You ever get the bug to go snowmobiling? But, you have no intention of spending big money on a hobby that you might only enjoy "occasionally". Here is how to get set up to snowmobile for pennies on the dollar!
This is exactly my philosophy. Started riding a 1980 Yamaha enticer 340 in my 20s, fell in love with snowmobiling. Years later in my 30s after having kids picked up 2 1989 and 1990 Yamaha Ovations both 340 I think. 1 snowmobile can sit 2 people and pull 3 kids on sleds. These things are built well. Both cost me total $700. Both still run great.
The cost of a snow mobile has always kept me from buying one. For that kind of money I can get a truck. Your video has brought ownership into the realm of possibility. Great advice on the key items to look at when shopping for a WELL used sled. Thanks for the video, it's been a while, missed ya.
It's not "almost" like buying an education... it IS buying an education and that's the single best thing about these old machines. This video was exactly spot on, we need more guys like this keeping these things going.
Got started riding on a 91 377 safari. Got it for 500$ in mint condition a couple years ago and god was it the most reliable sled I’ve ever had. Anyone looking for a first sled I would recommend a safari. They are cheap and IMO one of the most reliable motors. I remember going out and pulling it a couple times to start it where my buddies were pulling and pulling on their early 2000s sleds trying to get them going haha
As a small engine mechanic who has worked on thousands of sleds you have given good advice to your audience regarding cheap sleds.Just my opinion you cant go wrong with a Yamaha Bravo or Skidoo Tundra.Ask any Alaskan trapper, these machines are legendary.
I'm very mechanically inclined, and I'm just getting into snowmobiling this year. This is exactly the video I've been looking for; learning about snowmobiles from a mechanics perspective. I love the lesson you teach at 15:00 because I think exactly the same way as you do. When I got into motorcycling, I rebuilt my first motorcycle from the ground up, and now I know how they work, and I feel responsible enough to maintain and own my new $15k bike. Understanding the bike made be a better rider. Huge thanks for posting this video, from one backyard mechanic to another.
I love the narrative of what things are, what they do, and what makes a good or bad one! That's gold level info! The only thing I would have added to this video is telling the viewers to always pack a tool kit, a tow rope, and a spare drive belt, preferably on each machine so you don't "forget" to pack it before getting stranded somewhere. I just picked up 3 vintage Polaris in restorable condition for $850. It's going to be a labor of love and you're SO right... overlooked sled models, the undesired ones, are so much more affordable than the high performance sleds. Great video!
OMG, Dave you are spot on with this video. My kids are big into snowmobiling and everything you have said they have experienced. I had a Yamaha and was about 30 miles from home and the thing quit running. Started checking things and found the battery connection was just a little loose and that was the problem. Those rubber manifold will break and can also destroy your engine. Excellent video.
Great information Bushman Dave... I appreciate your thoroughness ! It's such a blessing to be able to access your knowledge... paying it forward... always good.
Good video on basic and cheap fun. Dave some of my fondest memories when my kids were young was bombing around in our Northern Wisconsin swamp on a couple of old sleds. 👍 A 1974 Arctic Cat Panther 340 and a I believe a 1972 Yamaha 292 sf. It was a blast....Some of the best memories ❤️ having a bond fire, hotdogs and ripping around on sleds in the swamp. Made for a whole day of pure fun. 👍 Have a great weekend.
Very informative video, I like it. There are about two weeks or so every year where there is so much snow we can barely plow it. I definitely need one of these.
I have a 1976 Ski Doo Olympic 340 That I purchased Brand New. Always stored inside. I hadn't run it since 2012. Lot's of snow in Minnesota this year so I Mixed up some gas and it started on the 10th pull. This thing has never let me down and it's light so I can lift the back when stuck in wet snow. Great info as always Dave. All those maintenance suggestions is what keeps them running. Great price on some good machines.!!! Always carry a spare belt.
I have a 1986 Tundra I purchased used. It was relatively cheap but not quite as cheap as those. The Tundras are favorites of ice fishermen and trappers here in Northern Maine. Mine is a 250. Low Power indeed. I would NEVER part with this sled. I also have a 2004 Artic Cat 570 fan cooled. A good friend gave me a SWEET deal on it. To me it’s a space ship ! Between the 2 I am set for life. The cat looks bran new ! 2,500 miles. The Tundra looks Excellent, I feel lucky. I replaced ALL the boots and fuel lines in the Tundra. Carry spare CDI. been fun as you say learning the sled.
Absolutley spot on, Dave. Also there is no guarantee that there will be snow one year to the next that is good enough to ride on. Also drive one out the door brand new and take it around the patch and then see what it is worth. VERY good advice. We never buy anything new. You get to learn about how it is put together when you work on things and you get more satisfaction. Enjoy your channel and tell Brooke we are using her Pizza recipe! Greetings from the Arrowhead of MN.!!
Good advice. Don't forget to lube the ramps on the secondary clutch with special clutch grease and always carry an extra belt and a tow strap. I like the old Ski-Doo Elans. We would take out the single cylinder, if that's what it came with and replace it with a 399 or a 440. Super light, easy to maneuver and pretty darn quick for an old ditch Banger !! Thumbs up.
Great video. You are spot on . Some of the old basic snowmobiles like you stated are still fixable by most guys. I have Bravos. They are not fast but really dependable. Thanks, Great info.
Love your mindset Dave!! I use that theory on everything mechanical, that's why I've never paid for a chainsaw or generator and I have them everywhere. All running right now condition. Great video Dave!!
This is fantastic!!! ... : ) ...I have all the sleds you mentioned and not in it much more that a few boxes of beer ... and some work but that's fun !!
Back in "the day", we used to get consistent snowfall around Lansing ... everybody in our neck of the woods had a sled or two. We rode Arctic Cats and I still remember the sound and feel of the old radial Wankel engine. Thanks for another great "shade tree mechanic" video. Took me back a few years! Enjoy the sleds, Dave ... God Bless :)
one thing I'd say. it can be fun to get a sled that isn't running yet, an old one, and use it to teach your kids how to repair engines. They want to have fun in the snow, so that'll drive them to learn the work. I should know, it worked on me! four years ago I got, at the age of 16, my dad's childhood ski whiz, a 1971 model. that really pushed me to find out how an engine works so I could have fun!
Glad to see you found some sled's! Great info in the video. It was a pleasure running into you downtown Newaygo. Hope you get a chance to stop by our farm someday!
Good video. I like the older sleds because they are lighter. Important if you get stuck. Often I just lift the back end on to fresh snow to get unstuck.
I love snowmobiles, rode them as a teen and through my early 20's but I was living in Michigan, with one Winter in Minnesota, then. Now I live in the middle of Kentucky and we only get enough snow to ride one about once every ten years or so. I really enjoyed the video, it was a fun way to visit with something I really used to enjoy doing in the past. Thanks.
Very good advice Dave...I would much rather have a $200-$300 beater that runs well thank a $20,000 sled that I'd probably kill my self on..haha..had a 80 something Yamaha Bravo for years that was cheap to run and always started...I'm past my sled years now but youve got the right idea...for an affordable sled to get you out on the ice to drop a few lines...be radical eh✌️
Great vid dave...I remember back in the late 60s.the little town I lived in had a winter carnaval. Snowmobile rides were 25 cents.. Still remember the old smokey sleds...ahhhhhh that 2 stroke smell
Great video and very informative. Since I live down in the southeast I would probably go with a quad runner or an off road motorcycle. Thanks again and keep up the great job you do.
Love your vids bro, I always learn something. Even if I may never use it, I know it's there for me to reference just in case. Thanks Dave. Great job brother!
Really good advice. When I was living out by the villages every snowmachine was a Skidoo except for the Elan, they were the most popular machine. All my machines I bought new and are still running. I have a 2018 Polaris Indy 550 EXT, 1998 Arctic Cat 340 one of the best machines made and a 1984 Elan. I keep them inside and run each one a lot. Two things you didn't mention that I think is important is liquid cool versus air cooled and better to have a machine that turns on with a key to have a pull start as well.
Thanks John. I dont know enough to get into the fine points of liquid vs fan. I wanted to stick to the "mechanics" end of things. You are spot on about the rope "back up" start.
Ty for all the information on snowmobiles, and my favorites were the Polaris colts,and the Yamaha Bravos lol and wished I lived closer to ya as I'd go out and buy me a old sled and go riding with you guys,lol and go picnicking in the woods like we all use to do here,and ride Saturday nights,and then go back out on Sunday for family fun days lol miss those days and my first sled was a 1966 Polaris colt one cylinder pop pop and it was so hard to start without hitting your knuckles on the cowl lol😅👍😊...
@@Bushradical oh yeah and they run forever and can idle a long time when everyone's 2 cylinders one's with the 2 plugs would just foul out, my 1966 would just keep popping along like there's no tomorrow lol😆👍...
Great vid. Bought a 87 XLV from a mechanic friend last year. New ignition switch, runs great! Great tips here. Ive seen the safaris around for cheap. Seam like good sleds? Not much experience with ski doos.
My 86 Safari 377 was the best $500 i ever spent. Super reliable and easy to work on/find parts for. I've had more fun on that sled than any other sled I've ridden. Save for maybe my buddy's sister's C Citation 250 beater.
I'm just watching this because I want to talk sleds with someone and I have no one to talk to LOL! Sleds are what got me into shade-tree mechanics, and shadetree mechanics are what got me into mechanical engineering, which got me into the job I have now!
That old " BOMBADIER " is bullet proof. Great score on that. Theresa and I have been talking about getting one just like it for running around on the homestead. Great video. I just did a video about taking care of the little things on your machine that will get you in a lot of trouble if not addressed. Hope you two are well. Theresa & Jason
Right on! I'll go check your vid out. Yeah, Brooke and I are doing pretty good. She's in Arizona for a week and I'm in Michigan with a fever of 101. But things could always be worse. LOL
This is very helpful Dave. Thanks for posting. Please do a similar video for ATVs! What are the things to look for, and which ones are best for reliability?
Awesome advice..i have a 100.00 artic cat jag & a 150.00 yamaha enticer..both run great and i just do basic maintenance gas and oil..no $10. 000. Sleds for me.
Great video! I just want to add that people should definitely look up how to re-string the pull starter recoil. I tried to do it myself on my 96 XLT and ended up taking it apart further than I had to... and the clock spring popped out which was a mess. Turns out I didnt have to go that far and you are supposed to re-string it without removing what I had removed. It is surprisingly simple if you learn how to do it before you tear into it like I did. Also... the part about not buying a triple is definitely correct for a newbie. They sound amazing, have great power, and are fun to drive. However, messing with 3 carbs isn't fun. Also, I did a top end rebuild on it and stuffing 3 pistons into a monoblock is not a great time.
Hi Dave from Northern Alaska, I guess I've been radical most of my life, Living in Bettles near the Brooks Range for over 20 years, then teaching high school student in North Pole,( sort of like juggling a lynx and a wolverine), and now retired and living in Bettles again. Nice work on your snogo primer. Hope to meet you and Brooke sometime when your in Alaska. Arctic Circe Dave
Thanks Dave. Maybe we'll bump into each other sometime up there. Ive "almost" went to Betlles a couple times ( concrete work). My buddies and I do some bush jobs.
man now there's a trip down memory lane, living here in Canada we had lots of those machines and some you didn't mention like the moto-ski Nordic, nuvik and futura and the Olympic ,Everest, élan, they are a ton of fun but like you said Dave you have to be the mechanic and willing to work on them to keep them going, enjoy
my $250 1996 skidoo has cost me $900 so far and has yet to run longer than 1 minute. Its too smokey to run longer in the garage. Heres a list of parts I bought, battery, elec starter, ring gear (used), 1 piston and cyl (used) , piston rings and retainer clips , CDI/COIL, Voltage regulator, clutch removal tool, 3 clutch retainer clips, 2 carb rebuild kits, crankcase seals and all gaskets etc. New tail light, new ignition switch, kill switch w/lanyard, exh spring removal tool, Lisle spark tester noid light, waiting for a fuel primer pump to come, all new fuel tubing, fuel shutoff valve, etc etc I've been working on it almost 3 years, its getting closer and I love fixing stuff but beware, sellers lie.
As a kid we'd go up to my grandparents camp in northwestern Pennsylvania (it gets hammered with lake effect snow from lake Erie) and ride snowmobiles. My dad had a ski doo tnt 440 that I learned on and my pap had a 1980 ski doo Everest 500 (it was a beast). Talk about winter time fun, nothing like it! My grandparents have since passed away but my brothers, myself, and parents now take care of camp. The only snowmobile left is my pap's Everest 500, after some troubleshooting on it, I got it running again, it's tons of fun. Now my 3 little kids get a taste of snowmobiling like I did and they love it. Whenever the kids see a dusting of snow they start asking "ya think they'll be enough snow at the cabin to go snowmobiling dad!?!?" Great video man, been wondering where you've been on the RU-vid airwaves, glad to see your back...
Great video! I never gave Safaris much of a thought, I think there were only 2 in the village I grew up in and one was always broke down, and it felt like the other wasn't broke down only because it was a rarely used spare. Could have easily been who owned them and worked on them though. I'm going keep a better eye out for them now, people are asking too much for Bravos and the real Tundras here it seems! I have 3 kids that are going to need machines soon. I'm sure it's crossed your mind, but you might want to give some more thought to removing the oil injections and go to premix. From my recollection those years of the economy Ski Doo models, and maybe all of them at that time, were bad about oil injection failure resulting in a seized engine. The 1991 Tundra I use as a spare and let the kids scoot around on is converted to premix, it's a hassle but better than having an engine seize...again. Be safe out there!
Good points. as for the red ones in this vid, they were running pre mix when I bought them and the oil injection lines were empty.....I topped off the oil tanks and let them idle with the oil injection held wide open.......and the oil came right up the lines. I'll probably still run a 50:1
I currently have 4 safaris 2 that run and 2 that don't 2 87s with 377 have an 88 with a 368 and a 91 with a 503 totally agree on your video safaris are the way to go if you don't want to spend much my 377s are my runners the 91 with the 503 I think might have swapped and the 368 in the 88 is not far off from running
I remember buying my 1988 Skidoo Safari 377E brand new from the dealer. It was the best sled I ever owned. It went anywhere and everywhere. Broke trail while the rest of the sleds buried themselves.
in Michigan you can register these older sleds as historic 26 years and older. and its a one time fee $50 and you also don't have to get a Michigan trail permit..but that registration is for limited usage..
I bought an 89 Safari Scout 377 new , best sled I ever owned , would run all day on a tank of gas. Reminded me of a 77 Olympic my friends had , except the Safari was a little better in the powder . Single carb , fan cooled .
Great video brother, looking at a 97 artcat 440 but has 2 carbs. And worn out skis. For $350. Don’t think I want to monkey with 2 carbs. You should do a video on how to move them around in the summertime.
