It's a strange time in the powersports world lately, with some companies definitely faring better than others. Among the ones having a particularly tough time last year was Polaris, which already instituted cost cuts in 2024 that included cutting about 10 percent of its employees.
But as we noted at the beginning of February 2025, company CEO Mike Speetzen said that further cost cuts would be necessary in 2025 if the company was to turn the ship around. And now, we're seeing what one of those cuts will look like. In a call with snow recreation media outlet SnoWest, a Polaris representative stated in no uncertain terms that Timbersled would end production of its snow bike conversion kits for good after the 2025 model year.
The 2025 Timbersleds will mark the final year for the kits, and will carry a one-year warranty. Polaris will continue to offer both parts and service (as well as warranty service), as well as operate a customer service channel for those products. But there will be no 2026 Timbersled models, as the lineup winds down its final production run.
The Polaris statement adds, "This was a difficult decision. Timbersled is a great brand, and we are proud of the product advancements we have brought to the snow bike market. Since acquiring Timbersled in 2015, Polaris has invested millions of dollars in product engineering, design, technology, and efforts to bring the sport of snow biking to the next level of popularity. However, the market has struggled over the last several years, and we no longer see a long-term path for growth within this niche snow bike kit market."
Reaction online since the news broke has been mixed. There's been some confusion, particularly with regard to the flurry of recent tariffs imposed by the current US administration on imports from a variety of countries. It's unclear what the provenance of all the componentry that goes into the making of Timbersleds is, so that sourcing could perhaps be affected. However, it's worth noting that according to Polaris, all the actual Timbersled units are still proudly built in Idaho.
Instead, Polaris says it plans to double down on keeping its snowmobile lineup going strong, especially since it's been making snowmobiles for the past 70 years. Of course, if winters keep getting milder in the areas where snow sports are typically practiced, times may not get easier for that area of the business, either. But as always, we'll have to wait and see how the situation evolves.
Do you have a Timbersled, or have you ridden one? Are you going to miss them when they're gone? Tell us your best Timbersled memories in the comments!
