It continues......

[driftbuster]

wow, in my area the high temperature is staying below freezing for two more weeks.
This is incredible. Our snow is perfect. We has a slight thaw, a touch of rain but still have
a foot in harvested fields, 3 feet in many places, and mountains of deep snow everywhere
else. Its blowing and drifting bad today, a huge car pile up on the 400 North.
I just fired up my barn find Cyclone 340, took it for a nice 1 hr roar.
Shes all legal so I went ditch banging. Ditch banging is a riot. Then the field edges.
The crust is so sweet to get planed out on. like fresh groomed but better.
Yet still soft underneath. I was just flyin' today. As fast as it would go a few times.
All the time staying on high ground as there is ice everywhere.
I forgot my phone, spare plugs and wrench, no worries.
I'm riding a John Deere !!
The 340 comes alive in this temperature. It is cold here today, 1f (-17c) I went and
wore gloves on the JD. I think mitts would have saved the pounding of cold fingers. But
the ditch banging was worth the pain. I stopped at a culvert to warm up the
hands on the engine. Loads of drifting snow blowing. It was perfect!!
Time for bacon, beer and a nap. -11f tonight (-24c) excellent.
I am going up to the sugar bowl tonight, on the Deere. You can't explain this urge.
I have 2 sleds with heated bars, 10 inch plush suspension, 100+hp, yet my ride
of choice is a 1976 John Deere 340 Cyclone. LoL !! At least here I am surrounded by
my fellow Lunatics

[Horicon Joe]

Good read and thanks for sharing!
Enjoy

Joe

[AirborneX4Special]

Excellent. I would much rather ride an old Deere than a newer Angry Insect.

[lwb140]

as a kid I rode a 76 cyclone [still have it ] just fantastic sleds . the memories wade

[driftbuster]

thx again. My son still has his 78 Cyclone, and I now have my recent barn find 76.
Did a 55 mile round trip on my 76 last night. My daughter on her Indy Trail 488 fan, my jet mechanic/kawasaki
triple buddy on my xc500 and another friend on his newer sled. I had a great ride.
I wore my dads old sledding mitts from his John Deere, I wasn't cold this time.
Dad loved sledding, and he loved the JD400 he had.

[JoeRainville]

Db,

Great stories. While I really like riding my 2009 Cat 600, these old Deere's just have something special about them. Maybe its the nostalgia factor since I couldn't afford a new Deere 30 years ago since I was only 14, but I had a blast doing 150 miles guiding the Vintage Challenge on Cari's Sprintfire.

I certainly enjoyed riding late model sleds all around St. Germain with Wade Bennett, Todd "Stymie" Myers, his son Chris and Henry, but riding vintage sleds has a challenge to it, and a level of satisfaction you just don't get on new sleds.

-Joe

[mn.deereguy]

I think it is the 50mph feels like 100mph factor that makes old sleds so much fun to ride I grew up riding my jdx4 special up a hill that used to be a small ski slope by the river and sometimes it would take all day to make it to the top with a new sled it would take less than a minute. I have had many newer sleds modded out turbos or pipes whatever but I always end up loving my old ones and so do my kids

[air mechanic]

Yep,when I was just out of school (1979)did not have the money myself for a new sled. Got much newer sleds to run but really love fixing up and riding the sleds of my high school days! A buddy runs MERC's and Kawasaki's and I have Deere and Cat's. Planning on going out tomorrow for a 70 mile run with the 79 El Tigre 5000 and him on his 76 440 SNOW TWISTER. Hope to have the Liquifire up and running next week.

[JDXJIM]

YES !! I love to ride the newer sleds and ride 200+ mile days every year---BUT --- there is still nothing as fun as a leaf springer !! I just love any old MID MOUNT sled with an all rubber track to just go out and have FUN on. Just something about the true sport of playing in the snow with Basic equipment that brings a smile to my face. I can spend all day messing with an old sled and riding it as much as I wrench on it and STILL LOVE IT !!!! Keep riding !!