoo TNT and the carb fell off. On that sled the carb was right below the handlebars. So he stuck it back on and I held it the whole way home. The memories I have with my dad back then!!!! What a great hobby we all have!
 

uncle_ed

Active member
Thanks for the reality check Grub. There will be a time for all of us when we must give up the reins, some sooner than later unfortunately. I hope you find a way to stay involved in the sport in some way as it sounds as though you have sledding in your blood for sure. I hear you on the changes that have shaped snowmobiles over the years and most for the good, except the weight thing I agree. "Mods" are still tweaks that enthusiasts enjoy today but back in the day they were limited to changes of necessity like ski stance wideners so you didnt keep tipping over and a place to keep a hand full of fresh spark plugs and a can of ether!!
 
G

G

Guest
All time personal favorite: Back in the mid 80's there were 'poker runs' every weekend. It seemed everyone got in in these. Even my buddy with an artificial leg. One Sat we were on a run and he hit a crossing and fell off. Somewhere during the crash his fake leg fell off. The chase vehicle stopped and a girl got out and asked him if he was alright. He said ' Yeah, I am fine' Go back and see if you can find my foot" She fainted right there in the ditch.
 

timo

Well-known member
lol....oh man i would of paid money to witness that...hilarioius!!




All time personal favorite: Back in the mid 80's there were 'poker runs' every weekend. It seemed everyone got in in these. Even my buddy with an artificial leg. One Sat we were on a run and he hit a crossing and fell off. Somewhere during the crash his fake leg fell off. The chase vehicle stopped and a girl got out and asked him if he was alright. He said ' Yeah, I am fine' Go back and see if you can find my foot" She fainted right there in the ditch.
 

jmag

Member
sorry to hear about your back. as a aging construction worker, i know the feeling. i do have to stand up while riding occasionally to unlock my back and hips, already been sterilized but i dont think i am a retard (unless i check my spelling in these posts).
 

MZEMS2

New member
I didn't even get the chance to start riding til I was 30 yrs old. Never had a sled when we were young, then lived down south for a while. I told myself that when I moved back to WI I would buy a sled and a motorcycle. So, I did, but it wasn't til the late 90's. So I don't have the appreciation for the "old iron". I often times wish I did. I love hearing the stories about the old sleds, and how many different ones there were. Down to the big 4 now, well 3 really, but there must have been dozens "back in the day". But, at 46 years old, I too have sold the sled and have resorted to running the groomer for our club. I love it. It's warm, smooth, and I have tunes. I can run the trails in a t-shirt if I wanna too. I love listening to folks talk "old days" of sledding. Good post, and good replies as well.
 

POLARISDAN

New member
I didn't even get the chance to start riding til I was 30 yrs old. Never had a sled when we were young, then lived down south for a while. I told myself that when I moved back to WI I would buy a sled and a motorcycle. So, I did, but it wasn't til the late 90's. So I don't have the appreciation for the "old iron". I often times wish I did. I love hearing the stories about the old sleds, and how many different ones there were. Down to the big 4 now, well 3 really, but there must have been dozens "back in the day". But, at 46 years old, I too have sold the sled and have resorted to running the groomer for our club. I love it. It's warm, smooth, and I have tunes. I can run the trails in a t-shirt if I wanna too. I love listening to folks talk "old days" of sledding. Good post, and good replies as well.

I also didn't start till late..my grandfather had an old Polaris we rode as kids..but never rode again till around 40..50 now and riding hard..hopefully nothing bad happens like OP because I plan on riding till they drop the dirt..and I feel strongly that if my father had rode..the adrenaline would have kept him alive past 67..good post
 

olsmann

New member
A little more standing while riding over the years and your back may not be toast. But better to have a shot back then be a retard
 
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