Lets have some fun at the expense of ourselves. What's one of the dumbest bonehead moves you have done wrenching or riding your sled.
I will start it off.
Did the preseason maint. on my 08 Vector. Which included collapsing the mono spring to adjust the preload.
Finished everything up. Went over all the nuts and bolts in the skid to make sure I didn't miss anything. Surprised myself that all was tight. Perfect. Added a headlight adjuster and was ready to go for a rip.
I drag my Attak and the Vector out as my son suits up. We take off to meet another buddy for a shake down ride on all the sleds. Away we go with my son on the Vector. I stop and wait for him where the trail crosses a highway. He comes sliding to a stop. Loose snow conditions. Traffic clears and away we go or so I thot. Looked back after crossing and he was still there on the other side. Went back to see what was wrong. Sled would not move. After a quick inspection of the skid I determined that the spring compressor tool that I used just hours before did not make a good boggie wheel. Rear wheels and track had a few bruises on it and smoked the belt.
New belt and put the tool in the trunk and was good to go.
I will start it off.
Did the preseason maint. on my 08 Vector. Which included collapsing the mono spring to adjust the preload.
Finished everything up. Went over all the nuts and bolts in the skid to make sure I didn't miss anything. Surprised myself that all was tight. Perfect. Added a headlight adjuster and was ready to go for a rip.
I drag my Attak and the Vector out as my son suits up. We take off to meet another buddy for a shake down ride on all the sleds. Away we go with my son on the Vector. I stop and wait for him where the trail crosses a highway. He comes sliding to a stop. Loose snow conditions. Traffic clears and away we go or so I thot. Looked back after crossing and he was still there on the other side. Went back to see what was wrong. Sled would not move. After a quick inspection of the skid I determined that the spring compressor tool that I used just hours before did not make a good boggie wheel. Rear wheels and track had a few bruises on it and smoked the belt.
New belt and put the tool in the trunk and was good to go.
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Running this website 
Doc Harley
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Well......Took the winder out on its maiden voyage. Took me two days to figure out that I didn't zip my tunnel bag. Bye bye tool kit. That's reminds me......
Ding
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Ain't that for sure. Glutton for punishment !!!Running this website
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well lol i will go with this seasons oops to date and no the facebook pic does not count.
2 weekends ago at -23c my gf and i rode to the demo ride here. took my 2011 apex xtx and my brothers 2004 rx war mod (sappling killer). she demo rode a vector xtx and a viper ltx while i rode a sidewinder rtx and a phazer xtx. on our ride back home (i am on 04) she takes a wrong turn from other sleds passing her. i had to go exploring in the dark to find her but got her back safe to the trail other than the 04 running hot from too much low speed running. i go and wipe my visor and catch the edge. sucked me off of the trail into a gully pointed down hill. tried to pull out with apex from front. no joy. no getting out backwards either as it just dug to china even with a tug from apex. horsed and muscled it around so that i could use snow bungee to tug it out. got out and rode home worn out. realize after i got home that he has a winch mounted on the sled that i could have used to do all the horseing around and pulling instead of old schooling it out
2 weekends ago at -23c my gf and i rode to the demo ride here. took my 2011 apex xtx and my brothers 2004 rx war mod (sappling killer). she demo rode a vector xtx and a viper ltx while i rode a sidewinder rtx and a phazer xtx. on our ride back home (i am on 04) she takes a wrong turn from other sleds passing her. i had to go exploring in the dark to find her but got her back safe to the trail other than the 04 running hot from too much low speed running. i go and wipe my visor and catch the edge. sucked me off of the trail into a gully pointed down hill. tried to pull out with apex from front. no joy. no getting out backwards either as it just dug to china even with a tug from apex. horsed and muscled it around so that i could use snow bungee to tug it out. got out and rode home worn out. realize after i got home that he has a winch mounted on the sled that i could have used to do all the horseing around and pulling instead of old schooling it out
kingtut
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Riding my buddies sled down a straight stretch and he and his uncle rolls up next to me and I'm thinking RACE RACE RACE. I floor it and as soon as I took off and white dusted them the trail disappeared and turned into the side of the road. Good thing for brakes. Looked back and there they where sitting shaking their heads.
Turtle
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Mooseman
I'm not all knowing. Post your question in forum.
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Have a couple bonehead moves I did. The most recent was back in the first year I got my MP in '09, I was all excited to take it out for the first time. I needed to back it up a bit before I could get out of my yard. Put it in reverse and hit the gas a bit while I was standing. I wasn't used to the torque this thing has and it threw my body forward, making me hit the gas even harder and then proceeded to back right into the passenger door of my truck hard. I dented the door pretty good but I only cared about the sled's bumper, which was intact. Thank goodness it's made of steel instead of flimsy aluminum.
BIG BLACK WARRIOR
VIP Member
A week ago I decided to adjust the track alignment. I had the sled winched up about 2 feet in back. Had my trouble light hooked onto a track window to give more light to see better. When I stated sled and gave it gas to check my new alignment I Had forgot to take my trouble light out of the suspension. Well it not only broke my light, it quickly pulled all the cord out of the reel, and pulled the reel housing off the wall, all ending twisted up in my suspension and track. After getting everything untangled, I was Surprized I saw no damage to anything on the sled. However, I now need a new trouble light. Good news, my alignment was spot on.
done dooin'_winder up
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coburn mtn maine, some sleds can make it some can't, narrow wooded ascent fairly steep at top with 3' deep track rut at summit from folks spinning their way up. -23f and 30-50 mph wind, couldn't even open shield for long. went to depart and as i started over the top the right ski fell into the track rut which threw my body into the throttle. sled stood straight up and pointed towards the tree tops. in a flash i am thinking this is gonna end up really bad, the big one. mustered everything to rip my hand off throttle and the sled fell back to the trail for a perfect stunt man landing. whew.....
Indy
TY 4 Stroke God
Last season in the swamp area in Alanson I came up on a water hole, I stopped and checked it out, tracks going thru on both sides, looked safe, I goosed it right into a deep water hole from hell. My sled bridged the hole and was stuck bigger than #*$&@. Three of us couldn't get her out. Doubled out of the area leaving her in the hole. I came up on a groomer and stopped him. He met us back at the hole around 1 am and lifted the old girl out of the hole. The sled started, but wouldn't move, the skid was full of mud and ice. I burned up clutch trying to get her to move. So the groomer driver lifted the heavy sled into my trailer with our help. We made it back to the room around 3 am. OH, I also stuck my Tahoe and trailer while waiting on the groomer, the driver had to pull out my truck first.
Mooseman
I'm not all knowing. Post your question in forum.
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Second bonehead move. On a work trip to Whitehorse, Yukon. On April 1st, 2004 (yeah, I know), I had a spare day so I rented a sled, an Arctic Cat 2up Panther fanner. The rental place had pants, and a helmet, which the chin bar was right at nose height, but no boots so all I had were the small hiking type boots I was wearing. I figured since it wasn't that cold, around -2c, and alone, but I should be OK and I didn't want to pass up this chance to go into those beautiful rocky mountain trails.
So the rental drops me off with the sled at a parking lot and tells me which way to the trail so off I go. First half goes really well. Stopped at a ski hill for lunch and then up into the mountains. Spectacular! Followed the trail, which was not as well marked as what I'm used to in the flatlands but was following an old track. Beautiful! Mountains so majestic, made me feel really small. At some point, I couldn't see that track anymore so decided to just turn around and follow my tracks back. While turning, I didn't see a 6 foot drop "cliff" and hit down hard. I didn't stop, gassing it to get back to the trail, which I overshot and got stuck in a snowbank. Take my helmet off and I see blood dripping onto the tank. The helmet hit the handlebar and my nose hit the chin bar. Grab some snow, clean my face and stop the bleeding. I was royally stuck. Sled was pointing up the bank and the snow was spring like ice pellets that didn't stick like ball bearings. The sled did have reverse but that didn't really help. I'd go back 2 inches, it would only go forward 1. Did I also mention high altitude and lower oxygen? I would easily get winded. After an hour and a half or so, I get it out. Get it stuck again going back up another hill but that one only took 20 minutes. I was so tired, I flopped off the sled on a long sweeping flat turn. And my feet were cold and wet with those soaked hiking boots. I make it back to the drop off spot with basically fumes left in the gas tank (and mine). Call the rental to pick me up.
Yeah, it WAS a bonehead move but looking at just this one picture, I don't regret it.
So the rental drops me off with the sled at a parking lot and tells me which way to the trail so off I go. First half goes really well. Stopped at a ski hill for lunch and then up into the mountains. Spectacular! Followed the trail, which was not as well marked as what I'm used to in the flatlands but was following an old track. Beautiful! Mountains so majestic, made me feel really small. At some point, I couldn't see that track anymore so decided to just turn around and follow my tracks back. While turning, I didn't see a 6 foot drop "cliff" and hit down hard. I didn't stop, gassing it to get back to the trail, which I overshot and got stuck in a snowbank. Take my helmet off and I see blood dripping onto the tank. The helmet hit the handlebar and my nose hit the chin bar. Grab some snow, clean my face and stop the bleeding. I was royally stuck. Sled was pointing up the bank and the snow was spring like ice pellets that didn't stick like ball bearings. The sled did have reverse but that didn't really help. I'd go back 2 inches, it would only go forward 1. Did I also mention high altitude and lower oxygen? I would easily get winded. After an hour and a half or so, I get it out. Get it stuck again going back up another hill but that one only took 20 minutes. I was so tired, I flopped off the sled on a long sweeping flat turn. And my feet were cold and wet with those soaked hiking boots. I make it back to the drop off spot with basically fumes left in the gas tank (and mine). Call the rental to pick me up.
Yeah, it WAS a bonehead move but looking at just this one picture, I don't regret it.
kingtut
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That picture is worth every second of it. I how ever did not get that in my solo escapade.
Asked a friend if he wanted to check this remote location I found on Google maps with me and he said no. So I decided to check it out for us and get first dibs. Took a side trail that went to a lake and boondocked to another trail that lead to a power line that lead to another trail that stopped I'd say not even half a km away from this glorious field that I was going to tear up. Got to the end of the trail and all I see are thick pine trees, I get stuck dodging branches...get off, clear branches and get unstuck in 4 ft of wet snow (cause this is march) and I decided it was warm enough just for jeans and my steel toe shoes. Did this enough times to eventually start pinning it to the ground and bench pressing the sled out of the snow. Finally I get through the trees and what do I see? CEDAR FREAKING SWAMP!!!! A bunch of tiny little Cedar trees, so I run them all over to the next set of pine trees and Dodge them. Luckily I got to a small clearing to have fun in, but I was so tired and already burned up too much daylight. So I started trying to find a way on my phone GPS to get out and not the horrific way I came in. Found a logging trail and both ways lead to locked gates with trees all around it. Said to heck with it I'll go the way I came, all I have to do is go 50 feet through these trees to get back to that clearing. The second I went into the trees I hit a creek, but I didn't know this until I stepped off of the 98 vmax 700 that I was riding and right into water. I yelled out nope and started walking out to the nearest road which was in that clearing. It took me 2 hours to wade through waist deep snow to get 1 km. By the time I had met my ride which had dry clothes for me I had hypothermia. Lesson learned is never ride by yourself!
