Hey Guys,
How would a 2001 Z 370 be as an adult (but relatively inexperienced) trail sled? I'm looking for a reliable sled for myself or occasionally my wife. I don't need a lot of speed, but would a 370 have enough power for a 6'1" 215 lb rider like myself? Should I spend a little more and get something in the 500cc range?

How are these sleds in general - any problems to watch out for?

My experience with those sleds is that they are reliable, easy to work on, decent suspension, light, and fun to ride on twisty trails.

That being said, that is an entry level sled that many rental places used because they have a very limited top end, usually not much more than 60 mph.

It might be ok until you are out riding with your buddies, then you will be left in the dust. I would think that in the long run, you might be happier with a 440-600cc Liquid cooled sled. If you are looking at a 7-8 year old sled anyway, the price shouldn't be much different anyway.

Ive owned a 98 440Z since 2000 and absolutely love the thing. It is bombproof (except for a few minor electrical issues) and light and plenty fast for me. I am smaller than you (around 160 lb) and it is fast enough after 10 years of riding to scare me at times. Now, when I ride with a group of guys on bigger, fancier machines I have to play catch up when the trail opens up, but when it is tight, technical and twisty I'm as fast as any of them. I was out with a group of very high-end machines last winter...tweaked all up and blowing by me in open fields all day...I ended up towing 2 of them to roadsides to be picked up later because they both broke down and my machine was the only one that had a tow hitch and the only one the owner was willing to tow with!
My previous, and first, sled was a 15 year old Yamaha 250 bravo that I took on the trails all the time. One day I met a guy on the trail who was on his brand new Yamaha and he stopped to talk about my Bravo....his comment was, "No matter what machine you buy in the future, you will have more fun on that Bravo than anything else." He was right.

I would strongly urge against buying a Z370 as an adult entry level rider. If you are looking at seriously getting into the sport a Z440 would be more practical... A z370 is a single carb machine with 37HP and at a weight of 450lbs is not adequately powered. For kids they are great machines. I looked into buying one of these a few years back and was turned off after maxing out a whopping 45MPH on a trail with about 8 inches of powder. I in turn bought a Z440 which has 2 carbs and 50Hp with just about the same weight. The 440 is a numble machine but has enough HP to have fun with (as an adult) the 440 will last you a little longer... if you get serious about riding you can enjoy this machine for a few years before upgrading. my 97 440 would do 75 on the lake and could easily crest 80 on the road... if you cross lakes alot you dont want to be doing it on a machine that would have insufficient HP in case you hit slush or water.

just my 2 cents

I agree with the previous posters. The 370 would be fun for the first week or so. It would also be just fine as an ice-fishing, trapping, or chore machine. Beyond that I think you'll find it lacking. Nothing wrong with it- just not enough of it.