jhwentworth 307 Report post Posted November 10, 2021 (edited) A beautiful November day today, 60 degrees plus, with a lot of sun. A great day to drag the sleds out of storage to see if they'll run another year. A couple of low batteries, one starter that didn't want to work until lube was applied, and some smoke. All of them need a good wash, fresh fuel, and some grease in the right places. Tomorrow I'll check the belts and chain cases. One of the sleds is a 2009 Ski Doo GSX 600 ETEC. I don't use it very much so maybe it's time to get rid of it. I find that I enjoy riding my old (2005) Cat Panther 570cc more. Two antiques I guess. (that would be me and the Panther) The Panther is the sled that puts out the two-stroke smell, the other two are 4-stroke or ETEC, so it's like starting your car. I'm not a vintage fan now, but did put in my time with some of the early sleds. Things have changed over 40+ years. Edited November 10, 2021 by jhwentworth Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PolarisCobra 131 Report post Posted November 10, 2021 Pulled my trailer from the back of the yard to the front. Charged batteries, and started the sleds last week. I make it a habit to clean, grease and do any fixed needed in the spring before I put them away. They will need some fresh gas, and a quick dusting, but we are ready for snow here. Trailer lights don't seem to be working right, need to look into that. might have had some furry visitors getting into the wiring (again). Thought I plugged all the entries last time. At least its only the trailer, not the sleds. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Saluda 110 Report post Posted November 10, 2021 Getting the trailer from storage next week, batteries are all topped off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jhwentworth 307 Report post Posted November 12, 2021 I got to thinking about "getting ready" for winter riding back when modern fuel systems, ignition systems, and, most important, electric start were still far in the future. Back when a strong arm and a weak mind were almost mandatory equipment. Now, after charging the battery on my 2009 Ski Doo, i pushed the start button and the motor started instantly and then idled quietly. No smoke, no drama, no work. I came across this YouTube video after doing a search for Yamaha SL396, which was my first sled. At the time, Yamaha was considered to be quite advanced in engineering and manufacturing. As I watched the guys in the video struggle to get the sleds running after a long down time it reminded me of similar personal experiences. Do a web search for: 5 Vintage Yamaha Snowmobile Start Up Contest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ICG 7 Report post Posted November 16, 2021 Getting ready cleaning / polishing our sleds was a high point after a hot summer... Strange, I hate yard work, but am enthusiastic about working on toys, or club projects ... Now, to find a new ride Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smallengineguy 88 Report post Posted December 4, 2021 MOve the sleds from the storage barn to the garage last weekend. All 5 started right up, although one had a skip. Spark plug fixed that. Bring on the snow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
