what sled would you buy used?

[rhino89523]

O.K. I have used the search but mostly what comes up is old and needs a freshen up so here goes.

I've been riding the snowbikes for a season now and I dig it. I am a big guy at 6'4" and about 270lbs geared up. I ride a CR500 on the snowbike and actually ride one in a 250x frame as my dirtbike. I am an avid dirtbike rider and have been riding CR500's since 1988. Everyone I ride the dirtbikes with is on 2 stroke 300's. Everyone I am riding snobikes with is on new KTM450's with Yeti kits. I am kind of old school and I don't mind a little wrenching.

O.K. thats a little of the me background, now I think I would like to have a sled, not getting rid of the snowbike just think I would like both. Since I am not a snowmobiler I would prefer to ruin a used one instead of watching 15G roll down the hill or whatever a new one cost. I live in Tahoe and I don't have any desire to ride trails, I want to ride similar terrain to what I'm getting on this snowbike but have the power that throws my hairback (inside a helmet of course) like a CR500 will do in the dirt. On the deeper days when the snowbike is just barely getting around I would like to pull this snowmobile out and go get some. Long track I am assuming with 800cc plus I am guessing. I really don't know what I should be looking at but I know the learning curve will be rough so something that has good reliable HP that would work good on the mountain and something I won't cry as bad when it gets ruined because I suck.

Any advise??? I see 2008ish stuff in a price range I like. one of theguys I snowbike with has a new AXis and says I need that, but those are expensive and parts like A arms look pretty delicate for someone my size. Any help appreciated.

 

[89sandman]

Guess it all depends on how much you want to spend. The stuff from 08 works but compared to stuff a few years newer it is ancient. If you want to keep cost low and have a decent sled I'd look at the 11-12 Pro's with a fix kit in it and just hope the motor doesn't blow. Find a low mile one that has been taken care of, remember the cheapest ones are usually thrashed and have been neglected. I see a bunch of these sleds going in the 5k range. Besides that a early year Proclimb or Xm would also be a good choice. The M motor is the most reliable by far and the etec is right in the middle.

 

[rhino89523]

That's basically what my buddy was saying is they have come a long way in the last few. I like the sound of a reliable motor.

 

[black z]

I would look for a 14-15 pro. You should be able to find one with lower miles for 5-6K.

 

[kidwoo]

My personal list

2008-2010 Polaris 700
2008+ Polaris 600

2006+ arctic cat m7 (efi versions)
2009-2011 arctic cat M8
2016+ Arctic cat M8000

2010-2015 skidoo Rev


Deviate from those years of each and you get problems or at the very least some chassis annoyances.

 

[89sandman]

Prices on mountain sleds from the Midwest are WAY cheaper than on the west coast. 7-8k for a decent low mile 14-15 Pro here.

 

[AMAX]

If 2008s are in your range I assume you are looking at around $4000.
Mountain sleds have changed quickly in the last 10 years. Power is similar but handling really evolved.

Your only a little shy price-wise of getting a 2011 or newer Summit which started the narrower front end or a 11+ Pro RMK which was a big step forward for Polaris but the early ones seem to want top ends done around 2000 miles. M series Cats were popular and good motors. Many think the latest chassis is just getting dialed in but they are all really capable.

I have an 05 Summit. Its the Rev chassis that was the beginning of modern designs. Its a big difference from when I'm on a newer sled. Its capable and fast but everything is easier on the newer sleds. Its also 1/5th the price of a new sled:face-icon-small-win

I will likely upgrade but I sorta like it. I ride old XRs in the summer. New stuff is great but older stuff is pretty fun and leaves some room in the budget for kids to have their own rides, cabin rentals and keeping everyone gassed up.

 

[rhino89523]

I ride older stuff in the dirt and currently in the snow as well. I have an xr650 I ride as well as my dual sport/desert bike ( thing has done the baja 500 twice without a rebuild and is doing the 1000 in November) anyway I don't know how to ride a sled, my time on them has been at ski resorts 20 years ago as a mechanic, and I have spent far more time fixing them than I have riding them. I am a 2 stroke guy so slapping a top end at one is no big deal but I don't want a motor that has Catostrophic failure type problems blowing the bottom end into chunks. I do better with things that are more of a rock solid ride even if the handling is better on something else and make up for it with strength and balance. The money part, sure for a start I would love to spend 4g and figure it out then upgrade, but if the tipping point is 5-6 to get something that much better I'm not opposed. I just don't want to spend 15g for the most Billy bad *** sled and be that guy. The one with more money than brains or skill. I'd rather do more with less than less with more.

I appreciate the help so far, I keep looking up the recommendations. I have a question, is the Rev a model or a chassis that they made a few models on, that one is a little confusing. The pro I am finding as well as the Mseries. My plan is buy one after the season when the price drops. I bought a new boat in October, sled sounds like June July might be a good time. I guess from you guys I like the recommendations more than I am worried about the price or condition issues. I am very savvy at getting a good deal and negotiating. I am pretty good at condition assessment as well , guess that goes hand in hand with the negotiating. If a certain model has a specific problem area I will probably find it in research but will take the advise. Currently I kind of like the M recommendations for what sounds like a solid used platform, but those rmk pros look sweet and have the new style positioning that I can see being super advantageous coming off a bike.

Thank you for the help

 

[kidwoo]

Rev is what skidoo calls their mountain chassis line (although some of their other sleds use the same chassis). And yeah you're right, there are a few of them


2004-2007 = Rev
2008-2012 = Rev XP
2013-2016 = Rev XM

All of those are also summit models. Yeah it's annoying.


Chassis-wise if you're going to be looking at pros, look for ones with some tunnel and rail bracing, especially at your size. They can get a little bendy wendy. I'd also say those are probably the shortest life span for top tends, but it sounds like you've got that covered.

 

[kiliki]

10-11 m8 best bang for the buck and will last.

 

[GlennRMK]

10-11 m8 best bang for the buck and will last.

Agreed!

09s were a good sled too, just a little less power

Whatever you buy, stay away from Polaris 800s (terrible motor).

07-10 700 RMKs were good though

07-11 Doos were terrible (bad handling and poor reliability)

 

[boondocked]

like said above the M series is a tank, you can run it into alot and not bend important things, and it will roll and start first pull. id look for a 10-11 so you get the H.O. motor, 3000 miles on a 10 m8 still going strong. The 11-12 Rmks look nice but in terms of engine reliability id stick with the cat if you are going used. from what i recall early pro owners were having a hard time making it passed 2k miles without something breaking. Don't buy a dragon

 

[rhino89523]

To bad the 11 Doo is a pile, I have a buddy with an 11 Summit that has a little over 1000 miles he would let go for around $3500, I am already working a deal with him on his 2017LT timbersled because he wants a Yeti and I want a LT I am on the short track now. If the Doo wasn't a pile I'd pull the bundle game and get a smoker of a deal on the 2 together. I'm doing the deal on the timbersled after the season so I have him pretty beat up on that. Tahoe has been creeping up near the 60's this week so he knows his window of opportunity for sale of the Doo is closing. I'm a family guy kind of budget conscious and just a working stiff, he is an older single guy/trust funder

How big of a pile is that Doo?

 

[duncan76]

To bad the 11 Doo is a pile, I have a buddy with an 11 Summit that has a little over 1000 miles he would let go for around $3500, I am already working a deal with him on his 2017LT timbersled because he wants a Yeti and I want a LT I am on the short track now. If the Doo wasn't a pile I'd pull the bundle game and get a smoker of a deal on the 2 together. I'm doing the deal on the timbersled after the season so I have him pretty beat up on that. Tahoe has been creeping up near the 60's this week so he knows his window of opportunity for sale of the Doo is closing. I'm a family guy kind of budget conscious and just a working stiff, he is an older single guy/trust funder

How big of a pile is that Doo?

If its only got a little over 1000 miles i would jump on it. It has efi and don't worry about the handling your big enough to man handle it. It was usually the scrawny guys that complained. The 08 was supposed to be a pile yet I got 5500 miles out of mine. That sled sounds like the best bang for your buck to me. Now go buy it and ride the piss out of it lol.

 

[OCDsledder]

Depending on how much you want to spend, you can even find great deals on Non-current year models from dealers. For example, ArcticCat is offering $3,000 off on 2016 and 2015 model years. Check out Countrycat.com, they have some real amazing deals. I know it's a long way from Where you are, but it might just be worth the trip.

 

[AMAX]

I wouldn' be afraid of an '11 XP. May be an Etec motor and should be the s36 front end. They still make some base model Summits on that chassis.

An 11 or 12 XP is probably where I'm headed.

 

[snoballssnoglory]

My opinion on the cats.
Bulletproof motor.
Get a 13 or newer if you ride moto.
Skidoo are very popular w the two wheeler crowd. Don't think that's a coincidence.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Pro-8250]

You can get a 13-14 Pro for $5000 to $6000. We have had four of them. Only self inflicted problems. Trees and rocks seem to like them.

https://duluth.craigslist.org/snw/6009553204.html

 

[Vincenthdfan]

You can get a 13-14 Pro for $5000 to $6000. We have had four of them. Only self inflicted problems. Trees and rocks seem to like them.

https://duluth.craigslist.org/snw/6009553204.html

Wow, you'd never find a deal like that out here in the West!

All the used sleds around here are way higher cost. :face-icon-small-sad

 

[Pro-8250]

Wow, you'd never find a deal like that out here in the West!

All the used sleds around here are way higher cost. :face-icon-small-sad

Dime a dozen here.