I was wondering that myself.. We have the law but with the speeds I liked it was best I wore one anyway.
The Skandic (60hp) and Tundra (60hp) are my hunting and get firewood sleds. Summits (150hp) are my play sleds. Lots of fun up in the mountains (5-6 mile ride from the house) we are fortunate that we do not have to trailer the machines, if we don’t want to.
We finally sold our sleds last year. There just isn't any good snow here anymore. We had been riding Caribou/northern Maine since 1998. We put 10 of thousands of miles on in maine. We haven't rode many other areas that had that good of a trail system in the states. Canada was pretty good too but we stopped going there after 9-11 when they started the passport requirements.
You didn’t miss anything last year Tim. Wasn’t rideable snow until January and then it was rough. Wasn’t until late January before it was decent and season ended mid March. One of the worst winters I’ve seen since the mid/late 80s. South of Medway was non existent. Ice was thin too.
68 but don't remember if Olympic. It was trouble free but vert tippy but fun to ride. We had another one later on but then sold it and took up cross country skiing.
There is definitely something to be said for being able to hop on the sled and not have to trailer it. I'm lucky enough to be able to get on a (closed) loop trail system right from my driveway that has some great backwoods trails through our (small East Coast) mountains. Meandering through the trails gives you about 80+ miles which isn't that much, but is plenty for my busted up body. Plus the added advantages of not having to trailer anywhere and some of the trails go through my primary scrounging areas so I get to scout for dead and down (I think I'm the only person around here who tows a sled behind their snowmobile during the winter to go cut firewood). Thousands of flatlanders tow their rigs up here to the trail system every year so I consider myself lucky to be able to access it whenever I want (snow conditions allowing of course). Pics aren't from this year (no snow yet) but looking forward to being able to ride soon.
One of my wood haulers, deer dragger, and ice fishing machines (one lunger Ski Doo Tundra) in action this past April. I used to pull all three our kids up to 10 miles into the US/Ontario border lakes for ice fishing. One on my lap and two on the sled. They sure thought it was fun to ride standing up on the back of the sleigh. I also have an 1987 Tundra. That one is a little tippy. They both start and run great. They really can pull a load, and go through the deep snow. They are also relatively easy to get unstuck. Used old Tundras still sell almost immediately when they do come up. They are not used for trail riding but trappers , hunters and ice fishers still value them here. Original everything on both of them. In fact I still am using the jugs of the oil from when I bought them. I run premium nooxy and a dash of sea foam; top off with some fresh gas in November; and fire them right up. I cringe a little when I add a little of the old oil to the oiler reservoirs, but why mess with what has been working for so long. I have thought of doing away with the oilers and running plain old 2 stroke mix in them, but I probably won’t get to doing that ahead of this season. That will have to wait for retirement. My wife is always telling me I should get a new snow machine, but I get attached to things, and still really like these.