10 Best Industry Rumors
Ahh rumors, aren’t they fun? If you believed them all, right about now you’d be hunting down the UPS delivery man, who, according to the word on the street, may be giving your wife some of the best times of her life! Must be the cool shorts and long socks she’s attracted to. Either way, here are 10 cutting edge rumors from the snowmobile industry – you decide which ones to believe.
1) Polaris is buying Arctic Cat/Arctic Cat is buying Polaris/Suzuki is buying …
2) Honda is still considering building a snowmobile
3) The next generation REV will actually be made of helium
4) Camoplast is developing retractable studs for its tracks
5) Cat’s got a new performance chassis in the works
6) A direct-injection snowmobile will be introduced within the next 3 months
7) Snowmobile racing is “this close” to reaching the elusive “next level”
8) One current snowmobile brand will leave the market by 2011
9) Somebody will finally come out with a 3/4-scale sled for ‘tweeners
10) Several brands of low-priced, entry-level Chinese snowmobiles will enter the market, like in the ATV market
10 Best Reasons To Be Snowmobiler
We’re guessing you love this sport as much as we do. But if you had to describe it to a long-lost cousin from Nashville, how would you explain the allure of the sport? We’d start with this list.
1) The exhilaration of acceleration on snow or ice
2) The joy of playing in virgin powder
3) Witnessing winter scenery that everybody else misses
4) Beside a snowmobile trail is one of the last places where you can legally smoke
5) Be accepted wearing fluorescent clothing
6) The subtle pleasure of annoying people who hate winter but choose to live up north
7) Riding snowmobiles eliminates concerns over the wind-chill factor
8) Introducing new people to a sport you know they will enjoy thoroughly
9) It’s a great getaway with family and friends
10) It’s a great getaway FROM family and friends
10 Best Take-Along Food Items For The Trail
It’s 11:15 a.m. on a Saturday. You’ve already logged 132 miles on excellent trails, and the sleds are running great. The only problem is that you’re still 70 miles from lunch and your belly is jumping beneath your safety vest. The sushi you brought with has started to smell odd in your jacket pocket – it’s a good thing your buddies planned ahead, so go ahead and mooch off of them.
1) Snickers bar
2) Beef jerky
3) Power bar
4) Trail mix
5) Rice Krispie bars
6) Last night’s leftovers cooking on your exhaust pipe in a Hotdogger
7) A build-your-own snowcone kit
8) Salted-in-the-shell peanuts
9) Cheap hot dogs charred on a pull-behind BBQ grill on skis
10) A Wendy’s Baconator sandwich stuffed into your backpack
10 Best Meals At Trailside Pitstop
At last, you’ve made it to dinner after a long day of riding. Frankly, you don’t know what could happen the rest of the weekend – you could be abducted by martians and dismembered by their lasers. Or, maybe you’ll be attacked and dismantled painfully by a pack of wolves. Or, worse yet, you could choke to death eating something healthy, dry and tasteless. Seeing that this could be your last meal, order something you truly enjoy.
1) Prime rib
2) Chili (onions and cheese on top optional)
3) Big, greasy bacon cheeseburger
4) Anything deep fried or pickled
5) Friday night fish fry
6) A pasty
7) Tomato soup and grilled cheese
8) Mountain Dew, and nothing else
9) Canadian poutine (fries and cheese curds smothered in gravy)
10) Deep dish pizza
10 Best Excuses For Finishing Second
Face it – you just got beat. The sight of that tail-light pulling away from you is burned into your memory. The only way to ease the pain is to come up with a quick excuse. We hope you think faster than you drive, however, because the guy that beat you is going to be bragging about as fast as he can get stopped and take off his helmet.
1) The person who beat me cheated
2) First place gets too much attention and I am anti-social
3) I felt so sorry for him having to ride that awful old sled that I let him win just to cheer him up
4) I wasn’t ready
5) I let the rich guy win so I can say “The winner buys” that night and drink off of his money
6) I must have gotten some bad fuel at the last stop
7) My jetting was off – I think the barometric pressure has changed since this morning
8) The sun was in my eyes, my boots were untied and my glasses fogged
9) He spent so much money modifying that sled that I didn’t want to embarrass him by whipping it with a stocker
10) I’ve grown fat and old, but back in the day …
10 Best Trail Riding Areas
This was the hardest list to pare to 10, because there are so many great places to go trail riding in the Snowbelt. Heck, we could come up with 10 just in Quebec, and another 10 in the U.P. But, there are always some that stand above the rest due to their combination of excellent scenery, well-groomed trails, informative trail marking and dependable snow. Do yourself a favor and plan a trip to one of these trail-riding locations this winter.
1) Wisconsin Northwoods
2) Northern Ontario
3) Gaspé Peninsula, Quebec
4) Black Hills of South Dakota
5) West Yellowstone area, Montana
6) Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
7) Tug Hill, New York
8) Aroostook County, Maine
9) Northeast Kingdom, Vermont
10) Arrowhead Region of Minnesota
10 Best Reasons To Buy A New Sled
Every year, the snowmobile manufacturers come out with better iron that accelerates faster, handles better, soaks up the bumps better and, frankly, looks a lot better than what some people ride (you know who you are!). Looking for a reason to upgrade? You came to the right place.
1) You want better mileage/efficiency
2) Your current sled was built during the Reagan administration; Ronnie would want you to move on
3) You need a new look and better performance to attract your second wife
4) Your last sled got dirty, and the carbides are worn out. Might as well get a new one
5) Your XLT Special just isn’t as hip as it was a dozen years ago
6) Non-current new sleds can be purchased cheaper than some used sleds
7) You’re tired of changing plugs, belts, jets, etc., every trip
8) Because pogo sticks are no longer cool
9) Your sled doesn’t match your new jacket
10) The new ones are just so damn good
10 Best Sled Innovations In The Last 10 Years
Ten years ago, the snowmobiles being built were certainly nice machines. The long-travel wave that had come through earlier in the ’90s had improved ride quality dramatically. Still, compared to the snowmobiles of today, the sleds of the late 1990s seemed rather, well, unrefined. Kind of like a Nirvana album of the same era.
1) Semi-direct injected/clean burning two-stroke engines
2) Anti-knock sensors
3) Rider-forward chassis designs
4) Performance-oriented four-stroke engines
5) Easily adjustable ergonomics
6) Better headlights
7) Externally adjustable shocks
8) Better, more informative instrumentation
9) Engine management computers
10) Everything Arctic Cat has ever done and will ever do in the future … forever and ever, Amen
10 Best Items To Add To Your Snowmobile
So you’ve done it – you’ve gone ahead and bought that new sled. Now what? You’ll need gas (check), you’ll need oil (check). What else should you do to get ready for the season? Here are our suggestions on 10 items we’d add to a sled right away.
1) Traction studs
2) A functional windshield
3) Spare plugs and spare belt
4) Windshield or handlebar bag
5) Oil caddy
6) Compact first aid kit
7) A GPS
8) Handlebar hooks, if not installed
9) Running board traction, if not installed
10) A nitrous kit
10 Best Ways To Get Our Trails Closed For Good
We remember at Christmas last year, Grampa was sitting by the fire spinning yarns about the way things were. “Trails? Back in my day, we didn’t need no freakin’ trails. When we wanted to ride, we’d trespass and go cross-country. Oh sure, my buddies Ted and Marty got their heads taken off by barbed wired fences, but we were wild and free. And then there was the time Farmer Johnson blasted at us with his shotgun – aw, what a hoot, though it was sad burying Harry. But at least we didn’t have those mamby-pamby trails.” What do you say we take care of our trails and don’t go back to Grampa’s glory days? Some folks out West ride in areas where boondocking is encouraged. For those who ride in areas with a lot of private land, you’d be best off not doing any of this stuff.
1) Use a loud exhaust systems
2) Litter
3) Spin studded tracks across a driveway
4) Ride in designated wilderness areas
5) Ride off of designated trails
6) Shoot trail signs with your shotgun
7) Don’t get involved when a trail issue springs up
8) Drive over “No Snowmobiling” signs out of spite
9) E-OPP – explore other people’s property
10) Midnight drag racing
10 Best Ways To Keep The Trails Open
OK, you’ve got the picture by now – we want to act responsibly and keep the trails open, right? Here are some ways you can help.
1) Take an elected official out for a ride
2) Join a club and get involved
3) Stay on the trail
4) Get informed about business and home developments near your riding area
5) Teach a kid about responsible snowmobiling
6) Support the groomer funds in areas where you ride
7) Get informed and involved about threats to riding areas
8) Slow down in town, and whenever riding past people who are outside
9) Ride like somebody’s watching you, and knows who you are
10) Be careful
10 Best Sights On A Snowmobiling Day
They just don’t get it. Some folks who call themselves “environmentalists” sit inside their homes all winter and complain about snowmobilers and claim we’re hurting the environment. Meanwhile, we’re out there LIVING in the environment, enjoying the dramatic, sometimes stunning scenery that winter has to offer. We don’t want to ruin the environment, we want to enjoy it. And when the snow melts, they’ll never know we were there. Here are 10 things that we love to see when out riding.
1) A tract of untouched, fresh powder
2) A waterfall, frozen or otherwise
3) A well-groomed trail stretching out in front of you as far as you can see
4) A thermometer that reads somewhere between zero and 20 degrees
5) Riding through a canopy of snow-laden evergreen trees
6) Pulling up to a blazing bonfire on a sled
7) All of the stars you can see on a clear, moon-less night when you’re in the middle of nowhere
8) A Great Lake
9) Fresh snow glistening in the morning sunshine
10) Your big-talking brother-in-law stuck in a snowbank
10 Best Items To Bring With On Every Snowmobiling Trip
So the sleds are loaded and tied down, the trailer is properly connected and the truck is idling out front and pointed toward snow. You’re all set to go, right? Not until you’ve checked to make sure you’ve got these simple items.
1) A multi-tool like a Leatherman
2) Duct tape
3) Tow strap
4) Cell phone
5) Cash (not just credit cards)
6) A hat
7) A ratchet and a couple common sized sockets
8) Spare belt and plugs
9) Matches/lighter
10) Lots of $1 bills
10 Best Signs That You’re Staying In A Crappy Hotel
“Hey, they got a foot of fresh snow just north of Murphysville. We’re headed up there to ride and we’ll pick up a hotel on the way. You in?” Your answer? If you can get permission from your significant other, it’ll probably be “YES!” The problem is, a lot of other sledders might beat you there, and you’ll end up staying in the Open All Night Motor Inn. If you see these signs, good luck making it through the night.
1) The bed in your room accepts quarters
2) A beer can props the window open
3) The heating system is stuck on “cool”
4) The door’s security chain is ripped out of the wall
5) Rooms are rented by the hour, and you have to pay a deposit on the sheets
6) The ice machine has a lock on it
7) The desk clerk doesn’t speak English. Or French. Or Spanish. Or any other known language
8) The pay phone in the lobby has an “out of order” sign on it that’s obviously been there a long while
9) The snow pile INSIDE the door is bigger than the one outside
10) Your soda pop freezes overnight if you set it on the window sill
10 MORE Best Signs You’re Staying In A Crappy Hotel
We could go on forever with this category – and the problem is most of these are true stories from our time on the road!
1) Scratching in the wall from some kind of rodent keeps you awake most of the night
2) When the inn keeper escorts you to the room, but looks around inside before letting you in
3) The curtains over the windows sway when the wind blows
4) A sign in the lobby says “Free Continental Breakfast… Across the Street”
5) There are more squad cars in the parking lot than snowmobiles
6) The “hot” water never reaches 75 degrees F
7) You’ve chosen to seek lodging above a bar
8) You have to pay the hotel next door $15 for inside parking so your sled won’t get ripped off
9) The pool is full of construction debris like dry wall and old doors
10) You find a pair of underwear between the sheets when you turn down the bed