It was supposed to be humorous that's what the LOL stands for. I picked up my 97 800 tripple last year for 225.00. Complete motor less carbs. It just depends where you look and how lucky you are. With a used triple depending on the year and how it was maintained the crank is always crap shoot anyway. For me getting the crank rebuilt, having the PTO oil hole drilled and a gasket set would be cheaper than a used motor as long as top end is OK, but I do my own wrenchin'. That way I would know what I have as dependability is my main concern, because breaking down 50 miles from nowhere sucks. This days off it is pull my 98 Mach 1 motor and check crank oiling hole and crank. I have a new Ski Doo 600 crank I got off e-bay for 200.00 this summer waiting if needed. It is all about your options and exploring all of them to get your desired results. Besides you have to factor in air box, cdi, stator, dess, exhaust, cooling system hoses, clutch changes depending on the year and motor type you swap in where a rebuild is plug and play.
Just my thoughts Mike