buying new snowmobile. opinions please!

[Lunkerhunter]

i am looking to get a new snowmobile this year and have my eyes set on a new non current 2011 Yamaha Venture Lite.

 

my questions are is anyone familiar with this model from Yamaha? any info is much appreciated. it is a touring sled which is what im looking for as i want the 2 seats and storage at the back.

 

is the fact that it has been sitting for 2 years an issue? there are 0 miles on the sled and comes with full warranty but i was just curious if the sitting can cause any problems.

 

anyone else know of any good deals on new non current snowmobiles? willing to drive a bit if it saves decent coin.

 

 

 

http://www.yamaha-motor.ca/products/details.php?model=3479&group=SM&catId=77#fb

 

 

[myot]

its a really cold machine to ride

its reliable

super heavy for the cc's of the machine

and slow

but if used for icefishing on lakes where access is easy go for it

 

Dan

[porkpie]

I'm not familiar with this machine in particular, but I just thought I'd add that I've been extremely satisfied with any Yamaha power equipment I've owned!

[Renegade67]

No worries on being a leftover. Its the best way to go as you get a decent deal and have a new unit with warranty. Being a year or three off the curve is not a big deal, especially if you are going to keep it for years. You also can read reviews of people who have bought and used the make and model you are interested in to learn of any possible issues.

Your dealer will go through the machine.

There are a couple of new 2011 ventures on kijiji but they are not lite and do not have the rack, which I'm fairly certain you want.

That sled is pretty damn ugly but for ice fishing it looks very functional! Good luck!

[limeyangler]

i thought long and hard about getting one of those. They are not 'Lite" at all, and as someone else mentioned……a bit dull and slow…but hey…my neighbour loves his and towed my sorry butt off the ice when my sled went KABOOM.

 

What terrain and use mostly?

 

The machine will have warranty and sitting there won't harm it.

[chris.brock]

my brother has a 2010 Phazer (similar, same engine), I've ridden it a fair bit, I think it's great, if I were buying a new 4 stroke that would likely be the one,

[DRIFTER_016]

I have it's big brother the RS Venture GT.

It is heavy but runs like a dream.

Running my sled across the lake is like riding a Harley down the interstate.

Getting it stuck sucks but in the 5 years I have had mine I've only really been stuck once and a couple of minor inconveniences two other times.

I get great gas mileage and nothing out of the ordinary (read regular maintenance) has gone wrong with it in that time.

Since it's a 4 stroke (like a car or truck) you want a block heater and battery warmer if you will be running it in very cold temps as they can be a bit finicky when the temps drop to -30 and below, but if you will be mostly riding in temps -20 and warmer it's not really needed.

It's also only needed first thing in the day when the sled has been sitting overnight in the frigid temps.

 

My sled is not fuel injected (they changed the following year ) so the newer injected ones may start a little better at colder temps.

 

[nancur373]

two words ski doo

[ecmilley]

It's an 80hp 500 cc class machine and it works well, they are not a cold sled by 11 at all as yamaha worked all the bugs outta of there handle bar heaters by 10, decent on fuel and turn key reliability, yammy 4 strokes have the best resale value by far, for flat lander ice riding more than capable , now thw only rea downfall with these (and most yamaha) sleds is the crap ski's on them, don't even bother trying it with the factory set up either have the dealer install snow tracker carbides, or the new yamaha dual keel tuner ski