r/snowmobiling

Talk me out of selling my sled!

Casual rider. Bought from original owner 6-7 years ago (family friend) - rode it intermittently since new. Only 2,100 miles. In good/solid, not perfect shape.

It’s such a great MI trail sled.

Haven’t been out since ‘23-‘24. It’s been taking up room in the garage. Have a storage unit so don’t really need the room (just the energy/time to move it there), could use the funds for an SCCA track car.

I’m on the fence…

Repainted the head myself idk if it looks good on a Polaris head or not I'm on the fence

asking for a friend.

Hey guys, I don't know how many of you saw my last post about the Blizzard saga featuring my 1981 Ski Doo Blizzard 5500, but I'm both glad and sad it's over.

That said, I promised the community I'd share a couple of my top picks and let everyone voice their opinion.

One of the sleds I’m considering is a 1999 Arctic Cat 440 ZL located in Southwest Ontario.

Here are some things I learned about the 440 ZL:

• The '99 Arctic Cat 440 ZL has a 436cc 440 liquid-cooled 2-stroke engine with twin Mikuni VM-36 carburetors producing roughly 68hp. Is it a good engine? How hard is it to get replacement needles/ parts for Mikuni VM-36 carburetors? I heard it's harder to get VM-36s compared to VM-34s.
• I also noticed that the 440 uses an oil injection pump. How often does it fail, and should I replace it just in case? Or should I run premixed gas and eliminate the oil pump altogether?
• How hard is it to remove the primary on a 440 ZL? I heard it's a bear to remove the primary on some ZR600s, and even saw a video of a guy flipping a ZR600 on its side to remove it.
• I also read it weighs 461lbs, which is light for a 440 snowmobile, making it quite agile and easy to handle. Is there an instance where a heavier sled would be better, besides racing in a straight line?
• I also read it has good front and rear suspension. What are some hard-to-get suspension components for a 440 ZL? I know you can get the shocks, struts, hyfaxes, tracks and bogie wheel. I also know you easily get carbides and ski covers.

Let me know if there's anything else that could go wrong or anything I should watch out for.

I'm new to the hobby, don't know many people who ride sleds, and haven't grown up around snowmobiles, so any tips, advice, and suggestions are more than welcome.

For now, I am looking for a fairly tame and nibble snowmobile to ride in the 2026/2027 season.

Here are some of the things I'm looking for in a snowmobile:

• Snowmobile type: Trail (I'm not experienced enough to handle a muscle sled)
• Year: 1990-2010
• engine type: 2-stroke liquid-cooled carbureted twin (prefer twin carbs, but will consider single)
• engine displacement: 440 - 500cc (could go a little bigger)
• desired hp: well below 100, ideally below 80hp

Let me know if there are any other entry-level snowmobiles I should consider.

Also, if you or someone you know has a snowmobile I might want, let me know. I'll probably consider it as long as it's located in Ontario, south of Oshawa. I’m not buying it if it’s in the States.

Me and a couple of buddies a few years ago, before life got busy and we actually had spare time! Haha

I'll go first. While I was home from university during winter break a couple of years ago, I purchased a 1981 Ski Doo Blizzard 5500 with a Rotax 503 and a Mikuni VM-38 single carb setup for the low price of $525 CAD.

Then I got it home, fixed it and took it on a short test ride at which point I realized I messed up.

It rode well until it came time to turn, when I noticed the steering was extremely stiff and decided to park at the side of my house for the time being.

It sat there for a while, until I started tearing it apart during the summer. Everything was going well until I removed the DIY belly pan under the engine.

When I removed the belly pan, I noticed that the frame rail on the PTO / CVT side had rusted out and snapped directly below the primary.

I initially considered welding the frame rail until I realized it could fail elsewhere, and that a good-condition 90s snowmobile costs around $2000 CAD.

Then I scraped most of the snowmobile and saved the engine, muffler, primary and secondary clutches.

Luckily, I came across a Facebook Marketplace ad of a guy looking for a Rotax 503 to swap into his Ski Doo Escapade, and  sold him the engine, muffler, primary and secondary clutches for $300 CAD sometime in 2023.

When the deal was all set and done, I ended up walking away, only losing $300 CAD on the snowmobile, but I learned some things and realized I like the hobby.

What was your worst snowmobile purchasing mistake? It doesn't have to be a frame issue like mine. It can be anything, like buying the wrong type of snowmobile or even paying too much. I just want to know what to look out for while purchasing my next snowmobile.

I'll probably create a few posts in the next couple of weeks. I want to get into snowmobiling more and hit the trails in the 2026/2027 winter season. This time around, I want to do it right and fully enjoy the hobby.

Can't tell if it's good or cooked, I've probably put about 700 miles on it between both seasons. Wondering if I should replace for the upcoming season.

Already trying to clear road gaps! 🤪☃️