98 FZ 583

Cost is very similar, power to weight is very similar, but I am not sure of how differently they would ride and handle. I ride a mix of winding woods trails and open fields in SE WI.  Because of a crazy work schedule and limited times of open trails I ride whether trails are perfect or washboard.  Does the Mach's power really offset it's weight? Does an 06 Renegade with better shocks ride that much better in the rough stuff? Does the XP's weight and suspension give it the best of all worlds? Additional info, I weigh 210 and ride pretty aggressively. Thanks for any input or experience.

We can't all afford the new technology and that is okay.  Some of us need to make the best of what we have, what we can get cheap, or what was passed down from someone else.  The old F,S-chassis and ZX machines are a blast to ride.  They can also be very reliable in spite of their 15 year old technology, good old fashioned carburators, and suspensions that you actually have to get off of the sled to adjust.  We run 96, 97, 98, and 2000 model years out of my garage.  I have done a bunch of work on all of them with absolutely zero knowledge going in.  Total trial by fire.  Like you, I was lucky enough to find DOOTalk. Since that great day, I have spent a lot of time reading and taking in the knowledge on this great site.  That knowledge gave me and my son the confidence to rebuild and upgrade clutches, clean and synch carbs, swap in newer suspensions, replace tracks, replace shocks, replace springs, replace trailing arms, replace radius rods, replace skis, change chaincase gears, align skis, etc.  So what is the point?!?

The point is, use the search feature and the How To, FAQ section and you can do most of the work on your sled yourself.  You can do maintenace, repairs and even upgrades.  These old sleds are lower to the ground which means they are inherently better in the winding trails and with similar power, faster on the lake.  You don't need to spend $10-12,000 to have fun on the snow.  You might be able to find an older machine for under $1000 or may even have a real gem in your garage right now that just needs to get DOOTalked!  

Tons of gas but having a hard time finding the true source.  Could the fuel filter which is under the carbs get water in it and then freeze and crack?  That is my best guess so far because I can't imagine this much gas coming from the carbs themselves. It was running great on the trail, stopped at a road crossing and never could get it restarted.