I've spent the winter recovering from an ACL reconstruction surgery from an injury sustained trail riding. With a 4 and 2 year old it has spelled the end for my trail riding days. The bike already sold quickly on craigslist.
I have a pop-up truck camper that gets me and the family out into the woods and we have a blast. But with the knee coming back so is the need for speed.
I've been eyeing the Polaris RZR side by side. It will get me most places the bike did but with a roll cage and a 5 point so the safety factor is much higher.
We explored the moon with a pop-up camper and a side by side so it should be good enough to explore the Sierra's.
Has anybody made the switch to the side by side?
Yeah... and that's the type of thing that still makes me want to hang up the helmet. I hit a tree and crushed my foot against the case a couple years ago. That took about a year to heal. I thought it never would, but finally the pain stopped. And then last November, I had a simple dump in the dirt, and twisted my thumb back, and I'm not sure what's wrong in there. Still hurts. But damn it's still fun.
If I sold the bike, I'd probably have to get back into trackdays with my car. I need some speed.
Has anybody made the switch to the side by side?
Actually, I did before I bought my truck. Our biggest car back then was a Focus wagon. We used it for our trips, towing a Seadoo, etc. But I wanted to get out with the family on trails. Thought about a SxS, but there are disadvantages:
First, SxS's are big, and actually aren't allowed on many ATV trail system. They also aren't technically allowed on the shoulder of roads like ATV's are in many rural areas here.
Second, I'd need a Rhino, and I'd need to convert it to a 4 seater. Then how do I move it? I'd need a bigger trailer, too much for our little wagon. All of a sudden I need a truck.
They're also expensive. $19,000 new. I figured... For $19k I can get a used Land Rover, and kill 2 birds with 1 stone, which is what I did!
The problem with selling the bike is also... I dunno. There aren't THAT many places you can go in the truck for a weekend. There are only so many trails. And half of them really aren't doable in a street legal truck. With a bike, you can go anywhere.