PRICES OF 1976 SNOWMOBILES

August 1975 - Suggested retail prices for the 1976 model snowmobiles ranged from just under $1,000. to more than $2,000.
  This does not include highest performance racing models for which all manufacturers have not published prices. It appeared, however, that prices of most of the liquid cooled racing models were around $2,500.
  Prices were generally up from 5 to 15% from the previous year, albeit, somewhat less than some sources earlier predicted.

CANADA'S ALPINE RIDING

Snowmobiling The Mountains in Canada Offers Excellent Challenges - Just north of The United States border lies Canada where some of the best snowmobiling around can be found.
   The steep mountains, rolling hills, flat plains and exciting alpine riding beckons to snowmobilers everywhere to come and join the fun and deep powder Canada has to offer.
   The Canadian Provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan entice snowmobilers to come over the border during the snowmobile season and partake in the varied terrain and unlimited excitement.

YAMAHA V-MAX UPGRADES

December, 1984 - V-Max Mods Proving Popular. Before going into production with The 1985 V-Max, Yamaha engineers strongly considered and almost won approval for factory modifications that reportedly add 3-5 percent more horsepower.
   Although the mods, which included some porting changes, were not done at the factory.  Yamaha dealers were authorized to do the modifications for performance minded customers.
   According to reports from the field, as many as half of all new V-Max buyers were having the mod work done before delivery.

SKI-DOO'S ANNIVERSARY EDITION

The 1984 Ski-Doo SS25 Anniversary Edition - 1959-1984 Ski-Doo 25th. The all-new SS25 was the proud result of a quarter century of snowmobile manufacturing.
   The powerplant is a fast 462.8cm Rotax engine with Rotary Valves Liquid Cooled engine.  The flotation, traction and climbing ability of this strong, lightweight sled was said to be nothing short of amazing.
   The overall design of the SS25 offered track-bred aerodynamics plus a low center of gravity for incredible balance and stability.
   For an extra cushiony ride, The SS25 offered a new longer travel suspension which was called the TRS6.  With the SS25, convenience was built right in with standard features such as speedometer, tach, electric fuel gauge, low oil and high beam pilot lights.  It came standard with oil injection, CD Ignition and a 3 ramp clutch.

RIB MOUNTAIN RACE SET IN WISCONSIn

Press Release - Wausau, Wisconsin - November 1974 - The 9th Annual Rib Mountain Snowmobile Classic will be held January 4 and 5 at Marathon Park in Wausau.  Sanctioned by The USSA.  The event will include 5 laps in the heat races and 10 laps in the finals.  All registration money will be returned as prizes, and trophies will be given to the junior class winners.

REMEMBER OUR FALLEN HEROES

Our nation, and freedom-loving people around the world, owe a tremendous debt to our courageous women and men in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice.
This Memorial Day, we remember those who we’ve lost and honor those who continue to serve.  We cannot let this or any generation believe that we have forgotten the price of freedom.

THE HOT 1980 POLARIS SLEDS

TX-L - A Full Shot of Liquid Power
CENTURION - Pull The Trigger & Hang On
That's what Polaris advertised on their 1980 model snowmobiles.
   The 1980 Polaris TX-L boasted a 333cc liquid-cooled SuperStar engine and The 1980 Polaris Centurion with a 500cc liquid cooled three cylinder engine with both being big on performance.  Polaris advertised, "Hang On and Enjoy The Liquid Cooled Power and Performance."

1972 Rupp American

The Elegant, Snow Machine from Rupp Industries - features included from an adjustable long range headlamp to the wrap around tail lamp cluster, clean trim, functional styling.  It had a look that states this beauty if more than skin deep. On the instrumental dash, you could turn the key and electric start was standard. The seat was deep, luxurious and comfortable with a sculptured seat backrest with a storage compartment.
   You had a choice of three reliable Rupp engines - 30, 40, or 50 horsepower and wide track flotation and stability with a improved bogie system. A truly beautiful sled in its day.

THE 1972 RAIDER

PHASE TWO
The second generation snowmobile - Sport car cockpit seating in the all new 1972 twin track Raider with positive no-lean control and superior traction

HOT SNOWMOBILE SUIT

December 1975 - Electric hot suits are designed to run on a 12 volt alternator or battery and be as warm as an electric blanket.
   They come in the latest styles in one or two piece models.
   Northwest Motoelectric co., Maple Valley, Washington.

A FORD SNOWMOBILE

THE MODEL T FORD PICTURED HERE WAS CONVERTED TO A SNOWMOBILE DURING THE EARLY 1920's BY KING AND NOVAK.

SNOWMOBILING IN YELLOWSTONE

They Come From Far and Near to Ride in Yellowstone - A group of 40 riders on 29 sleds ventured from Flagg Ranch, Wyoming to Old Faithful.  The group is from Baltimore, MD. and came to snowmobile and. enjoy a ski trip at Jackson, Wyoming.

1980 MOTO-SKI MUSCLE SLEDS

Moto-Ski's claim for 1980 was that they had more muscle and manoeuverability than before in their snowmobiles.
  They said that the harder you looked for faults, the more you'd like their snow shaker.

BOBCAT SNOWMOBILES

December 1974 - Bob Cat Manufacturing Company has introduced a new line of snowmobiles and has two models.  "Jay Hawk" and "JH."  The Jay Hawk comes with a 340 or 440cc CCW engine and bogir wheel suspension.  The JH series offers two sizes - 340 and 440cc with Kohler engines and either bogie wheel or super flexion suspension.
   Some features common to both models include disc brakes, aluminum frame and fiberglass hood, adjustable bushings on the steering assembly and extruded aluminum bumper.

1982 JOHN DEERE SNOWMOBILES

John Deere's Claims For 1982 - The key word was  in Deeres lineup of its 1982 sleds as "lightweight." The use of new high-technology materials had Deeres engineers claiming to have the lightest weight line of snowmobiles in the industry.
   Deere believed in light, easy-to-handle sleds,and promised to cure any "back-breaking-blues"you may have suffered in the past.

ST PAUL-WINNEPEG RACE UPS STAKES FOR 1976

St Paul, Minnesota - The 11th running of the St. Paul-to-Winnepeg International 500, January 19-22, 1976 offered the richest rewards in the history of the event.  Cash prizes totaling $92,500.00 were available to the drivers.  First place were worth $10,000.00, excluding any contingency money.

PERFORMANCE UPDATE

September 1988 - Cylinder Porting Helps Increase Fuel, Air Flow.  Itdoes not hurt engine performance and can actually help an engine run better.  Imperfections in the ports of mass-produced cylinders get ground away during the porting, leaving more perfect channels for the fuel and air.  So along with expanding the ports and possibly giving them beveled or chamfered edges, rough surfaces and smoothed out.

EASTERN MICHIGAN GRASS DRAGS

The finals of the 1983 Eastern Michigan Snowmobile Drag Racing Association was held on November 5th and 6th at Perch Point Conservation Club.
   Competitors were numbered in the hundreds for the two day event, one of the top races concluded the summer season.  The association has members in Michigan, Ontario, Ohio and other states.

SNOWMOBILING IN NEW MEXICO

Deep snow is found abundantly in the higher elevations in New Mexico. Snow conditions are ideal for track travel, allowing snowmobilers to climb to the top of many mountains.  There are also plenty of wide open meadows for playing around.
   There is The Red River which has groomed trails within the city limits. There is Chama which lies within The Carson National Forest.  Chama is billed as the "Snowmobile Capitol of The Southwest" and has over 300 miles of snowmobile trails and there is The White Mountains which is closer to The New Mexico and Arizona border and is one of the more popular spots to ride, which include The White Mountains and several towns.

AUTO-SKI FILES BANKRUPTCY

January, 1974 - Levis, Quebec - Auto-Ski, Inc., manufacturer of Auto-Ski snowmobiles, has filled bankruptcy with more than $900,000.00 owed to creditors, according to Paul LaCasse, company president.
   Paul and Maurice LaCasse, brothers who founded the company in 1968, have purchased the current inventory of Auto-Ski snowmobile parts from the bank, and will handle their distribution from The Auto-Ski plant in Levis.
   Auto-Ski sold 700 1973 snowmobiles and produced 1,800 machines for the 1974 season, according to Paul LaCasse.  Sales for fiscal 1973 approached $500,000.
   The LaCasse brothers indicated they would seek financial backing in order to produce snowmobiles for the 1975 season.

SCANDINAVIAN SNOWMOBILES

Did you know that all snowmobiles sold or imported into Sweden must be equipped with a little rubber-ball bicycle horn! ?

HONDA UNVEILS NEW SNOWMOBILE

December 1973, Gardena, California - American Honda's entry into the snowmobile business is  a  twin-track, rear engine snow vehicle, the "White Fox."
   The first official snowmobile-type vehicle from the giant Japanese motorcycle company designed basically for youngsters and others weighing up to 150 pounds.
   The White Fox is powered by an all new 178cc two stroke engine coupled with a torque converter drive system.  The narrow track sled has a low center of gravity, resulting, according to Honda, an improved maneuverability and handling.  It is further said to be unusually lightweight and offer exceptional fuel economy.
   The company says the radically different styling of the snowmobile sets it apart from ordinary snowmobiles. It is designed to fit in the back of a full-sized station wagon, for easy transporting.
   The White Fox is equipped with full lighting, fuel gauge, a safety brake lock, recoil starter and fully enclosed drive chain.

GREAT SNOWMOBILING IN ALASKA

Winter is Exciting While Snowmobiling in Alaska - If you like to travel for miles and miles on unrestricted wide open spaces, then head for Alaska. Here the snowmobiler can either experience the thrill of riding over mountains or travel miles of unmarked trails on flat land.
   In Alaska, the snowmobile season generally begins in October and lasts through April, giving the snowmobiler plenty of time to test the mountain inclines and to race across the wide open meadows.
   National forests and Bureau of Land Management Lands are good places to begin riding in Alaska.  Although there are many other areas to ride, including state parks, the Chugach National Forest and White Mountains Recreation areas are two areas that shouldn't be missed.

SNOCROSS EVENT GIVEN HONOR

Rapid City Journal - May 8, 2014
Minneapolis- The International Series of Champions' producers and promoters of the 2013-14 AMSOIL Championship Snocross have named the Deadwood Snocross Shootout as the "Event of The Year" for America's premier competition snowmobile racing series, according to a prepared release from ISOC.
   Contested at the famed Days of '76 Rodeo Grounds in South Dakota Black Hills, the professional snowmobile racers engaged in one of the year's most epic battles in January as sophmore Pro Open class racers Kody Kamm, sponsored by Polaris, was able to put a stop to Arctic Cat racer Tucker Hibbert's six-race win streak in Friday's opening race, according to ISOC. Hibbert rebounded on Saturday in a last-to-first statement race that many considered to be the turning point in Hibbert's championship run this year.
   "The incredible racing had everyone in attendance on their feet," the release stated.

JOHN DEERE WINS NORTH DAKOTA CROSS COUNTRY

Grand Forks, ND - Brian Nelson,Wilmar, Minnesota, rode a John Deere to victory in The North Dakota Governors Trophy Run, December 20, 1975.  Nelson, a member of  The John Deere Enduro Team, covered the 245 mile course from Bismarck to Grand Forks, ND, in 5 hours, 24 minutes and 54 seconds.
   There were 185 starters in the race, which began on December 19, only 41of them finished the course.
Completing the top ten were: Kevin Frith, Yamaha; Ronnie Zutz, Polaris; Kirk Hibbert, Arctic Cat; Rex Hibbert, Arctic Cat; Danny Roy, Arctic Cat; Scott Simonson, Mercury; Huns Moltzan, Arctic Cat; Chester Laney, Arctic Cat; Buzz Matz, Yamaha.

THE 1986 SKI-DOO CITATION

The Citation line did not come with the power and acclamation that accompanied The Formulas, but The Citation was still rich in engineering and design.
   The Citations are single-cylinder, 248cc snowmobiles designed for the first-time buyer market.  They were reasonably priced and lightweight (under 300 pounds dry), making them affordable and easy to handle

KAWASAKI'S INTERCEPTER WINS SHOOTOUT

The 1982 Kawasaki Interceptor rocket - won the second annual shootout based on overall points and consistently strong overall second place finishes in both the acceleration and handling phases.  Of an available 180 points, Kawasaki earned 155.
   Off the line, there was nothing else "box stock" for the 1982 that could touch it. When the sled's 530cc Kawasaki twin slamd horsepower to the track, the "acceleration prioritized suspension" rocked into action like a Sno-Pro racer.
   In acceleration the Interceptor was strong thru the quarter, capable at the half and mortal at the mile.

FOX CORPORATION UNLIKELY TO MAKE 1975 SLEDS

June 1974 - Janesville, Wisconsin - The Fox Corporation, according to an announcement by director of marketing Scott Grafft, " almost certainly will not produce snowmobiles for the 74-75 season".  Fox corporation,a manufacturer of recreational vehicles since 1946, recently purchased the assets of Speedway Products, Inc., Mansfield, Ohio, manufacturers of Speedway snowmobiles and motorcycles.
   Fox is in the process of incorporating the Speedway products and designs into its product line, which also includes gokarts, three wheelers and the street legal Tracker, sport cycle.

PABST BREWING COMPANY GIVES AWARD

Jack Stevens of Houghton, MI was honored by a snowmobile magazine and The Pabst Brewing Company at the 1983 International Snowmobile Congress in Indianapolis, June 5-8.  Stevens a long time Ski-Doo dealer in the Upper Peninsula, was chosen as one of  a snowmobile magazine's 1983 "Most Valuable Snowmobilers"
   In keeping with its active support of snowmobiling, the Pabst Brewing  Company awarded Stevens and 11 other recipients from across the snowbelt a special "Pabst Blue Ribbon" plaque.

PLANT STRIKE SETTLED AT HARLEY DAVIDSON

Milwaukee Wisconsin, Press Release - October 1974 - AMF Harley-Davidson production workers, who had been on strike since May31,1974, ratified a new 30 month contract last month and returned to work in Milwaukee.  The strike had involved approximately 1,600 employees.
   The Milwaukee plant produces Harley Davidson snowmobiles and golg cars, in addition to the engines and transmissions for some of the companies motorcycles which are assembled at the plant in York, PA.

RUN WITH THE RABBIT

December 1976 - Kicking off the season at Ironwood, the Lemans racing support team were at major snowmobile races all thru the circuit.
  They featured a USSA contingency program, oil sponsorship of the famous St. Paul to Winnipeg 500, and ICCSF Cross Country sponsorship, Lemans with Carbide "Run with the Rabbit" and new Super Snobil was continuously field proving its products under the severest of all conditions - competitive racing.