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Looking at a used snowmobile, any tips?


yall

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I'm looking at an 89 Arctic Cat Eltigre tomorrow. Anyone have any thoughts about what I should look for beyond it being able to start? Supposedly the motor has been rebuild and the ski's are in decent shape. Anything in particular i should be looking for on the track? Rotting, missing studs, etc? It has 4900 miles and the guy is asking $500.00 which seems reasonable.

 

Thanks

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I'm looking at an 89 Arctic Cat Eltigre tomorrow. Anyone have any thoughts about what I should look for beyond it being able to start? Supposedly the motor has been rebuild and the ski's are in decent shape. Anything in particular i should be looking for on the track? Rotting, missing studs, etc? It has 4900 miles and the guy is asking $500.00 which seems reasonable.

 

Thanks

 

Look for something newer . ZL line came out around 96 or 97 . Good dependable machine .

 

 

89 is a little old if you are not mechancially inclined .

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Look for something newer . ZL line came out around 96 or 97 . Good dependable machine .

 

 

89 is a little old if you are not mechancially inclined .

 

I'm actually fairly mechanically inclined. I used to work on sleds when I was a little kid.

 

I'm assuming something around 96 or 97 would be about $1000.00 or so, right? A bit more than I want to spend right now.

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I'm looking at an 89 Arctic Cat Eltigre tomorrow. Anyone have any thoughts about what I should look for beyond it being able to start? Supposedly the motor has been rebuild and the ski's are in decent shape. Anything in particular i should be looking for on the track? Rotting, missing studs, etc? It has 4900 miles and the guy is asking $500.00 which seems reasonable.

 

Thanks

 

http://www.snowmobileforum.com/arctic-cat-...r-problems.html

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I'm looking at an 89 Arctic Cat Eltigre tomorrow. Anyone have any thoughts about what I should look for beyond it being able to start? Supposedly the motor has been rebuild and the ski's are in decent shape. Anything in particular i should be looking for on the track? Rotting, missing studs, etc? It has 4900 miles and the guy is asking $500.00 which seems reasonable.

 

Thanks

 

As a rider I would definitely suggest looking at something newer for many reasons. One, an 89 is going to be pretty beat up, especially if the engine has been rebuilt. Two the older models are a pain in the butt when it comes to keeping them running. Three, the suspensions between a 89 and 96 are worlds apart. My first sled was a92 Vmax and later that winter I got a steal of a deal on a98 skidoo mxz. The suspension on the 98 was amazing. I could finally ride most of the day without the aches and pains and back jars that I would get from the Yamaha.

 

However, if you're really looking to get something cheap like this. Make sure the track is in good condition and not cracked or missing rubber anywhere. Also check the play with the steering, make sure the killswitch and handlebar warmers(if they are even on it) are both working. Also, have the owner show you how to start it, sounds silly, but the older sleds all had little quirks when it comes to getting them running.

 

All I can think of off the top of my head. Looks like we are going to get a good winter for riding for change. can't wait til the trails open

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That reminds me a kid I went to High School with. He was snowmobiling in the fields in Eden one winter, farm field to farm field. He never saw the wire. Decapitated. <_<

 

That happened here in phoenix to a guy on a motorcycle. Riding along the canal, hit a chain that he didn't see.

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That happened here in phoenix to a guy on a motorcycle. Riding along the canal, hit a chain that he didn't see.

 

Sorry to get off topic yall... But speaking of stupid stuff that people do and the above post jogged my memory what people do on the water and a canal.

 

Towboats will normally push barges that are about 200' long by 35' wide... They usually configure their tows to have anywhere up to 15 barges... Normally here they are 6 to 8 barges... Now the "rake" of a barge is a long sloping end (usually used as the bow) of the barge... A "box" is basically a straight down "square" end... A lot of times tows push empty barges which ride high (only draft 2 feet of water)... That gives them about 7 or more feet above the water line... Often they will configure their tow and barges to couple "rake to rake" or "rake to box" (also called an "ice coupling" in the winter)... This configuration creates room of free space in the middle of the tow (a tow that be from a few hundred feet long to over 1000' long by 35', 52-54', 70', 105' or 108' wide).

 

Now back to the stupid things people do... . Sometimes small (and crazy, stupid drunk people) pleasure craft will "shoot" through the middle of the tow's barges... Think of it like running through the open space of the wheels on a moving train to get to the other side... With a tow, it can be done because they move so slow... Maybe a couple miles per hour AND the configuration of the tow's couplings set up to be "rake to rake" gives them the room.

 

Well... One time I heard the story where somebody tried to shoot through the middle of a tow!... They went through the first "rake to rake" coupling... THEN WHAM!!... The next coupling was "box to box!" Should I say nobody knew of the carnage until the wreakage started floating out miles later!

 

Man, some people think of stupid sh*t to do! <_<:oops:

 

Again... Sorry for the tangent! And don't do anything stupid on the snow!

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:wallbash:

 

Crack open a cold one for me and throttle it!

 

What is it with machines and stupidity?

 

And yall... Make a good choice... Some of those sleds can haul ass!

 

I actually don't want to haul ass. :thumbdown:

 

I've known a number of people who have been decapitated or badly injured on these things. Mostly, I want to take some slow rides around the trails near my house. Sober, slow, and during daylight. Yeah, I'm a sissy. But that is also why I'm ok getting an older one, because for as little as I will ride it, it doesn't make sense to spend more than 500 bucks.

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I'm looking at an 89 Arctic Cat Eltigre tomorrow. Anyone have any thoughts about what I should look for beyond it being able to start? Supposedly the motor has been rebuild and the ski's are in decent shape. Anything in particular i should be looking for on the track? Rotting, missing studs, etc? It has 4900 miles and the guy is asking $500.00 which seems reasonable.

 

Thanks

 

Be sure to get a tow rope...............seriously

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