In the areas you ride,

1- Is there a speed limit?

2- Do you normally ride within the limit?

3- Do you agee with a limit being set or should it be left up to the rider?

4- Is the limit in your area set at a reasonable speed (high or low)?

5- Has it improved trail safety?

1-no
2-n/a
3-n/a
4-n/a
5-n/a

the speed limit here is 70 km/h

If we are ridding in the day we never realy go above 80 km/h but once in a while in a long streach with no one in sight we will give the throttle a twist !


At nigh on the other hand we tend to go a bit faster as we can see other sleds far away ! So we drive around 100 km/h .

1: Yes it's 50 kph :sleeping: :angry: :devil:

2: No :sly: !!! If I wanted to go 30 mph. I'd go back to my Citation 3500 & ride bush trails. Even my mother who is 68 says the speed limits are stupid. especially when riding railines when the visibilty is good.

3: yes

4: No it should be higher. Especially in northern Ontario :D :sly:

5: n/a

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. Unknown

The area that I like to ride is Yellowstone. The limits for sleds are the same as for cars in the summer, except for the road/trail between West Yellowstone and Old Faithful, which is 35mph for sleds due to the heavy traffic on this section. Limits are necessary due to the extreme variance in rider experience, as well as traffic. There have been a few instances last winter where I actually went slower than the limit due to trail conditions deteriorating from the heavy traffic. Since road rules apply there and are enforced by the rangers, I'm not aware of any accidents caused by excessive speed.

Unfortunately, what I did see was plenty of places where people were sidehilling on some of the small hills along the trail. :angry: We don't need more fuel for the "ban everything because they hate it" crowds.

1 yes
2 no

Last season the OPP who pulled over our group for speeding near earlton.
He jumped out of the trees and got almost everyone. Lucky i was off trail in the powder dooin like 70-80. The officer said that he will not ticket you if you are dooin 100kmh or less. I though he was being very reasonable other than the sneaky trap he was in. There was no escape barbwire on one side and a dense forest on the other.

I noticed the radar signs north of Earlton last winter too. I was more concerned about the Cochrane area. I had heard on another website that the OPP was busy up there. Permafrost & the rest of the gang from up there, were the OPP targetting sledders?

no speed limit and hardly any Officers, its good that way at least you dont have to worry about getting busted while ripping down a straight away.

Maine has a few new laws this year, such as no waterx. watercross is now illegal, I dont know if that is for all states or just Maine. But they were talking about a speed limit as well. If there is one Im not going to obey it, how are they gonna enforce it?? If they have wardens out there, them and their skandics will never keep upto us and our performance sleds.

Speed limits :hallo3: You've got to be kidding! :doh:

I just read in a magizine that i believe in Canada the opp liked there Yamaha 4stroke watercraft so much that they ordered a bunch of rx-1's> i could be wrong as it might have been Seadoo's and then v1000's but I'm pretty sure it was the yams. Said that hey lasted longer then other crafts(water0,less maitnance,much better fuel usage,etc. I've seen some fast DNR sleds and local cops riding fast sleds also.
Caleb

1. Yes, just on trails in town.
2. W/in the city limits, you bet!
3. I think they are appropriate in town, not beyond that though.
4. Reasonable in town.
5. Don't know if it has contributed to fewer accidents or not.

Would hate to see limits all over...then I would have to be disobedient :hallo5:

I agree Jim, our moto is "slow down in town" Revrnd I read the reports all over the internet last year regarding Cochrane OPP using gestapo tactics. Ticketing people for loose helmet straps and other trivial things. We experienced none of this on any of our rides there. The one time we came accross the opp on fan cooled 96 or 97 formula 500's. Ladyk and redrocket had passed them dooing over 100mph, first time we let the lady lead. The cops didnt even attempt to catch them or radio anyone. We were in the powder dooin like 50 or 60kmh way behind, lol. Crazy B made the foolish mistake of asking one of the officers if he had seen a red sled :0: The cop said why, "Are those your friends" We ended up shootin the bull with those guys for a 1/2 hour. Stuguy didnt even have a license on his sled, NP. The nicest cops I have ever met hands down.

fyi, a ticket on a sled in minnesota goes on your driving record. i don't know about other states. i think that is such bs. i got busted in the middle of a field- ten or so over- dont remember. one group of small trees the cop was hiding in.. and wham a speeding ticket. middle of a field, daylight, no one else around, how lame. i would of had to jump in front of my sled to get hurt at that 'excessive speed'.


but then again i'm glad he didn't catch me about 5 minutes before, that would of been one hell of a ticket.

bug

no no and no

Originally posted by ZR Sled Head@Oct 19 2002, 09:00 AM
In the areas you ride,

1- Is there a speed limit?

2- Do you normally ride within the limit?

3- Do you agee with a limit being set or should it be left up to the rider?

4- Is the limit in your area set at a reasonable speed (high or low)?

5- Has it improved trail safety?
1 yes
2 no, except for in town, probably slower.
3 no
4 no
5no

FishHog

Most places we ride in NY have limits. Good or bad they are ineffective. There is one location that I know of where they set up radar traps. Aside from that there is really no other law enforcement on speed. You can put up all the signs and limitations but people will ignore it. Unfortunately the real problem is rider ability or lack thereof. Often times people buy big power sleds without having the experience or abilities. The other MAJOR rpoblem is DRINKING and riding. Alcohol with kill you riding a 340 or 1000.

no speed limits on our trails although i dont go much over 55 at night due to the high amount of deer since i hit 2 last year i didnet ride at night for a while after that :nervous: :hallo8:

Old Forge speed limit is 25mph if i am correct.... I think that is way too low... I dont ride like an idiot but i usually cruise around 40 sometimes i will kick it up to 60 on straights.... I think anything above that in the tough twists is insane..... theres nothing that ticks me off more then to come around a tight turn and almost get nailed by these idiots doing 75+ and not looking out for other riders. Night time in the forge is dangerous b/c thats when all the crazies are out... running through the trails like there invisible.. lakes are for pinning the throttle, and if you cant control your machine then you shouldnt be riding it.... the first guy that tags me on the trail riding like an idiot is going to get my shiny helmet up his ( ) ) :cussing:

1. yes there is a limit.
2. normally around here i do because the trails cannot hqndle great speed.
3. i sort of agree and think there has to be a bar set, if there becomes something that gets out of hand then there will be a reason for the S.T.O.P to pull sledders over and maybe find something that can cause further problems.
4. in my area i would say it is an okay speed limit.
5. speed kills but booze i think is the worst killer.

Powderboy, was that you on that turn last year...sorry!! :p :hallo2:

Why no your honor, I wasn't speeding. :sarcasm:
Yes we have speed limits, yes they are rediculously slow, and we rarely go the speed limit.(when conditions allow of course) ;)

Originally posted by permafrost@Oct 19 2002, 05:42 PM
I agree Jim, our moto is "slow down in town" Revrnd I read the reports all over the internet last year regarding Cochrane OPP using gestapo tactics. Ticketing people for loose helmet straps and other trivial things. We experienced none of this on any of our rides there.
That's exactly what I had read too. Never saw a cop in the area.

I tried a internet pettition 2 years ago on setting new limits here in Ontario

30km on some section,70 on others and 90 km on others

And they(ofsc) gave me a beat around the bush answer

The real problem is :cussing: INSURANCE COMPANIES and that thing they call LIABILITY :cussing:

LIABILITY is killing everything :cussing: :hallo4: You can not beleive the way insurance companies try to pull that BS all the time

BTW I ride 80kmph most of the time but I know when close to town slow down

The real problem is the idiots that ride 100+kmph on city/town streets(notice most of them are on old bombs with no trail pass but we all get scruwed :cussing: and everyone loses road to trail rights because of idiots!!!

BUT I do not under stand why we cannot go as fast as a car on a road,the law here is 20kmph if the speed limit is 50kmph or lower

I do not buy into a car can stop faster then a sled on snow/pavement or ice????

Yes I ride the same area as most here in Ontario, and all are the same 50kph, I will obay around towns, not any other time.

Has anyone noticed the STOP ad in Ontario snowmobiler? Pg52. The one asking "Think you can out run STOP officers...I don't think so"...LOL....I sure as hell will give it a try, I don't care if they ride REV's or not, That ad is just inviting a high speed chase.
:devil:

Chubby that STOP REV picture is doctored. They will not have REV's. Who's paying the 11000 a pop for them. Even if they had them could they ride like us?

STOP officers use their own sleds

Its the OPP and MNR that we the taxpayers pay for their sleds btw

Fortunately, we have no speed limits, cops w/radar guns or barbed wire fences here in 99.9% of Alaska. In fact, we have very few groomed trails! It's mostly tapper trails, x-country and lots & lots of boondocking!! :D
But we do have lots of ditches, ravines, trees, rocks, caribou and BIG moose. So I try to keep it under 55 at nite!

Its apparently more politically correct to turn the other way to speed as to people drinking and riding.........just an observation.

Freeserburnt,
The OFSC never did respond to any of my emails regarding the current speed limit nor would they comment on if they have/had any intention of working with the powers to be in an effort to bring them more in line with the times.
Kinda makes a guy feel like Homer Simpson as we both struggle with our "Mr. Burns".

:doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh:

Rick.

Read the ofsc part in the new Ontario Snowmobiler

They have a page on the speed limit question

It was the basic reply they emailed me 2 yrs ago :hallo9:

Like I said its LIABILITY and DAMN INSURANCE companies :cussing: :withstupid: :cussing:

It just sux :blahblah:

I hope we can get around that issue in the near future but doubt it ???

Unless things change with folks taking responsibility for the choices they make out on the trails, ending lawsuits, we will likely never see speed limits go up.
:)
Rick.

Two winters ago I got stopped by the Bancroft OPP, south of Lake St. Peter on the railine. I was clocked doing 65 kms in a 50 zone. Just a warning. Later on down on the Paudash trails by the twisties (narrow trail & blind corners) at Martin's Mill. The speed limit signs read 50 kph. I glance down at the speedo & I'm doing around 30 kph.

Boy does that ever make a lot of sense. A couple of years ago my brother asked me if they would ever raise the speed limit. I said probably when we have a season w/ no fatalities. Yeah, that's going to happen.

uhmm .....no......... :D

No

No, speed limits are a joke. And if the STOP officers and cops dont think that also there a joke.

:withstupid:

1- Is there a speed limit?Yep, it's 50 mph.

2- Do you normally ride within the limit?Depends on the weather and trail conditions. I obviously dont speed all the time, but when I'm on the lakes, yep.

3- Do you agee with a limit being set or should it be left up to the rider?Well, in some cases the driver will outrun what they can handle. I've done it many times. But there should be a speed limit, and I think they should enforce it at night at least.

4- Is the limit in your area set at a reasonable speed (high or low)?Our speed limit is ok, but they should raise it while you on the lakes. If the trail go across a lake then the speed limit should raise. Its just like a freeway for cars, and normaly they enforce a higher speed on freeways for cars, so why not sleds. :)

5- Has it improved trail safety?Eh, I doubt it, cause most guys speed anyways.

WKMOTZU,
Nice post.
I normally accept/respect the opinions of others but in your case I'm willing to make an exception. While reading your post I couldn't help but notice you must be some sort of an ambassador for cross border relations. It must have taken years of study and never ending practice to perfect a skill such as you have displayed. Keep up the good work.
Rick.

ZR, maybe he'll be the next ambassador to Canada LOL !!! Just kidding folks. He probably couldn't find Canada if he rode his sled to the North Pole :p

Sure he knows which was is north. Its up where the big trailers are at the other end of the park. LOL

Originally posted by 02MXZ600@Oct 20 2002, 10:06 PM
1- Is there a speed limit?Yep, it's 50 mph.

2- Do you normally ride within the limit?Depends on the weather and trail conditions. I obviously dont speed all the time, but when I'm on the lakes, yep.

3- Do you agee with a limit being set or should it be left up to the rider?Well, in some cases the driver will outrun what they can handle. I've done it many times. But there should be a speed limit, and I think they should enforce it at night at least.

4- Is the limit in your area set at a reasonable speed (high or low)?Our speed limit is ok, but they should raise it while you on the lakes. If the trail go across a lake then the speed limit should raise. Its just like a freeway for cars, and normaly they enforce a higher speed on freeways for cars, so why not sleds. :)

5- Has it improved trail safety?Eh, I doubt it, cause most guys speed anyways.
I totally agree with MXZ600. As far as the trails go 50 mph is fast enough. I have had way too many close calls with people driving way over their head. I like to trail ride with my wife and daughter and if they ever got hit by one of these people going too fast they would wish they had died when I got done with them. On the lakes it should be opened up to what ever a safe speed is. Riley

WKMOTZU, next time you say something like that you will be gone and not just your post! :angry:

We don't have a speed limit yet. So I don't follow one. :devil:

Where I ride, there's only 1 or 2 small sections where there is a speed limit posted, and they were put there mainly because the land owner is on the verge of not allowing snowmobilers to use his land. The speed limits are ridiculously low (25mph in a wide open field), but I usually try to obey them. Of course, that means I've got to do 80 to catch back up with all of my friends that did 60 through the field. ???

my sled overheats at 50 kmh......

seriously, I think it is a judgment call. I have found that where there are a ton of signs is usually areas where slower speeds are a necessity for safety reasons and I do obey them (generally on the tight twisties and high-traffic areas).

Where I ride is a lot of open fields and room to crank it up. I also have a cottage and ride there - very high traffic and posted areas (Barry's Bay area). Yes, I obey it there because of the tight trails. But when crossing a lke where it is straight, flat and I can see oncoming traffic, it is time to pull the trigger and release 172 ponies.........

Ride Hard, Ride Safe, Ride Sober....and we all live to ride another day....

The only speed limits in WI, that I am aware of, are in or near towns. (And only where posted) I agree with slowing down in residential areas and obey all posted limits.

I think the roads in Northern WI have a 30 or 35 MPH limit. (The roads trails are also used on) I agree with those limits and obey them.

The entire state of WI was under a "50 MPH max." during darkness two years ago. I didn't agree with it, but I obeyed it.......however, I did go faster on lakes at times, at night. That was only a temp. law and I'm pretty sure it has been lifted. WI had an unusal amont of fatalities three or four years ago. The temp. law was tested due to the fatalities. However, we had very little snow that year, and that was a major contributor. Our state law makers figured they had to do something!

I think the police should be patrolling for reckless driving, rather than setting up speeding traps for 15 km/h over the posted limit.

Just my .02

watch out for the EPA cops in the Moose River Plains area outside of Inlet, NY. speed limit is 30MPH. wont go on your license but costs 50 bucks out of your wallet :angry:

I ride as fast as I can while staying on my side of the trail and within the limits of stopping if there was an obstacle in the trail. Got to be vigilant cause they groom the trails 4 times a week and I heard that groomer's arn't the softest thing to crash in... Police are more concerned about trail permits and drunk driving, with 130 hp, 500 pounds sleds they probably figured out that there is no use to enforce the speed limit :doh:

I drive within my limits "full throtle till you see god then brake"
but really I slow down in town , got a ticket leaving a gas station 35 in a 25 :doh: But they gave me a trespassing ticket for turning right instead of left :cussing:

1- yes.. in minnesota its 50 mph, really stupid

2 - no

3- shud be left up to rider

4- really low, obiviously

5 - dont know.. but dunno.. everyone still dont obey them.

Nope, no speed limit, just go as fast as your sled can carry you.
:cussing:

i ride behind 2 guys that raced pro oval! they both have mach zs done up by benoint! i can ride as fast as i want behind them!
when the go by people doing 80 90 and see a hand telling them 5 more they most of the time pull to the side.
not saying its right to take a turn at 80 but i would rather meet them at 80 rather than a 16 yr old doing 50 out of control!

:withstupid:

Very true, even when you look at the stats, very few accidents on sleds are head on collision. Most of them are drunks hitting trees, well, like 70% anyway. I think you are safer to ride within your abilities, whatever speed that may be as long as you are completely in control.

I try to use common sense despite what my right thumb is thinking.

I `m guilty of driving hard and fast. We don`t drink and ride.The vast majortiy of riders down here in our neck of the woods don`t,I can say we pride .Cause our trails in Cape Breton you can be up over 100mph on a lot of them (if you want ).Police presents near zero,I guess cause maybe they need gas money or something.The sleds they us are skandics (top speed 45) when running. Cape Breton Stock..................

ZRT600 Mountain Cat Rider, you need to read the forum rules here. Responses like yours are not tolerated here.

classicRiderMike I'm new in riding up in Old Forge and was wondering were is Moose River Plains is. I've been to the Glenmore bar and also to Indian Lake and many other places. I can't picture were the plains is? :hallo1:

In Maine there is no speed limit, but there are a couple of laws called imprudent speed and driving to endanger, the wardens will set up traffic cones in the middle of a turn on a fast trail and if you are on the wrong side or hit the cones, guess what? you are getting a ticket for one of the above mentioned infractions, they used to get people for driving to endanger when water skipping before the new no water skipping law came out.