I am looking to get my first snowmobile for this season.
Any recommendations on what I should look for in a new snowmobile.
What about brands - which one should I be looking at Cat,Polaris or SkiDoo.
Thanks for your help ...

First off, welcome to SW! SWRules

Second, please tell us what type and style of riding you plan on doing and that will help us suggest a sled for you. :wink:

I am looking to do recreational riding on mountain trails in upstate NY.
As I said, I am a beginner - wont be doing anything too crazy in my first season.

Never underestimate the learning curve. Get something that you will be happy with for atleast 2 seasons. If you are going to do any hill/off trail riding you definetely want a longer track. A 136" track will be a minimum, as well as probably a 600 engine. All makes have there ups and downs to them so everyone is going to pitch there brand to you.

The RMK is a pretty good sled for what you are talking about and I know Renegade fits most pretty well.

Next what $ amount are you looking to spend?

SWRules

I think that a Polaris Trail RMK would be a good choice.
Octane

do u mean "brand new" or "new" as in first sled?
it makes a world of difference in what you want...brand new or good used :thumbsup:

Hey.. Welcome to the site.. Glad your here :)

As Matt said.. I think your going to need a 136" track.

How long has it been since your rode? or are you new to this altogether?? either way, you have picked a very fun sport to get into.

The Men on this site are great and will do all they can to answer all your questions, they are a good group here :D


SWRules

Welcome to the site!!! The options are endless so as has been stated you need to define what exactly your goals are, new, used, price range etc....

A little history on your motorsport experience, and size would help with the recommendations. Would you need room for 2 people or is it for you alone. Either way you may want to look at a Ski-doo GTX. Engine size would depend on answers from above

Originally posted by snow4mydooplz@Aug 4 2005, 10:48 PM
The Men on this site are great and will do all they can to answer all your questions, they are a good group here* :D
SWRules
426642


The women here are great too! Where better to get a woman's perspective, but from an experienced lady snowmobiler? :thumbsup:

Originally posted by spikegary@Aug 5 2005, 01:17 PM
The women here are great too!* Where better to get a woman's perspective, but from an experienced lady snowmobiler? :thumbsup:
426723


See what I mean?? Awwwww Thank You :blush:

wish there was more women snomobilers up my way :blush:

[quote]
as well as probably a 600 engine.


what size sled do you have Matt ?see when your as good of a rider as Matt you dont need a big(600 or better)motor. dont write off the 440 and 500 class sleds they are like little rockets .light ,fast and good on gas .jmho . Mark

IMO If this is your first sled in the past 15-20 years do not buy new. What if you decide it isn't for you, you would have spent alot of money on something you won't be able to get it back. New sled costs are rediculous, for what they are I often am amazed at the costs. In reality you can only ride MAYBE 4 months a year and if you get 8 trips in you are doing good. So my advice is, don't spend the money to buy new, buy cheap used and see if it is your cup of tea before you go and spend alot of money.
Wayne

Originally posted by karanvb@Aug 4 2005, 04:28 PM
I am looking to get my first snowmobile for this season.
Any recommendations on what I should look for in a new snowmobile.
What about brands - which one should I be looking at Cat,Polaris or SkiDoo.
Thanks for your help* ...
426627



Dont count out Yamaha from your sled choises.....they make as good as anyone. As far as brand....everyone makes good one, and so-so ones. I ride a 02 Skidoo MXZ 800 which I wouldnt recomend to anyone. The 02 800 engines were/are complete junk as far as factory calibrations went. They also eat gas something feirce.

Now im not recomending the 800 of any brand to a potential new rider either. I was only using my ride as an example of what can go wrong even with a big name company product.

At this point spend some time traveling to all dealers you can find within an hour drive. Spend some time talking with them. If you feel comfortable with any in particular then keep asking questions and listen to what they say. Finding a good dealer is like finding a pot of gold. I say this from knowing how many bad one are out there. At first your dealer is going to the guy or gal thats gonna be your best source of answers and direction....becides here... SWRules

So once you find a dealer or 2 that you feel comfortable with, nows the time to decide if your going new or used. Used will usually save you money, but how used is used or abused? Used is a crap shoot. With private sale used, your realy on your own. I have seen absolutely killer private sales that were an unbeleivable buy for the new purchaser. But I have also know people that got screwed bad on private sale deals too. With private sale theres generally no recourse if something goes wrong right away. And the way I look at it, a used item for sale is being sold for some reason......what is that reason? and can you beleive this strangers reason for selling? Now Im saying this from the point of veiw of a complete novice to snowmobiles. With experience you know what to look for in a used sled and what out of pocket expenses may come with the used sled purchase.

You may pay more buying a used sled from a dealer...but not always. If your dealer is sitting on a ton of new leftover sleds along with used sleds and a tractor trailer load of new ones coming any day, then deals may be had. This is a great time to start looking.

IF you go new, whether it is last year leftover or the newset toy going, then its still gonna come down to what dealer(s) you like the most.

Do you have friends that ride? If you do, then Im guessing you allready asking them what to do. Most will steer you in the direction of what they ride. Most of the inexperienced riders I know have bought what thier friends ride, again due to having some comfort of thier friends knowledge. Will one of these friends show you the ropes for a while till you get a feel for riding. Anyone thats idea of showing you the ropes is by taking out onto a trail and says "follow me and watch what I do" and then rips down the trail at 90 aint doing you any favors. Your gonna want someone to just putt with untill you feel like cranking it up on your own. Even the small sleds go fast when you pin the throttle. But slowing them down for sharp corners or a deer that walks onto the trail in front of you takes some experience to deal with also...so keep that in mind.

Size of sled to choose? Good question. Alot of that depends on you. I suppose that I would say to avoid the extremes. Dont go big, say 700cc's or more and dont get a 370 either. Anyone older than 12 will outgrow a 370 in a heartbeat. The 440 to 600 range is a good starting point fro anyone. This range is were you find the best milage and most reliable of all the sleds. Not that it should be avoided but within this range you generally dont do much to them maintenece wise. Just fill gas, oil and go. Bigger HP sled engines create alot of flex in the chassis, so giving them sleds a good going over becomes a weekly item if you putting on any miles.

Other things to concider whan you buy. Electric start and reverse are awful nice creature comforts to have. Skidoo and Polaris both use an electronic non mechanical reverse....just stop push the button and the engine stalls and restarts in reverse on its own. With AC and Yamaha, I beleive you still have to contend with mechanical reverse. All brands offer electric start on most of thier new models. Its nice to have. Alot will complain about the added weight, but imho its not noticable.

Snow gear is important. Dont run down to WallyWorld dept store and out fit yourself with that crap. Its cheap and you will get frostbite or die in severe cold. If you go with any of the Big4 brand..look to spend $750 to $1000 head to toe. Most sled shops also off a aftermarket brand like Choko that will keep you just as warm as the branded stuff for 1/2 the cost. They best addition to your gear choise will be an electric face mask for your helmet. This plugs into your sled via a teather cord. I personally will never ride without one.

Check out snowmobile clubs too. Good clubs can and will help you get a better start at this sport than doing it on your own. Like sled shops, clubs can vary in quality.

Originally posted by karanvb@Aug 4 2005, 04:28 PM
I am looking to get my first snowmobile for this season.
Any recommendations on what I should look for in a new snowmobile.
What about brands - which one should I be looking at Cat,Polaris or SkiDoo.
Thanks for your help* ...
426627


Believe it or not there are only two choices to make; either you will love it and become an instant snowmobile junky or you will hate it and never ride again.
Follow some simple steps and you will have the ability to experience the GREATEST winter motorsport there is:

Rent a sled of your choice from a reputable out fitter, the sleds are the current model year or no older then last years model, they will set up the suspension and handling to your wieght and style of riding.
Generally this will cost around $200.00 per day.

Plan your ride in a location that is noted for supurb grooming and trail conditions if you like touring or if "off trail' and "deep powder" is your liking. Mid week is best as it is less congested then weekends and safer for first time riders.

Having done the above, you can now make a true dicision as to your likes or dislikes, what type of sled appeals to you and the experience with that machine.(us snowmobile-a-holics here at SW know what your outcome will be)

In my experience and having ben through all of the technology advances that make up todays machines from 1969 to 2005, when introducing new people to the sport it is imperative to have the best possible conditions to ride so the experience is the best for first time riders.
On the other hand, there are so many variables that can pertain to a bad first experience; should you experience any misfortune on the "first time ride" you may dislike the sport without getting a chance to really experience it.
If you have a bad experiance the first time and you can't wait to do it again; then your a true "SLEDHEAD" and get ready to spend a TON of money.

It is the only way to develop a true opinion or standard.

Today our sport is so advanced that the opportunity exists to find out weather or not you enjoy the sport before you spend a ton of money and I mean a "TON".
There is:
The machine purchase
Snowmobile covers
The trailer and truck you need to get your machine to your destination
The protective gear, outerwear and first layer clothing
The maintenance and wear items each year
The insurance and multiple registration fees if you ride in more then one state or province
The club(s) membership dues
The cost of the snowmobile excursions-----------etc.

See what I mean, it can get very exspensive.

If you take the time to become an educated consumer in this sport, you will get the most for your dollar regardless of weather you buy used or new.

Finally ride with a group of experienced riders for your SAFETY, Trail etiquet and experience with riding in different types of conditions.

The reason I suggest this, is there are more fatalities of first time riders then with experienced riders; not to worry, just be aware.

Most new riders don't understand the endurance and physical energy required to ride and do not recognize when their body becomes tired. Thats when the machine has control of you and accidents are more likley to happen.

Happy trails--------CCP