Thinking the unthinkable - ATV over my sleds?

[LuvMyWarrior]

I am thinking of doing the unthinkable - selling my two 07 Attak GT'S for a couple of new Yamaha three wheelers. The Grizzly 700 FI with EPS and a 550 FI EPS. My reasoning is as follows:

Ride year around
Can do more of my own maintenance - such as oil changes, etc
No more frostbite
Much easier to move around for storage etc than my sleds.
No more white knuckle trips on the roads going to and from Hurley

I love my sleds but I get tired of the money and effort involved for a three month season. Has anyone else made this same decision and do you regret it? I have no idea how the experience will be different but I need something more cost effective and a longer season. Any feedback would be appreciated. I am not good at working on things like most on this forum so puts me at a cost disadvantage.

Thanks!

Mark

 

[uofm]

Would be nice to get 3 months of riding in a year.

 

[Mad Russian]

We r lucky to have 1 good month!

 

[Beerman]

I have both. I'll say a few things. 1 - you rarely have to watch the weather forecast to find out when there's going to be dirt. 2 - ATVing is (for me) more peaceful, slower, better chance to see wildlife and far more reliable. I never worry about riding my ATV alone, I'd never sled too far from home w/o buddies. 3 - There's no replacement for the speed/thrill of sledding. ATVing is awesome, but definitely not the same.

 

[sleddog66]

In 07 I went that route. Got a po 525 IRS,that I really like. Got the kids a Suzuki 50, and a Tao Tao 125. Thought I would just rent sleds. Well, I relized that sledding was my real passion since I was a kid. So I bought an attack,kept all the quads, and now enjoy all of it. The real question you need to ask yourself is, do yo love to sled? I can tell you that nothing can replace it if you are truly passionate about it.

 

[aceltx09]

x2 sleddog66, nothing beats being in the middle of no where 10f plenty of snow. A nice groomed trail. This is it for me, I'm with ya on the suckiness of the short season, but that one trip up north with plenty of snow with my buddies,makes it all worth it. Got the dirtbike for the summer,just isn't the same. I guess its a passion and you either got it or you dont.

 

[Grimm]

Bought my first 4 wheeler last year...doesn't come close to the thrill of riding a sled.

If you do this, next winter, you will get a new sled, because you will miss it. Don't do it, unless this is your devious way of getting a new sled?

 

[ahicks]

I am thinking of doing the unthinkable - selling my two 07 Attak GT'S for a couple of new Yamaha three wheelers. The Grizzly 700 FI with EPS and a 550 FI EPS. My reasoning is as follows:

Ride year around
Can do more of my own maintenance - such as oil changes, etc
No more frostbite
Much easier to move around for storage etc than my sleds.
No more white knuckle trips on the roads going to and from Hurley

I love my sleds but I get tired of the money and effort involved for a three month season. Has anyone else made this same decision and do you regret it? I have no idea how the experience will be different but I need something more cost effective and a longer season. Any feedback would be appreciated. I am not good at working on things like most on this forum so puts me at a cost disadvantage.

Thanks!

Mark

Geez, I hope you're talking 4 wheelers (not 3?)!

I couldn't make the move to leave sledding entirely I don't think. I did get ticked at another short season 10+ years ago and bought a couple of inexpensive used quads then to see how I liked it. I was frustrated with that short season, and wanted to extend it. Turned out to be a pretty good move.

The downside is the dirt. Not the dirt your riding on, the dirt you'll be breathing while following anyone, the dirt on whatever you're wearing when you get there/back, and the dirt in your teeth from the grinning.

The Lady and I have come up through a few different machines and are now on a couple of Cam Am Outlanders (1-650/1-800, PLENTY fast enough). Spend quite a bit of time trail riding on them when we can't ride the sleds. These are big heavy trail machines and we can cruise comfortably about as fast as we might on sleds if we want. They're smooth riding and reasonably quiet causing you to be carefull because often you find yourself running much faster than you think you are/should be. Our riding is generally a combination of cruising combined with a fair share of exploring trails we've never been on or just enjoying being outside.

I don't think there's a lot of difference maintaining the quads vs. sleds from a cost or difficulty ot "time spent" standpoint. Ours are never mudded, trail ridden only, but they still attract dust and dirt like stink on poop. I like to depart on a reasonably clean machine and keeping them that way takes a good amount of time. That's another downside. The sleds are much MUCH easier to keep clean. Hope this help. Best of luck regarding your decision.

 

[smoothride]

try it couldn't take not having a sled. can't feel the G force on a atv. To much dust for me . then you feel like a dirt ball after riding behind someone for a one or two hours. hope you have a good back they don't groom the trail's.

 

[Irv]

Had 2 atv's, an 05 Grizzly S.E and a Eton Viper for my son, we rode a bit but once summer came and the hot temps hit, they sat idle.

I sold both due to lack of riding time/interest and purchased my curren 08 Vector with the money.

My reasoning is, there is usually lots for us to do in the summer, boating, tubing, kneeboarding and trailer life to name a few but in the winter, not so much and that is why I still deal with these short s@#*y seasons, and continue to snowmobile.

 

[granto211]

true men have both! i love my grizzly but nothing is better then the rush of my enzo apex my 2cents

 

[pat the rat]

i couldnt do without my 2 grizzlies,we rack up about 1500 miles a year on them,that's with hunting season,love the adventure side of it,but like others said,dust is a real problem,i wouldnt go on a 7 day trip with a bunch of riders because you prob wouldnt make it back with all the dirt you inhale,the power is short compared to sleds,kinda boring but great in there element,there is no way i'd ever sell my sled for a quad,nothing compares to sledding,period,some people tell me(the sled haters)that i'm crazy having 2 sleds in the garage,and that the season is so short you cant use them enough,that is b.s,when snow is on the ground,you ride,you dont look at it,i ride approx 1500 miles on the quad and more than double those miles on my sleds,in a 2 month span,go figure

 

[rxwhopper]

i went witha couple grizzlys for me and the wife a couple years back, got a bruin 250 for the 8 year old and a 110 chinese konker for the 6 year old.MY family can come with us when we go much easier and dont have to freeze there buts off. when we go riding the jump on the quads with us when we are doing long tours. i basicly got out of the newer sleds and bought some older ones to tinker with. 02 srx 700 and a vmax4 800 . if i only ride 2 times a year who cares.

 

[Hammertime]

I have both. I'll say a few things. 1 - you rarely have to watch the weather forecast to find out when there's going to be dirt. 2 - ATVing is (for me) more peaceful, slower, better chance to see wildlife and far more reliable. I never worry about riding my ATV alone, I'd never sled too far from home w/o buddies. 3 - There's no replacement for the speed/thrill of sledding. ATVing is awesome, but definitely not the same.

I agree 100%

 

[low slung]

You can,t beat the sleds but i have a TRX420 that i ride with my brothers TRX420CTE PG.Its a different kind of riding(slower,can,t go in any direction(rules for quads in nfld are alot more restrictive than sleds),and yes,you breath alot of dirt behind somebody.But you can,t ride a sled on dirt in july.