BkBoatnSleds

Boggin' Out: Pol-Cat

2012-01-31T22:03:00.000-08:00

Tremor in Mchenry County, not really a Quake

2012-01-31T05:40:00.000-08:00

At about 10 pm Monday January 30th, 2012, many residents in Mchenry county and surrounding areas claimed to have felt a mini quake. Witnesses stated that windows rattled and china clinked as the rumble lasted for about 3 seconds. One resident claimed that it was enough to open the garage door on his home in Lakemoor, IL.

While there was record of a movement of plates in the area, the cause was not natural. After investigating, it was found that hundreds of unhappy Ditch Bangers fired up their snowmobiles at 9:56pm last night in disgust and frustration.

The lack of snow has caused a bottling of much anticipated riding energy. "I gave my sled one got blip of the throttle just to get that pressure out of my soul" said one snowmobiler. "It's been too long. 24 hrs of open trails locally was not right. Mother nature really stuck it to us this year, so I rev'd my sled in protest and retaliation."

While the mass 'rev' lasted but a few seconds, the result was heard and felt for miles away. It seems that the ditch bangers got their sucker punch in to mother nature. Now they wait to see what comes next.

Frisby lands it!

2012-01-29T20:04:00.000-08:00

Well the hype of Frisby attempting the first ever front flip came to a head Sunday night. It was eerily quiet as Heath Frisby executed the first ever snowmobile front flip in competition. Unlike powering through a backflip, Heath had to stop the track and blindly flip the sled forward. Like any trick, the landing is the hardest part. Heath kept it together and landed the front flip smoothly. With a front flip, he almost had to over rotate to make sure that the skis came down first. If he had under rotated, the track would have hit first and the front end would have been force to the ground hard. Frisby made it look effortless and awesome!

Congrats Frisby!

Health Frisby to break out the First Ever Sled Front Flip @ X Games

2012-01-29T14:42:00.000-08:00

Watch for Heath to bust out the first ever Snowmobile Front flip at the Winter X Games tonight on ESPN.

Snow Report: Day 22

2012-01-12T17:09:00.000-08:00

Snow Report: Day 21

2012-01-11T18:48:00.000-08:00

Snow Report: Day 20

2012-01-10T21:30:00.001-08:00

Snow Report: Day 19

2012-01-09T18:40:00.001-08:00

Snow Report: Day 18

2012-01-08T15:06:00.001-08:00

Something Special

2012-01-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

Snow Report: Day 17

2012-01-07T15:12:00.001-08:00

FM News 101.1 Interview

2012-01-07T09:44:00.000-08:00

Snow Report: Day 16

2012-01-06T16:19:00.001-08:00

Snow Report: Day 15

2012-01-05T20:07:00.001-08:00

Snow Report: Day 14

2012-01-04T14:01:00.001-08:00

Snow Report: Day 13

2012-01-03T14:48:00.001-08:00

Snow Report: Day 12

2012-01-02T17:33:00.001-08:00

Snow Report: Day 11

2012-01-01T11:27:00.001-08:00

Snow Report: Day 10

2011-12-31T14:01:00.001-08:00

Snow Report: Day 9

2011-12-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

Snow Report: Day 8

2011-12-29T20:30:00.001-08:00

Snow Report: Day 7

2011-12-28T08:59:00.001-08:00

Snow Report: Day 6

2011-12-28T06:27:00.001-08:00

Snow Report: Day 5

2011-12-26T16:51:00.000-08:00

Snow Report: Day 4

2011-12-25T07:08:00.001-08:00

Snow Report: Day 3

2011-12-24T10:57:00.001-08:00

Snow Report: Day 2

2011-12-24T06:06:00.000-08:00

BRP Sues Arctic Cat

2011-12-16T05:17:00.001-08:00

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.

BRP Vs. Arctic Cat

Arctic Cat Firecat Part Out

2011-12-13T04:51:00.000-08:00

Live Firecat Teardown Event

2011-12-09T06:22:00.000-08:00

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.

Firecat Teardown

2011-12-07T17:16:00.001-08:00

Firecat Teardown

December 9 th 10.30 am

LIVE right here!

Most BK Parts on a Snowmobile

2011-12-05T06:23:00.000-08:00

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.

Black Friday Track Sale

2011-11-22T06:47:00.001-08:00

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!

Sled Shipment

2011-11-15T20:23:00.000-08:00

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.

Dismantling a 2006 Polaris IQ Classic 700

2011-11-10T05:10:00.001-08:00

Need parts from this or any other sled?

Call us at 815-363-1254

Dismantling a 2006 Polaris IQ Classic 700

2011-11-10T05:10:00.000-08:00

Need parts from this or any other sled?

Call us at 815-363-1254

High Flyin Sleds

2011-11-06T05:31:00.000-08:00

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.

Redbull Fuel + Fury

2011-11-04T06:25:00.000-07:00

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

13th Annual Swap and Drag @ Golf Farm Recap

2011-10-24T05:53:00.001-07:00

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!

Golf Farm Swap and Drag

2011-10-20T04:59:00.001-07:00

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.

Garrett Goodwin Benefit

2011-10-17T17:05:00.001-07:00

Milwaukee Snow Show Recap

2011-10-17T05:21:00.000-07:00

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!

Milwaukee Snow Show

2011-10-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

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

Mchenry Snowmobile Swap Meet

2011-10-10T17:10:00.001-07:00

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

4 Guys, 4 Sleds

2011-10-06T07:15:00.001-07:00

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

2011-10-03T05:21:00.000-07:00

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!

18th Annual Belvidere Swap & Drag

2011-10-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

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!

Promo Video

2011-09-30T06:28:00.000-07:00

Special thanks to The Product for the music.

Need a Free Ticket?

2011-09-27T05:19:00.002-07:00

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!!

Ditch Banger BLING!

2011-09-07T17:55:00.001-07:00

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.

Ditch Banger Pep Talk

2011-09-01T20:49:00.000-07:00

Back to School Stickers!

2011-08-24T04:57:00.000-07:00

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!

The Suburban Sale

2011-08-21T05:08:00.000-07:00

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.

Planking

2011-07-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

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.

Green Street Cruise Night 6/13

2011-06-13T21:57:00.000-07:00

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!

Heartland Blood Drive

2011-05-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

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!

Zombie Apocalypse May 25 2011

2011-05-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-20T05:29:00.001-07:00

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.

GoPro HD Hero

2011-05-19T19:23:00.001-07:00

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?

Escape

2011-03-20T07:07:00.001-07:00

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.

Boat Show Promo

2011-02-17T08:44:00.001-08:00

See ya THERE!

Interesting Haul

2011-02-16T16:48:00.001-08:00

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
F ac ebook Page!

Epic Storm Calls for Epic HOURS!

2011-01-31T20:38:00.000-08:00

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.

How to Clean Power Valves on Your Snowmobile

2011-01-30T19:49:00.000-08:00

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.

Join us on Facebook for more tips and fun!

Cleaning Your Carbs

2011-01-30T12:47:00.001-08:00

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!

"The Ugliest Sled Ever" Walk Around Video

2011-01-26T16:57:00.000-08:00

The Ugliest Sled Ever

2011-01-25T19:48:00.000-08:00

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!!

Crappy Gift Return

2010-12-26T07:00:00.001-08:00

A DitchBanger Chirstmas Poem

2010-12-20T20:46:00.000-08:00

Telemarketers VS Cpt Mark

2010-12-16T14:56:00.000-08:00

Video 63

2010-12-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

Help us Help a Family in Need....

2010-12-03T18:12:00.000-08:00

Mike is on Vaca for 4 days....

2010-12-02T13:37:00.000-08:00

Loft 2.0

2010-11-21T19:53:00.001-08:00

Loft Build 2.0 happened last week. While one shop carried the business, the 2nd shop got a facelift. The BK team split and a few went to build the loft while the others continued answering phones, parting sleds, and shipping parts. Unlike the first loft, the shop did not stop for a week. The wood was delivered Tuesday and the floor was secured on Thursday. This thing is bigger, better, and ready to hold some serious parts!!

Check out the pics of the loft from a pile of boards to completion..

Open House

2010-11-13T06:54:00.001-08:00

Monday update Oct 25

2010-10-25T16:41:00.000-07:00

Got a lot of PACKING going on from the weekend....check it out!!

Weekly Update 10-18-10

2010-10-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

UPDATES ARE BACK!!

Text the word 'SLED' to 91011 or email the word 'LIST' to BkBoatnsleds@gmail.com to get on the Chopping Block list!!!

815-363-1254

Come Party with Us!!

2010-10-07T05:39:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Carving Contest

2010-10-01T20:21:00.001-07:00

PowerMadd Group Deal

2010-10-01T05:12:00.000-07:00

Join the list of folks that will be getting a 2" non pivot riser block. $25 shipped to your door! Paypal $25 with your address to BkBoatnSleds@gmail.com to get your hands on one of these!

2010-09-13T21:32:00.001-07:00

Free "Poor Man's Ipod"

2010-08-22T07:11:00.001-07:00

Join NOW!

Loading a Buick into a F250

2010-07-09T03:46:00.000-07:00

Well, we are always open to new ideas and new avenues.... and when a 1997 Buick Regal came across our plate for $600, we decided to take it. This isn't the first car that we have dealt with, but it was the first car that we have decided to part. Let me tell you, parting a car seems like a great idea on paper. Once you get into the process though, you realize quickly that there are a LOT of parts on a car!

Once we were done, we loaded it on a car hauler to take to the scrap yard. Right about that time, the local scrapper stopped in. We had told him the week before that he could take it, but he wanted it all cut up, so we decided to handle it ourselves. This time though, he saw how stripped out it was and told us, "If you can get it in my truck, I can give ya $50 for it." That seemed like a better deal than messing around all day taking it to the yard, so we took it.

If you liked this situation, then you may like the other antics that happen at the shop.... check out of Fan page on Facebook for play by play, contests, give aways and more!

How to Remove a Mercruiser Outdrive (Alpha).

2010-06-29T19:16:00.001-07:00

New-Used-Aftermarket-OEM Parts
Bk Boat n Sleds.com
815-363-1254

BK Cruiser Trailer Race Video

2010-06-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

Well the BK Cruiser finally hit the racetrack...literally! The BK team was all ready to make it to the original date but the weather was not cooperating. The race got post-poned to June 19th and we could not attend. That didn't stop the Cruiser from getting flopped around the track! Driver "Trailer Racin' Matt" ripped the cruiser around the track a couple times before getting hit head on in turn 4.

Matt told us that the boat was "too big" for the race coordinator's liking to he had to take a chainsaw to it and "perforate" it before it hit the track. Keep in mind this is a 26 foot hard top cabin cruiser on a tandem axle trailer.

Here is the video of the race we found on youtube. If you watch, the BK cruiser comes by the front of the track at :15 seconds and :44 seconds. You can see it again at the top right of the screen at :56 seconds. The race ends for Matt and the cruiser in turn four at 1:10.

Here is a picture of Matt's truck after the race.

We want to thank Matt for being a nut and racing through that mess. That is the biggest boat that we have gotten to Matt's hands, but it will never be the last!

To see more about the BK CRUISER, check out this earlier blog post.

Free Tool Loaner Program

2010-06-22T21:26:00.001-07:00

We are starting a new loaner program this summer. For our customers that like to "do it themselves", we would like to help you out even more. If you purchase the parts that you need from us, we will let you borrow any specialty tools that you need for the job. A lot of these tools cost hundreds of dollars and you rarely use them more than once. Let us buy the tools and you can use them when you need them. We just ask for a refundable deposit for the cost of the tool. It's that simple! So if you need to make some repairs on your boat, but you don't have the tool to do so...stop in and get the parts AND the tool that is needed.

FREE SHIRT!

2010-06-12T04:34:00.000-07:00

The new "I'm a Motorboater." shirts are in and YOU can win one FOR FREE!!
Become a fan of BK @ BkFanpage.com and write..."I'm a Motorboater." on the wall. 2 lucky fans will get their very own Motorboater shirt! Can it be any easier?!

Come join us and remember, it's always more fun to motorboat with a friend!

LIVE Boat 'Part Out' @ Port of Blarney's

2010-06-11T06:46:00.000-07:00

BK will be joining a list of other marine industry businesses at the Blarney's Boat Show Saturday June 12th at the Port of Blarneys. The list of vendors includes Ravewaves Boat Detail, Chicago Mastercraft, Road Rage Designs, Fun on The Fox.com, Racing Extreme.com, Worldwind Motorsports, Bottoms Up and SO MANY MORE!!

There will be so many cool boats there that we needed something other than stickers and cards to stand out in the crowd. We put some thought into it and came up with.....

LIVE 'Part Out'

This 1982, 19 foot Bayliner will be parted out LIVE at the show from 10-3 tomorrow. There is always a desire to have the nicest, cleanest, sharpest looking boat on the chain and tomorrow you will see most of those boats.

Mark my words, Bk Boat n Sleds.com will have the ugliest boat at the show! And we are proud of that? DAMN STRAIGHT!

You won't want to miss watching Mike and Doug from BK taking impacts, crowbars, and their bare hands to this old skool boat. Make it a point to find them and say 'hi'. While your sipping your beer and watching a boat come apart in the parking lot, sign the hull so we know who to thank at the end of the day!

And don't forget, although we are known in the area for our used parts, we also specialize in new aftermarket and OEM parts as well.

See ya at the show!

Addicted to Facebook

2010-06-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

One of our owners, Doug Hein, got called out on his Facebook use. It has happened in the past, but this challenge was very specific; "stay off Facebook for 48hrs, and you win a lunch" was the challenge set in place by Drew Ferraro. Something in that statement, probably the 'free lunch', got to Doug deep enough, that he excepted. Now, to get an idea of how much Facebooking Doug does, consider this.... he keeps his personal page, the BK fan page, the 'I Bang Ditches' page, Doug's Couch, and about 6 other fan pages rolling all day/every day.... and he keeps it all updated on the go too via Blackberry apps and email.... I am exhausted just explaining it. It has also been stated by a few of his Facebook friends that he has been 'hidden' on thier status feeds because he was monopolizing thier feeds.... thats a problem.

So Doug accepted and COMPLETED the challenge... but there was some loop holes that he had used in the process. The BK youtube account is attached to the other owner's, Mike Missak, Facebook page. Doug was able to get some videos up to his Facebook community via this connection, and took over Missak's page in the process.

Here are the videos from a Facebook addict detoxing from the social networking site.....

So there you have it. Doug has been unleashed BACK into the Facebook community. Expect a lot of posts in the next 24 hours to make up for his lost time. I am sure there will be some give aways on the BK fan page too..... Thanks for checking out the blog and if you or anyone you know is addicted to Facebook tell them they are not alone, BK has one too....

Hit Close To Home...

2010-05-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Last year, many of you remember the 1971 Apollo Hardtop that we had out on the Chain of Lakes. It was a very unique boat that got some serious attention. We pulled it out of Inland Harbor and got her back into running condition. We even called in the experts to have it detailed..

This was a very special boat for us. This was our first cruiser. The boat we had before it was a 24 foot pontoon, so this was a very nice step up the ladder. While we were moving up the ladder, we decided to become part of a real marina too. We slipped this beauty at Rustic Harbor where she was surrounded by friends. That was about the time she got her full decal kit too!

We had some great times on this ol' girl. You could find her out in the cove strung together with a bunch of other boats almost every weekend. Her hardtop was perfect for cannon balls, backflips, and sunbathing. She was a little weak in the motor department, so she rarely went full bore. She was usually the last to arrive.

We even made her the home office one day.

Well every good boat ride needs to end at some point. The time has come for this ol' girl to go out in style. Many boats decay in the back of Marinas, some sink at sea, and some are dropped into the landfill. This vessel will go for one more wild ride....

TRAILER RACING!!
Saturday June 5th
Rockford Speedway
7.00 pm

The BK Hardtop will be dragged around the track and smashed to bits in one of the wildest races you will ever see. If you have never seen a trailer race, it is a demolition derby race where all trucks have a trailer. The last one around the track WITH something still attached to his trailer ball, WINS!

Come on out and honor a legend!
See ya there!!

Safety First

2010-05-29T23:02:00.000-07:00

While cruising the forums this week, I have seen a lot of posts about safety. With the Memorial Day weekend on us, a lot of us will be playing with the toys! Life is short and you never know when the Reaper will tap you on the shoulder and wisk you away. It takes only a few seconds and some common sense to stay a couple steps ahead of that hooded freak.

If your headed out on the water, make sure ya have a life vest. You may be the best swimmer in the world, but if you are skipping across the water at anything over 15 mph, you may need a second to catch your breath when you stop. When out on the crowded lakes, I like to think all the other people out there are Idiots. That way you are always looking to see what they are doing. Give everyone their space and that will allow you more reaction time when some "idiot" changes course. That being said, most accidents on the water involve 2 vessels. In this example, it takes 2 idiots to cause a problem.... don't be the second idiot. Know what you are doing out there and most importantly, watch what the other people are doing. That should keep you out of trouble.

If you are looking to stay on land and play in the dirt or street....wear a helmet. I know we have heard it all before and many of you are rolling your eyes right now. Helmets save. There really isn't much to argue about on that point. It is a choice to wear a helmet and many riders don't like the feel of them. I don't care if ya wear one or not... but I am sure your family will care if you are hurt without one. It doesn't matter if you are screaming down the freeway in a fourth gear pinned wheelie, or jumping the dunes with some buds....your head doesn't like hitting hard shit. Just wear the damn helmet.

We want ya safe because the more ya ride, the more ya break your toys.... Ride safe.

Open House 4-25-10

2010-04-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

It is time for another BK open house!

Sunday April 25th, we will be welcoming all of our customers to the shop with special deals, free burgers, raffles and more! We would love for you and your friends to come on out and hang at the shop for the day. We will be talking power sports, giving away prizes and much more.

We had a successful winter open house and had quite a few people asking about swapper booths again. So, we will be offering FREE spaces to sell your used parts and machines. At the winter house, we had folks that had sold trailers, spare parts, and gear! It was successful for everyone. So if you would like to bring some things to sell to the public, feel free to do so!

We will also have motorcycle parking available. So if you are out riding around, stop in with your riding buds and grab a burger and say hello.

Whats a Junk Boat?

2010-04-09T04:19:00.000-07:00

We at Bk Boat n Sleds.com would like to inform everyone what a 'junk boat' looks like. We know that in any given neighborhood, there are probably 1-5 junk boats. These boats are typically in the backyard or side yard of older homes. Once in a while there will be one in a garage. This is usually the case in newer neighborhoods, or if the owner was thinking it was a project.

Junk boats typically do not have titles with them. If anything, there may be a trailer title, but rarely a boat title. This is because the boat was a relative's that passed, a friend that gave it away, or the boat has been in the yard so long, the title has been misplaced.

Please enjoy this informational video to see what a real junk boat looks like. If you have one that matches most or all of this criteria, get rid of the boat.....it's junk.

Please share this with your friends, so THEY know what to look for also.

Best of the Fox Awards

2010-04-08T07:02:00.000-07:00

"Head right to the voting"

It is that time of year again... It is time to vote for the best businesses in the area. There are a TON of categories to select from. It only takes a few minutes and, if you are in the Chain o Lakes area, you have some favorites!!

Here is how it works. Go through the list and when you come across a category that you have a favorite for, type that business' name in the input box. You need to complete 10 categories in order to submit the ballot. You can enter a ballot once a day!

There are a LOT of great businesses in the area and what better way to support your favorites, then by nominating them for Fox's BEST!

Bk Boat n Sleds would fit under the "Recreational Vehicles/ RVs / ATVs" section!

Free FLY Racing Helmet!!

2010-04-07T20:20:00.001-07:00

Bk Boat n Sleds.com is giving away a BRAND NEW 2010 FLY Racing Motocross helmet. This is the Kinetic model and it retails for $100! One of our lucky Facebook Fans will walk away with the size and color of his choice......for FREE!!

If you are on Facebook, post "I'm FLY" on the BK Fan page (www.BKFanPage.com) and your ENTERED!

Please share with your friends and post this offer on your page!

Launching a Fishing Boat....INTO the Shop!

2010-04-06T22:44:00.000-07:00

We had a customer call us this am for a trailer. He had the axle of his fall out and he was in dire need of one asap. We told him we had one in Barrington (30 minutes from shop) or we had one at the shop that was a little cheaper. After thinking about it and weighing his options for a few hours, he called back. He was coming for the trailer we had at the shop. GREAT! There was only one issue...there was an 18' Bass Tracker Nitro on it at the moment.

Now before anyone cringes and starts to shed a tear, this was an abandoned boat that does not have a title. It is a parts boat. We pulled the boat off the trailer and it fell right to the pavement of the parking lot. We can't keep anything outside overnight, so we used the forklift to slide the boat into the shop for the night.

This is the first time that a boat came into the shop...NOT on a trailer!

Thanks for reading and please tell your friends to check out our antics!

You can join us for LIVE updates of crazy things like this at www.BkFanPage.com.
Fans also get special discounts and offers!

Gmax Motorcycle Helmet BLOW OUT!

2010-04-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

GMAX (GM48) Full Face Helmets
$59.99 while they last!

We just got the green light on blowing out some GMAX full face motorcycle helmets. These are last years' designs, but they are still slick! There are 2 designs and a few colors to choose from. All sizes are available. Here is Gmax's sizing chart.

Features

• Lightweight DOT approved Thermo-Plastic Poly Alloy shell
• New high-tech shell designed for maximum venting and comfort
• GMAX D.E.V.S adjustable Dual Exhaust Venting System allows control of air flow through two side vents, three top vents and two rear vents as well
• Coolmax™ interior and cheek pads move the moisture away from your body and the fabric dries quickly. The added performance keeps you dry and comfortable
• Removable adjustable cheek pads and comfort liner allows custom fitting for increased comfort
• Padded chin strap
• Large eyeport for improved range of vision
• Painted shell with high-tech water decals and high quality clear coat finish
• Built-in speaker pockets
• Screwless, easy shield removal

We can barely keep these in stock at this price, so there may be a wait on getting them in. Give us a call, pre-order one, and secure one of these awesome helmets.

Call us today!

815-363-1254

Monday / Tuesday Update for week of 3/29/10

2010-03-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

Outboard Inventory

2010-03-25T21:09:00.001-07:00

We landed a heck of a deal this past week. One of the local marinas was looking to liquidate some of their outboard inventory and gave us a call. We scoped it out, settled on a price, then realized it was a LOT of stuff! We took one trip with a pick up and enclosed trailer and didn't even make a dent. The next day we arrived with a 26 foot box truck with a lift gate. We did NOT mess around.

It took about an hour and a half to load the truck. Luckily, the marina owner had a tractor so we didn't have to carry the motors too far.

The loaded 26 footer was a sight to see. It ended up being a lot of out board motors. They were spread out at the marina, so you really could not grasp how many there were. Once we got them in the truck, it really started to become a reality.

It worked out to be 50 outboards of all makes...Suzuki, Johnson, Evinrude, and Mercury. There was a mess of miscellaneous parts too. We picked up sets of controls, lower units, 6 outdrives, 3 I/O motors, shrouds, and so much more.

Now it is time to SELL this inventory. If you or anyone you know needs outboard parts, we certainly may have what you are looking for.

Special Visitor @ The Shop

2010-03-20T13:36:00.001-07:00

We had this gem of a boat come in last week. There really wasn't anything out of the ordinary about it for us. It was an abandoned boat at a local marina. The paperwork had been cleared and the boat was towed to our shop to be stripped. We took the cover off of it and the inside was trashed... The seats were tore up, the side panels were chewed out and there was animal feces in the boat. The boat was pretty bad, but it was still nothing unusual for us.

We kept the boat in the main shop for the night and started fresh on it in the morning. We had two guys on dismantling the boat and 2 guys running the eBay side of the day. We had joked about something living in the boat and pointed out fresh feces... still not thinking anything was odd about it. We took a break from the boat and one of our guys headed upstairs to put some parts away. As he was putting a trailing arm into the top shelf, he was HISSED at. It didn't sink in until this image came into focus.....

That was it for him! He came hustling down the stairs speaking pretty calmly for what had happened. He said, "Uh guys, we have a little issue upstairs you may want to come see." Mike and I could not possibly imagine what kind of issue there could be UPSTAIRS. Of all places in the shop, upstairs would be the LAST place we could have an issue. "We have a raccoon" was the next thing he said. I still did not believe him.

He was serious all right, and it was a HUGE raccoon at that. We had never had this issue at the shop so we had NO experience in this situation. We called the Lakemoor Police and got a number for a wildlife catcher, but did not have to make that call. With the help of Northwest Performance's Ian and North Shore Designs' Eric, we were able to convince the raccoon to leave out the bay door of the main shop... that's not the end of the story.

The raccoon leaves the shop and hangs a sharp left turn and runs down the side of the building... and right into the open bay door of shop #2. After about 20 minutes of chasing him around the sleds and bikes in that shop, we were able to get him back outside. This time he ran through the parking lot and chose a tree on the grassy berm.

This was the FIRST time we had a visitor like this at the shop. We shared the whole experience as it unraveled with our Facebook friends and got a lot of suggestions. We also have been told that we have a new mascot. Our customers know us so well. When something like this happens, we embrace it. So, we have changed the name of Bk Boat n Sleds to....

And I would also like to introduce to you "Boss Hoss" the BK Raccoon.

Boss Hoss says,
"Thanks for Reading and Don't Forget to Share on Twitter and Facebook"