1998 power pop and price

Up until the mid-1980s, the biggest sled engines you could get in a production sled measured 500cc. Polaris' 500 liquid-cooled engine used three cylinders. Cat had a "big" Suzuki-built 500 twin. Ski-Doo's Rotax went to 521cc. Yamaha's SRV housed a 535cc fan-cooled twin. Then the scene shifted as Cat and Polaris moved to 650s and Yamaha's Exciter series went to 569cc.As sled performance evolved, the 500cc engine went from power house to powermouse.

But when you take a closer look at how the new 500 twins have evolved,you find that they are easily as capable and frequently more powerful than the "high-performance" engines they've replaced. With this new breed of lighter, more efficient 500cc engines comes a new breed of sportier,quicker, more reliable and more powerful 500 class snowmobiles. And they come in luxury packages as well!

One of Polaris' all-time best selling sleds is the Indy 500. It's one of the biggest success stories in the Number One snowmobile manufacturer's line. To generate it's own line of most popular sleds, Ski-Doo created theFormula 500. Cat has the upgraded the Cougar and new ZL 500. Yamaha has a Vmax 500 with as much performance as the now deceased 570cc Exciter.

For the real-world of snowmobiling, all you really need is a sled with75 to 85 horsepower, solid all around performance, good handling, key creature features, and the durability of Plymouth Rock.

That is the basic description for these four 500cc rock-solid snowmobile values. But when you add in electric start, a reverse option, rearview mirrors and some other goodies like an electric fuel gauge, you get a deluxe sled with spirit and value.