When snowmobiling becomes a “bad habit”

For Brad Grenier, Wautoma, snowmobiling has been a passion since he was 10 years old and continues to be what he calls his “bad habit”. He rode a snowmobile as a young boy alongside his father. This inspired him to purchase his first snowmobile, a Yamaha Enticer 250, in 1978 for $795. When asked why he purchased that sled, he said it was all he could afford. He said he and his girlfriend (now wife) rode double on a single-seat sled, and he said it had to be love. For Brad, snowmobiling is his getaway. He has always loved it, and back in the day, there weren’t many rules.
You may wonder why Brad says that snowmobiles are his bad habit – that could be because, to date, Brad has owned more than 100 sleds. He was a long-time customer and had helped at the store and dealer shows for Donahue Super Sports. Every year, he bought a new Yamaha. He credits Bobby Donahue Sr. and his brother Buz as his mentors; he started working with him in 1987, and they came up with a Performance Package Pro Max. So, buying a sled from Donahue Super Sports wasn’t just taking one from off the line; they would make the sled fit your needs, and their kit was designed to increase speed and performance, along with better handling. Brad said they would take into consideration the individual’s information, such as where and how far they wanted to ride, how they wanted to ride, and their weight.
As his passion grew, Brad knew he always wanted to refurbish an old sled into like-new condition. One year, when winter was over, Brad’s wife, Cindy, and their sons, Josh and Jordan, found a 1993 Vmax 4 and snuck away and later drove it into the yard, and they said, “Dad – you always wanted to refurbish this model, and here it is.” That was the beginning of the bad habit. As to date, Brad and his buddy have 45 vintage machines, all restored with original parts and painted, sparkling like new machines. Each machine takes 50-70 hours to refurbish. He kept them covered and stored them in his garage.
How does he acquire original parts for these Yamaha vintage machines? The answer from Brad is usually through Facebook and support from Donahue Sports. Some parts are easier to acquire than others. Recently, he needed a rubber boot for a sled, and that part, if you can find it, sells for $300. He had been searching for about three to four months, and one day, a man from Alaska contacted him and said he had the part Brad needed. He shipped it to him, no charge except for the shipping. He told Brad that, seeing he was a collector and not flipping sleds that he would gladly give it to him and sometime in the future, hopefully Brad would return the favor.
One day, he thought they were covered and stored, and no one, including himself, could enjoy them, and with encouragement from Cindy, he built a 1500 sq. ft. showroom. He now has 24 Yamaha sleds displayed that sparkle like new, and he enjoys spending time in his showroom every day. He had an open house recently to showcase his collection, and over 150 people attended, including Bobby Donahue, World Champion Snowmobile Racer. Brad used to go to shows, but no longer does that, seeing that he has the showroom. He also added that with all the work he puts into each machine, they can easily get damaged during transport.

He said he was fortunate to receive assistance from Ron Moeller, Jon Hansen, Craft Coating, Oshkosh, Rapid Signs, and his brother Dave’s Auto Body (does all his painting) in making his showroom vision a dream come true.
In 2025, Brad bought a new top end Yamaha, the last year Yamaha will be manufacturing snowmobiles, at a cost of over $23,000 – a long way from the cost of his new sled in 1978. Brad says today’s sleds are four-stroke, where you can gas and go. The older models were two-stroke, and you had to mix your gas and oil. There are many improvements in the industry, including the quality of the product, comfort, accessories, and clothing. He said you can ride in extreme temps and be comfortable all day!
Central Wisconsin has had a lack of snow, and trails are open only for a short time or not at all some winters, but that doesn’t deter Brad. He simply gathers his buddies, loads his sled(s), and they head up North. After all, there is always snow somewhere. They ride 200 to 300 miles a weekend, come home, and can’t wait to go do it again.
Yamaha may have released its last sled in 2025, but be assured that Brad Grenier will continue to hit the snowmobile trails wherever there is snow and look for those vintage machines to contribute to his “bad habit”.