Hey guys. What can you tell me about a 96 Polaris XLT? I am thinking about buying one in my area which looks to be in excellent shape. Here is the ad:

For sale 1996 polaris xlt indy 600 triple. This snowmobile has 5600 mi. On it. Excellent cond. Picked, w/ cover. $1700 obo. Please send me an email if you would like to see more photo' s.

I have photos and the sled looks awesome. This will be my first sled purchase so I dont know exactly what to look for when I go see the sled. What advice can you give me?

Here are some more pics. What do you guys think?

Price seems high considering the miles.

make sure it has the updated oil pump with PTO bearing oiler. you will see an oil line running between the clutch and cylinder base going into a nipple just above the crank seal. if it doesn't have this, stay away. the '96's were horrible on cranks, mainly the PTO bearings freezing up and snapping the clutch nub off.

i have a turbo setup for it that i got off ebay last year I'll sell cheap. the ad said it would fit a zrt 600 tripple, it will not. i paid 600.00 but will sell for 300.00 Sounds a little high on that price, only worth 900.00 to 1400.00 at very most.

I would say the price is high also. check on the needles and seats and look at the track

Offer him $1300, sled looks like it has been taken care of.

Well I just found out the sled has been stored inside at all times when he wasnt riding it.....

Do you have a pic of this so I know exactly what I'm looking for?

ok I've got a couple other questions for you guys.

I found an exact same machine at the dealership in my town. its got less miles(3500) and they want $1700 firm. The machine is in really good shape. Is it worth it?

Also how fast are these sleds compared to a 98 or 99 MXZ 440? I've ridden an MXZ quite a few times and they are pretty quick.

i can get you pic, but it will have to wait until thursday. i am currently at work and 800 miles from my house. as for comparing to a MXZ 440, they are quicker and more powerful, but the suspension is more dated.

Problem with the 96's was that both of them had Xtra-12. Looks like your cosidering the small carb edition, 34mm, which won't have much power having the Xtra-12. That skid had alot of drag and was rough on slides, even in decent snow. That's why I didn't buy a 96, didn't believe in Xtra 12.

For a first sled might be OK, price does sound slightly high. It would have to be PERFECT, including the issues the other guys have mentioned in this thread.

Be careful and good luck!

Funny thing is I found an almost exact sled as this one at my local dealership today but I am almost positive it has the fox suspension( white shocks, fox emblem i believe??) The sleds were almost identical though.

The one at the dealership i am looking at is a "high output" triple. Im pretty sure it has the FOX suspension. The shocks are white and I believe they have the fox logo.

Also what octane gas do I need to run on these things? Do I need to pre-mix the gas or is it oil injected?

Price is high. Just to give you a difference, I sold a 1995 XLT 600 special with 2000 miles on it for $1500. I've owned many xlt's in the past. If you have never had a snowmobile before, I do not recommend a triple as your first sled. You can severly screw things up in the sled if you let it run on two cylinders. A good person to ask about this sled is pockets. When I was fixing the other xlt he had some good advice. Good luck with whatever you decide. Just be wary of some xlt's. It was an old drag racing favorite so a lot of them have been raced. Stay away from someone else's mods to unless you're prepared to "tweak" all the time.