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I wonder how many scheduled replacements are waiting for a farmer to whack one of their old power poles? One of our guys was demoing a high speed disk last year and did a nice clean pole hanger break. It wasn't a big line, but they charged like it was. I think it was 6k all said and done. The initial repair was just a big steel compression sleeve on the old pole. They came by later in the season and replaced the busted one along with most of the other poles along that road.

Good luck with that project. Did the skid steer have enough whack to move the bracket? Probably easiest to just flip it over and let the next pole bend it back again.

I've used the Rox ASG with the base plastic frames. After using them a few seasons I just leave them on most of the time. They leave quite a bit of access to the bars and don't really get in the way. I also fight cold thumbs at times and these are not perfect for that issue. The material around the bar is a little too loose and lets in air at speed. I tried gorilla tape over the opening and it helps quite a bit. I also have the PMadd X2 setup with hand guards. They are warmer but also make it harder to access the bars vs. the ASG. They are a little deeper and have a smaller open area. I usually take these off and store them because they are harder to use all day. This style takes a little extra room to store because the stiff material doesn't fold or smash down easily. I hate cold hands and mine are messed up from years of abuse. I'm usually after two main goals. Ease of use and warmth. I've fooled around with quite a few gauntlet/handguard variations over the years. Plain ol handguards don't seem to help keep my hands warm at all. I've tried the oversized guards like flex tec, coldwave, and heatlocs. They are a little better than nothing, but not enough for super cold. I did like the easy access. I've tried a couple variations of window gauntlets. Maybe it was the early stuff, but the windows were worthless after a couple cold weather folds. I never did find a set that didn't seem bulky. Some of those cheap floppy velcro attached gauntlets are dang warm,but hard to use. They cover the gap on ride or not ride decisions for the worst cold days. I carry a set around for super cold days and emergencies. The ASG is my main setup. Easy to use and they don't look terrible. They are not the warmest set, but good enough for most days. I had a super cold trip last season where I tucked a set of the floppy cheapo jobbers under them. (One advantage of the handguard style mount) If you want warm hands that really does the trick, but it's more work.

My dealer has one of those sleds in his shop. This is a recall I wouldn't ignore. That sled is not in good shape with only three clicks on the odometer.

He certainly doesn't sound like the same old B.S. and political posturing we've heard over and over. Cedric Alexander seems to also be a no B.S. guy. I like that dude. I hope he continues being a straight shooter and a doer. BTW, I agree entirely with the chief being spot on. The issue won't fix itself with kids doing the crime with little or no repercussion. There are plenty of people that know we have a problem. Not many are willing to seriously address it head on. Playing nicey nice politics isn't the answer. It's a relief to hear a couple people that actually sound like they have balls and a real focus on real problems.

To a certain extend I'd agree. I'd also argue that it's not just the brand. Skid geometry is a big factor. @Tommcat, do you do the longer length with rail extensions and the 129 skidframe? I'm asking because that seems like the sweet spot setup. The stock 137 skid is easy to ride, but it's mellow. The old 129 was not quite enough hookup unless you lifted the front. It didn't have the "squat" effect on launch, so you had to work on flat launches. BTW, the new 129 Cat is crazy. Most riders have forgotten how to handle a bronco. They might have a little learning factor if they go to that setup. It's fun, but you have to work again. I think a bit more length on that skid will really be fun with some bigger power.

It is a pretty cool feat to do this trip with all the gear they are hauling. The updates that I've caught make it look like it's no walk in the park. Cutting a path through downed trees, doubling back to grab gear after breaking trail, etc, the list is probably long. It can't be easy to log miles. I hadn't heard about their clutch issues. I wonder if they were trying to limp those primaries after the dreaded 7,600 dead spot started kicking in? They are running the 800 motors which seem finicky with that clutch. @Not greg b, How are you getting updates on their progress?

For years the movie studios spent big bucks on explosives and fancy mechanisms to throw and flip cars for the stunts. All they really needed was an old tire and rim to throw in front. It certainly was an oddball. Looks like it wasn't lug nuts. Rotor is still in the rim.

It looks different than the Sherco version.

Buddy had an ADAPT that went through the hands of some dugga dugga tech in their shop. Dude overtightened the main and locked up the bearing. That one kinda sucked. They loaded it with a forklift and we didn't know until we were up north and ready to ride. Funny thing, that clutch ran fine otherwise except for the center bearing. I think he had another 700 miles on before it was swapped. I'm sorta obsessive about torque specs. I scribble them on the clutch near the specific fastener. The ADAPT cover bolts have a higher torque than previous covers. The cover also flexes a bit more on the ADAPT. I can see rookie crankers breaking covers by torquing a couple with other bolts still loose. You really need to ease these covers down with even force. I know a little about the kablango pic @Not greg b posted. I wish I knew why it happened. It was a stock clutch with 3,300 easy miles and 77.2 hours. The little "pop" happened on a deer hunter trail with lots of up down speeds and go fast sections mixed in. The stationary sheave just didn't want to stick around for the ride.

Been through the topic with a number of these sleds. One disclaimer is that some are just plain worse. Doesn't seem to matter the year. I have noticed that the mapping varies and the good runners using a bit less gas and oil also heat up faster most of the time. Not a fan of scratchers, but they do throw snow. I use the qualipiece mounting system and between the lines idler wheel hanger. The work ok and they'll keep you riding. The coat hangers work better. I like the qualipiece mount because I can put the bracket on the rails and mount the scratcher as needed during a trip. Until I need the scratchers, I just throw a bolt with a rubber washer through the big hole. When I know the trip is going suck hot balls, I put at least one scratcher into the mount. I've also found some other tricks to get by most of the time. Club grooming is a big factor. I've seen many occasions on the same trail where temps change dramatically when you hit the next club. My advice is to ride through that section and see how the next club section cools. Don't lollygag through the hot sections. The track needs to move snow. It also helps to be in the powervalves a little to get the gas in there. Wide open does create more heat, so it doesn't work for long. Getting that flap down low helps through the bad sections. Sit way back on the seat and drag the flap, or put the fat ass on the hot sled. Put the hot runner in the back of the pack. It's surprising how much a couple sleds can loosen snow on the trail for cooling. Tunnel flares help a little bit. The stock flares are a one size fits all and don't go back to the flap on 137 sleds. I make my own flares out of 1/8" polycarbonate. It's way cheaper than stock flares and I can make them fit each sled. I've dealt with these things and the quirky temps for awhile. The difference between two exact same sleds is surprisingly dramatic. Some heat up faster in the morning Some run higher temps on the trail all day long. Some have real problems and go straight to hot when temps start climbing. I've found some bad thermostats, had a waterpump go kaput and other issues. But, in the end, some just run hot. It's become an inside joke about the "hot" sleds.

I have used a MN company called Blown Concepts for some stuff. He will make pretty much anything you want. Not sure on your price range? I'll also note that he uses a film media that is different than stock. It is a heavier, thicker materiel without the micro perforations for lay down. It goes on with what I'd describe as heat shrinking.

I ride with glasses. I tend to ride sorta speedy, so lots of head wind. Have a Mission, 509 R3L Ignite carbon fiber, Klim f4, and TXI with heated visor. The Mission and TXI are the easiest with glasses. Once they are adjusted, both can slap on and go. The Mission takes a little time with setup, the TXI just needs the correct face grommet. The 509 needs fiddling to keep from fogging glasses and colder temps don't work well. Seems almost odd because the visor creates enough heat to feel it on my face. It moves a lot of air and is comfy. Those two vents on top of the visor are like skull air conditioning. I use it with warmer temps and freezing rain snow. The Klim is for warm sunny days. Lots of free air movement, easy breathing, and comfy. It works well and goes on fast if I'm not worried about bare skin. The Mission is a bit amazing in cold. It is warmer, but not bad. It must be moving air quite well since fogging is non existent. Oddly, you just don't feel the cold air moving around the melon. Glasses even stay fairly clear while not moving. It isolates the breath well. The helmet is relatively quiet. Downsides in cold, you must make sure it latches shut. Ice will build up so it's hard to close. Also not a huge fan of the rubber face grommet getting cold when taking longer stops. It's not a big deal, but it's annoying. The nose/face grommet positioning is critical in the Mission. I've kablanged my skull wrapper and the dang thing pinches the nose shut. Take time to set up the thing. Not much to mention about the TXI. It's the easiest in the bunch. Just slap it on and ride. It's a bit noisy and fit isn't perfect, but it's still my banger helmet. Glasses are easy to manage.

That's funny as hell and so true. For the rest of you guys, I'll give a little back story. Most of the time I ride with this bud who is a "numbers person" in every possible way. He farms a fair number of acres and raises quite a few hogs too. His operation is by the numbers. And he knows the numbers. He can rattle off the cost breakdown of an equipment purchase to cents an acre while adding in depreciation, fuel, interest, etc. Ask how many hours are on the combines, tractors, other equipment, or vehicle odometers, he knows exactly how many. Those numbers are rattling around in his head all day long. The numbers thinking rolls over into sledding. We will fill all the sleds and he's doing the mileage math on each one as the nozzle clicks. If we talk about options for trails on the day, he says that's 26.4 miles + 18.1 after the intersection, bla, bla, bla. The numbers are right there and they are dead on. He could also tell you the average mph of any one of our sleds right off the top of his head. Our group usually stays in places where we can cook. He brings bacon. Don't know his butcher, but the bacon is dang good. One place we stayed for years was owned by an older couple. It was common to have them join for breakfast and the bacon was their thing. The old lady just started to call him Mr Bacon. That rolled over to everyone else using the same term. In that part of the U.P. he is known as the bacon man. Ironically, his first name is Kevin.

It's funny that you mention the warm up time. I'm a bit of a stickler for letting them "warm up" before it's hammer time. I used to check the coolers and when they felt warm, I figured it was ok to start slow riding until they came up to full temp. I'm mostly riding Cat sleds and they switched to a two stage thermostat years ago. I don't know if it's the thermostat or different flow, but it takes longer to reach running temps now. I can go and make a sandwich while I'm waiting on some of those cold days. In the old days, I had a few sleds with higher average speeds, but I didn't have time to take a piss before the sled was up to running temps. I've never timed them to see how much longer they take now, but it is a significant increase in time. It probably adds up a lot when you do that every day.

That's actually higher than most sleds on the trail. In fact, I'd call it scootin along with that kind of number. Why do you think the number will decrease? I usually see the average go up after break in and early season junk riding.

Most riders would be surprised if they actually figured out their real average MPH with that calculation. It's lower than they think. We tend to see higher numbers based on riding area and a demented mentality in our group. We generally check at the end of each day to see how much the number changed. I don't know how the OEM gauges do the average speed. I see riders post high numbers and I bet those are moving averages. I also run a NS1 setup with one sled and look at the graphing when I get a chance. It surprises me how much throttle position varies even then I thought I was really hauling the mail.

There is a carryover from the last year of 7B that was not spent. It seems hard to believe, but there was money left on the table. Budgets are biennial, so the overall dollars belong to a two year frame. In the last year they reduced? K - 12 spending because of less students. It does seem hard to believe, but the chunk of money is pretty big. There was some help from the feds on healthcare. Inflation sucks, but when you tax dollars spent, the numbers will rise when people buy the same things. People are buying more, so the revenue number is really climbing. The dollars are worth a little less, but their numbers are growing faster than inflation. An actual recession would change the surplus considerably. There is also a crazy side to some of the other numbers. Gambling revenue, from the E pulltabs, dedicated to paying for the new stadium has gone up too. I don't think that falls under the surplus dollars. It's a lot of money from a small source. Enough to pay off the bill dang early. I'm not a fan of spending money just because it is there. I sure hope we don't go down that path. Again, I want to state that the rural areas need to get involved. A bunch of the money will get spent no matter what. We can sit at the end of our driveways and complain, or we can do something.

I wonder what we would say if there was a minus sign in front of that number? I agree that it feels like they are playing with our money already partially paid. - The last part based on the "biennium" nature of budgets. Obviously some of the bucks rolled in from the feds and that helped the numbers grow. But, I'm sure there is a long list of people waiting with their hands open while somebody is ready to start writing checks. We can sit around bitching and pretending there is no plan. It's foolish. There are tons of people with plans. I feel like it's our job to make sure those one time and legacy programs don't get all the air time. Right now, they are. The next budget proposal is mandated to be released by the end of Jan. We can sit around and complain until then, and complain more after the proposal is public. Or, we can actually do something. My time is split between two parts of this state. Outstate and metro. I'm not a fan of the metro, but it's my reality of life. I choose to spend as much time outstate as I can. I will note that there is a big contrast in how people deal with big issues. When problems arise outstate, people generally buckle down and get it done. I like that approach. In the metro, people get organized, get in front of decision makers, and get money to get things done. I hate to say it, but the outstate crowd is missing an opportunity if they don't play in this round. There are big bucks at stake and the metro crowd is already in the game. It's our time (outstate) to speak up, do something, and affect the outcome.

That continuous marketing is interesting. It doesn't help much in the real world. It's kinda interesting to explore the concept of nothing breaking. I should be the poster child of that. I don't do engine mods. I reinforce weak areas on the sleds. The clutching that I do is for longer belt life and eliminating over rpm/slipping. I also don't weigh crap. I wish the marketing was true. I wouldn't mind a repair list that includes nothing. Going back to the original question again. I used to push these dang sleds a lot harder. It's just not as much fun anymore. I see what breaks and I'd rather keep riding. Even with my mellower habits, I'm still putting my butt on spare seats way too often.

Funny thing about that video. I think I've rode worse crap in the U.P. when it's busy and grooming equipment is down. They add in another hazard up there. There is also a pile of ding dongs coming from the other direction. It's a hell of a workout physically and mentally. To the original topic if that is allowed around here. I haven't slapped a leg over the seat on a turbo for any real running. They are fun as heck, but more than I'd like to hang on to all day. Been running Cat 800 tinker toys most of the time and push them until I figure out what breaks. Then, I usually try to come up with a fix to get the thing to last longer. The old belt thing was a friggin expensive PIA. That issue alone changed a lot of riding habits. I don't run at 100% for long anymore. Things just seem to break too fast when you hold em tight. The slow evolution of changes over the years does let you hold them closer to the tippy top longer. I do like the speed thing, so I try to clutch for higher speed cruising without popping the jug holders apart. The best answer to the topic in may case might be that I use about 90% of the power about 75% of riding time. The riding time percentage would be higher if I didn't worry about the ding dong factor.

I like the idea of what you are thinking. Look for rubber pad with adhesive though. Even the best weather stripping is too soft. It breaks down/crushes pretty quick and starts to trap little debris. I've used a few variations rubber padding over the years. One of the biggest challenges was finding a place that stocks the stuff. The right thickness is a big deal so you can get the parts to fit and still eliminate movement. I've used tool box drawer liner, stair tread grips, and PWC gripper mat material. The PWC matting is great and comes in a variety of color and thickness combinations. Anything with the 3M adhesive backing will stick like crazy. It is hard to find right now with a lot of shops doing seasonal shut downs, so finding the right one is tricky. I've also seen quite a variety of furniture anti slip pad stuff. I have not tried any of those products, but they might be worth a look. Those are in quite a few of the home improvement and hardware stores.

@Deephaven, has some good tips. I didn't see what season you are heading to stay. If you are going outside of holiday time, the car option is even better. Things are busy when everyone is on holiday. That would make a difference in what you plan or just wing it. Berlin is a changed city. It may be interesting to see the new vs. old. It wouldn't keep you interested for that length of time. Are you staying with relatives that live in the city? I'm inclined to ask residents before anyone from outside the area. Traveling by car or train is relatively easy. I wouldn't get hung up on a single form of travel. Some of the sites will be a bear with car parking. Some will need a car to reach easily. My inlaws are scattered around Germany and Austria. We go to different parts of the region each time we visit. Food and bier are regional items. There is quite a bit of advice about what to try. It may not happen depending on where you travel. BTW, Berlin is one city I have not seen yet. My wife has been there a lot and keeps telling me it is something I have to see at least once. Friends that lived there before and after say the same. The comments about building a Capital city out of nothing are a recurring theme. If you get a chance, try to see the new "zone" and further out in the "old city" region. The contrast is dramatic and it will not last long.

Both, but the factors are relative. They don't perform miracles. If you burn off hyfax in ten minutes, these might last fifteen. If you have good wheels, the drag difference isn't a lot. I run them and I've never found them cheap. For the price alone, the standard hyfax are cheaper even when you go through more sets. One advantage on the Cat rails is the larger size. I'm picky about alignment and watch it close. The larger size keeps them a little closer to true. If you don't watch alignment, the clips will dig into the sides.

I bet he wouldn't give it a second thought. The dude lives for an audience.