Guide to Choosing the Right Snowmobile

With fresh powder nearly everywhere you look, you’ll want to make sure you’re taking every advantage to enjoy the snow while it lasts. And with the warm months just around the corner, you’re running out of time. One of the great ways to have fun in the snow is to ride a snowmobile on the trails. There are even some who live in areas where getting around on a snowmobile is easier than getting around in a car. If you know you’re going to use your sled often enough, then you might just want to get one of your own. But how will you know which snowmobile is right for what you need?

Water world Boats & Powersports wants to help you narrow down the selection by providing some basic ways to break down your options. Think about what you’ll need for the kind of riding you expect to do and when you’ve figured out some options, stop by our location in Medford, Oregon. We proudly serve the areas of Grants Pass and Ashland, Oregon.

Riding Style

Start with some of the most important considerations that revolve around your specific riding style. How familiar are you with riding a snowmobile? Your choice may change depending on if you’re a novice or a veteran. You’ll also want to think about the trails you’ll probably visit the most and how difficult or easy they are. Are they groomed or will you need to cut through fresh snow? Certain features will work better under certain conditions, so you’ll want to make sure your sled is ready to handle the tasks ahead.

There are other, smaller considerations that will make a big difference to what you’ll be looking at. If you expect to bring a friend or family member with you most days, then you’ll want to look for a model that can accommodate two people. If you know you’ll need your sled to handle more labor-intensive work, then you’ll want features that can better handle the heavy lifting and towing. Make a list of priorities and needs related to what you’ll be using your snowmobile for to help you stay on track.

Track Length

Speaking of on track, you’ll want to start looking at some standard features now and how subtle differences will go a long way. The tracks are the part of the sled that actually make contact with the ground, which means they play an important role in how your snowmobile performs. Go back to that list of priorities you made and focus on the places you’ll be using your snowmobile. If you’re going to need some extra help staying afloat, bigger and wider tracks give you more surface area and keep you from sludging through the snow.

However, if you have shorter tracks with shallow lugs, you’ll get more agility and better handling, which means you can take tighter turns and get up to speed faster. This means that if you want to spend most of your time on groomed trails for high-sport activity, you’ll want to look into shorter tracks.

Engine Power

The engine also plays an important role in how well your sled handles and you’ll probably be looking at two different types: two-stroke engines and four-stroke engines. Essentially, the difference boils down to the number of strokes from the piston during a complete crankshaft revolution. If that doesn’t mean anything to you, it’s all about how much power you get and at what time.

Two stroke engines are fairly popular and usually provide higher power-to-weight ratios, although with limited application. On the other hand, four-stroke engines can be more diverse with how they distribute their power. Keep this in mind, not only when thinking about what you’ll need your sled to do, but also when thinking about how much power you can feasibly handle as a beginner or seasoned rider.

These tips only cover some of the essentials. There’s a lot you’ll want to consider as you’re looking for the right snowmobile, some of which may be singular to your needs. But it can still be a daunting task, so if you need help deciding on which model falls into your list of priorities, stop by Water world Boats & Powersports in Medford, Oregon, near Grants Pass and Ashland.