The industry needs to seriously prioritize these machines. I live near revelstoke (one of the best mountain sled destinations in the world) between 12 dealerships i havent been able to find a single midsize sled this year. The industry seems afraid to sell them because theyre worried itll cut into performance sales. It wont, the sport needs a beginner route if it wants a future. I ride big high performance machines. I learned on them and it sucked for a while. I cant teach my wife to ride on a 160+ hp sled that weighs 3 times more than her. Let alone teens. The way the industry treats mid size machines is insane. Imagine if dirt bike dealers only carried 450s and said new riders "just need to grow into them". Making mid level machines cheap and available will save the industry and lead to more long term fanatics down the road.
Thanks STV for acknowledging that these 400's appeal to adults as well. There is no doubt that Cat tries to heavily focus on "youth and new riders" (due I feel to not wanting to damage their higher profit sled sales) but our sales have been heavily to experienced riders, ranchers, off trail riders who missed the small sizes sleds or just don't feel the need to go north of 70mph.
The snowmobile industry killed itself as long as they keep doing what they are doing numbers will go down. I grew up in NJ where there are trails and we got over 50 inches of snow on an average year. Many people had sleds when they were up to about 8000 dollars for a higher end model. Every single dealer in that area went out of business in the last ten years. No one is going to spend 20,000.00 dollars on something they may ride twice in a bad winter. Oh and entry level sleds are condescending
It kinda sucks a entry level sled just to go set traps with is 10k?! If someone made a 6k 400, they would sell new sleds like hot cakes but 10 is just too much. Guess I'll just have to buy used and rebuild like everything else.
Your comment on detuned sled made from left over parts is spot on when it comes to the EVO. Poo needs to start over in this category.
The industry needs to seriously prioritize these machines. I live near revelstoke (one of the best mountain sled destinations in the world) between 12 dealerships i havent been able to find a single midsize sled this year.
The industry seems afraid to sell them because theyre worried itll cut into performance sales.
It wont, the sport needs a beginner route if it wants a future. I ride big high performance machines. I learned on them and it sucked for a while. I cant teach my wife to ride on a 160+ hp sled that weighs 3 times more than her. Let alone teens.
The way the industry treats mid size machines is insane. Imagine if dirt bike dealers only carried 450s and said new riders "just need to grow into them".
Making mid level machines cheap and available will save the industry and lead to more long term fanatics down the road.
Thanks STV for acknowledging that these 400's appeal to adults as well. There is no doubt that Cat tries to heavily focus on "youth and new riders" (due I feel to not wanting to damage their higher profit sled sales) but our sales have been heavily to experienced riders, ranchers, off trail riders who missed the small sizes sleds or just don't feel the need to go north of 70mph.
The snowmobile industry killed itself as long as they keep doing what they are doing numbers will go down. I grew up in NJ where there are trails and we got over 50 inches of snow on an average year. Many people had sleds when they were up to about 8000 dollars for a higher end model. Every single dealer in that area went out of business in the last ten years. No one is going to spend 20,000.00 dollars on something they may ride twice in a bad winter. Oh and entry level sleds are condescending
It kinda sucks a entry level sled just to go set traps with is 10k?! If someone made a 6k 400, they would sell new sleds like hot cakes but 10 is just too much. Guess I'll just have to buy used and rebuild like everything else.
Pretty sad to see what this segment has become or how much the sport has shrunk over the last 20 years.