VINTAGE REVIEW


1968 Sno-Skat

One of many interesting sleds to see at World Snowmobile HQ

Things of note you’ll see at the new World Snowmobile Headquarters in Eagle River, Wisconsin, include a display of historic and unique snowmobiles. Among the current display of “traditional” Polaris Sno-Travelers and historic World Championship twin-track racing sleds is a quite rare “kit” snowmobile on loan by Jerry Wanty of Jackson (WI) to the HQ’s museum area.

Wanty’s redone 1968 Sno-Skat is unusual from a variety of points. It is a unique collectible due to its relative obscurity. The fact that it was sold as a kit adds to the uniqueness of the sled. And it also showcases some rather clever design aspects—one of which is being hyped in today’s sleds as breakthrough engineering. Guess the folks at Sno-Skat were 40 years ahead of their time with the 1968 Sno-Skat currently on display at the snowmobile headquarters museum.

The sled was offered as a do-it-yourself kit in 1968 and boasted a carrying capacity for one adult or “two mature children.” The unit’s 4stroke, single cylinder, air-cooled engine was set low in a recessed portion of the tunnel, just back of the steering post and ahead of the seat.

Promotional material stated: “The Sno-Skat offers an exceptionally low center of gravity because the engine is recessed or submerged into the frame. This design feature reduces overall vibration to a minimum while increasing the stability of the machine in operation.”

With the engine tucked away, engineers also enclosed the myriad of moving parts out of harm’s way, too.

“In addition to the low center of gravity created by the recessed engine,” touted the brochure, “the Sno-Skat presents no exposed drive chains or track. If you do happen to tip the machine, you will fall safely clear of all moving parts.”

The engine-mounted clutch was a typical centrifugal unit that you would use for a home-built lawn mower-powered , off-road go-kart. It was simple, efficient for the power output and relatively inexpensive. Braking appears to have been a matter of letting off the throttle and letting friction take over.

Even with a basic “lawn mower” type 5 or 7 horsepower motor, the Sno-Skat was said to achieve speeds upwards of 20 miles per hour, even with an adult who might actually match the diminutive sled’s 180 pounds of dry weight.

Since the engine in the display model was likely an “off-the-shelf” Briggs & Stratton or Tecumseh 4stroker, the fuel tank would have come with the motor and probably had about a quart of fuel capacity. But they would have provided ample fun time for those mature children.

The rear suspension used basic big-wheeled bogies while ski suspension relied on the flex in the shaped steel steering rods attached to the metal skis.

Passengers sat on a luxuriant (by 1968 standards) three inches of foam seat support.

Designed to be rugged, compact and exciting, Sno-Skat’s lightweight construction made it “…much easier to lift out and keep going if you happen to dig into a snow bank, etc.”

If you are in the Eagle River area and enjoy snowmobiling, you owe it to yourself to stop by the World Snowmobile Headquarters complex at 5121 North Railroad Street. For additional info and museum hours, call the Headquarters offices at 715-479-2186. Once the website is completed, you can check out events by visiting online at www.worldsnowmobilehq.com.

For right now, the Sno-Skat is one of the more interesting sleds on display. But, also you'll find a Polaris “Li’l Andy” and a nice sampling of other significant snowmobiles from the past. Check it out!

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

More Rants

Vintage Sleds A Threat?

There are reasons for growth of vintage sledding.

At the peak of last week’s near-blizzard in central Minnesota, we stopped our sled ride to gather at a pit stop along the Soo Line trail. As we parked our brand new (low mileage!) ’07 test sleds outside the trailside bar; we noticed a couple of 1970s vintage Scorpions parked alongside the front edge of the parking lot. Both were in wonderful shape—especially considering that each was easily 35 years old. One hood had a nicely painted patriotic theme while the other retained historic Scorpion black paint on its scoop nose.

Upon entering the bar, we noticed a couple of younger fellows—well, at least younger to me. One was outfitted in a Scorpion-logoed red and black hooded sweatshirt. The other had the Carhartt thing going for him. They were the owners/riders of the two Scorpions and they were of a similar —if not younger— vintage as their sleds. My riding partner, a veteran Scorpion enthusiast and former Scorpion factory racer, knew the lads. We struck up a conversation.

Now, with no apologies, I will admit that this vintage thing has perplexed me some. I do get it. After all, I still have the 1969 Ski-Doo 320SS that was given to me one Christmas by my folks. And I have possession of one of three 1964-65 10-horsepower Ski-Doo Olympiques that my Dad sold the first year he was a snowmobile dealer. So, yes, I get the heritage and emotional side of vintage sleds. I don’t quite get why younger guys are so eager to ride and embrace vintage sleds.

The “Carhartt Guy” said, “It’s kinda like riding a Harley for the snow.” Does that mean the sleds leak oil and ride hard? Yes and no!

“Carhartt Guy’s” buddy said that he could invest a little money and get a long-term ride that put him in touch with what snowmobiling was all about. It sounded a little Thoreau, but what I think he meant was that even though his sled’s top speed was well under 50 miles per hour (the state speed limit in Minnesota, by the way!), he enjoyed a sense of adventure of being a participant in winter.

Also, he pointed out, once he invested the hundreds or a few thousand dollars to get the vintage ride where he wanted it, he could have a nice sled for years to come. One that didn’t require huge repairs—since he could repair most of it himself. If he wanted to update the suspension, he could do it quite easily. Since these were older sleds and since Scorpion parts of those years were somewhat interchangeable, the lads could update the early Scorps with later Scorpion parts. The famed Para-Rail rear suspension could be added to virtually any older bogie model. The engine could be upgraded with newer and more reliable electronics and carbs could be switched out from Walbro to Mikuni.

While the guys liked working on the sleds to make them “theirs,” they enjoyed riding them more. Interestingly, more and more younger riders are finding old sleds to enjoy. They are cheap compared to the $10,000-plus required for today’s newer, heavier and more complex sleds. But, as “Carhartt Guy” noted, “Parts for the old sleds are getting harder to find and more expensive as more people are getting into vintage.”

Yes, indeed, more people are getting into older sleds. While we were at the pit stop another small group came in. One of the younger fellows climbed off a John Deere, the old silver and green one.

With the reality that vintage snowmobiling is growing in popularity, how does this impact the existing sled makers? Is there a realization by today’s snowmobiling crowd that today’s sleds are too expensive for the length of the season? Is there a feeling that today’s sleds are just too heavy and way too complicated? Is there a feeling that there is a growing insider club of vintage sleds —like there is with street rodders, classic car buffs and, yes, Harley guys— where you can be an individual with a remade sled customized to you by you that has greater appeal than the sled makers realize?

When we went to Eagle River (WI) for the races this past January, we were impressed with how big vintage sled racing has become. Working for Snow Week “back in the day,” I covered many of those sleds that I was seeing compete in the vintage events at Eagle River. The difference is that the vintage sleds weren’t falling apart and leaving debris all over the historic oval as the originals had done. And today’s vintage sled racers are actually better overall drivers on average than many of the old time competitors. Vintage racing is impressive. And growing.

As one aftermarket pioneer told me. “If you put a few thousand dollars into building up a vintage race sled, you could race that sled for years. But if you race the new sleds, to be competitive you have to get a new one every year.”

As new sleds get more expensive, more complicated, less mechanic friendly and much heavier, vintage sleds may pose a threat to new sled sales. Vintage sleds are simple, fun and can be made quite reliable. When your butt is a foot off the snow rebounding from a bogie wheel suspension and cradled in a modest foam seat, the vintage sled’s 40 miles per hour top speed seems like a 100 mph on a modern sled. You experience winter first hand on a vintage sled. That’s part of the secret to the growth of vintage sledding.

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

Rants & Raves

Ski-Doo Sets New Standard?

After having been around the snow biz since I was a high-schooler back in New Hampshire, it sometimes seems that it’s just the same ol’ thing, just a different day. Back then; Ski-Doo was #1 with the lion’s share of the snowmobile market.

Hmmm! Fast-forward to today and Ski-Doo is #1 with an ever-growing share of the snowmobile marketplace. The company that reinvented winter back in the 1960s has its sense of history firmly in place as it just introduced some all new “light-footed” snowmobiles of today that have as much impact as those original “light-footed” sleds of yesteryear.

Power To Weight—The big difference is that the new sleds Ski-Doo just unveiled with an all-new rider forward positioning are not merely lighter than the previous REV, but come with more power. Meaning, simply, much more performance due to an incredible power-to-weight shift. If we do a little math —and remember, we are writers not math hounds— we get the new Ski-Doo 800 coming in with a power-to-weight (PTW) ratio that charges each horsepower with 2.8 pounds of sled to carry down the trail! Now, giving Yamaha’s all-new lightweight Nytro 4stroke the benefit of the doubt, it comes in with a PTW of one horsepower to 3.5 pounds of sled weight. That’s the basic math.

We won’t pretend that we weren’t concerned about Ski-Doo and its future. Once the powersports group was broken off from Bombardier proper a few years ago and became an independent entity backed by venture capital, we judged that Ski-Doo would have a fight on its hands for sheer survival, much less market dominance. But Ski-Doo used its legacy product of snowmobiles, revisited the way and why snowmobilers rode their sleds and came up with the REV platform. A gamble? Yes! But one that changed the recreational snowscape as much as those light-footed sleds of yore did. If you don’t believe the REV was successful, look at the competition. Every other manufacturer makes a big deal of its rider-forward ergonomics. Argue that Yamaha’s Snoscoot was the first with the concept, but Yamaha abandoned it to follow the mainstream.

Could Doo—My problem with Ski-Doo was not one of “can do.” Rather, more could do! Could Ski-Doo without the benefits of Mother Bombardier have the resources and capabilities to score another REV success? Voila! Ski-Doo has pulled off what very few snowmobile companies in the #1 position have been able to do—follow up a market leading success with another market leader. It has yet to be proven that the new REV chassis combo will be a big hit, but we are betting it will because it isn’t just about weight.

Check out the Ski-Doo web site and take a very close look at the sled’s details. First, there is the weight reduction. Taking a page from Yamaha’s book, Ski-Doo engineers combined functions of some pieces to reduce overall weight. It’s worked well for Yamaha.

Second, there is the benefit of proven power from tried and true Rotax powerplants that are known to provide excellent performance. And the fuel mileage of these 2strokers is totally under rated, which gives the power source an advantage beyond simple horsepower. Lighter weight to haul usually means improved mileage as well as speed and acceleration.

Third, there is the simple fact that the new Ski-Doo shows that Ski-Doo engineering “Gets It!” The engineering team thinks in terms of a total package. The front and rear suspensions are designed to provide maximum usage of their components. Shock rod lengths are there to be used as the rear suspension couples front action to rear action. The front end reflects a concept of balance. Supple up and down action balanced with progressive side-to-side action.

Fourth, rider positioning was rethought. But not to the extreme. Adding an inch or so of rider height created a way to give the rider more legroom while allowing him to maintain better control. The engine is mounted low. The secondary clutch is mounted nearly straight up and down to accommodate the riding position. A glance at the sled’s dynamics as portrayed on the Ski-Doo web site suggests a nice balance between center of gravity retention and centralizing the mass of heaviest componentry—engine, exhaust, clutches, etc.

Rough Trail Leader—Frankly, we’ve been a bit amazed that Ski-Doo has been the leader in rough trail technology in recent years. This is a company whose engineers open R&D’s overhead doors and head onto one of the best-groomed trail systems in all of snowmobiling. For those “hommes” to intellectualize rough trail riding and the ergonomics of rider position in big bumps and pockmarked, rutted out terrain comes as a bit of a surprise to us. This is the company that gave us the Everest—nice for touring, but not very good when the trails got rough—and Safari series. We have been incredibly impressed that Ski-Doo brought us the REV. We would have thought that Polaris or Cat would have done that since their engineers open the R&D doors in northwestern Minnesota and head out on to some of the most pitted out roadside ditches you can imagine!

That brings us back to another reason we are impressed with what Ski-Doo has done. When a sled company has been #1, it has been hard to retain that title. Yes, Polaris was #1 for more than a decade living off the Indy and its many iterations. But when it came time to make the great big jump forward, Polaris gave us the Fusion 900. Goodbye #1!

Arctic Cat was #1 for years, but in tough times back in the late 1970s and early1980s, Cat went out of business and was saved by diehard Cat engineers and marketing types who brought it back to life and created the biggest comeback in snowmobiling history—in great part due to an even more diehard core of Arctic Cat owners who would rather give up riding if they couldn’t have a Cat!

Yamaha was #1 after Arctic Cat fell into receivership, but despite its lineup of interesting sleds like the Enticer, SRX and SRV, Yamaha fell off to a distant fourth place in a group of four. With a renewed commitment to snowmobiling and a major commitment of 4stroke technology, Yamaha has rebounded and now challenges Ski-Doo.

Ski-Doo vs Yamaha—The Ski-Doo/Yamaha challenge is an interesting one. The two companies are opposite in engine technology. Yamaha is 4stroke-centric. Ski-Doo is open to both 2stroke and 4stroke—sort of. For its performance line, Ski-Doo opts for clean burning 2strokes that are lighter and pack more power per cc than a 4stroker. Ski-Doo offers a V-twin 4stroke for its trail-oriented lineup of Legend type machines, but believes that performance riders want lightweight performance first and foremost. And, for Ski-Doo that means 2stroke Rotax performance.

Based on rides this winter of the new Blizzard 800cc twin, we agree that performance riders can get strong performance and good fuel efficiency from 2stroke-based sleds. Just recently at a gas station in central Minnesota, we compared fuel efficiency between Ski-Doo’s Blizzard 800 and Arctic Cat’s Jaguar Z1 4stroke. Having traveled the same distance, the 4stroke thirsted for a gallon more of fuel than did the 2stroke Ski-Doo. Keep in mind that the Suzuki-built Cat motor uses a computer-corrected fuel injection system versus the carbureted throttle body style feeding the Ski-Doo 2stroke twin. We were quite surprised at the result of that fill up. Ski-Doo’s Rotax engineers know a little something about squeezing power and efficiency out of its engines!

Bottom Line—The bottom line in this discussion is simple. Ski-Doo has established a new standard for snowmobiles. There is power-to-weight. There is comfort. There is big bump performance. There is engine power. There is engine efficiency. There is a heritage that is taken very, very, very seriously by a legacy sled brand! And, there is a very large challenge for the competition.

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog