First Outing for the Season

[mswyka]

First time out on the 1980 Invader this season!  After 43 years it still runs like a banshee.  And, as good as the 1990 JAG is, the Invader will still run circles around it.

[Ameritude]

looks great!

[Dandb7]

Very nice..!

[Interceptor398]

Nice picture!  Looks like a great place to ride.

[mswyka]

So the season is pretty close to the end here in New York.  I actually thought it had ended a few weeks ago and then we received a few healthy storms.  Yesterday I took the day off and drove into the snow to give the sleds some much needed exercise.

Temps were above freezing so the first one to come out was the 1979 Intruder.  After warming it up I pulled down the lake at 60+ through some deep, wet snow.  It was exhilarating until she started to lose power and would not maintain speed.  Power drop was so much that I was not sure that I would make it back to the barn.  On the packed trail she responded a little better, but just to be safe we put her away and pulled out the 1980 Invader which ran reliably for the remainder of the day.

Since it has been about 18 years since the last refresh, it is looking like the Intruder will need to come into the shop for a refresh when she gets back from camp.

[mswyka]

Years ago, many years ago, at the end of February I was lamenting to my uncle that the season was coming to an end.  He made a comment that I didn't really believe at the time, saying that we still had the month of March.  And remarkably we did and had a great snow season that year.  The snow falling outside my window takes me back to that year and my uncle's words.  This is shaping up to be a remarkable March.

[Interceptor398]

I heard our first Robin of the season yesterday and we just 2 days before got another 9 inches of snow.  This winter has been an old fashioned one where we run out of places to put it. All we can do is make the piles higher.

[mswyka]

Last Outing of the Season.  I would not have called this a particularly good snow year here in NY, but with snow hanging on to the end of March I guess I cannot really complain.  Had our last outing on Friday.  Sleds are now headed for a tune-up and then a long summer nap.

[Interceptor398]

We got 8 inches more snow last night.  This riding season has been better than most for my area.

[mswyka]

We got 8 inches more snow last night.  This riding season has been better than most for my area.

Wow, that is great to still be getting storms this late in the season.

[Interceptor398]

We got 8 inches more snow last night.  This riding season has been better than most for my area.

Wow, that is great to still be getting storms this late in the season.

Around here they say the Robins need to be snowed on 3 times before summer begins.  Our robins came back second week in March and they have been snowed on twice and those 2 times were not little storms.  Wind, rain and snow to the point you best stay off the roads.  1 more to go if the old wives tale holds true.

[mswyka]

Well, it wasn't a long run, but it was snow and the 1980 Invader performed as expected.  There is something amazing about cool air, crunchy snow, and the aroma of two stroke exhaust.

[Interceptor398]

Well done!  You can claim the first ride of the season.  We have 40 and no snow.

[mswyka]

Something makes me doubt that I was the very first.  But it was really cool to be out on decent snow that early in the season.  The last few years have been quite dismal in our part of New York.

[mswyka]

Unusual for us in recent years, over this past weekend we received a foot of snow here in southern, New York.  It was a bear to plow, but gave us an opportunity to get out and exercise the sleds.  The 78 Intruder ran without issue.  The 79 Intruder still has something that is keeping it from running the way a Kawasaki should.