Friday, December 16, 2011

BRP Sues Arctic Cat

Say you were BRP (Skidoo) and in 2003 you revolutionize the look and feel of the snowmobile. Either you are going to stand alone with your new design or you are going to be held as an example and the other 3 major sled manufacturers are going to follow. Well follow they did. And Arctic cat got a little too close to some patents.

Here is an article from the Montreal Gazette explaining the suit and the issues at hand.



Friday, December 9, 2011

Live Firecat Teardown Event



If you do not see the embedded player, you can watch it by clicking here.

The camera will be live at about 10.15 am!

Need parts from any of these sleds? Call us at 815-363-1254. Also cruise our online store while you are here.

New-Used-Aftermarket-OEM Parts for All Makes and Models.


Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Monday, December 5, 2011

Most BK Parts on a Snowmobile

Rarely do we get to see our parts again after they leave the shop. Where do they go? What's their new life like? What did they get attached to? Well Ken showed us where all the Arctic Cat parts he has been buying went.

Ken, of Ken's Auto and Truck Repair, is a frequent face to see at the shop. Obviously, he is an Arctic Cat guy and is always the first to call when a new Cat shows up at the shop. This is one of his custom sleeper sleds.

The body and chassis is a 2001 z440. Now, the z440's came with a stock 2 cylinder motor. As many of you know, the motor and exhaust are all designed to fit in a certain chassis. What makes this sled a sleeper?

If you heard this sled fire up, you would know that you were in for a ride. That is a 1998 ZRT 800 triple motor with triple pipe exhaust. If you follow the pipes to the can, you will notice that there is a Skidoo Mach z 780 performance can. There is no other sled out there that sounds like this beast.

Ok, so just how many parts on this sled were purchased from Bk Boat n Sleds? 20...50....how about ALL of them! We strip em down and Ken rebuilt. This sled was created with 100% Bk parts. That makes this the sled with the most BK parts in the world.

If your looking for some sled work, auto or truck repair, or any other service for ANY powersport, check out Ken's Auto and Truck Repair.


Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Black Friday Track Sale

Don't miss out on some great DEALS on tracks this coming Friday. Limited Quantities, so act fast. You will be able to buy online, over the phone, or at the shop.

Don't miss out!


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Sled Shipment


We had a 'first' happen at the shop Tuesday. A customer shipped us a sled. We received a call from a guy with a 1994 skidoo that he was looking to sell. He was about 3 hours from us, but was willing to ship. We worked out a deal and here we are unloading the first sled to be shipped to us. I think the flood gates have opened.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

High Flyin Sleds

Sounds like the Red Bull Fuel + Fury at Wrigley Field was a blast! Big air, big names, and a great crowd. If you missed it, here a quick video of one of the stunts.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Redbull Fuel + Fury

Extreme freestyle snowmobiling comes to the heart of the Chicago this weekend. Redbull's Fuel + Fury will be pumping some adrenaline into the North side with some of the best freestyle riders in the country. The craziness starts at 5pm Saturday, but expect it be pretty wild down there long before that.

Wrigley Field will never be the same!
BRAAAAAAAP

Monday, October 24, 2011

13th Annual Swap and Drag @ Golf Farm Recap

The Golf Farm and Winter Thunder Challenge held a snowmobile swap meet and grass drag event at the Golf Farm this past Saturday. While it was marked as the 13th annual, this was their first year in organizing and overseeing the event. As usual, there were some hiccups, but all in all it was a great day and a great event!

We took up camp in the swap area and right away heard some buzz about the way it was being set up. It was not the most ideal layout for our booth, but between the neighbors, we got it figured out. The sun was shining and the temps were up, so there was no complaining about it.

Once people started flowing in, parts started selling. There were a ton of folks walking around with parts, so everyone seemed to be making some money. We met some new folks, but really caught up with the usual suspects. It was a great event and well worth attending.

If you missed this swap and drag, there are still a few more coming in the area. You have Union Grove on the 29th and Mchenry on the 30th. Mchenry will just be a swap. See ya there!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Golf Farm Swap and Drag

This weekend is the Swap and Drag at the Golf Farm on rt 12! We will be out there with the 24 foot trailer FILLED with parts from all makes and models sleds. It is going to be a blast! This is the first of our local shows, so come on out and see if we have the parts you need. We will also be selling "I Bang Ditches" shirts. As always, stickers are free, so let the world see your true colors.

We will also have the new FLY Racing bibs out there so you can see the quality and low price on them. If you are in need of some ditch banger riding gear, this is a great bang for your buck.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Garrett Goodwin Benefit

Milwaukee Snow Show Recap

Most of the BK team made it out the the Milwaukee Snow Show this past weekend. This year we really tried to make a presence at the show. We had the booth inside the show and we also added a HUGE swap booth outside! With 3 of us at the show, we were all over the place jumping between the booths. It was a great time!

We got to meet a lot of new friends and catch up with a ton of old ones. A lot of cards and even MORE stickers went out also. Our swap prices were reasonable and we gave a lot of guys some great deals on parts.

The ditch bangers were not ignored at this show. Hundreds of stickers got passed out, over 60 shirts were sold and a ton of people stopped to tell us that they bang ditches. BANG BANG, hitting those ditches!

We love hearing your stories and most importantly, why you need parts. There is always a fun story behind every broken part. While the weather wasn't "snowmobile weather", it was great weather for a swap. There was a huge array of vendors out there and some good deals all over.

With all the running around between booths and the long hours, we were beat. We were not the only ones tired though, this little Ditch Banger could at least sleep at the show!

We would also like to thank the Waukeeshaw County Snowmobile Association for running the swap and dealing with the fairgrounds so sledders can get great parts for less!


Friday, October 14, 2011

Milwaukee Snow Show

The Milwaukee Snow Show is starting tonight and running through Sunday. If you are in need of new gear, info on cabins, accessories, or anything else that has to do with snowmobiles, you HAVE to go to the snow show. We will have a 24 foot trailer outside filled with parts from the shop. Stop by and say hello or grab a great deal on a used part for your sled. We will also be INSIDE with info and "I Bang Ditches." shirts! Here are the details for the weekend.

Snow Show Hours
$9 to get in. 12 and under are free.
Friday 5pm-10pm
Saturday 10am-8pm
Sunday 10am-4pm


Swap Hours
Free Entry
Saturday and Sunday, 7am-4pm




Monday, October 10, 2011

Mchenry Snowmobile Swap Meet


There has been a buzz that there is going to be a snowmobile swap meet in Mchenry this year. I have searched and searched for any info on location and date for this event and came up with nothing......until this past weekend. There IS going to be a swap meet in Mchenry and we have the Mchenry County Snowmobile Association to thank for it. Here are the details.

Location: 2058 N Rt 31 (Hallmark Parking lot)
Date: Sunday October 30th
Swap Fees: $20 for tow vehicle with trailer
$10 for a car space (bring your own trailer)

Contact Sue Giese if you have more questions..... suzygiese8484@att.net


Monday, October 3, 2011

Tri County Trail Alliance Swap and Drag (Pecatonica, IL)

The next swap and drag is going to be out in Pecatonica, IL on October 9th. We will be bringing parts to sell this time! Sorry if we disappointed anyone at Belvidere last weekend. We will be bringing parts to the rest of the swaps so you can get some great deals!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

18th Annual Belvidere Swap & Drag

The largest, and arguably the FIRST of the season, swap and drag in the area is coming up tomorrow! Round up the miscellaneous parts in the garage or trailer up that spare sled and roll out to Boone County Fairgrounds. There are always some great deals out there too. If that isn't enough for you, there is the smell of two stroke and whining sled motors that will make your day.
Click on the image below to see the larger version of the flyer.

Stop by the Bk Boat n Sleds booth and say hello!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Need a Free Ticket?

Need a FREE ticket to the Milwaukee Snow Show? Show us why you deserve one! Post on the JohnDee.com thread or on our Facebook wall. Video, pictures, and stories are all accepted. The better the reason, the better chance you have of winning! The show is coming quick so post them up this week!!


Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Ditch Banger BLING!


We are getting excited about sled season... maybe TOO excited! Well, I don't think that can happen, but it is getting wild over here. We wanted to show how dedicated we are to the Ditch Bangers out there, so we had Sign Appeal make us the one and only Ditch Banger Bling!

You will be seeing a lot of this Bling-0 this season....since we have had it, Doug hasn't taken it off. Watch for it at the swap meets and Milwaukee Snow Show and feel free to ask to get a pic wearing it. Show your Ditch Banger pride and make your buddies jealous.


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Back to School Stickers!


What better way to get ready for sled season than some Ditch Banger stickers! Add them to your folders, notebooks, locker, ect!

You can get some of these stickers by stopping by the shop at
27992 rt 120
unit 27
Lakemoor, IL 60051

Or mail us a self addressed envelope and we will fire some off to ya!



Sunday, August 21, 2011

The Suburban Sale


When a deal begins, you never know how it will end. There are times when the deal goes "text book" and it opens and closes as it should. No story, no issues, just paid delivered and over. This was not one of those deals. This will be remember for ever as...."The Suburban Sale".

The Suburban was Mike's. He placed it on Craigslist and, surprisingly quick, a guy from Missouri called on it. After contact back and forth, the guy had a local acquaintance come check out the truck. It was more of a check to see if everything was legit on our side of the deal. The guy sent a check to "hold" the truck and a copy of his 'non refundable' Amtrak tickets. He was coming for this truck.

It worked out to be a Saturday that he was going to arrive and Mike had some out of town plans that had already been in place. I, Doug, stepped up to help with the delivery of the truck. I was to pick up the guy AND his family at the Crystal Lake train station, take payment, and wish them a safe trip home. Worst case, it would be about 45 minutes.

Well, I got a call at about 5.45pm saying that they had missed the train to Crystal Lake and it was 2 hours before the next one. The Missouri folks were in a cab making the trip to Crystal Lake and if I could meet them closer to the city, that would really help and save them some cab fare. I had nothing going on so I agreed to meet them at the Oasis near the airport.

About an hour later, I met them at the Oasis. It was the guy, his wife, and 3 kids. Somehow, on my trip in, my phone got lost in the truck. I don't know how, it was me, 4 pieces of paper, and a phone....and now the phones gone. The first words we exchanged were "can you call my phone". I should have known that this was going to be memorable from that point. We loaded up and headed back to my place for the rest of the deal.

Once we got back, we started counting hundreds and found that it was running thin. He was $700 short. The look on his face was of shock and fear. He had pulled extra money for the trip and he figured there was about $900 missing. He called a neighbor to check the counter at his house, but nothing was there. It is now about 9 pm and we need $700 to close this deal. We were about to take a trip to an ATM to pull the max ($400) when Mike called. He was back in town and passing the shop. He could stop, have the guy call in his credit card number and be done. But he didn't have his key to the shop.

So it was BACK into the Suburban for the half hour trip to the shop. We joked about the missing money and the guy was half freaking out, half calm about the missing money. They were making a weekend out of it so they would not know if that money was in his truck at home till Tuesday. There was nothing they could do about it now. They were pretty laid back about the issue.

Finally, we made it to the shop, ran the card, and sealed the deal. After spending about 4 hours with these folks, I felt that I was part of the family. I had just jumped in the car with strangers and hung out with them for hours. On the ride back to my place, Mike and I talked about the whole ordeal and agreed that this was one that will be remember for a loooong time.




Monday, July 18, 2011

Planking

We had a discussion in the shop today about the new fad, "Planking". We didn't understand the hype and why people were doing it at all. Was it because everyone was so exhausted from Parkoring around town? Was the youth of today just getting that lazy? What's the deal?

The only way we could see what the deal was, was to try it ourselves. Here is the result.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Green Street Cruise Night 6/13

Monday night, we were out at the Green Street Cruise Night for the first time this season. We will be out at the event every Monday night for the rest of the season. If you are into motors and cars, this is the place to be! There are acres of cars from 3 window coupes to brand new Camaros.
The cruise night is located off of Green Street, just south of rt 120 in Mchenry. Starting at 5 pm, cars from every decade start rolling into the parking lots and soon the place is swarming with spectators gawking at the show cars.

Whether you're a Ford, Chevy, Dodge, or "other" guy, there is something to look at at the cruise night. Doc Brown's DeLorean was even parked in the lot. While there was not enough room for it to hit 88 mph, it did have the flux capacitor and steaming jets.

Come on out, say hi, and check out the GoPro cameras we will have on display all season. You never know what you will see out at this event. We will be happy to chat with you and check out your ride!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Heartland Blood Drive

The first BK Blood Drive was a great success this past week. We had 26 people come out and 23 of them were able to make donations. Heartland Blood Centers brought out the big bus and there was still a little bit of a back up. Thanks to everyone that came out to donate. We will be doing this again sometime, so we will keep you posted!


Friday, May 20, 2011

Zombie Apocalypse May 25 2011

With the Apocalypse coming in less than 24 hours, we though we better make some deals happen. We thought maybe we should run some last minute deals before the end of the world as we know it, but then we thought people are not going to spend their last hours at the shop. We also thought maybe we could have a party tomorrow, but then if the Zombies showed up...that may be a downer. So we decided that we would make an offer to everyone that is still with us and NOT a Zombie next week.

So......


Yep that's right, if you are able to get into the shop next week, you can take advantage of this great deal. Just imagine how easy the commute will be, the lakes shouldn't be very crowded either. You won't have to worry about going into work, so you have plenty of time to make it out to the shop also. We will be there and waiting. The door will be locked (we don't want Zombies just strolling into the place) so once you get there, Scream "I am not a Zombie" and we will let you in.

We should have GoPro's in stock next week too if you want to get some killer HD footage of your adventure back home. It should be a good time.

815-363-1254

Minn Kota Trolling Motors


Minn Kota may be the number one name in trolling motors. If you are into fishing, you know that a trolling motor is a must have out on the lakes and rivers. We carry all of the Minn Kota motors and accessories. If your fishing in Northern Illinois, you need the Minn Kota name hanging on the front of your boat.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

GoPro HD Hero

If you have not heard of the new GoPro Hero HD, you are in for a real treat. This is a small helmet camera that mounts EVERYWHERE you can imagine. The GoPro has quickly become the hottest selling helmet camera in extreme sports. And it isn't just for adrenaline junkies, more and more videos and pictures are popping up from people using this camera in their everyday lives. This little camera captures life, not just a representation of it.



You can capture video and stills with this camera. It records on a standard SD card and no special software is required to edit or share the results.

Whatever sport you are into, there is a mount for the GoPro that will allow you to considerate on the adrenaline and not the shot. If it happens in front of the GoPro, the GoPro catches it.


For More information on the GoPro, please call Bk Boat n Sleds at 815-363-1254 and talk to one of our GoPro experts. They use the camera everyday and will be able to tell you everything you want to know about it.

Ready to Order?

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Escape

Long hours at work, no work, bills, kids, repairs, gas prices, income, and other factors in our lives drive us to needing an escape. We all need to get out and forget about the issues that drag us down in life. For many of us, powersports are that escape.

Whether you are into riding on the dirt, snow, water, sand, or street, you know that feeling of freedom. The wind blowing away all of your stress; the sound of the motor clearing your mind.

We share in the love of that feeling and know how important it is to have in life. Your life becomes less about the stress and more about getting back to that freedom of the trail. We want to help you in your quest to escape. To be free from life and to have fun.

Bk Boat n Sleds is about helping you escape.


Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Interesting Haul

There is always odd things happening at the shop and today's event happened shortly after lunch. We had been working on an old SRV trade and got the call that it was coming in today. When the guy got there, we headed out to the parking lot to see the sled. After a quick scan of the lot for a truck or trailer.....we started becoming confused. Then he popped the hatch on his MINI VAN! That's right. Mini Van. Now I have seen a lot of things. I have had sleds in full size vans, watched a sled get loaded into a Suburban, loaded them in all types of trailers, but I have NEVER seen a sled in a mini van. It gets better. This mini van not only had space for a mid 80's SRV; it had room for the whole family! Mom and Dad in the front seats and the booster in the back. This is a van that will hold the family AND your toys!


If you have seen a sled being hauled in an odd way, tell us about it on our
Facebook Page!


Monday, January 31, 2011

Epic Storm Calls for Epic HOURS!

So the weathermen are calling for one of the largest storms EVER in the midwest. We decided that we needed to pull out all the stops for this one.....so, we will have a guy at the shop for the ENTIRE storm! That's right, we are getting snowed in at the shop so you can stay out on the trails.

We will be open all day Tuesday, all through the night and then all day Wednesday!
Just because you wrecked it early, doesn't mean you are out for the season!
815-363-1254

Also follow us on Facebook to see any updates through out the night.


Sunday, January 30, 2011

How to Clean Power Valves on Your Snowmobile

Here is another helpful video from Mike. This one is making sure your power valves are clean and ready to run! If you are unsure or uneasy about looking at your exhaust valves, hopefully this video will ease your mind.

Cleaning Your Carbs

Are you confused and nervous about messing with your carbs? No worries, it is not as scary as you think! Check out Mike's helpful video on how to clean your carbs. He will take you through each step from removing the carbs to making sure everything goes back together the same way it came apart.



If you need parts for your sled,
Check us out!



Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The Ugliest Sled Ever

Team Monster's Original Race Sled? Shreks Sled? The Bastard Child of a Polaris and Arctic Cat? Call it what you will, but I think we can all agree that this may be the UGLIEST sled ever. How does one obtain the ugliest sled ever? All it took was a phone call......

The phone rang at the BK shop and it was answered just like any other call. The kid said that he had a sled to sell and described it a little. He was looking to get rid of it for $200-$250.... it was a sled that was at the farm and just wasn't ridden much any more. We needed more information than that so Mike asked the kid...."is there any rips in the seat? Cracks in the hood?"... the response was, "no... the seat is in good shape and there are no cracks in the hood. It is a decent older sled." Now, when someone describes a 1986 Polaris 500 over the phone to you, you get a certain image in your head. Those were maroon or gray in color and pretty bland looking.

Flash to about 2 hours later. A kid walks into the shop and mentions he brought in the sled that we had spoken about over the phone earlier. Mike was busy, so I (Doug), headed outside to see the sled. I came out of the door and saw this in his truck. I looked the kid right in the eye and said..."What the %$@# is that?" I gave it the once over and told him I would give him the $200. Between the chain case, running motor and the track I would be ok. The rest could go in the dumpster.

I wanted to film Mikes reaction to it, but he didn't give me enough time to get the camera. He peeked out the window and said, "What the hell, I thought he had a polaris." I told him it was a polaris and he disagreed. I assured him it was.

The moral of the story is if you are buying something, make sure you ask the right questions. Technically, I the hood has no cracks and the seat is not ripped. And technically, we did not ask if it had been Slimed on a Nickelodeon show. And if you are selling something....you MAY want to mention that you and your buddies unloaded a can of lime green spray paint on your Grandpa's sled. Just Sayin.

Save "The Ugliest Sled Ever" from the BK Chopping Block!! Click Here to 'Like' it!!