It’s been a record year for snowcheck orders and a record year for delayed deliveries. It’s a painful place to be for both sides. If you were part of the record snowcheck this year, chances are high your snowmobile is delayed. It’s quite a bummer but don’t rush to cancel that delayed sled, even if it is scheduled to come past the bulk of the riding season. There are many financial reasons why it’s best to hold out for the sled you ordered. 

1.The price of the 2023 sleds is likely going up a lot!

One of the things we have found is the snowmobile part of the power sports segment lags the rest as far as pricing. What does that mean? Any changes in pricing that happen in outdoor recreation such as boating, RV, ATV, and UTVs can be expected to occur to snowmobiles the following season.

It can be shocking if you are following the 2022 pricing on the other outdoor segments. They are all going up significantly. Malibu Boats, a manufacturer of expensive water sports boats, is increasing prices by 21% from the 2021 to 2022 model year. OUCH!!!  

By keeping your 2022 snow check, you are protecting yourself from these significant jumps in price!

2. The depreciation hit for a new snowmobile is non-existent right now

Used sled prices have skyrocketed as of late due to supply and demand. Let’s face it, and supply is not going up much. Dealers will be lucky to get any floor stock this year, and new models are trickling in through March. Demand is soaring! Covid has forced many into creating their fun and Powersports and has driven the value of limited supply through the roof. We thought used prices last year were crazy, and this year is shaping up to be even crazier.

That means the value on a sled with a year of lost use is not losing any value. Remember that replacement cost is an important factor in used prices. With a significant price increase for 2023, you will not lose that initial hit so commonly associated with buying new. If anything, the sled will increase in value on paper. The outdoor recreation has many used units selling for more than what they cost new!

3. Significant Updates to 2023 models are likely limited by the supply chain

With the OEMs struggling to get all the parts for the 2022s, they probably don’t want to retool and deal with the extra headaches.  

Polaris has already retooled to the Maytrx chassis, and any changes will be tiny.

Ski-Doo is due to update the G4 chassis. Still, any update is usually limited to a few select models during the introductory season before the whole lineup moves the new chassis.

Arctic Cat and Yamaha have been due for a while, but Covid has likely caused a delay in a refresh. With the current supply chain setbacks, they may be hesitant about taking on a refresh with an unstable supply chain.

Even if a refresh happens, you can look at the value of the Polaris Axys sleds to see how it affects the value. Spoiler alert, they are still selling for a premium.

How to still get on the snow this season!

If your sled is delayed to February or March and you still want to ride. The best move is to buy a leftover or used sled to carry you until the snowchecked one arrives if you have the financial means.  

You’ll want to hang onto the spare sled till the fall of 2022 and unload it then. You’ll likely break even or make money on it as 2023 prices will raise the used market value. 

Selling it in the spring will limit your return as fewer buyers, and the 2023 price increase has yet to be fully realized in the market. 

So why keep the snowchecked if it plans on coming in late? You have a snowmobile locked into the preinflation prices, and walking away from that means you’ll likely pay more for the same machine!

About Fast-Trac

We've been helping people get the traction for their snowmobiles since 1989.  If you are want a more predictable handling check out our application guide to find the right kit for your machine.