Looking at a couple different Vmax sleds - suggestions welcome

J

JLee50

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I've just recently discovered how inexpensive snowmobiles have become - I don't remember them being this cheap when I was looking around last year, but maybe I missed something. Who knows!

Anyway, I'm looking for my first sled -- other than riding around on friends' machines every now and again, I'm new to them. I've found several '97 Vmax 600's that I may go look at, so I thought I'd come here and see if anyone could steer me in a particular direction.

I intend on using it for just about everything, I guess - leaning more towards sporty riding than long trail rides, but I would like the option of both without extreme discomfort.

I've found:

'97 Vmax 600 LE with AD Boivin Expert suspension for $1500 (2660 miles, looks to be in pretty good condition)
'97 Vmax 600 XT for $1400 (unknown mileage, looks to be in really good shape)
'98 Vmax 600 LE for $1400 with 800 miles, electric start & reverse (from the photo, looks like it was stored outside, but covered, with the track up on something)
'97 Vmax 600 XTC for $1200 with 1852 miles (appears to be pristine)

I'm somewhat familiar with cars - have done a lot of work on my '91 MR2 Turbo, and a buddy and I saved my SV650 from the results of a previous owner's astoundingly inept mechanical work, but like I said I am completely new to these so I don't really know what to look for.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated - I'm not 100% set on a Vmax, but there are plenty around in my price range ($1000-1400).
 
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I like the tripple over the twin engine. I would also get on with e/r over a non e/r.

The expert x is a nice skid for the money. A 136 track with a bigger lug 1.25-1.5
is a nice setup.

The 01 and new have duel headlights which help out with the night time.

I personally like the viper. ;)!

Hope this helps.
 
I think an '01 (and a triple) will be out of my price range - I found an '00 700 triple for 1500, but it needs a new track. The only 01 I found was $2500. I'm trying to keep the whole thing under $1500 - preferably closer to the $1000 mark.

I did find:

2000 Vmax 700 (with electric start and reverse) for $1500, but it has 8500 miles on it. :(
1997 Vmax 700 (with electric start and plastic skis) for $1250...with 9800 miles
1999 Vmax 700 Deluxe (with electric start, reverse, plastic skis) for $2250; 740 miles
2001 Vmax 700 Deluxe (electric start, reverse, plastic skis) for $2200; 5361 miles

The only ones near my price range have way high miles...I doubt I can talk the $2200+ crowd down to $1200-1400, but I could try. I hate to be 'that guy' though. :P
 
JLee50 said:
I think an '01 (and a triple) will be out of my price range - I found an '00 700 triple for 1500, but it needs a new track. The only 01 I found was $2500. I'm trying to keep the whole thing under $1500 - preferably closer to the $1000 mark.

I did find:

2000 Vmax 700 (with electric start and reverse) for $1500, but it has 8500 miles on it. :(
1997 Vmax 700 (with electric start and plastic skis) for $1250...with 9800 miles
1999 Vmax 700 Deluxe (with electric start, reverse, plastic skis) for $2250; 740 miles
2001 Vmax 700 Deluxe (electric start, reverse, plastic skis) for $2200; 5361 miles

The only ones near my price range have way high miles...I doubt I can talk the $2200+ crowd down to $1200-1400, but I could try. I hate to be 'that guy' though. :P
Click to expand...

Thing is with the tripples , they last forever, lots of members on here and other forums have 20K on there V Max's, I rarely hear of one blowing up. So really if the sled was well taken care of and not raced the piss out of, I would look into some of the high mile ones. Just take a compression tester with you, if it is good across the boards, bonus, then check the track to see if it is in good shape, as that can add you another $700 when it goes. Most tracks that go are either heavily picked, or sit outside on the ground and rot, so a stored sleds track is usually damn good.

The less it looks like the guy / woman dressed it up to sell it the better IMO, least you see what you really are getting.

There are a few things common to all these sleds which have been discussed a lot, just do a search and you will find the two main ones.

Other then that, you will love the sled, especially with Electric start, nothing worse then pulling a 700 cc engine over.

I have no toys like that on mine as I wanted to keep it light as possible, but for the trails, electric start is nice on any sled.
 
There was an issue with the 97 600 twins....... a ring locator pin would come out and the ring would spin and catch the intake or exhaust port....... so make sure it has the update done to it if its a 97 600 twin. If its a 98 600 twin them it shoud be all good.

But i also have to put in a vote for the triple rather than the twin........

If you were closer you could check out my 97 700 vmax for 1500.......you can see it in the classifieds.
 
Hmm.., the one I was most interested in was a '97 600 twin (2660mi, electric start, AD Boisin Expert skid). If you were even half the distance, I'd consider it - but 28 hours is a long time to drive..ahwell!

If mileage isn't a concern, I will check out some of the triples, the 2000 in particular...thanks!

Edit: I talked to both people -- I'm not sure the 97 is a 97..it has external shocks, and from what I've been able to find, that's a pre-97 setup. The guy with the 2000 vmax 700 seems to be a decent guy - he bought it a few years ago and put 600 miles on it since then. Heated grips, helmet plug, reverse, electric start, no body damage, clean underneath - always stored inside or covered on a trailer. I'm going to look at it tomorrow.
 
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I sold my 97 vmax 700 this spring, I bought it with 8600 miles on it a couple years ago. When I sold it, it had a little over 11000 on it, I swear it ran like it was new. Never had a problem with it. I trusted it over my SRX, and that had less than 1/3 the miles. LOL I shouldn't of ever sold it.... Anyways, if the sled has been taken car of (looks), and checks out with a comp test, I wouldn't be the least bit afraid of buying it if it was me.
 
As I am the kind of guy like goody 700 (having a 88 Mustang GT and owning yami's 700 triples), i will told you to not buy a twin and go with a triple or save for now and buy it later. Theses sleds run forever and you will be very pleased with that throaty sound. And also, 11000mi is very low for theses sleds here in Quebec. My 98 is 20000km and my father 00 is 14000km. I know people having 30000km on them without having the engine rebuild. The highest milleage i know of one is 43000km. So you know what I mean...
 
Perfect. I'm going to see the '00 700 tomorrow afternoon, and picking up a suit & helmet on Thursday. I should be all set by the time we have enough snow to ride. :D
 
I picked it up today for $1400. 120psi on the nose in each cylinder, good track, everything works (handwarmer switch is loose - maybe an o-ring fix?). It sounds awesome. :D

11841217840206801508196.jpg
 
Also, if it makes you feel any better, my buddy picked one up for 1000 a couple weeks ago, it's sitting in the garage, has 120 PSI in each hole as well. Thing about it, 4400 miles on it...
 
Yeah, this has 8600. It should be running fine, from what he said (obviously..as he was selling it) - maybe it'll read higher after a 4th pull, or when it's warm. This was a cold dry test (had only ran for a minute or two before it). It sounds fantastic, though...can't wait for snow! The sled is in awesome shape overall - one of the bars to the left ski is slightly bent..that's all I could find wrong with it (other than the loose heated grip knob). The cowl is in great shape, the seat is perfect, track is good...

Seemed like an honest guy, though, so if there's anything wrong I doubt he knew about it. Worst case, I rebuild the motor over the summer...I don't think it'll be necessary, though.
 
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Compression is also subject to the guage you are using i have one (snap-on) that shows my sled at 108psi on a new build which i know is wrong from the hand guage pullin her over :)
 
I'm using an Autozone cheapie, or something similar.

More pics - got her unloaded and in the barn:

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2nd photo - the lower arm going to the ski is bent a bit. Is that something that's going to throw the suspension or steering off (i.e. should I fix it ASAP), or should I not worry about it? I do have plastic skis..was expecting metal! :)
 
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LOOKS REAL NICE!!! My 700 has 4600 mi. on it now and the compression on it warm is around 120 in each cyl. It pulls hard and will do 103 mph on a gps/108 on the speedo. Like it was said it depends on the gauge. It's more to give yourself a reference for when things go south on a cyl. What you are looking for is even numbers across all three. 120 is certainly in the ball park so to speak.
 
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