What track length would you go with? We found not much difference between 136 and 144, but some guys are saying that even the 151 isnt that hard to handle but I am not sure on that. The tipped up rails do make a difference. In open fields and deep snow the long stuff is okay, but in the twisties they are harder to handle. My dragon RMK has a 155 track - time will tell as it will be slower around here but will rock in the mntns! Here are a few pics I found of the sled I got:

 

I noticed that there are getting to be more and more used sleds posted for sale on kijiji now.

Seen a nice 440 mx something or another I would like to get the ol lady for her starter sled.

 

Well, my switchback is a 144 and to me that is plenty long enough for the back woods trails I will be riding. The RMK's are geared and clutched for higher elevations that I will never ride. It came with a 2" track which is quite large for trails but it will work. Actually all I ever rode for the last 20 years are 121" with anything from a 1" to a 1.5 " and it worked well in the powder of the stubble fields.
That's a nice sled you have there Laredo.
Sherm check out Pioneer Motor Products in Melville. They have good prices on 08 600 RMK 155's and the way those 600's pull, they would give a 700 a run for its money!

 

That was my favorite truck wash, they had good soap, good pressure and now it`s gone.......

 

i'd do with a 144, as my mountain time would be minimal at best. the switchback is a sled i'd take too. rode a '00 600, but it didn't impress me like it should have. perhaps it wasn't set up right?

 

Yeah that was a good one it was called Fast Gas still Warren I drive by it a lot and still has the signs up there that sucks its closed I thought maybe the car wash would be still open guess not

 

I missed that post. I havent washed my truck there for a little while now, but that was one of my favorite places to go too.

 

went for some geese this morning... there isn't as many around as guys have been saying. there's still a lot of uncut fields as well...

 

i almost like that sled... still having a hard time liking the IQ chassis though. a switchback would be the best thing for saskatchewan riders. enough track to play on the mounds, but not too long that it makes trail riding uncomfortable.

in the norquay area there's some fun hills and bowls that i found to play in 2 years ago. we didn't do any sledding last year... not enough snow, and the old sleds are getting too tired to be and fun. almost painful to go for a ride on them.

 

Heh you wanna talk old, try the late 80's sleds that my mom and dad have for us to use. No IFS no liquid cooling, and pull starts!

 

Sherm the new 600 CFI are totally new animals, they move!
Sheldon, talking about the old 80's sleds without the IFS and maybe 6" of rear travel, wow these newer ones are so much better. I put 10,000 km on a 85 formula SS 470, no wonder I have a stiff back to this day!

 

Once you spend some time on the rider forward sleds the others seem antique as the rider position connects you to the sled in different way. I would not get a switchback or renegade because of one thing and its totally personal preference - I like the wheelie effect that the uncoupled suspension mountain sleds offer. All the coupled suspensions offer better ride but are designed for flatter cornering with less ski lift to provide better steering control and that just plain old bores me!

 

to be honest, i haven't ridden much other than a 121" track... my buddy's summit for about 1/2 hour, and a quick zip on an 800 REV. i do like the rider forward design and posture, but i hate the looks of them. guess if i swallow the ugliness, it'd be a lot easier to choose a sled.

i love the pin-it-ski's-to-the-sky feeling, so maybe the rmk is a better sled for me... i dunno...boils down to the $$ i guess...

 

I cant get comfortable on a REV. Everyone elses rider forward position is slightly more relaxed than the Rev. I much prefer the rider position on the skidoo Xp chassis (its very similar to the Polaris IQ position and the Yamaha Apex). I havent been on a newer Cat for a few years now.
Sherm, all the short track sleds (or most anyways) used the coupled suspension technology and it works well on the shorter skids. Be sure to try one of the longer coupled ones before you buy because the weight transfer issue becomes more evident on the longer ones - they just dont stand up like the short tracks or mountain machines do. However, the mntn ones are getting too damn long and mntn specific that they are not so great for manueverability!
If I were to have the option of ordering exactly what I want, it would be either a 136 or 144 uncoupled with 1 3/4" lugs, maybe 2". Add in some extra idler wheels and/or scratchers to prevent excessive slider wear, and ride hard!
The sled that comes the closest for me is the newer 600 RMK in the IQ chassis - you can get in it in the 144 x 2" track congiguration but only in a carb model (bummer). The Cleanfire 600 RMK is a 155 track!
The 600 is strong, but not quite enough for me - the 700 is a bit better but not by leaps and bounds. I only know one guy with an 800 from last year and I am not sure how much it has over the 700. A few guys have snow checked the 800's so comparissons will be done!

 

there's a '99 RMK 600 on kijiji for 3g... 136 inch. looks like a decent sled, around 4 thousand miles on it... i've been out of touch with the sledding world for so long... anything to look out for in these hp twins??