Snowmobiles....

[koreshot]

...it turns out, are really fun!

I had snowmobiled a couple of times before, but on big bulky ones with a scared passenger sitting behind me. Last week I snowmobiled the way it needs to be done - on a single sled with no passenger and a healthy power to weight ratio.

I did about 100 miles in 2 days on an Arctic Cat F5 and man was it a lot of fun!!!! I mean really really fun! Big grin and tons of adrenaline all day. Love the speed, love the unstable feel at over 70mph, especially when braking. Love the rotation and oversteer induced by too much throttle. I hate the cost and I really hate the pollution and the noise. There was a constant feeling of guilt - they are such crude obsene machines.

I think I dig them cause I am into driving fast and into skiing fast and the snowmobile seems to combine the two into a super fun package. Anyone else here a closet snowmobile lover?

 

[Paul]

I like cross-country skiing as well as downhill.

I have snomobiled and bombed around in ATCs.

I guess its kinda a love/hate thing. It is a hella lot of fun, but man do I hate seeing and especially hearing them if I'm out X-C.

 

[Hawkshot99]

Anyone else here a closet snowmobile lover?

I love snowmobiles!!! In fact i have nearly 4000 posts on my other forum a sled sight.

They don't pollute as bad as you say they do, and they aren't that loud. They are only loud after modifying the exhaust.

 

[koreshot]

I love snowmobiles!!! In fact i have nearly 4000 posts on my other forum a sled sight.

They don't pollute as bad as you say they do, and they aren't that loud. They are only loud after modifying the exhaust.

I don't know much about snowmobiles but the exhaust smelled really bad. Is there any controls on pollution on snowmobiles? Are you required to pass an inspection? Probably not.

Some dude was telling me they have the cleaner 4stroke ones out now for use in national parks and stuff, but that is probably a small percentage of people.

 

[Hawkshot99]

I don't know much about snowmobiles but the exhaust smelled really bad. Is there any controls on pollution on snowmobiles? Are you required to pass an inspection? Probably not.

Some dude was telling me they have the cleaner 4stroke ones out now for use in national parks and stuff, but that is probably a small percentage of people.

Yes their are lots of polution rules that the sleds have to meet. Just like with cars. They are not however required to be inspected every year after they are bought.

There are several 4-strokes that are out, mostly Yamaha's, but the cleanest is coming out next year. New E-tech direct injection from Ski-Doo, taken from their outboard boat motors. Very clean, low maintenance.

 

[snoseek]

Generally speaking, I do not ski behind cars. These sleds stink. And commence me to wheezing while I slow to left it dissipate a bit.

Don't get me wrong, those sleds are way fun to ride. But to say they are not stinky or that they are very clean, without skiing right behind a couple is...... well... is uninformed. You just gotta try it some time to see what we are talking about.

I feel the same about swiiming in a busy lake with a lot of boats.

 

[Hawkshot99]

Don't get me wrong, those sleds are way fun to ride. But to say they are not stinky or that they are very clean, without skiing right behind a couple is...... well... is uninformed. You just gotta try it some time to see what we are talking about.

I do ski behind them. my friend hooks up a water ski line and we ski around behind them, I stand there with them idling, and barely smell it. And these are old dirtier 2 strokes.

There is no smell from a 4 stroke.

 

[campgottagopee]

Personally I luv the smell of 2 stroke----reminds me of dirt bike days---ya baby

 

[riverc0il]

As far as "no smell" from a 4 stroke, apparently, I have never been behind a 4 stroke, because I smell them all.

Completely agree with this. Not sure if sleds at ski hills are two or four stroke, no idea what the difference is, but I have never skied behind a sled that did not make me want to gag. I always wonder how sled heads can line up four or five sleds deep and ride so close together. I would hate to be the last sled, that is for sure.

 

[koreshot]

Completely agree with this. Not sure if sleds at ski hills are two or four stroke, no idea what the difference is, but I have never skied behind a sled that did not make me want to gag. I always wonder how sled heads can line up four or five sleds deep and ride so close together. I would hate to be the last sled, that is for sure.

When i got back from my first day on the snowmobile the first thing my wife said is that I smell like exhaust. IMO if you can't smell it, you need to have your nose looked at - its pretty strong to me.

Still fun to do though...

 

[bvibert]

Completely agree with this. Not sure if sleds at ski hills are two or four stroke, no idea what the difference is, but I have never skied behind a sled that did not make me want to gag. I always wonder how sled heads can line up four or five sleds deep and ride so close together. I would hate to be the last sled, that is for sure.

4 stroke is like a car engine, 2 stroke is like a weed whacker engine. The most notable difference is that for a 2 stroke you have to mix oil with the gas to lubricate the crankcase. That's what you're smelling on a 2 stroke, the oil burning along with the fuel.

2 stroke
4 stroke

It should be noted that some newer 2 stroke engines (not sure if they're in snowmobiles) use direct injection which eliminates the need to mix oil with the gas.

Most likely the sleds that you typically encounter are 2 strokes.

 

[Marc]

2 cycle reminds me of using the chainsaw. It's a good smell when combined with the smell of fresh red oak sawdust.

 

[bvibert]

2 cycle reminds me of using the chainsaw. It's a good smell when combined with the smell of fresh red oak sawdust.

So basically as long as snowmobiles are required to have the exhaust routed through a large bag of red oak potpourri you're OK with the smell?

 

[Marc]

I never see snowmobiles so I don't really care. I suppose I will if I ever encounter them and they bother me. I was just making an offhand comment that really had nothing to do with anything. As is my MO.

 

[bvibert]

I never see snowmobiles so I don't really care. I suppose I will if I ever encounter them and they bother me. I was just making an offhand comment that really had nothing to do with anything. As is my MO.

Gotcha, thanks for clearing that up.