Snowmobile Buying Guide

By: Jason Petrina



Before you buy your first – or your next – snowmobile, make sure that you know what to look for, and what questions to ask. There are many things to consider, including affordability. You want to get the most snowmobile for your money, and you can find the answers you want by asking the right questions.

If you are buying a new snowmobile, the questions are fairly simple and straight forward. You want to know if the snowmobile you are considering will do what you want it to do. Remember that the salesman is there to make a sale, and sadly, in most cases, he doesn’t care if the snow mobile will do what you want it to do. He will tell you what you want to hear to make the sale. He isn’t the one to ask.

Instead, do some research online, or talk to other people in your community who own the type of snowmobile that you are interested in buying. These people will be your most accurate sources for information – not the salesman. Do not buy the first snowmobile that you come across that fits into your budget. Take your time, shop around, and do your homework. If this is your first snowmobile purchase, bring along a friend who has bought a snowmobile before, and they will help you look it over.

Typically, new snowmobiles that are purchased through a dealer are in top condition. But you still need to look them over for defects. Sometimes things get damaged when they are shipped, and sometimes they get damaged when other people test drive them. But, for the most part, new snowmobiles purchased through a dealer will have a warranty, so you really don’t need to worry about getting it home and finding out that it doesn’t perform as it should.

On the other hand, if you are buying a used snowmobile, you will need to thoroughly inspect it. Bring along a flashlight, even if it is daylight, and bring along some riding gear for a test drive. Again, if this is your first snowmobile, bring along a friend who already owns a snowmobile.

You wouldn’t expect a used snowmobile to be in perfect condition, but your first glimpse of it should be an indication of how harshly it has been used. If it is not clean and covered in scratches, or has cracks in the body, it probably hasn’t been cared for very well. Check the fasteners to ensure that everything is tight and nothing is loose. Look down the center of the sled from a distance and make sure that everything looks in sync. Nothing should be tilted or out of sync, and if it is, the snowmobile has probably been crashed.

Look for different color paint, or paint that doesn’t look like it was the original paint. Sometimes owners repaint their snowmobiles to cover scratches that were obtained during a crash. Look under stickers that the owner has applied for cracks as well. Before going to look at the bike, get online or visit a dealer to get a picture of what the snowmobile would look like if it were new. Take this picture with you so you can use it for comparison.

Ask the owner specifically if the snowmobile has been crashed. Also ask if it has been raced. Racing snowmobiles puts a great deal of strain on the engine. If the machine has been raced, the price should be lower than it ordinarily would be.

You should ask the owner if they would mind going with you to have a mechanic look at it. You should pay the mechanic, and the charge will probably be about forty or fifty dollars. But this is a small price to pay to ensure that you get a snowmobile that is worth the money you will be paying for it. If the owner objects, you may want to reconsider and keep looking – they may be hiding something from you.



Jason Petrina is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com