I started snowmobiling last year and now want to get my girlfriend involved. I have a 2003 xc 700 and would like to stick with Polaris if I can. Can't afford new, trying to stay under $3000. I have two questions for you more experienced Polaris folks...

1) I have come across several different 550 super sports. All have been 1998 and newer. One I just found out about today is a 2000 year model and wants $2000 for it. Thought that was quite reasonable. Claims there is nothing wrong with it and is in good condition. Is there something I should know about these sleds? What do you think? I understand that I need to look at the track, skis, etc. I'm just wondering if there is something about a 550 super sport in general that people don't like because I have seen quite a few of them for sale at reasonable prices. Maybe it wouldn't be a good sled for a female to trail ride? I don't know.

2) My thinking is that a 500cc machine is probably ideal for her. She has ridden mine and likes the snappiness of it but doesn't care at all for the 100 + mph it does. I want to make sure the sled isn't too big for her to handle (size and power) yet needs to be big enough to keep up when we hit the wide trails and cruise at 60 mph. What are your opinions on minimum and maximum size sleds for a first time female rider, adult about 150 pounds...?

I think that the 500 might be the way to go. My wife has a 2003 500 edge x and she loves it. She also is a newer rider.
She had a 2001 600xcsp before the x and she wasn`t happy. In her opinion, the 600 was hard to start with the pull cord and the machine had more power then she felt comfortable with.
By the way, a buddy of mine has the 550 in his RMK, and he hasn`t had any problems in the three years that he has owned it.

Excellent. Thank you!

I've ridden a 550 supersport for a few rides. Its a decent sled, fan cooled so its light and can travel nicely around even 65-70, any higher and it bogs out. But it would be a good sled for her.

My cousin totalled his and drove it 100miles home! The thing was bent twisted everywhere and chaincase was leaking like a mofo. But she got home! So yeah a 550 or 500 would be ideal.

Ya, it's not that the 550 fan super sport is a bad sled and thats why it's cheap. It's cheap because it is a 550cc fan cooled engine and they are cheap if you buy them brand new from a dealer. It is a 550cc fan cooled so it won't be extremely fast but it will keep up if driven properly. If you were to buy a 500cc liquid cooled it would be a lot faster than the 550 fan cooled even though it has a smaller engine. I also have a 2000 xc 500 (Polaris of course. The only way to go.) totally stock and i radared it at 100.1 mph last year and i am hopefully radaring it again this saturday and hopefully will get a bit better. But we will see.

No kidding. See that's why I'm asking...I had no idea the fan cooled engines were that much slower than the liquid cooled ones. I just thought they were more of a problem in warmer temps.

100 miles on abent up sled? That must have sucked!

Thanks for the responses!

If you can find a 2001 or newer 550 Super Sport in your price range, I would get one, because they have the edge chassis. My wife is small and loves the handling of her 2001, and if you can find one with electric start and reverse, even better..

I agree, a supersport in an edge chassis would be the ticket. Plenty of snap, sharp looking, good ride. Heck, get another girlfriend and buy two.

The Super Sport is a great sled, and you're girlfriend should love it. However, there is another consideration. A lot of my friends have bought sleds for their girlfriends or wives with the idea of using them as "back-up" sleds in case something goes wrong with their own sleds. Usually a 100cc's less than what they ride, that way there's not too much loss in performance to what they are used to. Just a thought.

That's a good thought JT. Friends that visit may also borrow it, so I should keep that in mind.

Yeah I hear electric start and reverse are almost a necessity for females. I know that she can barely start my 700, about pulls her arm out of socket doing it.

I noticed there is a significant price jump from the 2000 to the 2001 super sport, maybe due to the edge chassis.

Bdaddy, I played that game before, one is enough. LOL!

Great sled for the wife, good ride, dependable, starts easy. You are looking in the right direction. You could even start to look for a 500 xc wich is another option for her.

I agree with the backup sled theory. In my case the wifes 600 sp backup is darn near as fast as my 800. I have no problem taking that sled out even if mine is working fine! The edge chassis is a way better to ride than the gen II.
Any of the liquids are plenty fast.