I snow checked a 21 Zr8000rr this year. 21 miles into the first ride I hit a washout at a weird angle and bent the spindle. Today I went riding and 80 miles into a 100 mile day came out from lunch went down the trail a couple miles until it smoothed out and we could speed up and sit down. I went to put my foot in the footwell and it was tight. Next time we stopped I checked it out, running board bent, bar from the “pyramid” to the running board bent, Inner footwell piece tweaked and belly pan cracked underneath. Someone must have whacked it in the parking lot and took off. (Second time this has happened to me but last time, about 10 years ago, the guy did it right in front of me to my old Mxz 670ho took my address ordered me a ski and trailing arm, both were just gouged up, and had it shipped to my house). So I’m thinking the sled has some sort of bad juju on it, I’ll be taking it to the dealer to have them and the insurance sort it out. I may have him just sell it after that. Has anyone had this sort of thing happen right out the gate or felt a sled was somehow “cursed” did you sell it? Did it get better? Idk if I’m overreacting or being to superstitious and I do love the sled and would love to keep riding it it just seems like something is off about it and it’s just not meant to be, also kind of don’t want to keep it around and find what the 3rd issue is going to be.

for me 98 zr 600.  bought it used in 2000 1st sled i bought for myself out of college.  1st trip over heated -took it back to the cabin  ended up finding electrical tape in the coolent lines and reservoir.   WTF!  worked great for the next yr.   then it ate a piston.  replaced the piston lasted another 300 miles then ate another piston.   found a hole in the air intake to the EFI.   the drive shaft was loose rubbing against air box.  found out after that from the mechanic (side job)that the previous owner rolled the sled out west on a few occasions thus the drive shaft issues.  wish the dealer would have told me that.  problem is dealer recommended the sled to me knowing it had these issues.  say the least i did not ever order a sled from him again. also my family had bought about 7 sled from him before this and tons of parts.  we have not purchased one since. 

Edited January 11, 20214 yr by Bradd

I had a 2000 MXZ 700 I bought from a friend. First ride about 10 miles in it burned down.  I rebuilt the engine from the crank up.  Second trip out after the rebuild, I hit a RR track and folded up the trailing arm, bent the shock, and bent a radius rod.  Fixxed all that and when I took the skid plate off to fix the radius rods I saw a huge crack going 1/2 way across the bottom of the frame under the engine.  I had seen enough, I had ridden this sled less than 400 miles and sunk almost $1500 into repairs already.

I put the skid plate back on and sold the sled 'as is' with 'fresh rebuild' for $1650.  I took a $2000 hit on that sled in the 6 months I owned it.

On 1/5/2021 at 4:45 PM, Palu49 said:

On the last part my only question is a very puzzled “how?!” Lol

The best I can figure is during one of my tear downs I found a pinched wire, but who knows how long that was like that.

Couldn't get rid of that sled fast enough.

Can't say I've had a cursed sled.  Yet anyway

I bought a new 1995 XLT Touring when my kids were small. I had an issue with the headlight burning out constantly. Had it back at the dealer weekly. Finally took it to different dealer that disparaged the dealer I purchased it from. The service guy replaced the voltage regulator after I told him that had been done twice already. I didn't make it on to the trailer and the light blew again. He then got serious and dug deep and found a short in the wire harness. I got it back and on my first ride, the driveshaft broke in 2 locking the track just as I crested a hill. Almost ran into the guy coming from the other way. It was fun trying to drag that pig back to a road. I almost gave up on it. I ended up keeping it, putting on over 6000 miles trouble free after that first year.

On 1/10/2021 at 9:12 AM, Palu49 said:

I actually threw the sled up on marketplace since we’re having a bad winter and sled prices are so high. I got back to the truck last Sunday and had 4 messages of people saying they come buy it for $13,500 cash, of course this is after it got hit. One guy is still interested once it’s fixed and I didn’t talk to the others. I found a 19 limited 600 with iAct that I’d could buy, ride for the winter, give to my gf, sell her clapped out xp ski Doo when I order a 22 and come out about even with where I started so that’s the plan. Stopped at the dealer the other day, $4500 in repairs, needs a tunnel and everything..

@Palu49 get in touch with Greg B - his sled has been at his dealer waiting for similar parts you'll likely need for quite a while, with no eta.  Assume you are filing an insurance claim.  Hard to sell a tweaked sled with a clear conscience.

I haven't had a cursed sled, but as a kid we had a Safari 377 that retaliated every time I rode it for the beatings I gave it.  Ride one day, fix for 3 - wash, rinse, repeat. 

13 hours ago, Crnr2Crnr said:

@Palu49 get in touch with Greg B - his sled has been at his dealer waiting for similar parts you'll likely need for quite a while, with no eta.  Assume you are filing an insurance claim.  Hard to sell a tweaked sled with a clear conscience.

I haven't had a cursed sled, but as a kid we had a Safari 377 that retaliated every time I rode it for the beatings I gave it.  Ride one day, fix for 3 - wash, rinse, repeat. 

The dealer is fixing it and selling it for me, he wrote me a check for what we agreed on and I gave him the insurance check and it’s gonna be considered a trade in towards my 22. He’s giving almost exactly what I paid and the tax savings and not being tied up with a sled that’s waiting for parts makes up for the rest. It pays to have a good dealer.