POLARIS SETS SALES RECORD

The 1986-87 sale season, which included severe snow droughts in some prime snowmobile sales markets, was the sixth straight record-setting sales year for Polaris, which saw the total sales top $100 million for a one year period.

NEW FRM SKI-DOO IN 1982

ABOUT MYSELF

I would like to tell you a little more about myself.  As I've illustrated in my profile within this blog, my life has been centered around snowmobiles which includes the present time.  I was a Rupp dealer from 1969 thru it's death in 1978.  In 1980, I, along with some help made an attempt to bring Rupp Industries back into existence.  "GO HERE", To read all about this attempt.  In 1984, I moved to South Dakota and went on to expand my snowmobile parts and accessories operation by the name of SnoCat Shack and later was renamed Sport Shack, because of a legal matter.  I sold Sport Shack in 1996 and started a company by the name of Battery Shack and sold over 14,000 batteries in 10 years. "CLICK HERE", To learn more about this business.

RUPP INDUSTRIES RECEIVING ADVERTISING REWARD

Eight awards for marketing and creative excellence in advertising and sales promotion were awarded to Rupp Industries for 1971.
   Rupp received one first award with no second or third place honors of excellence. The first award  was for the best coordinated advertising campaign.  This was the third consecutive year that Rupp has captured top honors in that category.
   Other awards to Rupp included Citations of Excellence for point of purchase display; sales aids; trade paper ad; radio commercial, 60 seconds; consumer magazine campaign, 3 or more colors; direct mail, folder stuffer, and 24 sheet outdoor poster. This included all of the companies products - snowmobiles, cycles, Ruppsters and carts.
  Rupp was also awarded a Certificate of  Excellence in Graphic Design by The Meade Paper Company for the companies 1970 Annual Report, the first annual report for Rupp, which went public in April of 1970.
   Learn all about Rupp by "Clicking Here"

1977 ARCTIC CAT LINEUP

After lying dormant for a year, the Lynx emerges as Arctic Cat's "newest" sled for '77.  Restyled and redesigned from the track up, the Lynx is aimed at the snowmobiler looking for a sled with lightweight price and heavy weight value.
   In addition, Arctic is back with it's bread-and-butter machines:
Jag
Pantera
El Tigre
Panther
Cheeta

1980 KAWASAKI INVADER LTD 4/6

The 1980 Kawasaki LTD 4/6 not only looked good but also performed good.
  The Invader LTD 4/6 went far beyond any Kawasaki snowmobile ever introduced.  It paralleled the original Invader concept, but delivered more performance combined with more standard features than most snowmobiles offered as options.
   Its rich glacier green coat with silver black accents with gold pin stripping was an indication of the engineering effort put into the LTD.
   The LTD is powered by a newly developed four-into-six transfer port 440cc liquid-cooled engine designed to provide a denser, more quickly fired fuel charge.  The engine uses a twin spark plug capacitor discharge ignition (CDI) and dual tuned exhaust for optimum performance.

THE 1989 ARCTIC CAT SHIFTER

There was no more pulling, rotating or pushing with the new 1989 Arctic reverse.
Simply turn the lever left for reverse or right to go forward

1972 YAMAHA SL292 SNOWMOBILE

The new feature for the  1972 Yamaha's, new model snowmobiles was the gear-driven autolube which automatically metered the oil to the engine according to the rpm's and how hard the engine's working. This was to be a remedy to fouled plugs.
Probably the start to oil injection in other lines of snowmobiles.

SLEDDING IN CALIFORNIA & NEVADA

Nevada is better known for gambling, but The California/Nevada Snowmobilers have found there's more to do during the winter than playing 21.
   More than 31 snowmobile clubs have joined The California/Nevada Snowmobile Association and more clubs are expected to follow.
   Hundreds of  members who are convinced that they hold claim to the best snow in the west.
   This claim may be hard to prove, the association builds it's claim around several excellent snowmobile locations, including Hope Valley, Little Trucker Summit and Oregon Summit.
   When you add the glamour of the proximity of resort towns such as South Lake Tahoe and Reno to snowmobile meccas such as Mt. Rose, it's easy to see why the sport of snowmobiling is a good bet in these two states.

1976 MASSEY SNOWMOBILE LINEUP

The New Winds Called Massey:
Chinook - The compact, economical family sled with a twin cylinder 295cc fan cooled Cuyuna engine.

Whirlwind - The all around sports sled which featured a Para-Rail suspension and a new Cuyuna fan cooled 340cc or 440cc engine.

Cyclone - The big performance cross-country competitor with Can Am styling and a liquid cooled two or three cylinder engine.

SNOWMOBILING IN THE NEEDLES

The Needles at the Black Hills of South Dakota is a very different experience.  It features great sledding and a unique change of scenery.  It is located on Highway #87 and a must see when snowmobiling in The Black Hills of South Dakota.

1986 ARCTIC CAT PANTERA

Independent Front Suspension Made The 1986 Pantera Stronger - One would be hard pressed to believe anything else but that the AFS helped improve the ride of the Pantera.
   The Pantera maintained all the luxuries of the past liquid cooling, handlebar warmers, instrumentation, gauges and an electric start option.
   As for comfort, the A-frame front suspension provided seven inches of travel for each ski with its inboard mounted coil-overshock design.

NEW LIFE FOR SKIROULE

September 1974 - Wickham, Que.- The Skiroule snowmobile line, which had been in a state of limbo since early 1974 when it's parent company, "The Coleman Company," announced its intention to divest itself of the snowmobile operation, has received new life. 
  The Skiroule snowmobile division had been sold by Coleman to H.M.K. Manufacturing, LTD., Montreal.  The president said he plans to continue the operation of Skiroule and that production of parts for the new 1975 models was already underway.

SNOWY RANGE WYOMING SNOWMOBILING

Snowmobile trails go up, down and even sideways in Wyoming's Snowy Range,the developed center of the sport in this section of The Cowboy State.
   Local gentry merely call the area the "Snowy's," their designation for the trails in The Medicine Bow National Forest.  The range is easy to reach from I-80 along the southern border of The State of Wyoming, with the Sierra Madres to the west and Colorado to the south.
   More than 100 miles of designated snowmobile trails are within The Snowy Range complex, most of them regularly groomed and marked by The Wyoming Recreation Commission with cooperation with local lodges and nearby snowmobile clubs.  Snowmobilers from nearby Laramie and Cheyenne, as well as other communities, flock to the trails but their snowmobiles are quickly and widely dispersed over the vast winter wilderness.

SKI-DOO ALPINE: ALASKA TEST

November 1973 - Did you know that a team of Alpines raced in 1972 in the most gruelling snowmobile race ever to be run?
   They went the distance over bitter Alaskan terrain, from Nenanna clear to Nome.  And not only did they race, they won the race!  It's A testament to the fact that the bloody machines really know how to stay together, and a testament to the fact that there were times when the Alpines were the the only machines that could get through.  They broke trails for the losers.
   There aren't many people out there on big workhorse snowmobiles, but those who swear by them, the trappers,  farmers,  forest service people and trailbreakers.  They figured it was about time to see what the swearing was all about.

THE 1981 YAMAHA EXCELL III

In 1981 Yamaha said "Start it with two fingers then hang on with both hands."
That was their newest snowmobile for the 1981 Yamaha line-up. It had a high performance luxury design and It was powered with a mean 340cc twin cylinder engine with electric start, which had an extremely wide power band to give it more muscle.  It was built extremely light and nimble with a long travel rear suspension, assuring maximum traction over any kind of terrain

SNOWMOBILING IN THE BLACK HILLS OF SOUTH DAKOTA

You can ride all day or as long as you like, during your snowmobile vacation in the Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. Ride the highest mountains between The Rockies and The Alps. Cruise hundreds of miles of trails that are so well-marked and groomed you can get lost in the pines on your way to the open powder meadows. Out here, even The Governor rides the hills.

SNOWMOBILERS COMPARED TO SKIERS

October 1979 - Two survey's of 1976-77 shows that snowmobilers out number down hill skiers in The United States.  There are more than 14 million snowmobilers in The United States compared with 12.46 million skiers.
   Surprised ??, The surveys, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation of Princeton, New Jersey, for the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service, U.S. Department of Interior, reveal some interesting statistics, Such as - 25% of the nation's snowmobilers have a family income bracket of from $15,000. to $25,000. Large numbers of snowmobilers also have salaries in the $6,000. to $10,000. and $10,000. to $15,000. ranges.  And although the "over $50,000." income bracket represented only two percent of the population survey, 13 percent of the snowmobile population fits into that higher income bracket.  The current snowmobiler is young, either in the 18-24 year bracket (15 percent) or the 25 to 34 year old bracket (21 percent) - farmers 13 percent shows up as snowmobilers, although they represent only 2 percent of the population as a whole.
   The typical snowmobiler has an average 12 year education, far higher than the U.S. population at large - The typical snowmobiler lives in a rural area, is part of a family with one or two children, lives in a one family house, and is white. (11 percent of the nation's snowmobilers are black)

1989 SKI-DOO RAVE ENGINE

Ski-Doo buyers were happy to learn of the New Formula MACH I, a muscle bound 580cc twin designed to give 650s a run for their money. The MACH I is unique that it featured a Rotax Automatic Variable Exhaust (RAVE) system that provided optimum performance throughout the sleds entire powerband. The new sled utilized  the same chassis and front end components as the other Formula machines, however, a new gas-filled, monoshock rear suspension soaked up the bumps

THE GRIZZLY

October 1983 - Snowmobilers in The United States and Canada were discovering the AKTIV-Grizzley.
   This big, heavy duty, twin tracked snowmobile was designed with work in mind. The Swedish manufacturer built a rugged machine to fill all the utilitarian needs for over snow use.
   The Grizzley De Luxe, powered by a 432cc fan-cooled twin cylinder engine, easily tows the matching snowmobile trail groomer.  The roller style drag is ideal for most snow conditions.  The serrated blade across the front cuts moguls and hardpack. Then the snow rolls over a rounded pan attached to the blade.  Here it is aerated before it passes under the roller which does the packing.

THE NEW 1975 SUZUKI FURY

Winter 1974 - Waiting to try its wings - The 1975 Suzuki Fury introduced its first free air model.  A 432cc Free-Air Twin Cylinder Engine.
   It featured a aluminum chassis, slide rail suspension and a cleated track - all wrapped up inside a silver and orange metal flake color scheme.
   The Fury's engine featured pointless electronic ignition and a new CEM manufacturing  process that resulted in an extra hard surface coating on the cylinder walls, designed to provide closer engine tolerances and less engine wear

SNOWMOBILING IN THE WEST

When it comes to snowmobiling in the west - the mountains, the powder, the forested hills, the rivers, the canyons - there is a great abundance in variety and scenery.  Its tough to determine which state has the best snow conditions.  Every state and province has unique areas which makes winter a beautiful time of the year.

SNOWMOBILING IN SOUTH DAKOTA

If you enjoy riding snowmobiles in The Midwest, You'll love riding in The Black Hills of South Dakota.  Have you ever spent a snowmobile vacation in western South Dakota?  It offers a combination of the best snowmobiling and site seeing in the snowbelt.
   Probably the best thing about spending a snowmobiling vacation at The Black Hills of South Dakota is that the fun doesn't stop when you put your sled away for the day.  There are so many attractions for the tourist to take in that you're in for a full day everyday.
   Snowmobiling, of course is the prime concern, The Black Hills offers some of the finest riding anywhere with hundreds of miles of trails through and around the hills.
   The people in the Black Hills say, "Snow doesn't close us down, it just transforms the land into a winter playground."

1972 TRAILBLAZER

The Trailblazer by Evinrude - This is the one the leaders follow, The Innovator, The Pacesetter, as claimed by Evinrude. 
   The Trailblazer featured a high-torque, twin cylinder 30 horsepower engine and a 5:1 Super Range Drive.  It has a 20-inch molded rubber track.
   The Trailblazer featured Evinrude's new Firepower ignition system which was designed to deliver up to ten times longer spark plug life.
   Some of the features included a reverse gear, remote fuel gauge, concealed headlamp, underseat storage and padded steering arms. The Trailblazer was available with manual or electric start.

THE 1984 YAMAHA BRAVO

The baby of the Yamaha line and a popular price leader.
It featured a big new windshield for 1984 along with a color choice of red or blue.  It has it's durable 246cc single cylinder engine.
It featured a new baffle plate in the hood which allowed opening and closing to regulate cooling air and improved performance over a wide range of ambient operating temperatures

RUPP REPORTS PROFIT

Mansfield, Ohio - Press Release - November 1974 - Rupp Industries Reports A Sales Increase &  Profit For The First Nine Months Of 1974. over the similar period a year ago.  The Mansfield-based manufacturer of snowmobiles, motorcycles, mini-cycles, ATV's and the recently-introduced Centuar reported a net profit of $29,000.00 and a sales increase of 21 percent for the first nine months of 1974.
   The latest nine-month figures compare with a loss of $2.3 million for the same nine month period of 1973.  Total sales for the nine month period ending September 30, 1974 were reported at $9,454,000.00, as compared to $7,478,000.00 in the same 1973 period.
   Gross profits for the first nine months of 1974 were $2,044,000.00, up from $725,000.00 in the same 1973 period.
   Commenting on the report, Rupp president said: "Snowmobile sales are excellent at Rupp.  We've always been optimistic about the future of the industry.  This report is a tribute to our distributors, dealers and employees."

1980 JOHN DEERE SNOWMOBILES

October 1979 - Here Is John Deere's Claim For 1980.
"YOU CAN'T STAY AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION ANYMORE BY JUST BEING FAST" - As long as you stay on smooth frozen  lakes, raw speed may be all you demand from your snowmobile, but if you want to keep up your speed on the trail, you may demand more.
   More agility, More stability, More maneuverability.  It takes superb balance for a sled to perform stable maneuvers at high speeds. A low center of gravity. A specially engineered suspension system. And a host of other design improvements.
   John Deere claimed, that these happen to be the kinds of improvements we've been making at John Deere.

ARCTIC RACING PREVIEW

Larry Colton and his 1977 Arctic Cat racing machine

1981POLARIS GEMINI

The 1981 Gemini from Polaris Industries was their low price model at only 355 pounds, but its fuel economy was more MPG than any other in two years of industry-wide independent testing.
The Gemini featured a 244cc single cylinder engine with A Progressive Compression Slide Rail  suspension with a rubber cleated track.

ABOUTMYSELF

I would like to tell you a little more about myself.  As I've illustrated in my profile within this blog, my life has been centered around snowmobiles which includes the present time.  I was a Rupp dealer from 1969 thru it's death in 1978.  In 1980, I, along with some help made an attempt to bring Rupp Industries back into existence.  "GO HERE", To read all about this attempt.  In 1984, I moved to South Dakota and went on to expand my snowmobile parts and accessories operation by the name of SnoCat Shack and later was renamed Sport Shack, because of a legal matter.  I sold Sport Shack in 1996 and started a company by the name of Battery Shack and sold over 14,000 batteries in 10 years. "CLICK HERE", To learn more about this business.

SNOWMOBILING IN MONTANA

There must be something right about snowmobiling in Montana - they've got 200,000 people doing it there
A ride like this one off Lionshead is just one example of the unique Montana snowmobiling experience.
The Big Sky state is proud of its well developed, well-groomed trails, the majestic mountains and the wide open spaces providing an exciting variety for all kinds of snowmobiles.
Among the popular riding areas are West Yellowstone, Lincoln, Seeley Lake, Lolo Pass, Glacier Country, The Big Sky Trail, and The Immense Bear Tooth Mountains.
 

SNOWMOBILING IN COLORADO IN 1973