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Contrary to some sources, snowmobiling is not dead, it's just going through an identity crisis. Walk into a dealership and look at a new machine and you may leave with sticker shock. Price tags around $10,000 are the norm rather than the exception if you're looking at the top models.

Are snowmobilers being priced out of the market and leaving the sport?

Far from it, they are just checking out other options for fun on the snow. When we do our winter field-testing around Minocqua, Wis., I take time to look at the crowd and check out what they ride. One nice Saturday morning last February, with plenty of new snow and hundreds of miles of freshly groomed trails ready to be explored, the Sunrise Cafe in St. Germain was packed to the walls with snowmobilers eating breakfast, and there was a line out the door.

Morning research
Our breakfast was tasty and all the area restaurants were doing a brisk business that morning. It was a gorgeous winter morning and snowmobilers were ready for a day of riding the Northwoods trails. So what were they riding since new sled sales are down?

Older models! The majority looked in good shape and most were '95 to '03 models. With just a few months of good snow the past few years, their millennium models had only moderate miles on them, so why buy something new?

There will always be a part of the market that feels the need for a new sled every year or two, but lets face it, there is really nothing wrong with the sleds built from the mid-'90s forward.

The big jump in snowmobile design started in the late 1980s and continued through the '90s. First came IFS and double A-arm front suspensions, then newer, more comfortable long-travel rear suspensions and then an explosion of powerful twin and triple engines.

In addition there were roller clutches, gas shocks, plastic skis, better tracks, runners and tractions systems - a virtual design revolution for the industry.

If we had stopped and taken a good look around perhaps we could have thought about the direction, but instead the industry barreled on with even more sophisticated and expensive designs and somehow that light, fun $5,000 snowmobile got lost by the trailside. Will we ever see that kind of sled around $5,000 again?

Perhaps Yamaha's new Phazer or Ski-Doo's Freestyle will show the way. But there are quite a few alternatives in the used or dealer overstock market.

My personal choice was an '03 Polaris 600 Edge on sale for $5,000 back in 2004. I hear there still are a lot of brand new '02-'04 Edges sitting around in cases, and a 600 may be down to $4,000, or less. The other day I walked into a dealership and spotted two new '03 800 Edges with M-10 suspensions and electric start that the dealer was eager to push out at less than $5,000 each, just to get some cash flow to please his banker.

Checking through the trading books I find that 2000 and newer models still hold good secondhand value at $2,500 to $3,500, if mileage is low. Entering the market or updating to a better machine does not have to be costly if you look at 2-3-year-old used models.

Yet the real bargains are the mid-'90s models. Yamaha SX and SRXs, Polaris Ultra, XRC and Indys can be had between $1,500 and $2,500, depending on condition, and Arctic Cat ZRs, Thunder Cats and Ski Doo MXZs also are in that range. These are modern, great-riding sleds, often with as much power and sometimes less weight than newer models.

Updates: where to start?
That's the used market, but better yet just a few modifications will update your older machine. Heck, a swap meet visit can make updating a very reasonable proposition.

If you are looking for inexpensive performance upgrades, clutches are a good place to start.

There's a large assortment of tunable flyweights that work well. "Heel Clickers" are one of the favorite kits, because they are adjustable both by adding weight and because of the unique "over center" weight arm that gives aggressive acceleration without loading down the top end too much. A Heel Clicker kit will set you back about $200.

The "Thundershift" kit and "Heavy Hitters" now available from Fett Brothers also are popular. These kits consist of a base weight where bolts and washers can be added in several locations to fine-tune both acceleration and top-end speed. Both start in the $250 range.

Secondary clutches have gone through a "roller revolution." Side pressure on the belt controls power transfer and shifting action, and the old button clutches had up to 20% friction between the plastic slider buttons and the aluminum helix, especially when they got dirty with belt dust.

Rollerized clutches replace the sliding buttons with rollers, and the results are amazing. With friction almost eliminated, the shifting action is quick and smooth, because the clutch now reacts quicker to loads. The side force is more consistent and reduces belt slip and heat buildup, giving you better efficiency and much longer belt life.

Arctic Cat was one of the first to incorporate this idea on a production machine. Its reverse tower clutch still has the quickest backshift for trail riding. A complete new secondary clutch will run you about $325, but used kits can be picked up for a lot less and their bushings and rollers are easy to replace. For just a few bucks in parts they can be made like new.

Roller kits for Yamaha clutches can be had for $250 to $350. There also are a number of special billet roller secondaries worth checking out. If you don't want to do the full roller route, good improvements can be had with Teflon coated helixes. They don't completely eliminate friction, but cut it to about 5%, and rubber dust won't build up on the Teflon.

Teflon billet helixes run $100 to $125 and often are part of complete clutch kits. Complete kits including flyweights, springs and helixes run $200 to $300 and some of the most popular onesare made by Goodwin, EPI and Dalton.

Performance pipes have always been a popular way to shed unwanted weight and add horsepower, but at a little higher price tag than the previously mentioned add-ons. Note that the market is undergoing a shakeout as some manufacturers who sold overly loud pipes drop out after their customers ended up with too many tickets.

With new DNR sound tests, the aftermarket companies that now have to meet new decibel limits. This is not impossible; 2-strokes tune with backpressure, but the technology is more advanced than just an open pipe with a small bolt-on silencer. For instance, our Aaen Performance "internal stinger" pipes with "double-core" silencers meet the new proposed limits, as do many other brands. Check with your supplier to find out if the pipes you are planning to buy will meet new sound limits.

Our "trail-quiet" single pipe for a Polaris 600 Edge or Ski-Doo 800 REV with "double-core" silencer will add 8-10 horsepower and runs $549. A set of "trail-quiet" triple pipes for an older Polaris Ultra or XCR goes for $699 and Yamaha SX and Viper pipes sell for $799.

But again there are plenty of used pipes out there at a discount. Just beware that a lot of them are loud ones being dumped. Again, check with the manufacturer if they rebuild or update systems before you end up with something you can't use.

Suspensions are another popular tune-up item and there are a lot of new gas shocks that work wonders to update ride on older sleds.

I found a Pro-X Fox rear shock with remote reservoir and adjustable dampening that transformed my Edge's bump performance. That was the expensive clicker racing shock that'll set you back about $375. On some models you also could use the PS3 or on newer sleds the PS5, costing about $200.

Every time I hit a hard bump without needing to schedule an appointment with my chiropractor, those shocks seem like money saved. You can buy newer long-travel rear suspensions at swap meets for as little as $200 too, while more plush secondhand FAST M-10 units are a little harder to find, you may have to pay closer to $500 for one of these in demand units.

Ski replacement
Plastic skis are another popular aftermarket item that have quickly found their way onto sleds, old and new.

USI was the originator and is still the leading brand, while Simons units are popular out West and C&A Pro, SLP and more continue to make their own versions. A set of plastic skis may be found at a swap meet for about $100, but be sure to check for wear and cracks.

The latest rage in ski runners is dual carbides.

Woody's Doolies are a good example. I put a set on my Edge 600 test mule, and they eliminated darting. The dual runners are better in the corners and reduce steering effort, which helps cut shoulder soreness after a long day of trail riding. Woody's Doolies start at $108 for a set of 4-inch carbides, while a set of 8-inch Doolies runs $169.

Try a rental
Unwilling to spend big bucks but still want to ride a new sled? Try a rental!

A retired dealer friend, who did a fair amount of racing in his younger days, swears by his new system. "I used to buy two sleds and keep an enclosed trailer with a big tow vehicle," he says. "This was quite an investment, and with today's sled prices and the gas needed just to tow them up north, I can't afford it anymore. Now my buddies and I carpool up north and rent brand new top-of-the-line machines. It runs me about $300 to $500 a weekend, and for the four trips I make a year, I have great fun riding on new models without any huge investment or storage problems to worry about."

It's alive!
Snowmobiling too pricy and dying?

Don't believe it, when the snow fell this winter Northwoods trails were packed, not necessarily with all new machines. Those probably represented 10% of the riders. The other 90% had a ball on slightly older sleds that were still in great shape, with low miles on the speedo and ready to provide thousands more miles of fun for their owners.

There are many ways to enjoy this sport without spending a fortune. It certainly would be great to see more new, light, fun and lower priced sleds at dealerships though.

How about you?
If you've put together a Cheap Thrills sled on a budget, send us some pictures and info on your project. We're interested in hearing about it, and so are the rest of the troops out there! Email us at amsnow@amsnow.com or drop us a line at: American Snowmobiler, 21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612.