1984/85 SNOWMOBILE RACING

Snowmobile Racing _ The Magic Came Back     The winter of 1984/85 is remembered for snowmobile racing circles for a season of growth, changes and experimentation.
Interests peaked for both spectators and racers across the snowbelt. 
In 1983, The world Series of Drag Racing attracted an incredible 454 entries

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.

1981 POLARIS TX-L

In 1981 Polaris claimed that the TX-L will continue to outshine everything in its class.  It was built with a 338cc liquid cooled mill that performs like gangbusters whatever the altitude, temperature or speed and in the looks department it has become a bonafide "10"

TR-800 JOHN DEERE CLUTCH

The TR-800 clutch has rollers mounted to the flyweights. The ramps are fixed to the movable sheave. Flyweight mas can be altered without affecting the shifting profile.
   This is a new clutch which was introduced to consumers for the first time on the 1982 model John Deere Liquifire, which had logged thousands of miles in the field before it was ever installed in a consumer model.  The TR-800 clutch testing program began in earnest during the 1981-82 winter season.
   Some of the early proto-type John Deere TR-800 clutches were plagued with an overheating problem which caused blown belts, however the problem was solved by John Deere.  First by running it open faced like Comet, but the results were unsatisfactory.
To solve the problem, what they came up with was a combination of a rib with a hole behind it that would move the air like a fan and thereby cooling the moving sheave and the belt.  The cooling veins actually created a low pressure area.

CHAPARRAL THE COMPANY

January 1974 - Chaparral was a division of Armco Recreational Products, Inc., and was located at 5995 N. Washington St., Denver, Colorado.  Armco Recreational Products, in turn, was a division of Armco Steel Corporation of Middletown, Ohio.  Another division of Armco Recreational Products was Red Dale Coach, manufacturer of  live-in recreational vehicles headquartered in Longmont, Colorado.  Other products within the Chaparral Division included sport cycles, bicycles, barbecue gas grills and government defense products.
Chaparral, founded in 1967, was purchased by Armco in 1969.  For the first two or three years, Chaparral  was a highly independent division.  In 1972, however, Armco began to play a more active management role, highlighted by the appointment of a long time Armco executive, to the presidency of Chaparral.

NATURALS VS. SYNTHETICS SNOWMOBILE OIL

September 1988 - There has been a gradual rise in the use of synthetic oils.  Although synthetics are anywhere from two to five times as costly as natural petroleum based oils , they do offer some distinct advantages.
Because petroleum based lubes are refined from crude oil, they can sometimes be just that.  When oil is refined, it is heated and separated into different factions.  The lightest and cleanest factions are used to make gasoline and kerosene.  The oils collected for lubrication purposes are those that are heavier, have a higher thermal point and have settled near the bottom of the refining tower.  The same qualities that give the oil a higher viscosity (sticking ability) and resistance to thermal breakdown, are responsible for a certain amlount of carbon buildup.
Synthetics, on the other hand, are man made lubricants that can be custom tailored to specific applications.  With synthetics, a chemist is not confined to what nature has provided and therefore can produce a lubricant that has a high film strength and burns cleanly.  With petroleum based oils, the higher the film strength, the dirtier the combustion,

NO 1982 YAMAHA SRX

1981 Press Release - There will be no 1982 Yamaha SRX model snowmobiles for the 1982 model season.  The announcement came the last week of November, 1981 from a senior vice president at Yamaha Motors Corporation, USA , in charge of marketing and sales.
   The new 1982 model SRX was to have been A 500cc, liquid cooled snow-stomper. Intense testing was done on the new model in 1981 at Kotzebue, Alaska, Australia and Montana.  "The tests were not totally satisfactory," A Yamaha spokesman said. "Nothing major, just some little nagging things.  We didn't want to let it out to the consumers until everything was just right - so we're not letting them out this year.
   The Yamaha spokesman said a 1983 model definitely will be introduced.

1982 U.S. SNOWMOBILE REGISTRATIONS

September 1983 - Annandale, VA - Snowmobile registrations in The United States totaled 1,415,031 in 1982, according to a survey conducted by the International Snowmobile Industry Association (ISIA).  Canadian registrations totaled 558,084.
The survey was based on responses from appropriate state and provincial government offices.

1982 KAWASAKI INTRUDER

December 1981 - Introducing the 1982 Kawasaki Intruder. The latest edition of a Kawasaki Classic, powered by a fan cooled version of the engine that held the Worlds 24 hour speed and endurance record.
It has a 436 cc fan cooled engine with lightweight aluminum Mikuni carbs and CD ignition.  A smooth-riding Vari-Ride suspension - A Kawasaki exclusive.
Kawasaki called it a SUPERFAN

1975 BOA-SKI

In 1975, Boa-Ski advertised that their sleds were fun and dependable.
Whether you buy a Boa-Ski for racing, for running trails or just for family fun, you know your snowmobile must be dependable.