Beginners : Trail Riding Tips
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- Опубліковано 19 січ 2023
- This is another installment in my snowmobiling tips for beginners. This time, I share some things I've learned to help make trail riding more enjoyable and safer.
It's important that all snowmobilers learn how to ride legally and how to operate the machine - things taught in a snowmobile safety course. This video doesn't address those things. What I talk about are things that you should know after you take a safety course. - Авто та транспорт
Amen to sticking to the right side of the trail. I still see far too often people ahead on a trail that obviously see me coming STILL hang out on the wrong side of the trail like they're playing chicken with me. Many years back I was riding on a smooth and windy river doing a long left turn and I had the sled sideways (and maybe a bit too fast 😇) but I was all the way on the outside and some kid was coming opposite direction towards me and almost killed me. He was taking a long right turn but was on the outside (basically he was drifting in the left lane) and through some miracle of brake and throttle manipulation we avoided each other. And this was smooth glare ice and I had no studs. I waited for my friends behind to catch up and they said they saw the other guy stopped on the side of the river. Probably checking his shorts 🤣
Thank you for commenting - I pinned your comment and hope that's an experience other people will learn from.
I bought a burned up skidoo 380 3 yrs ago, melted piston etc, rebuilt the engine completely, new starter/battery etc.
Its taken 3 yrs to get it done but I'm almost ready to try it.
I ran it around the garden got stuck twice in 3 inches of wet snow, had to drag it off the garden with my car, they don't turn for beans. From my perspective of not knowing anything at all about sleds this video leaves a lot out.
From your description, I can understand that. The video was aimed at riders who are at the stage of knowing the basics and now need help staying out of trouble while they continue to learn.
In your case, you need something more basic, and I think that’s a video worth making…. Maybe more than one video. I’ll work on it, but will probably be too late for you - as soon as there’s real snow, you’re going to learn fast.
3 inches of snow is nothing for virtually any snowmobile, with a couple of exceptions:
1. Old steel skis rust on the bottom and it’s amazing how much resistance that creates. Until I switched to plastic-bottom skis, my sleds performed poorly for the first few miles until the rust had worn off.
2. Another weird thing about skis is that the “skags” (aka: carbides, ski runners, wear bars) dig in to the ground. Snowmobiles hate, and I mean absolutely despise, bare ground. Once there’s enough snow to prevent a sled from contacting the ground, it will work like it should. Until then, it’s going to be a massive disappointment.
3. The tracks on many old snowmobiles didn’t have much for lug height. They worked okay, but it’s like driving on bald tires - there’s less margin for error.
4. If you’re riding on turf, the grass is supporting the weight of the snowmobile. When I think of a garden, I imagine bare dirt. If it’s not yet frozen, you’ll sink, as if you were in much deeper snow.
I don’t know Ski Doo models very well, but judging by engine size alone, I’m guessing twin cylinder, air cooled, mid-90’s model, no electric start or reverse. Is that correct? That’d be a very good platform to learn on - simple and relatively easy to control. Not much power, but will work very well as a trainer. Your body weight makes a huge difference, especially on smaller, lighter sleds like that - experiment with shifting your weight to get the sled to do what you want.
If you have specific questions, feel free to ask - I’ll try to keep answers short.
Thanks for the tips very helpful doing my fist back country trail riding 3 day trip this week so it was excellent timing
I appreciate that comment, thank you. Where are you going? I just got back from the Arctic Cat photo shoot in Wyoming and did some trail riding out there - breathtaking!
@@ponycarfan I live in eastern Canada on Prince Edward Island but travelling to Northern New Brunswick which is 4 hours away from PEI. Wow that trip to Wyoming would be incredible can hardly imagine how much so they have. I bought my first sled in 40 years this year (had sleds as a teenager basically lived on it it was so fun). It’s a artic cat cross tour XF 6000 a good starter sled to get back into it.
@@phillipwatts7226 Excellent! I started riding back to the leaf spring days. While sleds were a lot lighter back then, they were rough and trying to corner was like balancing a pencil on your fingertip. Your new sled will serve you well. Have fun!
Great video man, love the sled as well. SUBSCRIBED!
Thank you!
Thank you for a great video. It was informative for me to watch this as I am not familiar with snowmobiling but would love to start with my wife. I think that I will rent first and see if my wife and I like it. I'll take it slow where I feel the need to like you said. I'll keep to the right, look far ahead and just grow with it. I'll have to start looking into where I can rent in New Hampshire and where they suggest I can ride for a newbie like myself. Maybe a few more pointers might help as well. Anyway, thank you again for an informative video.
Awesome! I would think local dealerships would know where to rent. Another option is this:
adventures.polaris.com/snowmobile-rentals/
I’ve got a video on what to wear, and besides technique I think that’s critical to how much you enjoy snowmobiling. Warmth isn’t just about insulation, but also wind protection. Helmets and gloves are the most exposed, and even experienced riders struggle to find what works best for them. Make sure your wife is warm enough.
It’s a great sport - can be expensive, but is a way to get outside in the winter and see things you can’t see any other way. Renting is a good strategy and some of the Polaris adventures have guide service - that might be a good option for your first couple of rides. I’d enjoy hearing about what you think of snowmobiling after you try it!
@ponycarfan Thanks again. Every bit of information is accepted. And I will definitely make sure my wife is kept comfortable otherwise the opportunity to get into this sport is gone with the wind. And thanks again for the link.
This is great advice. How do you like those mirrors? I only have a mirror on my glove which is ok. I was thinking of putting mirrors on the windshield. Any thoughts? Stay safe😀
I like the mirrors, except they're too low and the handlebars block my view. I was hesitant about the windshield mirrors, because I was afraid they'd break off, but have never heard if that happening, and haven't seen a broken windshield for any reason in a long time. I'd go that direction, if I were you.
@@ponycarfan I broke two windshields in one season due to ... Overly aggressively going places I didn't scout first lol
@@JohnReyst 😆
Yawn
Thanks