Snowmobiling Next 10 To 20 Years

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durphee

Well-known member
I think sledding will still be a quite popular sport, maybe just more used sleds being ridden due to high costs of new. I am more worried about private lands being shut down by private industry, land owners and such than tree huggers. Access to land is key and the multi use trail system will be the life line to keeping the sport going. Maintaining advocacy for the sport is vital.
As for comparing boating to snowmobiling, well, I don't even like to think about how much money I spend on my boat. Probably a 10-1 ratio.
 
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highhertel

Member
Throttle jockeys have scared away some of the family snowmobilers. I for one have been run off the narrow trails of Forest and Oconto county by Ricky Racers on several occasions. That was my original reasoning for buying a cabin in the UP/Amasa area, less crowded trails.

Now that I am out in Oregon, I had the chance to visit Crater Lake over the weekend and see what the Cascade snowmobile trails look like. Awesome to see the least! Spoke with one of the trail groomers over the weekend and he gave me the good with the bad. Will rent sleds this winter to get the feel of the area before buying a couple used machines.

I for one feel snowmobiling will never cease to exist, but the industry is changing, just like most things in life.

HH
 
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whitedust

Well-known member
I know the snomo landscape has changed for me from when I had the entire family on Indys in the early 90s. My buddies would say "why are you going to the UP with your family"?" Forget that ride with us sleddin is a guy thing". I would say "I spend a lot of time on the road & I highly value time with my family so passing on the guy's trip". With time my kids could no longer keep up with the costs of snowmobiling & dropped out then one by one my buds dropped out for time & cost reasons. For the last 5 years I have been riding alone 95% of the time. JD website has hooked me up with some quality people so my regular riding buds circle is expanding but I now view snowmobiling as a "guy thing". Costs are very high but I live deep in the WI Northwoods so I enjoy my afternoon rides but limit my miles on the trails. I used to luv blasting grades but grades do pile on the miles quickly so spending more time on the Twistys with 175 mile day in Twistys a ball buster for me. I'll be in the sport for 10 more years probably 2 more sleds then age will get me. I do think rental fleets will grow & we will see a lot more renters than sled owners on trails. Renters will come for a weekend have a blast then walk away spend the next weekend at the beach in FL with the family. Sooooooo much recreational competition out there will anyone invest in just 1 sport in the winter? I think this will erode snowmobile numbers in the USA in 10 years then the next 10 years no idea what it could be like.
 
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Hoosier

Well-known member
For me personally, my goals for the next 10 years are to explore more riding areas. Would love to explore more remote areas of Canada for example. Hoping the exchange rate goes back to the way it once was by the time I have the time to get up there and ride. I enjoy riding just about everywhere I've been, but my all time favorite trip was in Quebec about 10 years ago. Fun to ride 80 miles between towns without seeing another sled, especially when the ZR800 in our group did about 90 miles on a tank that trip. With the range the newer sleds are getting, I'd love to get back up there.
 
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98panther

New member
anonomoose said:
it is still cheaper than golf or bowling over the long haul.
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No way, Golf once a week all summer, and once a week bowling all winter.
I spend less for both combined than spend in 2 weekends snowmobiling on a borrowed sled.

How can those even be compared, who can sled for only gas and trail fee costs? where would everything else come from.
 
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Jonger1150

New member
gary_in_neenah said:
Imagine what a gallon of gas will cost in 2033. The machines have doubled in price in the past 20 years so are we looking at 25K for a new one 20 years out? Doesn't look favorable for the masses, maybe a few. I'm thinking rentals and maybe the regular riders focus on owning their own gear instead of machines, kinda like skiers do today.

Quite honestly when you look at the world around us today, snowmobiling may not be of interest in 20 years. Keeping your family fed, safe, and in a warm home may take up all your time and money. Just something to think about.
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Manufacturers are going to have no choice but to incorporate battery technology into the drive system. I get people arguing with me all the time about how gas mileage isn't important, [edit] right its important. I bought an Ski-Doo renegade that gets 21MPG for a reason, I can't afford 50 dollar fill-ups every 90 miles.

I started riding in 1995, gas was $1.05 a gallon, its now $3.50 to $4.50 and wages have no gone up to match this.

Face it, people don't make the kind of money that they did 20 years ago.

This sport has replaced golfing and top end boating... Its for big ballers, not rednecks (the commonly misguided cliche).
 
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Woodtic

Active member
The high trail speed is keeping the youngsters off the trail. The speeds and the amount of traffic has doubled in the last 20 years. I don't recall seeing lines at gas stations 10 years ago. But at the same time they don't sell any sleds for the kids. My hand me down kids 340 has close to 7000 , and I can't replace it with a new one. So even if I have the money,can't buy a sled for a 10 year old,and its not safe on the trail. I was able to get my kids into sledding by buying old sleds and wrenching on them my self. We also stayed on logging roads. As far as the grown ups that I know that have gotten out of it? Whitedust is right,they go west and rent,or go north and rent. The snows bad,no big deal,those same guys fly south,and golf for the weekend.
 
indy_500

indy_500

Well-known member
polarisrider1 said:
Can You imagine if Honda would jump in the mix. Gas sipping perfection.
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as long as its as reliable as everything else they make! if it had at least 100 hp id be satisfied. In all honesty its not the sled gas imo i get my most fun riding in the UP where the snow is deeper than down here. I live 4 hours from the deep white gold, about 250 miles. Getting 12 mpg in a truck 500 miles round trip high outweighs the cost of riding a sled what 2-300 a weekend? offtrailing maybe 100 a weekend at 12 versus 18 on a higher efficiency 4 stroke or etec? ^maybe you do get 21 mpg on your renegade but theres no way in he11 if i rode it it'd get 21 my buddies 800 etec gets about 14-15 keeping up with my 500 :)
 
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Hoosier

Well-known member
Woodtic said:
The high trail speed is keeping the youngsters off the trail. The speeds and the amount of traffic has doubled in the last 20 years. I don't recall seeing lines at gas stations 10 years ago. But at the same time they don't sell any sleds for the kids. My hand me down kids 340 has close to 7000 , and I can't replace it with a new one. So even if I have the money,can't buy a sled for a 10 year old,and its not safe on the trail. I was able to get my kids into sledding by buying old sleds and wrenching on them my self. We also stayed on logging roads. As far as the grown ups that I know that have gotten out of it? Whitedust is right,they go west and rent,or go north and rent. The snows bad,no big deal,those same guys fly south,and golf for the weekend.
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I understand the safety concerns, and definitely agree with you that the speeds are getting to be a concern, but I don't get the argument that sledding will die because there is too much traffic. That's like what Yogi Berra said about a restaurant - no one goes there anymore, it's too crowded.

If the speeds could be controlled, the day to day fuel/oil/maintenance costs would come down as well. No one put 250/300 miles a day on 20 years ago (ok some did, but not many) since the trails weren't set up to ride that fast all day long.
 
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