Newbie with plenty of questions.

[mhs]

I have been riding about seven times now and I have decided I really enjoy the sport. I have been learning how to tip the sled over and make sharp turns in deep powder. My left turns are way easier than my right. I would eventually like to learn how to ride in the back country. Every time I have been out I rode a rental and they were all the latest models for ski doo and polaris. I was wonder whether it would be worth it to buy a used sled. I'm new to my area and don't really know anybody well enough to go riding with. There is a snowmobile club around my area but they don't ride as often as I would like to.

Would you buy a used sled?

Would I have too many major problems to make it a decent purchase?

What would you look for in the condition of a used sled?

Would you buy a former rental sled from a liquidation?

How do you find people to ride with?

Do you guys use motor cross helmets or do you use helmets actually designed for snowmobiles?

 

[Blown Motor]

WELCOME!

I have been riding about seven times now and I have decided I really enjoy the sport. I have been learning how to tip the sled over and make sharp turns in deep powder. My left turns are way easier than my right. I would eventually like to learn how to ride in the back country. Every time I have been out I rode a rental and they were all the latest models for ski doo and polaris. I was wonder whether it would be worth it to buy a used sled. I'm new to my area and don't really know anybody well enough to go riding with. There is a snowmobile club around my area but they don't ride as often as I would like to.
Congrats on deciding to join the ranks, you will have a lifetime of fun on sleds. And this is a great place to look for advice!

Would you buy a used sled?
If a budget is in place than I would have absolutely zero issues with buying a used sled. In fact this time of year you will come across some screamin deals on both new and used.

Would I have too many major problems to make it a decent purchase?
If you do your research a little bit on here and ask people about the sled model that you are looking at buying used, you will get lots of good feedback to known issues and successes.

What would you look for in the condition of a used sled?
Minimal wear and tear, low to moderate mileage. The track length and size for the type of riding that you will be doing, and all around just a once over to make sure things are where they should be.

Would you buy a former rental sled from a liquidation?
Maybe.....but generally the good price is associated with super high mileage, and since you seem to want to get out a lot you may run into motor issues.

How do you find people to ride with?
Ask around on the forums, there is a section just for island park in here, or go to the parking lot and wait to ambush people lol. Believe it or not when I was younger I did this and just asked to tag along with a few groups, some of which I am now great friends with.

Do you guys use motor cross helmets or do you use helmets actually designed for snowmobiles?

We sell just about every helmet under the sun. The most popular out west here is an open faced moto style helmet. 90% of them are truly motocross helmets but there are some companies that make an open face moto style that has features for the cold weather. Really, as long as it is a good quality helmet you cant go wrong with either.

 

[mhs]

I used to ride quads and dirt bikes with the open face helmet. I wasn't sure if it would be too drafty for those below zero days we get up here. Do the goggles on open faced helmets fog up like the full faced helmets and face shields?

I would ask people but I would hate feel like a dead weight if I was riding with people way beyond my skill level. I was thinking about picking up some of the Schooled videos which would help give me better riding tips.

I wasn't sure about buy a liquidated rental. Part of me thought that old rental sleds were mostly ridden like beginners like myself. On the other hand somebody who knows what they are doing would want to rent the latest model and ride the piss out of it.

I was going to ask about which manufacturer of sled is most preferred but I know how that goes among any motorized vehicle.

 

[longtrack156]

I would ask people but I would hate feel like a dead weight if I was riding with people way beyond my skill level.

I have taken newbies out riding many many times in my 45 years of riding as I have always had a spare sled, I think I can ride well enough to follow most.
The problem is it seems very few if any are willing to take anyone out.
I have a riding buddy 8 years younger than me, he is the only one that I get to ride with.
We would like to ride with other riders, seems like no one wants to take old guys out. We still manage 500 miles per season, but hinting that we would like to join up with other riders results in only us going out alone.
Sorry for the rant but it seems like the riders who go out in groups around here forget that someone started them riding.
Good luck.

 

[polaris dude]

I have lots to say about a couple of those, but I wont say any because this one piece of information is so much more important DO NOT BUY A RENTAL UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR

My dad bought one (a 09' 600 144) and it has given us never ending trouble despite the fact it is a 600(which is dam near bullet proof). It looked great from the outside, but the inside it was a POS. bought it for 5k and has put 2k into it and it still wont go into reverse without dying a bunch, and still has small bogs.

 

[baddodges]

New or used they all have their issues just make the best decision you can and be prepared to spend a little to dial it in the way you want it.

 

[bholmlate]

Look into any snowmobile clubs in your area. It is always a good place to find like minded people in your area to ride with and find people who know where all the good riding areas and often have group rides.

There is a lot of good information on snowest and other forums about the know problems with sleds. figure out what type of riding you want to do? get a budget together for what you want to use and start combing the classified ads, craigslist, and other forums. From now until about september/october you will be able to find people trying to unload their old sleds for the new ones they snow checked this year and there will be a lot of good deals out there. there is always good deals out there you just ahve to so a little homework to find them.

 

[AZ800]

Your mechanical inclination and budget should dictate how "used" of a sled you buy. Ie: don't know how to check the oil? Buy new with an ext warranty.
Know how to rebuild an engine and got only $2 k to spend? Buy the cleanest used sled you can find.
Or somewhere in between.
Seeing that you've rented a bunch of times, must have some decent $. A good compromise is a low mile used machine. For $8k or less you can have your choice of most any modern almost new 800 out there.
Best time of year to buy either new or used is now thru April. End of season.
Another good option if you want new/warranty at a good price is look for holdover models that are a couple years old. Alot of dealers have some holdovers they just want to get gone.

 

[diggerdown]

Some guys are just too good of riders to go with newbies and us old guys, but most riders enjoy carving, sidehilling and tree riding. The big turbo chute climbs are not what the majority do. I sometmes forget how rotten a rider I was when I started mountain riding, but taking new guys along reminds me that we don't just wake up one morning and know how to ride. I seldom buy new sleds, but I own a lot of wrenches! Nothing wrong with buying rentals if the price is right, problems is most rentals are high miles for the year. Snowest is not a bad place to look for used sleds on. You can look back on the guys post and usually will see if he has had a lot of isssues. Most of the sleds for sale on here also have some after-market add ons, those things that cost a lot new and return you almost nothing in resale! Ask around and you will find guys to ride with, it's not smart to ride the mountains alone.

 

[mhs]

My mechanical aptitude is very basic, changing oil and air filters. I would definitely stay away from anything that has had the motor upgraded or rebuilt because that means serious trouble if they didn't know what they were doing. I'll ask around on the forums if there were any problems with a particular model I'm looking into.

 

[Matte Murder]

mhs I would HIGHLY recommend a school like Dan Adams Next Level Riding clinics. He is pretty close to you in Alpine WY. You will jump past a lot of guys just learning on their own and you will get a good introduction to avalanche safety. You can rent a new Pro from him for the class too. I took a class the first year I bought sleds and have been back every year since. This year we are going twice, lol. Well worth the time and effort to get there from Seattle. Looking for riding buddies isn't too hard. Go to the Idaho section on SW and ask to come along. You are going to be the one that needs the most help digging out so be first to help anyone in your group when they are stuck. Get a truck and trailer and haul guys stuff to the mountains. Help them when they are working on theirs sleds. Bring good trail food. If you are a good riding buddy you will never have a hard time finding people to ride with.

 

[MT rydn]

If you are riding 2013 Polaris and Skidoo, you MAY be a little let unhappy with a older sled of any make. The 2012 and 2013 sleds handling is making riding easier than even a few years ago. The older M series Cats are excellent/reliable but you will probably be slow to warm up to them compared to the 2013's of AC, Polaris, Skidoo.
How many days a season do you plan to ride, and do you have easy access to rentals? Might influence your decision on owning vs renting when consider cost of ownership / depreciation / storage.
Changing technology brings better product every couple of years,also.

 

[mhs]

My first day riding I got stuck several times because I was taking a trail riding sled into the powder and around trees. Random people I didn't even know would stop and help me get my sled out. Anytime I see somebody stuck I always offer help or I let them use my shovel. I figure its good riding etiquette since getting stuck on the mountain overnight can kill you. Most people I see having trouble are usually not owners and aren't from the around area.

I figure I will buy my own riding gear and rent sleds till I finish trade school and can afford to buy a later model. That should give me plenty of time to research my purchase.

I would like to go out as much as possible every season but we all have responsibilities. My riding time would depend on the distance from riding areas and my schedule. Most places in Idaho, Utah and Montana aren't too far of a drive from decent riding. I live in between Island Park and West Yellowstone. I believe each town has at least 5 businesses that do snowmobile rentals. Renting in my area ranges from $150-$180 a day for a 600cc mountain class sled and $169-$220 a day for an 800cc mountain class sled. There isn't a drastic difference in price for renting several days in a row. The gear is usually about $15-$25 a day, which doesn't include avalanche gear.

Every time I ride I need to get used to the handling, throttle and brakes of the sled I have for just the day. Owning a sled is quite a bit more expensive than renting but my skill level would increase and I would be able to personalize my sled towards the type of riding I would be doing. Also I wouldn't have to worry about damaging a rental. If I break anything I own it gets fixed on my time rather then when the rental company wants money. Storage will not be an issue and I would probably be doing most of the maintenance.

Thanks Matte Murder, I will check out that riding clinic. I don't think they are going to be doing a beginner riding clinic for the rest of this season but I will keep checking.

 

[AZ800]

Well between used and closeouts on ski/snowmobile gear you could get outfited pretty cheap. Heck I got a pair of Motorfist pants, '11 model, brand new for just over $100 locally this winter. $200 for helmet and goggles, $250 for GOOD jacket and pants (no you're not going to be ordering out of the Klim catalog, but you can find some good stuff). $150 for some decent boot and gloves.
Beats paying $25 a pop to step into someone elses crust @ss sweat! Heck my wife won't even let me dry my helmet in the house. Says it stinks too bad! Sure wouldn't want somene elses funk!

Sleds, yeah cash is an issue. Easier to come up with $150-200 than a couple 3 grand, but you got all summer here in a month or so to save up.

Personally I'd look for an older low mile mtn sled and rock that until you go the cash to buy a new machine. They are out there, just gotta stay on the search. M6, M7 (most are selling for more than they're worth though, IMO), 600 or 800 Doo Rev. These are not bad chassis. They're the first versions of rider fwd setups. I don't ever remember not enjoying myself one bit because I was not on the latest chassis. Sure was nice to look at the new sleds and drool over them, but you can go alot of places in relative ease on an older sled.
Save your money, don't rent, pay cash and you'll be in a position to pay cash for whatever you want sooner than the guy who spends all his $ renting or buying the newest stuff when he doesn't really have the $ to.