Here's a thought. Would it be fair to say that most people mod there sled? Why not have the big 4 make bare bone sleds, and let the aftermarket handle the rest. The manufacturers could concentrate on building a solid foundation, but the aftermarket handle the performance. Sled prices would drop and the price of mod products would also drop as there would be enough demand for them. I go back to the Polaris shift and the Doo TNT(I think thats the one). I think a sled in the $6000 range(base) and looking at a SLP 660 kit for $2500, you are still about $4000 less then a 600 ProRMK. I am just looking at ways for the industry to try something other then building sled that cost as much as a vehicle, and since most people mod there sled anyway, why spend $10000 and then spend more money modding it. I could see this working with the 2-strokes, but the 4 stroke will continue to be way more expensive due to there complexity. Another thing is don't make whole sale changes every couple of years, but this comes down to us, the consumer, we always want more and something better.
Future of snowmobiling
- Thread starter palmer600
- Start date
the world does need a population decrease or we are in big trouble...and less kids is a graceful way to achieve it..Did you know that China's one child policy has reduced their population by 500 million since they adopted it..
anyway back to topic...we need Chinese knock-off sleds to get a sled in every back yard of America..
I've been reading this and going back and forth in my own mind about my thoughts. About 5 years ago my wife and I got into snowmobiling. We rented a couple times and had to get some of our own. Our decision at the time, being new to the sport, wanted to not have a breakdown or not knowing anything about this brand or that didn't want to buy the wrong sled. We decided at the time to go new. Financed 2 M's $8k each) and a trailer. Paid off after a year. Then a couple years ago, I wanted my son to start riding. I made a deal with him in advance, whatever money he saved, I would match. He ended up getting a nice older summit. NOW, it's time for a new one for me. I can't justify financing new because I can't imagine it's that much more awesome than what I have-maybe it is but the price continues to push me away. So, I have decided to wait another year. Not sure how another year is going to change my thinking, that cost for new is just so much more than just 5 years ago. Looking ahead is likely like everything else, continuous rise in cost for everything isn't going to change. I'll get another sled or 2 over the next couple years but I will probably look for holdovers. As for my son and that kind of future, he might need to start saving now for a new one in 2020.
I agree with most of the posts up to this point. Several of you bring up differing sides of the situation from dramatically improved machines, to poor economy, to start with used machines... etc. As with most topics opinions abound and it just comes down to " Is it worth it for me / my family". I too have struggled with this the last several years. I did spring for a brand new Pro this year after buying holdovers the last couple of times.... but what is really making my wheaties soggy about the cost of this hobby is the horrible loss you take when selling your used stuff. I'm in my 40's, take very good care of my equipment, full dealer servicing, and really don't have many miles of the sleds when I go to sell them. Yet both of my last two used sleds, one was Polaris, the other was a Doo, I practically had to give away. Some of my riding buddies do even bother to sell them, they just keep them even though they don't use them after they get the new one. I used to be able to write a check at the dealer, without financing, ride a sled for 2-3 years and then sell it for a decent price and take that money back to the dealer add some extra and get a new one. Now, what I get for the used sled barely covers the tax and extra goodies that we all buy. And you can forget about trade ins - nobody will take them. Why is there no value to used sleds???? 
FINANCING!!!!!!!!
Better for dealers to finance new equipment and take a cut from the bank or finance company. Financing is not as easy an option for used sleds.
Too many people living on tick! Want a big house..... No problem.... 35 or 40 year mortgage with no $ down payment. Want a new trailer to go with it .... No problem. 25 year payment plans. You'll need a new HD or Superduty to pull it .... No problem. You can pay it off over 8 or 9 years and then buy it for the residual....
If interest rates went back to the 18% to 20% rates in the mid eighties the used market would be better!
Better for dealers to finance new equipment and take a cut from the bank or finance company. Financing is not as easy an option for used sleds.
Too many people living on tick! Want a big house..... No problem.... 35 or 40 year mortgage with no $ down payment. Want a new trailer to go with it .... No problem. 25 year payment plans. You'll need a new HD or Superduty to pull it .... No problem. You can pay it off over 8 or 9 years and then buy it for the residual....
If interest rates went back to the 18% to 20% rates in the mid eighties the used market would be better!
On the HCS forum, they is a post that they are planning to put ABS onto snowmobiles. My question is this, why do they have to put all this "automotive" technology onto a snowmobile and make it more complex? You ride out in the middle of nowhere, miles from civilization, why do you want something that has a million things to go wrong with it? If my sled stops running, there could only be a few things for that, and could probably diagnose what it is without a scanner, and being that it is mostly mechanical could probably rig something up to get me out. Right now, I don't care if my sled has the fewest emissions, I don't care if it gets 18mpg(I only get 6-7 on the 01 and about 10 on the 06), I want a sled that starts, gets me out to the play area and back again, and above all is reliable. Is the handling as good as a new machine, no, but the aftermarket can fix that, at way less cost then a new machine. I think the most bullet proof sleds made where the 2000 era Mountain Cats, my buddy has a 01 600 MC, and that has been through hell and back, he dose very little storage prep(if any) when putting it away in the summer, and that sled just plain works. My 01 600 RMK is the same, the only weak point on that machine is the trailing arms, not as strong as the A-arms.
I cannot say that I agree with that.
Had a buddy with a '01 MC 800 that came back to the trailer on the ugly end of a rope more often than any other sled that has ever been in our group.
(The culprit 99.9% of the time was the clutch.)
The 600 ZR he had before that also couldn't keep a clutch in working condition.
This die hard Cat guy switched brands after that fiasco.
I think the biggest thing that determines the future of snowmobiling is global warming, over the years ive noticed the snow line getting higher and higher, sucks to see but it is happening. There will always be places to ride, I know some places in the states have been having troubles but here in BC I havnt heard of people having many issues of places getting shut down.
For me, sledding has always been expensive. We used to buy machines and modify the heck out of them to get to the areas we ride to on a stocker now. Unfortunately, the mountains aren't getting bigger, but the areas are getting smaller. More people are getting into the sport, because the new iron works so well. I used to go the back country to get away from people, it is getting harder and harder every year. There was a time when we would meet up with guys in the hills and you could guarantee that they were some type of sled head. Now I don't bother talking to many of the other riders, as half of them don't know how good they have it, and the others are too busy whining about the rough trail in.
